Spun (2003)
I wasn't that pissed off at "Spun"
until I saw an ad for it in The "Texas Triangle,"
a local paper aimed at gay citizens of Austin, Dallas
and Houston. Why would the distributor of a film with
a derogatory and homophobic (albeit minor) character
like the one played by Eric Roberts here advertise
in a gay-oriented newsmagazine? It's stupid. It made
me really think that the distributor for the film,
Newmarket, had better think twice about the marketing
of their films. (Cause they're playing the old market
- homophobia!) And while we're at it, why would a
film that is basically about drug addicts also be
marketed in a gay paper? There's nothing else gay
in this movie except for Roberts' whimpering, preening,
silly Nancy boy homo. And the use of the word "fag"
about a million times also.
"Spun," like David Cronenberg's
"Spider," is beautiful to look at but has nary an
ounce of story. What story we do have here has been
done before and much better by everyone from Ted Demme
("Blow") to Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream")
to, well, to every TV show that has run a spoof of
Fox TV's "Cops." Here's the level of creativity you
get here: A TV show here like "Cops" actually busts
into a persons home while they watch the show on their
TV. I know I've seen that before. I just can't remember
where because IT WAS STUPID THE FIRST FUCKING TIME.
The visual panache of "Spun," however,
is a more interesting matter. Even if it rips off
the drugs as crackling SFX of Aronofsky. Swedish music
video director Jonas Akerlund hasn't done much film
work prior to this (a few shorts) and establishes
himself as a quick-cut, MTV style, rapid-fire genius
behind the camera and in the editing bay. The film
is nothing if not fast. In this way it emulates the
hyper, sped- up existence of a crank addict. The film
is flashy, choppy, intense and squiggly.
The cinematography by Eric Broms
is really edgy and cool looking. The film is grainy
and washed out in a psychedelic rainbow of colors,
like a bag of skittles left far too long in the desert
sun. This is Broms' first feature as well and he proves
himself quite capable and talented.
In fact, there's a lot of talent
in the film on and off the screen. A lot of it on
screen is wasted. On the good side, Jason Schwartzman,
John Leguizamo, Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke and
Debby Harry all have meaty opportunities and make
the most of them. Schwartzman and Murphy are really
good playing against type. Schwartzman even has an
opportunity to play a somewhat unsavory character
but still makes it work and makes us like him and
feel sorry for him. Rourke gets a chance to prove
he's still got it and does so admirably. And Harry
gets an opportunity to stretch into a minor role where,
at least, she isn't asked to simply play an aging
sexpot, even if it seems a bit stereotypical and homophobic.
But on the other end of the spectrum,
Patrick Fugit, Mena Suvari, Alexis Arquette, Peter
Stormare and Eric Roberts are all virtually wasted
here. Let's face it, any film that punks up cutie
Fugit's adorable face with disgusting, ugly, pus-
filled zits is not going to be on my Top Ten list.
But it's more than just that; Fugit doesn't get a
chance to do anything here. This is one of our best
young actors in films today and he hasn't gotten a
decent role since "Almost
Famous." Menu Suvari hasn't had a good one since
"American Beauty." I'm assuming they took these roles
because, at least, they were better than the standard
crap that they usually get offered where "a kid and
his pet monkey save the rain-forest" or something
like that. And, as I said before, what Roberts does
here is just homophobic and awful. It's sick and perverted.
GLAAD should slap him around.
"Spun" has almost no story. Nothing
of note happens here. It's more than just a random
"three days in the life of a crank-head." But not
much more.
Note:
Also with Tony Kaye, Larry Drake,
Ron Jeremy, and Rob Halford (of Judas Preist) all
doing cameos.
Also with a cameo by Billy Corgan
of Smashing Pumpkins (and now Zwan). Corgan also does
most of the score here which is the total antithesis
of the pace and the style of the film. It doesn't
work. It's ineffectual and irritating. It sticks out
like a sore thumb. Corgan and Akerlund seem to be
trying to make some sort of grand statement about
the life of crystal meth addicts with the music but
I, for the life, of me, can't figure out what it is.
Other music by Zwan, Vince Neil,
Nikki Sixx, Soundtrack of Our Lives and Ozzy.
Scripter Will De Los Santos spent
three days driving a "cook" around Eugene, Oregon,
when he was first working on a documentary about those
who concoct meth. That incident became the basis for
this script.
Madonna and Ginger Lynn Allen were
both, at different times, cast to play the role that
went to Debby Harry but dropped out. Allen is thanked
in the end credits.
Viewed in Austin in April 2003 at
the Dobie theater with Ashton.
