WEIRDSVILLE

Canada, 2006, 91 minutes, Colour.
Scott Speedman, Wes Bentley, Taryn Manning, Greg Bryk, Maggie Castle.
Directed by Alan Moyle.

The title is, at least, a case of honest advertising. This is one of those ‘slacker’ comedies that will appeal to slackers of every age and drive most others up the wall.

Two young men whose questionable income is spent on drugs are planning a robbery to square their debts. Their girlfriend uses up all their drugs and seems to have died. What else but to bury her in secret? Chancing upon a group of yuppee Satanists at a closed Drive-in, they are shocked when she revives – and the Satanists think she is the One.

Chases galore ensue, a caretaker dwarf and his friends in pursuit, a wealthy dealer who has had an accident and is in coma but taken home by his wife… and so on, and so on.

Scott Speedman and Wes Bentley give it all they can as the two slackers. There are some semi-attempts at redemption (whether because of fear of violence or by conscience is hard to discern) but, basically, it is a life-on-a-high silly comedy.

1.The title? Expectations? The plot, the characters? The behaviour? The resolution? Appropriate title?

2.The Canadian setting? The city? The odd world? Drugs? Homes and mansions, warehouses? The road? The apt locations for this kind of story?

3.The director, his tradition of satire? This film as a slacker film, characters, issues, style?

4.The introduction to Dexter and Royce? Their characters, friendship, slackers? Perennially stoned? Dexter and his decision to go off the drugs? Royce and his continually on the drugs? Their friendship with Matty, her overdose? The decision to bury her? The relationship with Omar, the confrontation, Omar’s violence? Their debts? The drugs gone because of Matty?

5.Going to the drive-in, deserted in winter? The decision to bury the body there? The discovery of the satanic ritual, Abel and his friends? Abel looking normal, the girlfriend and her satanic control? The irony of the meeting – and the decision to use Matty for the sacrifice? The fact that she was unconscious, coming back to life, the Satanists thinking she was special?

6.Matty, Dexter and Royce, the decision to rob a house, the owner and his being in hospital, his wife away, the nephew, entering the house, the issue of the safe, getting the numbers? The nephew and his attentions?

7.The Satanists, their pursuit, their characters, kidnapping Matty, kidnapping the nephew? The plan to sacrifice Matty – and the hope to bring the rich man back to life?

8.The decision to go to the mall, the gangsters, the security guard, three foot six tall, his character? His getting his friends, their dressing as Mediaeval characters, their pursuit? Dexter and Royce, Royce and his continually on the drugs? The rescue of Matty? The safe falling on Abel? The money?

9.Jason, hospital, the flashback to the injury, the ice falling into his head? The irony of his wife coming home, giving the young people a lift?

10.Dexter, the drugs, fighting the addiction? His decisions?

11.Dexter and Royce, hiding, meeting Jason, his inviting them in? His past as a heavy?

12.The odd range of characters? Behaviour? The interconnections? The funny sequences? How funny? The target audience, the appeal?