Austinist: New Movie Releases: Foot Fist Way, Mister Lonely and More

oh steph

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 03:07:12 -0600

Hey Seth and Jaffie, First off, thanks for reading. I truly appreciate your criticism and value it more than you can know. The thing is, I am not sophisticated. Sure, I have a degree in journalism that I am not currently using in the professional sense, and studied film criticism during my college years, but I just truly found this movie to be incredibly disappointing. I went into it expecting to see the next American Movie, but instead found the repetitive and pointless story line (the random guy with the yellow-blonde hair, while amusing, had absolutely nothing to do with anything in the movie) to be a bit exasperating. As I said in the review, perhaps I was just in a seriously bad mood (I wasn't kidding when I said that the people who sat next to me talked through THE ENTIRE DAMN MOVIE - a side note to people who talk during movies: you SUCK) and was not receptive to what TFFW had to offer. What I do think this film shows is promise of future greatness. I think if Hill and McBride had more guidance while making the film, then possibly they would have chosen less spastic transitions, a more crisp script and actors who didn't belong in Skinemax late night soft-core porn. I loved Old School. I would have Old School's babies if that were possible. I also enjoyed Superbad and Borat to a lesser extent. I just can't bring myself to believe that this is the best that these filmmakers could do. The review that is posted above seems to be an older version than I intended, as I did mention the Patton Oswalt connection in a more current version. I wanted to see the film a year ago when he brought it through, but had prior obligations, and I was busting at the seams to see it this time and was totally bummed when it didn't deliver the gut-busting hilarity that I expected. However, I did see The Machine Girl on Monday night, and that film totally kicked ass. Equal parts sardonic wit and face-melting gore, it is definitely one of the most enjoyable films I have seen in quite awhile. When it comes out, I will certainly fill you in further. Until then, comment on faithful readers.

jaffie

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:12:01 -0600

I totally agree with Seth on this. I was lucky enough to attend an early screening of "The Foot Fist Way" well over a year ago hosted by Patton Oswalt when he was in town for the opening of "Rattatouie." I loved it. It's a dumb, low-budget movie that kept me laughing throughout. Maybe the difference is that I went into it thinking, "this is going to be a silly, but probably pretty funny movie." If you go into this movie thinking it will rock your world view, then you might be disappointed. Sure, everyone has their own brand of humor, but I find the review a little snobby. I think I am a sophisticated person. I have two college degrees in Fine Art, I read philosophy and science books for fun, and I thought "The Foot Fist Way" was a very funny movie. What am I to do? I actually did have empathy for the main character. I saw in him bits of all the "tough guys" I've known throughout my life. There's a hidden element to the character that's not so obvious to the casual observer. I see him as a little kid who's trying to act tough so that he can seem cool. There's some vuneralbility there, he just doesn't show it. In short, I think this movie has plenty of high-brow and low-brow appeal to go around, the viewer just has to stop rolling his or her eyes long enough to just enjoy the damn movie. Don't worry about it, just relax and enjoy the ride. You can read Voltaire when you get home.

seth

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:36:38 -0600

Dear readers: I like steph's writing. She's definitely one of the strongest writers on this arts & entertainment website. Here's the problem. The editorial decision to assign her movies like Foot Fist Way to review is absolutely flawed. She needs to grow her confidence a bit more. A movie like this requires a reviewer who can suspend all airs of sophistication and encourage others to enjoy a piece of comedy that is 100% carnal in nature. Uhhh... Yeah, character arch. Why should that convention be forced on every fucking movie ever made?!? I don't remember people bitching because Borat didn't have a character arch. Look, in 2003, a movie called 'Old School' was released that demonstrated there exists a lucrative market for movies that can't sell tickets to eighth-grade girls (i.e. R-rated comedies). Since 'Old School' we have thoroughly enjoyed such base r-rated cinematic works as 'Superbad,' 'Borat,' and now 'Foot Fist Way.' On a high-brow level, this movie lampoons the jock archetypes created by past martial arts-as-bully-destroyer films like 'Karate Kid.' It mocks heightened aggression as a solution to insecurity. Sure, Fred doesn't have redeeming character traits. He's demonstrating that 'getting tougher than your bullies' isn't a winning resolution. Critics bitched when Sergio Leone made westerns featuring an anti-hero main character, now they're bitching when a comedy features an anti-hero. The laughs come it at all levels. High punches to the cranium. Rabbit punches to the gut (a lot, be careful), and low sweep-the-leg-johnny kicks that will knock you down with laughter. Don't worry that Steph has panned this film. She's trying to carry an air of sophistication in her writing. Same as when the Austinist interviewed Will Ferrell and only asked him about his non-comedy work out of fear that the site might seem 'uncultured.' And don't worry about Marc Savlov's two-star rating in the Chronicle. He's just keeping their rankings in line with the 2.5 stars given to 'Old School' by the Chronicle. Go see this movie if you want to laugh. Seth