SXSW1998–Dancer, TX Pop. 81/Cannibal! The Musical

It’s been a while since I’ve been in here, but I’ve been really busy lately. I’ve only had time to watch videos. Those almost count for these reviews, but I’d rather put theatrical movies in here.

Anyway, I’m helping out with the South By South West Film Festival here in Austin, so I’m going to get to see a lot of movies!!!! And you guys and gals who decide to tread these waters get to hear about all of them!!!!! HA HA HA HA!!!!!! (That’s supposed to be a maniacal laugh. I’m not sure if that comes across on a webpage, but I’ll try just about anything once.)

The first movie I saw today at the festival was called Dancer, Texas Pop. 81. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in a small town as a teenager, this is a good way to find out. It’s about four high school graduates: Keller (Breckin Meyer from Clueless), Terrell Lee (Peter Facinelli from pretty much nothing), John (I think that’s his name, anyway he’s played by Eddie Mills, soon to be in the tv show “Push”) and Squirrel (Ethan Randall from Empire Records, White Squall, That Thing You Do! and Vegas Vacation). When they were 12 they made a solemn oath that they would all go to LA together when they graduated. That’s a lot to promise at that young of an age. Soon they start to learn that. Keller is the main one who wants to go. He wants to get out of Dancer so badly that he can taste it. He’s sick of working at the gas station and thinking that a good time is sitting in lawn chairs in the middle of the highway that no one travels. Terrell Lee’s mother wants him to stay and take over the family business: oil. Her father owned the oil fields before her husband took over and now she’s taken over the family. No one goes against her wishes or else. John wants to own a ranch, but he feels obligated to go to LA. His dad can’t quite tell him that he wants him to stay. His sister, Josie (Ashley Johnson, the little girl from “Growing Pains”) helps out as much as possible by leaving Saul Ross course catalogs all over the house. Squirrel is pretty insane. He’s a complete nerd, but they all love him anyway (of course, because we’re so loveable). His dad’s a drunk who can’t even get their trailer to stay completely vertical. Meanwhile, the whole town has bets on how many of them will actually make it out of the town.

I really liked this movie. The characters were real and the dialogue was great. If Scream shows how teenagers wish they could talk, this shows how they actually do talk. Sometimes they’re witty, but usually they’re just talking. They say the same things that everyone else does, but it’s funnier because it’s on the screen.

The atmosphere in the movie is so thick you can cut it with…well, you know the rest of that cliche. I felt like I grew up in Dancer.

It was filmed in the same town that all of those crazy Texas Revolutionaries set up fort. In fact, that almost stopped the filming. The DP and Director (Tim McCanlies) make good use of the location. We see all sorts of beautiful shots of the West Texas landscape.

This is Tim’s first feature and I hope it’s not his last. He’s from Austin and worked in LA as a screenwriter. He then came back here to write this one and got it made with the help of a few friends and Tri-Star Pictures. Even though it’s got a big studio backing it, it’s still and indie film. Go figure. It’s a great movie and very well written. It’s opening on May 1, so go see it if it comes around to your town. Tim was there and he said that he wasn’t sure how they were going to distribute it. I would figure that they would platform it and go on word of mouth. That’s how most of these kinds of movies get out there. Watch for it. The other movie was a little bit different. It was Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s first feature, Cannibal! The Musical. If these two names don’t automatically ring a bell, think “South Park.” Now you know what to expect from the movie. It’s not animated, but it may as well be. It’s from the only production company that could tie these guys down: Troma. Yes, the same guys who brought you The Toxic Avenger, The Class Of Nuke ‘Em High and Tromeo And Juliet bring you Cannibal! The Musical.

The first screen of the film is a placard that says that this movie was originally made in the 50′s, but, due to the success of the other cowboy musical Oklahoma!, it was shelved. All of the violence was edited out “for you viewing pleasure.” Yeah. Whatever. It starts with our hero, Alfred Packer (played by the auteur) biting the hell out of a bunch of people in the snow.

“But that’s not how it happened!” Actually, Alfred is just a yound man who needs nothing but his horse by his side. His life is as full as a potato. (What great lyrics from Mr. Parker.) He meets some miners who want to go from Utah to the Colorado Territory. Unfortunately, their guide is sort of dead. (He actually looks quite a bit like Kenny.) Now one of the guys speaks up and says that Packer was from the Colorado Territory. Well, he only worked there for a few months, but that’s not important. He ends up leading his band of willing (and, in Matt Stone’s case, completely unwilling) explorers. On foot. All the way across the desert. And snow covered mountains. And the Green River. And the Colorado River. Eventually, they meet some Indians who are strangely Asian looking, and some trappers who keep tormenting them. They also end up lost in the snow. This is where the finger-licking fun begins. “You’re cutting from the butt!” “Well, what kind of piece do you want?” “Well, not butt!”

I’ve never seen a Troma movie all the way through, but I’ve seen enough to know that this is not really a typical one. There are no mutants! It’s got the same weirdo violence, but no radio active idiots to go with it. It also has a more sophisticated sense of humor. That’s not saying much, but how many Troma movies actually would know to make a joke about Mr. Ed? A friend of mine after the movie said that it was the best one he had seen so far. I really liked it, but then again I’m a “South Park” freak. It was fun to see how many times I heard Cartman’s voice throughout the movie.

Anyway, it’s good, tasteless fun. If you’re looking for high entertainment and filmmaking, don’t come here. If you’re looking for something to disgust you and make you laugh at the same time, look no further.