Weirdsville
Reviewer: Tom Leins
Issue 101 March 2008
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 10)
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High, but not mighty…
The Lowdown: Affable junkies Dexter and Royce find themselves indebted to sinister drug-lord Omar after reneging on a debt. They agree to pay their way by flogging his produce for him. Unfortunately part-time hooker Matilda ODs on the produce, landing them in all sorts of bother…
Review: Cult director Allan Moyle may have blotted his copybook with the laughably un-cool Michael Jackson biopic Man In The Mirror (2004), but thanks to his irresistible early one-two punch, Pump Up The Volume and Empire Records, Moyle still has plenty of goodwill to spare. It is unfortunate then that Weirdsville is an awkward mish-mash of ideas that never really seems to fully gel. Moyle has reportedly spoken of his desire to create Canada’s answer to Trainspotting, but such a dated frame of reference speaks volumes about how out of touch Moyle and writer Willem Wenekers are with this baffling ensemble piece. Credit where credit is due – the film feels impressively slick, and the soundtrack is cool without being too obvious. It’s the rogue’s gallery of freaks and weirdoes, and the pile-up of off-kilter set-pieces that really do the damage. Despite Wes Bentley and Scott Speedman building up a likable rapport at the heart of the movie, the film has neither the jokes for a comedy nor the thrills for a thriller.
There is a decent array of bonus features, but, alas, most of the cast and crew type pieces will only be of interest to you if you actually enjoyed the film itself! Weirdsville could easily find itself a healthy cult audience if people respond favourably to its casually skewed aesthetic. If not, then everyone involved may well end up rueing a case of what could have been a low-key treat. A slacker comedy that’s too slack for its own good…
FILM: 5 EXTRAS: 7
DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: Wes Bentley, Scott Speedman, Taryn Manning, Greg Bryk
Directed By: Allan Moyle, 2007
Distributor: Contender Films
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 90mins
Price: £19.99
Film supplied by: The Associates
Special Features:
Scene Selection
Audio Commentary With Director Allan Moyle, Writer Willem Wennekers & Producer Nicholas Tabarrok
‘The Unmaking Of A Title’ Featurette
‘Callbacks’ Featurette
‘Writing Weirdsville’ Featurette
‘A Brief Tour Of Weirdsville’ Featurette
‘The Bong Show’ Featurette
‘Go With Satan’ Featurette
Interview Gallery
