Red

I remember seeing this expletive-laden short in the early nineties and being thoroughly entertained. It was obviously done on a shoestring budget (about half of it is literally a series of still frames). However, even cutting it some slack for limited resources, I don't believe that it holds up very well.

What begins as a fairly amusing premise - a crank caller making a series of phone calls to a New Jersey bar - before long becomes a bit tedious. The legendary Lawrence Tierney (Reservoir Dogs) plays Red the bartender. When it switches over from still shots to live action its budget restraints are only emphasized.

My friend showed this to me a few years ago, and I was floored. The anger filled still images that make up the first half of this film, accompanied by the hilarious sound track was one of the funniest things I have ever seen/heard. The second half was a little too cheap and jokey, but it doesn't really affect the first half which could (and should) be viewed as an entirely separate film. Lawrence Tierney was the perfect choice to play Red. He always looks like he's ready to kill someone and then have a heart attack. This is (Anthrax guitar player) Scott Ian's favorite film. So if you come across this one, pick it up, it will be worth it. And it will come in handy if you have a room full of drunks.

Difficult to find in many locales, this film is (in my group at least) a classic! Obviously, many of the jokes/pranks Bart Simpson (from the television show "The Simpsons") perpetrates came from this film or were directly inspired by it--especially note the threats from the bartender in Red and compare that to what Moe says to Bart in several episodes!

A fine movie, obviously shot on a very small budget, that nonetheless shows that good acting, a fine story, and interesting situations can be all that's needed--and not blockbuster effects.

Independent film at its finest. Go see!