Mister America

Tim has created something special here, something witty and hilarious. Mister America is a laugh out loud comedy with a purpose. The genius improvisation by Tim while interacting with real people is the shining star of this film, but the amazing story pulls it together to be a movie worth everyone's time. Even people who weren't Heidecker fans before could very much enjoy this film. It feels real, and I applaud everyone who worked on it.

It feels odd giving this a lukewarm review. This is actually an incredibly difficult film to critique because one feels forced to look at it from perspective of the fan as well as the outsider. And there doesn't seem to be any "casual" fans of the On Cinema at the Cinema Universe, a network of media and shows that is so deep and winding at this point, it would be futile to attempt to explain in the confines of something like this beyond saying "it's a spoof of Siskel and Ebert" (and even that feels like too much and too little).

Personally, as someone who's consumed every second of the endless nonsense that is On Cinema etc., this felt a little flat to me, like they finally drove a joke into the ground beyond recognition. Perhaps, the restraints of the mockumentary format, which beckons for legitimization by attempting to unpack that aforementioned extended universe, a seemingly impossible task for the uninitiated and redundant for the believers. That isn't to say this isn't an enjoyable film. It has some great moments and any extra time spent in the world of these characters is never a waste. Especially Gregg, who--in perhaps a setting as far removed from Movieland as ever--still brings it back to his VHS tapes and popcorn classics, imploring the filmmakers to study the 1976 Disney flick The Shaggy D.A. to better understand what's happening with Tim (but to make sure to return the cassette when they're done). It's great.

Mister America also provides closure for the best thread On Cinema has ever stitched: The Trial. And maybe that's also where it suffers. The Trial was such a special landmark; it might never be topped. But the one thing we know is that Tim and Greg and company are always gonna try. By any means (or medium) necessary.

This was one of the funniest movies I've watched in years. Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington play their parts to perfection with nuance and subtlety that for a while made me wonder if they weren't real people! I love this approach and hope this sets a new standard for how this type of mockumentary is done. Most that I've watched tend to be over-the-top and try way too hard for laughs.

These two guys give us complete three-dimensional characters who play off one another effectively. Each character is completely self-absorbed and lost in diverse obsessions. Heidecker is hell bent on revenge against a municipality and its DA who tried to hold him responsible - and rightfully so, for negligence. Turkington plays to perfection, a movie buff whose world revolves around cinema, but who also is playing out a vendetta against his co-star.

The laughs come early and often. I highly recommend this one.

Heidecker's satire is thin yet hilarious. Watch this if you think your mind is as elevated as Tim's

Not only a hilarious satirical masterpiece, but one of the best moviegoing experiences I've ever had.