FanTasia 2010: SUCK

I'll use Todd's previous synopsis... Joey has a problem. His band, The Winners, is on the verge of making it big. This should be a good thing, really. After years of scratching out a meager existence in the bars, years of gigs that don't pay and nobody comes to, years of measuring the hits on their website in single digits, things are finally looking up. Fans are buzzing. Fans are coming out to their shows. Their tour is scheduled to end with a big industry showcase. Life should be great! But it's not because their new-found popularity rides on the magnetic power of Joey's ex-girlfriend and current bassist - magnetic power that arrived the day she was turned into a vampire.

Putting the Canadian spin on the horror and comedy genre mashup with a healthy dose of good old rock and roll writer/director/actor Rob Stefaniuk bestows upon us a road tour movie like none other. Rob Stefaniuk and what I can only say feels like an 'aw shucks' approach to the delivery in his film manages to give us an entertaining film that just falls short of being brilliant. Sometimes the silly and goofy moments [i.e. vampire floats while playing for the audience] are fleeting and can be forgiven in light [ah the light!] of the overall charm of the film. But it felt like it could have been a touch sharper. 

 

A lot of the comic relief goes to the French Canadien roadie Hugo played by Chris Ratz, which I was a bit a concerned about with at first given we were in Montreal, but none of the humour was at his expense or culture. He was just the roadie having to deal with the headache of cleaning up after the band members. After all, this is trashing a hotel room of an entirely different sort. I'm sure if there was a problem with the character there would have been a lynching.

 

And talk about a supporting cast! Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins, Moby; icons in their respected genres all have meaty roles in the film. Top off the cast with comedy with Canadian comedic icon Dave Foley and an absolutely campy turn from Malcolm McDowell and SUCK has undeniably good, and better than most, cameo roles. None of them simply make quick appearances either.

Thankfully SUCK... doesn't. What does is Alliance/Atlantis' attitude towards its release strategy. SUCK, a CANADIAN horror musical comedy, will get a theatrical release in the United States but only a DVD release in Canada. Wow. At least tour a print or something to drum up interest. Yes, I echo Todd's thought in his review that the film was too CANADIAN in temperament and casual approach to what can be punch lines, merely not tap you on the shoulder lines. So why release it theatrically in the States when the people who are likely going to get it the best won't be able to see it on a big screen? We know what sucks and it isn't this movie.