NEW YORK -- James Wolpaw's ''Complex World'' is the kind of film where, after viewing the opening minutes, you expect it to be a barely tolerable, stupid film. You'd be half right.
It's so cleverly stupid, in fact, that at times it becomes hilarious. As far as tolerable, well, in this case first impressions are a bit misleading. What looks to be a low-budget, forced comedy is instead a low-budget, inventive and inspired farce about politics, the ultimate in sibling rivalry, and rock 'n' roll.
This is lowball humor, to be sure, but there's no denying that it's funny. Loaded with silly and memorable bits, ''Complex World'' has the potential to become a cult favorite, especially among the college set. Whether it happens in the theaters or on video remains to be seen.
As the film opens, we learn in voice-over that Morris (Stanley Matis) is insanely jealous of his dead brother, who is famous for being the youngest suicide in history. He blew his head off in the incubator. After meeting Morris, you'll see why his parents wished he were more like his brother.
In his quest for vindication, Morris joins up with a bunch of seemingly inept terrorists, who plan to blow up the rock club Heartbreak Hotel. The club is owned by apathetic Jeff Burgess (Dan Welch), the fortunately estranged son of Sen. Robert Burgess (Bob Owczarek), who is now a presidential candidate. How timely! The senator is also the one who hired the terrorists.
The senator asks his latest wife if she thinks it's wrong to kill his own son. ''Don't be ridiculous, '' she tells him, as if he has a choice in the matter. As the senator, Owczarek reminds one of a Phil Hartman character on ''Saturday Night Live.'' He's dense, exaggerated and has eyebrows that could dwarf Brooke Shields'.
The bulk and best of the film takes place inside the Heartbreak Hotel. Within these grungy walls we get to experience some wild music, crazy lyrics and phone calls from a dead Elvis.
Morris himself performs here to much public disdain. He is pelted mercilessly by beer and garbage as he sings such classics as ''Why Do We Feed the Broads, '' ''New Jersey'' and the soon-to-become-legendary ''Dead Guy Song.'' Matis not only wrote these comic gems, but he is quite effective as a malcontent cross between Elvis Costello and Woody Allen.
Some of the better bits include no one taking the terrorists' threats seriously, and a bizarre street evangelist named Rev. Gandhi Jr., who makes bad Philistine jokes while butchering the English language.
Director-writer Wolpaw has a vivid imagination, if not an altogether sane one. But what does sanity have to do with fun filmmaking? Sure, it's a bizarre film and not every gag works, but most of them do, and that's a lot of laughs for the money.
COMPLEX WORLD
Hemdale
Director-writer James Wolpaw
Director of photography Denis Maloney
Editor Steven Gentile
Music Steven Snyder
Producers Geoff Adams, Rich Lupo, Denis Maloney
Color/B&W
Cast:
Morris Brock Stanley Matis
Jeff Burgess Dan Welch
Sen. Robert Burgess Bob Owczarek
Gilda Margot Dionne
Boris Lee Captain Lou Albano
Malcolm Daniel Von Bargen
Running time -- 82 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
It's so cleverly stupid, in fact, that at times it becomes hilarious. As far as tolerable, well, in this case first impressions are a bit misleading. What looks to be a low-budget, forced comedy is instead a low-budget, inventive and inspired farce about politics, the ultimate in sibling rivalry, and rock 'n' roll.
This is lowball humor, to be sure, but there's no denying that it's funny. Loaded with silly and memorable bits, ''Complex World'' has the potential to become a cult favorite, especially among the college set. Whether it happens in the theaters or on video remains to be seen.
As the film opens, we learn in voice-over that Morris (Stanley Matis) is insanely jealous of his dead brother, who is famous for being the youngest suicide in history. He blew his head off in the incubator. After meeting Morris, you'll see why his parents wished he were more like his brother.
In his quest for vindication, Morris joins up with a bunch of seemingly inept terrorists, who plan to blow up the rock club Heartbreak Hotel. The club is owned by apathetic Jeff Burgess (Dan Welch), the fortunately estranged son of Sen. Robert Burgess (Bob Owczarek), who is now a presidential candidate. How timely! The senator is also the one who hired the terrorists.
The senator asks his latest wife if she thinks it's wrong to kill his own son. ''Don't be ridiculous, '' she tells him, as if he has a choice in the matter. As the senator, Owczarek reminds one of a Phil Hartman character on ''Saturday Night Live.'' He's dense, exaggerated and has eyebrows that could dwarf Brooke Shields'.
The bulk and best of the film takes place inside the Heartbreak Hotel. Within these grungy walls we get to experience some wild music, crazy lyrics and phone calls from a dead Elvis.
Morris himself performs here to much public disdain. He is pelted mercilessly by beer and garbage as he sings such classics as ''Why Do We Feed the Broads, '' ''New Jersey'' and the soon-to-become-legendary ''Dead Guy Song.'' Matis not only wrote these comic gems, but he is quite effective as a malcontent cross between Elvis Costello and Woody Allen.
Some of the better bits include no one taking the terrorists' threats seriously, and a bizarre street evangelist named Rev. Gandhi Jr., who makes bad Philistine jokes while butchering the English language.
Director-writer Wolpaw has a vivid imagination, if not an altogether sane one. But what does sanity have to do with fun filmmaking? Sure, it's a bizarre film and not every gag works, but most of them do, and that's a lot of laughs for the money.
COMPLEX WORLD
Hemdale
Director-writer James Wolpaw
Director of photography Denis Maloney
Editor Steven Gentile
Music Steven Snyder
Producers Geoff Adams, Rich Lupo, Denis Maloney
Color/B&W
Cast:
Morris Brock Stanley Matis
Jeff Burgess Dan Welch
Sen. Robert Burgess Bob Owczarek
Gilda Margot Dionne
Boris Lee Captain Lou Albano
Malcolm Daniel Von Bargen
Running time -- 82 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 4/10/1992
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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