Upping the ante at least in terms of volume, this documentary from filmmaker Chris Smith ("American Movie") chronicles the bizarre domiciles of five eccentric -- to say the least -- individuals. Although somewhat less condescending than his last cinematic portrait, "Home Movie", while it contains some mildly amusing segments, is a distinctly minor effort that will be seen to better advantage on cable, especially considering its barely feature-length running time of one hour.
The subjects of the film include Ben Skora, who has outfitted his house with myriad electronic and futuristic gadgets, including retractable toilets and movable walls; Ed and Diana Pedan, who live in a renovated missile silo outside Topeka, Kan.; actress Linda Beech, the former star of a Japanese television series who lives in a treehouse in a Hawaiian rain forest; Bill Tregle, an alligator wrangler who lives on a houseboat on a Louisiana bayou; and Bob Walker and Francis Mooney, who have fashioned their home into a feline paradise for their menagerie of cats.
We are treated to extensive tours of the various residences, along with colorful interviews in which the homeowners describe the philosophies of life that led them to their distinctive lifestyles. This motley crew is a colorful and amusing lot, but even with the film's brief duration, their stories ultimately wear thin.
To provide added value, the film has been paired with the short "Heavy Metal Parking Lot", an entertaining cult favorite depicting the more outlandish audience members at a 1986 Judas Priest concert.
The subjects of the film include Ben Skora, who has outfitted his house with myriad electronic and futuristic gadgets, including retractable toilets and movable walls; Ed and Diana Pedan, who live in a renovated missile silo outside Topeka, Kan.; actress Linda Beech, the former star of a Japanese television series who lives in a treehouse in a Hawaiian rain forest; Bill Tregle, an alligator wrangler who lives on a houseboat on a Louisiana bayou; and Bob Walker and Francis Mooney, who have fashioned their home into a feline paradise for their menagerie of cats.
We are treated to extensive tours of the various residences, along with colorful interviews in which the homeowners describe the philosophies of life that led them to their distinctive lifestyles. This motley crew is a colorful and amusing lot, but even with the film's brief duration, their stories ultimately wear thin.
To provide added value, the film has been paired with the short "Heavy Metal Parking Lot", an entertaining cult favorite depicting the more outlandish audience members at a 1986 Judas Priest concert.
- 5/10/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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