Ever hear politicians talk about the solution to the country’s problems? Every single time they drag out “”education” as a viable idea. They do this because it’s the one solution that both Liberals and Conservatives like to get behind in a show of pseudo-bipartisanship. It strongly appeals to those types of people because both sides genuinely think that their beliefs are self-evident and that with enough education (Read: Propaganda/Brainwashing) the population will finally see things their way.
Bullshit.
First of all, schools are complete cockery. Whether it’s Canada where I live or the US where you probably live, schools are worth f**k all. It’s not even something you can argue really. And the problem with schools as a place of learning (and the problem with education in general) is that the focus is on memorizing information as opposed to weeding out the smart from the dumb. I know it sounds cold, but most people are not very smart to begin with, and filling their heads with information just turns them into the worst kind of moron. One who thinks that he/she is smart just because they can recite by rote what they’ve been taught without really UNDERSTANDING a Goddamn thing. Knowing things, does not make you intelligent. It just doesn’t. Your dog probably knows just as much about your house and yard as you do. He knows where all the chairs are, where all the doors are. He knows how many kids you have. He knows where the kitchen and living room are. He even knows the exact pitch of your car’s exhaust, which is why he runs out to see you when you turn into your street.
Of course, he also likes to lick his a*s and has a short term memory that can be measured in milliseconds. He knows every inch of the living room, but doesn’t understand what it’s for. He can’t contextualize because he’s not smart enough to do so.
Knowing things isn’t enough. You have to be able to take the things you learn and put them into context. You have to be able to apply knowledge in a practical way. You have to be able to take A and B and understand that they can make C or D depending on how you use them together. Or let me put in a simpler way: Knowing how to read a map will never replace having a sense of direction. You can teach people how to read maps, but you can’t teach them to have an inner compass. You just can’t.
That’s why you have all these fuckwits coming out of film school that know everything there is to know about making a movie, except how to make a good one. Or all these school trained actors that can’t act worth a f**k because all they have is technical knowledge and haven’t the first f*****g clue on how to apply this in a practical way since they’re f*****g morons.
In a nutshell, some people are smart, some people aren’t and there’s nothing in this world that can MAKE anyone be anything they’re not. Politicians never talk about THAT because it’s just too f*****g depressing and a bit too real for most people to stomach.
All of this was dancing around in my head after watching the movie “”Murder Party“. I missed the showing at Fantasia 2007 because of car engine problems, but they were kind enough to give me a screener and I just got around to watching it. Goddamn this is one fine film. It’s brilliant, truly brilliant.
The premise of five college students wanting to stage a Leopold & Loeb style murder as “”art” in order to get a grant is so over the top, yet so plausible, that the film works as more than just a fun horror movie but also as biting commentary on how college creates idiot art snobs with no taste and no brain. Right off the bat I could recognize the no-talent stoner that hangs around with the art crowd because they have the best drugs and the shrill hyperbitch with insecurity issues who is well read and excels in her classes only because she always needs to be better than everyone else. There’s the slobby guy who fell a*s backwards into his major and has convinced himself he’s an artist because it’s better than realizing that the only other thing he’s suited for is pumping gas. You got the semi-sorta-kinda artist who thinks that school is gonna transform him into a genius and finally you have the girl who you just KNOW is destined to become a casting director somewhere down the line because that’s about as much art as she can handle.
This sad pathetic little bunch is so desperate for a grant that they’ll do anything, even murder. Not that they see it like that. They’re such social retards and disassociated from reality that they’ve convinced themselves there’s nothing wrong in their actions. Luckily for their unwitting victim, they’re about as incompetent a bunch as you can find. They make Shaw & Morgan from Hitchcock’s Rope look like the Jigsaw killer.
Luckily for us, the filmmakers of Murder Party are very smart indeed. Everyone in front and behind the camera give it their all and the viewer is rewarded with nothing less than excellence as a result.
I’d like to thank my bro Simon from Fantasia for sending me this. Merci! I really really really would have regretted not seeing it. This is the type of film that we at Film Threat stand behind 100%. This is a couple of guys, a camera and lots of imagination.
I’ll have a proper review up eventually, but in the meantime trust me when I say that this is f*****g awesome and will rock your balls right out of your shorts.
This film played at Florida Film Festival as part of our midnight program last year (I help program it). I liked it but I didn’t love it. It made me laugh though and I felt it would have been a better short.
I’m glad you dug the flick, Jeremy. I saw it at SXSW and was totally underwhelmed. But I respected the film and the filmmakers. It was one of those times where I didn’t have anything nice to say (nor, anything mean) so I didn’t say anything at all. It’s cool you found your way to it and liked it!