Yep, that’s me on the right hanging out with Morrissey…well, not really…it’s actually Jose Maldonado, Morrissey impersonator and singer for the Morrissey cover band, The Sweet and Tender Hooligans and I think that’s pretty fuckin’ cool, so there. I met Jose at the Silent Movie Theater during a special cast and crew screening of My Life With Morrissey, Andrew Overtoom’s (one of the directors of “Spongebob Squarepants”) hilarious look at how obsession can ruin a person’s life.
In this case, we focus on a Morrissey obsessed Jackie, who lets her brief encounter with the pop star (Jose Maldonado) lead her to the delusion that she’s actually going out with the guy. The train just further derails as Jackie’s state of mind continues to deteriorate and all you can do as an audience member is laugh your a*s off. It was cool seeing this film again, especially with a giggling, hooting and hollering cast and crew. A lot of this film’s charm lies within its unpredictability. Jackie goes off the Richter scale and it’s a total blast to see what she’s gonna do next. So, seeing it for a second time, aware of the events that were going to unfold, I was able to concentrate more on the performances of Overtoom’s tremendous cast – most notably Jackie as the aforementioned Morrissey nut; Eduardo Acosta as Ed, a boob that Jackie works with, who wishes for nothing else than to date the unstable woman; Carla Jimenez as Jackie’s office buddy who has to put up with her violent mood swings; Ben Watson as Jackie’s co-worker who just wants his goddamn reports done; and of course, Jose Maldonado as Morrissey. Great performances all around from a cast who knew how to work Overtoom’s hysterical script.
I gotta admit, I’m not a Morrissey or Smiths fan whatsoever, so I get somewhat of an evil pleasure seeing the character of a hardcore Morrissey fan taken out back and beaten with a hose, it makes me giggle my a*s off. But the thing is, as far as I see it, this film really isn’t a slam against Morrissey fans, but against FANS in general. My Life With Morrissey concentrates more on how a foolish obsession can completely devour someone and less on jokes about Morrissey and his legion of fans. But apparently, some people don’t quite see it this way. In talking with Andrew Overtoom and Jose Maldonado, I learned that My Life With Morrissey had actually been screened to an audience filled with Morrissey fans before this evening and many of them were pissed because they thought they were being made fun of. I guess maybe this just goes to prove that Morrissey fans are really over-sensitive…just like the man they worship.
Tonight was the first time that many of the cast and crew saw the final version of the film, so it’s still fresh out of the egg. My Life With Morrissey hasn’t hit the festival circuit yet, but you can bet your a*s that it will and it’s gonna hit hard. Keep your eyes open for it playing at a festival near you soon.
For updates, check the My Life With Morrissey website.
