Review of Crazy Animal

Crazy Animal (2007 Video)
9/10
A brilliant movie.
24 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
John Birmingham is an artist.

And this movie is true art.

Shot on both DV and film, Crazy Animal is a story with moral about people who don't live under the rules put up by society and the consequences that it brings.

You can see that Birmingham has been really inspired by the rock 'n roll musicals, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as the movie is filled with good music, most songs sung by Birmingham himself.

Songs like 'Veronica' and 'Henry, Henry, Henry' are really gripping, entertaining and fun to listen to. The shots during the music scenes, when we move from flashbacks and memories to what is happening with the story is really fun and entertaining to watch.

The movie also makes very good and subtle references to Birmingham's thoughts on Hollywood, Treatment of Animals and family life.

The movie does a good job and putting all of these small sub-plots together all with one big plot surrounding it, which is basically that people are living like crazy animals in the wild. It's a very good social commentary that you want to listen to.

Ron Jeremy and Lloyd Kaufman are remarkable as the two fathers who change the lives of their sons. I was surprised to see a pornographic actor and a director do so well in such dramatic roles.

Ron Jeremy's character was a man who loved his son, who with his dying breath wants to teach his son how the world works, while Kaufman is a deranged man who teaches a terrified boy who becomes the main villain that he can do whatever he wants, as long as he gets away with it.

But don't think the movie isn't hilarious as well, as it's mostly a comedy and has a lot of funny moments and lines.

Except for Birmingham as Ricky, it was Atom Gorelick as Henry and Danica DeCosto as Meese that were often stealing the show with good lines and funny moments.

But the best part of this entire movie? Steven McCloskey as Jeff. This guy should have played the Joker in Dark Knight. McCloskey not only steals the scene in every shot that he's in. Playing the psychotic Jeff, he is one of the most threatening characters I've seen in a long time.

With many characters, especially in low budget movies, you are not scared of what they can do. They are simply, and nothing more, then a character in a movie, but McCloskey's strong performance as Jeff is so good, that you are mentally afraid of this character. He is a rapist who takes joy in killing and maiming.

The scene when he walks up to Jen and simply overpowers her with the memories of the time he raped her, is one of the best scenes I've seen in cinema. And the scene where he takes charge of the situation is both frightening after so much character development, you are basically rooting for the good guys, then Jeff comes along and being such a strong character, he is able to take over any situations. And you are afraid for these characters, you don't want them them to lose, but seeing how strong of a character Jeff is, you know that they can't win.

Overall, this movie is a 10 out of 10. Check it out.
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