In general, drug use is never glamorised in movies. Seventies hippie duo Cheech & Chong may have used it for comic effect but most other films, from the 50’s classic THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM to recent movies such as TRAINSPOTTING and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, show that drug use eventually leads to madness and even death. Although this moral viewpoint should probably be admired, Hollywood’s promotion of cigarettes and alcohol has probably caused more damage than all of the world’s drug use combined.
WEIRDSVILLE, from cult director Alan Moyle (PUMP UP THE VOLUME, EMPIRE RECORDS), definitely falls into the category that shows the negative aspects of drug abuse, but is portrayed with such humour, bordering on farce, that any attempts to convince the viewer of the perils is lost.
Royce (Wes Bentley) and Dexter (Scott Speedman) are two hopeless junkies (are there any other kind?) who make an unlikely pair of anti-heroes. Willem Wennekers’ brilliant script gets them embroiled in a hilarious and highly improbable comedy of errors, involving vindictive drug dealers, wannabe Satanists, a resurrection, a heist, mediaeval role-playing dwarves and a millionaire new age hippy, played by Matt Frewer. To try and explain it any further than that would spoil the surprises, of which there are plenty. WEIRDSVILLE has the look and feel of a cult film, reminiscent of 80s movies such as John Landis’s INTO THE NIGHT. A big hit in Edinburgh and the opening night film at Raindance, its cult status should be assured once it hits the cinemas on November 16.