Summary:
A slacker goes to extreme lengths to avoid doing any kind of work whatsoever.
My Thoughts:
Buzzard (noun)
1- any of various usually large birds of prey (such as the turkey vulture)
2- a contemptible or rapacious person
I watched this film in preparation for Joel Portykus’s next film, “Relaxer”, which I’m seeingthis coming Friday as part of an Art Festival in my town. Funny enough, this film was shot in my home town, but I’d never gotten around to seeing it for one reason or another, but yesterday one of my buddies made me sit down to watch it, and boy was I glad that I did. “Buzzard” is a film about the ultimate slacker, Marty Jackitansky (Joshua Burge, “The Revenant”), and his daily scams and exploits. The film is a unique and frequently hilarious character study of a man who, like a vulture, survives by feeding on the scraps of society. He’s a man that takes three-hour breaks at work, cashes fake $10 checks, and has nothing better to do than spend his time turning a Nintendo Power Glove into a Freddy Kruger knife-finger glove; he’s not a character that I like, but he’s a character that I find impossible to turn away from. There hasn’t been a slacker this compelling since Ignatius J Reilly; this movie makes “Office Space” look like child’s play.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the party zone.”
Perhaps the best part of this film is the writing and directing. The way this film plays out feels like various episodes of Marty’s life, and we frequently cut to black in between each episode. The first time we really get a sense for who Marty is in the second scene (the first is just a static shot of Marty getting upset with his Power Glove not working correctly), where Marty closes his checking account at First Federal Bank only to reopen a different account in order to take advantage of a $50 bonus for opening account. The scene is shot entirely in one take, the whole thing focused on Marty as he patiently waits for the bank manager to realize that Marty is there only to take advantage of the system. The manager even goes so far as to question the ethics of Marty’s transaction, and in response, Marty smirks at him. This is a perfect introduction to a character that has no regard for rules and less regard for the people around him. From there the film explores Marty’s lower inhibitions as he wanders through life trying to get the most out of it by doing the least amount of work. For the first half of the film the results of Marty’s exploits are often humorous and light, but as the film goes on, and his crimes become a bit more serious, the humor in each situation starts to fade away, and Marty’s circumstances become more dire. He’s a man that seems perfect content to just exist, whether he be in a two hundred dollar a night hotel eating a twenty-dollar plate of spaghetti, or in a twenty dollar a night motel eating Spaghettios cold from the can.
The acting is another thing that really stood out to me here. Joshua Burge is absolutely fantastic as Marty- he’s both intriguing and disgusting- and that kind of duality in a character makes him incredibly unique. He’s a character that I want to see succeed, if only because we’ve all had days where we needed to rebel for one reason or another, but he’s also a character that I want to see straightened out. The best thing about his performance is his sarcastic delivery of lines, or maybe his ability to scarf down an entire helping of spaghetti in a single take. Joel Portykus himself plays Derek, one of Marty’s office buddies. He is one of the more unique characters in this already bizarre film, but I couldn’t help but smile almost every time he was on screen. The little eccentricities- like the way he talks while playing video games, or his love of Bugles- makes him very memorable and frequently hilarious.
The last thing that was really cool for me personally was just seeing bits and pieces of my hometown used in various ways. It was cool to sit down and see the Lazy-T-Motel (a place I drive by every day on my way to work), the Rapid bus station, Wealthy Street Theater, and dozens of streets and shops that looked familiar. For viewers not familiar with the Grand Rapids area, I’m sure that wont be that big of a deal, but for me it was pretty neat.
There were only a few things that didn’t click with me. There’s a scene when a person gets their face slashed and the makeup for it is very obviously fake. That’s something I can sort of forgive as I know this is a low budget film. The other thing that didn’t work for me was the very last scene where Marty stumbles upon a storefront filled with televisions. For most of the film this movie is played very straight, but the last shot insinuates that something else might be going on (maybe?). I’m not really sure what Portykus was trying to say with the shot, but honestly that’s a rather small bone to pick for a movie this fantastic.
Verdict:
This is a great film! It’s the most punk rock movie I’ve seen since Penelope Spheeris’s “The Decline of Western Civilization Part III”, and it has one of the most memorable anti-heroes I’ve seen in an indie film. I wholeheartedly recommend this film, and be sure to watch for a “Relaxer” review next week!
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