January 18, 2007

• Idiotocracy

  I rented some movies tonight.

  First was ‘A Scanner Darkly,’ which I think will really only appeal to people from a certain subculture. The animation is beautiful and hallucinogenic. The rest of it is a big mess, which is completely forgivable… If you’re one of those people to whom it will appeal. If you’re at the point of watching it, you’re probably going to like it. The story has to do with an undercover drug cop who is assigned to bust himself. There are the sort of plot twists and strangenesses that would come from a Philip K. Dick novel, along with the people-sitting-around-chatting vibe from Linklater, who adapted it for the screen and directed. Ultimately everyone’s right to be paranoid, but maybe not for the reason they thought they should be. Identities are fractured and reformed. You know, kid stuff.

  The other movie was ‘Idiotocracy.’ And it’s a damn shame this movie never really made it into theaters. It’s my kind of satire. I’m a total sucker for dystopian stories about the end of the world, but in this one, the world is about to end because stupid people have been out-breeding smart people. Enter Luke Wilson’s character who was part of a military cryogenics program that was forgotten for 500 years. He wakes up in a world full of stupid people, where the most popular show on TV is ‘Ow! My Balls!,’ and where people call him a fag for using big words.

  So it’s a satire on our times, obviously. It’s inventive and strikes at all the right targets. Find it on DVD and get it and hold on to it.

  • 4:58 am
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