Baghead (2008) User Reviews

Funny Jab At Art House Films And Clichéd Indie Concepts

[sampotter25 · 6/10 · 25 January 2008]

Ask any filmmaker why they attend film festivals, and they'll probably tell you that it stirs their creative spirits. Though they may abhor certain films, it instills in them confidence that they can do just as well or better than the film they saw. Such is the case of the four actors that drive "Baghead", a funny, genre-bending movie about stupid people with stupid ideas and even stupider actions.

Chad, Katherine, Matt and Michelle are all extras who attend the screening of a hilariously pretentious indie film. Determined they can make something twice as good, they decide to retreat to Matt's uncle's cabin in Big Bear for the weekend for an alcohol-soaked brainstorming session. Chad is tubby, balding and insecure, and is experiencing difficulty in making Michelle transition their relationship from friendly to romantic. Michelle has no interest in him beyond a brother-meets-best-friend hybrid, and really wants to hit the sheets with Matt. Matt, meanwhile, is on the verge of a mature, adult commitment with Katherine, whom he has dated intermittently for eleven years.

The four of them toss around a number of tepid plot ideas, but retire when nothing really substantial surfaces. That night, Michelle has a nightmare where she sees a man with a paper bag on his head snooping around the cabin at night. Matt soon parlays this into a ridiculously clichéd serial killer script concept, and sets off writing it. But when an actual "baghead" shows up and nobody confesses to playing any practical jokes, the film quickly turns into a satire of the same lame film these four have dreamt up.

The movie adeptly balances the comedy of the situation with the dramatic complexity that comes when friendships and lust collide. The performances are endearing and believable, with each character drawn distinct from the other: Chad is chubby, funny and sincere. Matt is classically attractive, spontaneous and a bit dim-witted, yet doesn't want to hurt his friend. Katherine is the grown-up who's partying days are over and is looking for a stable relationship. Michelle is the bubbly party girl with serious communication problems.

If there's anything that weakens this film, it's a few dead moments and the atrocious hand-held camera-work, which puzzlingly zoomed in and out with an ADD-like attention span. Still, the script and performances were fun and engrossing.

Worthwhile

[chicagopoetry · 7/10 · 16 December 2008]

I don't know why this movie is listed as a comedy. That's very misleading. It is a drama and a pretty good one. It's also not a horror movie, but instead a movie about horror movies. It's really a movie about itself, in that it is a low budget indie movie about some friends making a low budget indie movie. The acting is surprisingly delightful. This ranks up there with such sleepers as Primer (about the time machine) or August (about the dot com crash). It is simple, pleasant, watchable and never boring. I was glad that it didn't stoop to some cheap slasher ending. The fact that it is based in reality all the way until the end is what makes this one so special.

Swear on your left gonad that you will not have sex with Michelle.

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 5 July 2009]

Is Mumblecore an accepted genre? There are still films being made that feature twenty-somethings and their relationships in low budget, often with hand-held digital camera. the Duplass brothers, Jay and Mark, writers and directors of this film, are solid in the mumblecore camp.

Here we have a mumblecore dramedy that has a horror aspect. It is not a horror film.

Chad (Steve Zissis) wants to hook up with Michelle (Greta Gerwig), Michelle wants Matt (Ross Partridge), and Catherine (Elise Muller - Revamped, Vampire Lesbian Kickboxers) is worried about her clicking clock.

They all head to a cabin in the woods to write a script. they kick around ideas, but don't get anywhere until Michelle sees someone with a bag over their head.

They joke around, thinking it is the others kidding around. But they start to write a script using the baghead idea.

It gets funny as Michelle strips thinking it is Matt. When she then tries to scare Catherine thinking it was her, and they all deny it, they really freak. But, they still play the game on each other until Chad swears he sees the baghead while they are all standing together.

The ending is not what you expect unless you are familiar with the genre.

Dude, Where's my Kiss?

[thesar-2 · 5 April 2009]

I liked 'Baghead' a lot. It was real, it was independent and when it was all over, it all tied in. If one were just to watch it part of the way through and stop, they would (as would I) certainly compare it to multiple "in the woods/cabin" thrillers. The impression I got (and this was certainly confirmed once watching the "mock-interview" with the directors/brothers with kids) was this was a simple idea someone brainstormed and said "let's shoot a movie about no-name/wannabe actors and a bag-headed killer on the loose in the woods." Honestly, the film felt real. The emotions real. I think, despite the extreme low budget, the actors took it for real and did the best job they could. I grew up on serial killer/woods, etc films. This one was probably the most real, because, basically it was played that way. A movie-within-a-movie, if you will. Four adults want to make a movie. One has a cabin and they head out there. They come up with an idea and suddenly it comes to life. That's the basic synopsis. I see a whole bunch of negative reviews. I think people were expecting something different. I went in open minded, and really liked the experience. Not perfect, no, but I liked the genuine characters and I absolutely loved the fact that two grown men could be very close, enough to kiss/hug each other and not be labeled as gay or feel any less masculine. I wish there were more straight males (fictional or not) that can show love for each other and not be considered homosexual. I admire the directors/brothers that took the leap to show this close male bond. Best character: Chad (Steve Zissis.) Sincere, not shy, real and definitely funny. Hope to see more of him.

Humorous but predictable

[movieman_kev · 7/10 · 7 July 2009]

Matt and Chad, spurred on by the fact that Matt's friend Jett has actually made a film that's playing the indie circuit, while their careers are stagnant, decide to hunker down at a cabin in the woods to finally make a film. They bring Michelle & Catherine along, both having the hots for Matt, much to the chagrin of Chad (who has a crush on Michelle). While there Michelle claims to have had a dream about seeing a mysterious person with a bag on his head, which in turn gives Matt an idea for the film.

I don't really know if I can say that I enjoyed the film or not. On one hand it starts off well enough and the actors were all serviceable, it was humorous in spots, . and as an excersise in 'guerrilla film-making' it works sporadically. while on the other the big reveal is way too easy to surmise and the lack of any real ending with both two serious failings of the movie. I would hesitantly recommend the film for at least one viewing for fan of low-budget do it yourself type films, but all others could skip it without missing out on too much.

Eye Candy: Cass Naumann and Greta Gerwig both get topless

My Grade: C-

Where I saw it: Instant Netflix via Xbox 360

Draghead . But don't be misled by the average rating.

[Vorpa · 6/10 · 8 June 2009]

The movie features a single shaky cam. This is not because the movie is independent, has a low budget or is part of some dogmatic dogma-movement. Well these three could all be true, but the main reason of a "shaky cam" is that it has relevance for the story, similar to a movie like Blairwitch Project. If you expect fast camera movement, multiple angles, supreme lightning and great special effects you shouldn't watch Baghead at all (and people should not devalue it because it doesn't look like the new Spiderman). So be prepared for primitive (but still quite amazing) photography.

Furthermore no one should watch this movie because of the suspense. The suspense is only a minor aspect of Baghead. From time to time it tries to scare you by being as real as possible. Occasionally Baghead succeeds in doing so. Although the average person would feel conned if I tell him this is a thriller or a horror. It is more close to a real life drama.

Personally I truly appreciate the endeavour to create a real movie without all the modern techniques. Techniques that so bluntly tell you you are watching something produced. There is no real score, no atonal violins at scary moments, no special effects and so on. Without this kind of tools a lot more weight is put on the acting and the story. The question then is: does the movie survive the lack of all these elements? Yes.

The acting is surprisingly refreshing. Although Greta Gerwig (playing Michelle) annoyed me from time to time. The story itself is not original but the characters are convincing, there are many interesting twists and there are reflexive side aspects to the story that lift it far above the average kind of "some people in a mountain shed getting scared" movie. Most importantly the whole movie has a natural flow without any scene feeling constructed for one purpose or the other. If you plan to watch this movie then watch it for the real and convincing manner it is brought to you, not for suspense or Hollywood skills.

In my view the colossal problem of Baghead though is the editing. It appears that all footage was neurotically and compulsory preserved in the final film. Quite often entirely predictable scenes drag on and on. Though they may look more real so to speak (for instance the scene where Chad is trying to hit on Michelle), they get one ready for bed immediately, no teeth brushing required. Especially the final scene is horribly slow and you can really hear yourself thinking: "get a move on all right!" In total the movie runs for about 2 hours. In general I like slow and long movies, but this one could really do with a 1:30 running time. It would not just be easier, faster and more accessible, it would have simply been better.

Verdict: 6

Very clever

[rivertam26 · 7/10 · 15 November 2009]

Baghead is a pretty impressive little indie horroresque film. From the makers of the award winning film the puffy chair comes this mockumentary of sorts. It tells the story of a group of friends interested in shooting a low budget film over the weekend. But things go bad when their films imaginary villain begins stalking them one by one. It all sounds fairly generic but it's delivered with undeniable wit and clever humor. the performances are strong enough and the film keeps you going past its surprisingly effective conclusion. the great thing about this film is how real it feels and when it does begin to switch gears it doesn't feel forced in least. a plausible effort on everyones part with a hope to see more genre efforts come from this group of talented people.

Really boring...predictable. Good performance by Zissis and Muller

[imdb-5523 · 3/10 · 24 June 2008]

No, I wasn't expecting "IRON MAN" or "GET SMART", so put the hipster knives away, I don't need explosions or Megan Fox to enjoy a movie.

The movie starts interestingly enough, by mocking the indie film circuit "Q&A with the director". In what can, at best, be called a non-sequitur, they try to go to a club, only, moments later, to be at a Bennigan's like establishment where they decide to retreat to the mountains to write a script.

The overweight guy likes the cute girl, she likes him as a friend. The glossy lady think the girl is kind of boorish, and the cute girl thinks she's a bit over glossy. Mr. "TheMan" has sexual access to Ms. Glossy, but, unsurprisingly, the boorish girl has some desire for Mr. The Man, who will naturally feel contest between his desire to bang both the females and be loyal to his friend.

All of this is telegraphed within the first 5 minutes, and you kind of feel a bit of a No Exit vibe brewing, but with people who are slightly more familiar than strangers.

That notion goes nowhere and as they reach the cabin they proceed to fulfill that which has been already telegraphed in excruciatingly long, jittery-cam Mumblecore style.

I checked my email.

The curveball thrown into the mix is that the proposed script involves an anonymous slasher in the woods. As the movie trudges on, a bag-headed-slasher runs amok.

I think there's an element of "everyone in LA wants to be famous" lurking about in this movie somewhere, but it's too occulted by everything else to get through clearly.

Elise Muller does a great job being glossy the whole time through ( best touch, wearing her night-guard in the morning ) and Steve Zissis remains vulnerable and sweet throughout. I really liked Greta Gerwig in the SXSW spots she did 2 years ago, but I didn't see anything that wowed me. The other guy was pretty good too.

Wheee!

[toniumhart · 9/10 · 7 April 2008]

I went into this (AFI) film festival with little or no knowledge of not only the film itself, but of any actors or the production and direction team. I was pleasantly surprised.

I must have laughed through 90 percent of the film. On what appears to have been a shoe-string budget at best, this film delivers characters who are rich (in a non-financial form), full and funny; and come across as people you know. Your best friend (or nemesis)a sister, brother. I also loved that, having grown up close to the Adirondanck Mountains in NY, I could completely imagine living the weekend that they did. What a fun ride. And using very little shock and awe of nudity, vulgarity or violence. (not that I am completely anti any of those in particular) A very nice treat. What a little sleeper-hit. Can this brother director/producer team be the next Cohen Brothers?

Screaming helps

[fablesofthereconstru-1 · 7/10 · 25 September 2008]

In defense of the genre, independent films are indeed, the good ones anyway, a godsend for cinephiles who prefer narrative over spectacle, cohesiveness over piecemeal work, and personal vision over screen writing-by-committee, which unfortunately, thanks to the popularity of video games, and perhaps, Internet porn, marks them as elitists. While some people are sincere about their movie love, others have cultivated their dilettantism into a snobbery that results in a kind of vertigo, when the Hollywood/independent binary of movie-making is concerned. They lose perspective. Such zealotry for the DIY ethos causes selective blindness when the ideologically loaded viewer settles down in the darkness and looks up at the glow of the show. Only an indie is capable of diffusing an afterglow throughout the aesthete's mind. He equates amateurism with quality, not talent, which is why that most banal of questions, "How much did your film cost?" inevitably gets asked at any Q and A session following a film festival screening, all over the world, is beside the point, if the filmmaker's mis-en-scene signifies the abyss.

In "Baghead", at one such Q and A session, the filmmaker of "We're All Naked", a micro-indie shot in black and white, which ends with a man and woman exposing themselves, brazenly declares that a grand can lead to a quality piece of art, superior to the product put out by Hollywood. He's obviously one of those true believers who drank the kool-aid. Surrounded by like-minded organizers and moviegoers, this friendly environment nurtures an unwarranted egotism in the filmmaker. The director is so pleased with himself, so sure that he created a masterpiece, this merciless undressing of megalomania in the independent film-making world verges on cruelty. The excerpt from "We're All Naked" suggests that he's something worse than a hack(the worst thing you can call a director of major-studio fare); he's a rank amateur, without an iota of talent. His magnum opus would be booed at Cannes, probably at Sundance and Telluride, too. But at the Los Angeles Underground Film Festival, he receives polite applause, because its audience is clued into the premise that the movies are gonna be s***; they understand that it's more about the process than the finished product. These people leave such screenings empowered with the belief that anybody can make a movie. People like the two couples in "Baghead", none of whom seem to actually love the craft of film-making. They're just out-of-work actors looking for a way to promote themselves.

Mumblecore, a recent sub-genre of independent film that bastardizes the John Cassavetes aesthetics of personal relationships with neo-realism signifiers such as real locations and non-actors, goes suddenly meta on us in "Baghead", the moment when Michelle(Greta Gerwig) tells Matt(Ross Partridge) about her teen-slasher dream, which convinces him, against protests from Catherine(Elise Muller), his on-and-off girlfriend, that their movie isn't going to be about relationships. Needless to say, a film that features a homicidal maniac with a paper bag, instead of a hockey mask, is the most bankrupt of idea, but this "Friday the 13th" rehashing gets the green light, because Matt wants to sleep with Michelle. Chad(Steve Zissis) agrees with Matt, since he too covets Michelle, and wants to flatter her visionary idea of shooting the same movie that any idiot with a digital camera would make.

In the film's most pointed scene, in which the two genres intersect, a paper-bagged man, whom Michelle presumes to be Matt, comes into her room, but keeps his distance from the topless girl by an open door, as she waits for him in her bed. As horror, the covered man, lit only by the light from the moon, looks menacing, because we're conditioned to expect the man to bring harm to Michelle. But seen as a mumblecore film, this seeming intimidation by the stranger, is actually hesitation, because Matt(if it is Matt) doesn't want to hurt his relationship with Chad, who truly loves Michelle. "Baghead", in other words, deconstructs the horror film, through mumblecore. In another scene, Chad, then Michelle, fake their disappearances, as a test to see if Matt and Michelle would get it on in their absence. Again, Chad's friendship is important to Matt, so he resists temptations and adjourns to his room. When both Chad and Michelle bust into Matt's room while he's "spanking the monkey", so to speak, it's a moment of perfect amalgamation between the two genres, in which the horror is startling like a slasher pic(as if Matt is going to be hacked to pieces), but a horror in the personal sense, a personal horror(being caught with a d*** in your hand), that's more mumblecore than a genre film.

Ultimately, the film is never written. "Baghead" turns into a homage to "The Blair Witch Project", in which the quasi-documentary is recognized as an accidental forerunner to the whole mumblecore movement(sort of like how Weezer's "Pinkerton" birthed emo), by reverting mumblecore back to horror, which was what Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez had in mind(they just wanted to make a scary movie). To the film's credit, a digital camera pointed at a knife-wielding man from a seemingly random angle, does create some tension, still, even though this film language of reality is no longer fresh like it was back in 1999. And the screaming helps. That's the key. The quality behind the cacophony of human desperation was the determining factor to this payoff moment, where life and death hangs in the balance through a shaking camera.

Sucks....and hard!!!

[untruereality · 1/10 · 25 June 2009]

I'm a huge horror fan and I rarely post a comment about any of them. They must either be very good or very very bad. Baghead is very very very very bad. This movie is lowest form of cinema, one where there are NO redeeming values. Annoying characters discussing inane crap, uncomfortable scenes, stupid character actions, putrid acting, abysmal sub Uwe Boll directing and one of the worst scripts to ever be put to film.

Four "friends" and struggling actors go to a remote cabin to brainstorm a movie script that will feature the four of them. Nearly 50 minutes in we finally get to see good ol' Baghead and then back to nothing happening. I cannot stress enough how worthless this pile of excrement of a movie was. Aside from The Stink Of Flesh I can't recall a movie leaving a worse taste in my mouth by nothing but its awfulness.

How anyone could dare recommend this pile to another human is beyond my comprehension. If my son had made Baghead and brought it to me for my approval I would immediately disown him.

Unpretentious and fun

[krigler · 8/10 · 6 January 2009]

Baghead is a true gem, a tribute to indie film-making at its best. I may be partial to no and lo budget film-making, on the other hand I have very little patience for regular art-house talkfests where nothing really happens. The filmmakers here find the perfect balance of indie talking heads type non-plot and a suspenseful genre piece, which is a rare feat.

Directing is okay, although the hand-held camera-work can be exhausting sometimes. The actors are great and the relationship drama between the four characters is interesting and at times funny enough to hold the viewers' interest. I loved the fact that there is no true horror soundtrack, so the scares and tension work without the usual "boo" staccato sound effects and unnerving suspense music. This is something extremely difficult to achieve, so kudos for that.

At 80 minutes the story does not wear out its welcome. Baghead is a definite recommend for anyone hungry for something different from the usual Hollywood fare.

Kept interest. Worth a watch.

[hawke-27528 · 7/10 · 15 October 2021]

Not a watch again soon movie but recommended. Some interesting takes on familiar scenarios with a few good twists. Acting felt genuine and in line with the fly on the wall approach.

Awful attempt at mixing comedy/slasher film ; a waste of time

[george.schmidt · 1/10 · 28 July 2008]

BAGHEAD (2008) * Ross Partridge, Steve Zissis, Greta Gerwig, Elise Muller, Jett Garner. Weak attempt at making comedy and horror mix in this cheap, lame and tiresomely obnoxious "Blair Witch Project" by way of "Evil Dead" flick with four equally charmless friends spend a weekend in a cabin to come up with a plot for a film that can showcase their talents as actors and filmmakers when they come across the titular bogeyman that attempts to blend reality with fiction with disastrous results. The premise while promising falls so flat with inane dialogue, horrendous acting and increasingly glacial pacing you keep wishing the killer would act on his instincts and hack everyone up and then do it again! Newbie sibling filmmakers Jay and Mark Duplass should really never be allowed to foist their 'whimsy' upon filmgoers again or until they can handle one of the three basics of a film: acting, writing and directing; a true disappointment.

Mumblecore to the Core

[JohnDeSando · 23 August 2008]

Baghead starts as if it has a bag over its head with a leaden set up about four not-so-young struggling actors planning a scriptwriting session in the woods. Not hard to tell what might happen in a comedy/thriller/horror indie. But amidst this sophomoric, satirical first reel is a gem of an interview with a director after a film festival screening. You'll know the drill when you see it: inane questions, uninspired answers, but everyone breathless with love of movies.

The invasion of a bagheaded villain creates the necessary horror tension nicely dispersed among the revelers rather than relegated mainly to the ladies. Although the idea of actors writing a horror script and living it out, and directors making fun of the genre is not new, the Duplass brothers create a believable environment that makes the odd occurrences believable themselves even amidst the obvious hokey horror clichés.

It's easy enough to see Blair Witch influences, especially the "found" nature of the footage; its ultra-low budget, seemingly improvised script, jerky cameras, and little-known actors put it square within the "mumblecore" frame of reference (The Duplass brothers are prominent members of the movement). Baghead has more importance as part of that early twenty-first century movement than the film would attest on its own.

Be prepared to laugh a bit, scream a little, and wonder a whole lot at the dedication of talented filmmakers who could put bags over their heads for all the difference it would make to the general audience. They are the real pioneers of new cinema.

Mad props to the Duplass Brothers for this solid effort.

[subxerogravity · 6/10 · 19 August 2017]

You can't really count this as a horror film, yet it has all the elements and the ability to scare you. When I herd about the sub genre of Mumblecore, Mumblegore, I was curious at what that would look like, but as I discovered I already saw this with what I think is the best entry in the genre, You're Next, but the Duplass brothers are suppose to be the kings of the genre and this movie created it.

Strangely satisfying it has the ability to scare you without needing the gore part. The horror is really down to Earth and proves that it's all about the set up that makes a horror picture do well.

Enjoined it.

Duplass indie idea

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 4 October 2021]

Friends, Matt (Ross Partridge), Michelle (Greta Gerwig), Chad (Steve Zissis), and Catherine (Elise Muller), attend an indie film showing directed by Matt's pretentious acquaintance Jett Garner. Matt suggests going to a remote house to write their own screenplay. Chad has an unrequited crush on Michelle who immediately puts him in the brother-zone. She has a vision of a creepy figure with a bag over his face. Matt sees it as a great idea for their movie.

Chad needs to be better as the lovable loser. Matt may be better with normal confidence towards Jett. It felt out of character initially and should be wrong considering the ending. Of course, Greta Gerwig is the star and the obvious final girl unless the Duplass brothers would flip the script. It ends up being a $1000 indie where four people hang out in a house. By the time they are finally confronted by the bag-men, it's a bit too late. The twist is interesting for the fact that it fits the indie filmmakers. They could have done more with the premise. It would have been fine to find cameras in the house or have a camera crew following the bagheads. It would be both a clue and something creepy. All in all, it's an interesting indie idea but the execution leaves it as an interesting idea.

thank you

[kc_bigc · 1/10 · 3 September 2009]

i was worried that i would log on to my favorite internet movie data base and find that people enjoyed this, or were "pretending" to because of its artistic value. This was the most awkward and painful thing i have ever sat through. the only reason i did not turn it off was in the hopes that everyone would get brutally murdered by a guy with a bag on his head then the directors would have come from behind the camera and been stabbed as well. unfortunately that didn't happen so i was forced to gouge my eyes out and buy a braille computer. i do however feel sorry for 3/4 of the actors who i think i might of enjoyed(Ross Partride,Steve Zissis,Greta Gerwig) if they had lines, a script, plot, build-up, steady camera man, you know a fudging movie behind them? i was severely disappointed in blockbuster for having it on their shelves and will now be requesting that every store take his/her copy and burn it it doesn't matter if you're in the store out of the store just get rid of it please. its not even one of those i would suggest to watch for a good laugh...as a movie lover, do not see this movie, thank you

Thanks. I loved it.

[druquzdog · 8/10 · 10 February 2009]

It was not the movie I was expecting, but I certainly was not disappointed in any way because of that. I was expecting a "slasher" film, but I'm glad that this wasn't one after all that.

Immediately preceding this I watched "Final Exam" which is one of the lamest "slasher" films I've ever seen. At that point I was after more of the same, but maybe a little better (since what could be worse!?).

Brilliant acting, script and editing on this little film. Probably people who get to see it will number in the thousands, and counting myself among them, those are lucky people.

There is so much information of value in the film. It communicates vividly to the viewer on issues of friendships and relationships and film making and the subtlety's of interaction...that I still can't really do it justice in a little IMDb review.

I only ever review movies that blow me away or pi** me off. I can even see merit in both of those extremes. This pretty much blew me away.

No way am I expecting to convince anyone to watch this. Really I just hope that the people who made and participated in it see my effort to try and thank them for making such a beautiful thing. I think you guys deserve some recognition and hope you go on to make even better stuff than "Baghead" (but you have your work cut out!).

Awesome film. Srsly...you guys. You have great things ahead of you if you don't entirely disconnect from the roots that sprouted the mighty tree of "Baghead".

Indie Hubris At Its Most Ridiculous

[BarkingDoc · 1/10 · 3 March 2009]

This movie is one of the more dire examples of indie filmmakers thinking that ANY film which is low-budget and unscripted is automatically brilliant. I am an art school graduate with a very high tolerance for experimentation, and I can dig a very low-key movie if there is some kind of point to it. Even for the "mumblecore" aesthetic, this one tests the limits of just how irrelevant a story can be. It features thoroughly unlikable characters who have minor romantic issues (one has a low-level crush, another a vague sexual attraction) sitting around chatting listlessly in a generic mountain condo. To add insult, this apathetic dialog is captured with hyperactive, aggressive camera-work which never stops moving, favors extreme close-up for 95 percent of the shots, and leaves the very few events that happen in the film out of frame. The "scares" literally involve the characters occasionally startling one another. A barely feature-length film in which even the actors themselves grow visibly more and more bored and sleepy as the movie goes on. If you genuinely do like zero-stakes, zero-production value, shapeless and pointless indie movies, then this may be for you. But do not watch it expecting it to be a horror movie, or a comedy, or a relationship drama, or a parody. It is mostly nothing.

Go See It!

[sro28-1 · 9/10 · 31 July 2008]

A great independent film! Such a simple story with echoes of (and homage to) classics such as The Evil Dead and Blair Witch. While it's not on the intensity and horror level of those films, it's not trying to be. The story's simplicity and small set of likable, believable characters make the movie work. This is a great low budget achievement, cleverly written to keep the costs very low. If you're a fan of horror films and/or independent movies, go see it! Support these types of indie films and send a message to Hollywood to keep them coming. Sure, it's not going to reap the kinds of profits that Blair Witch did, but I hope these filmmakers get another chance - they certainly deserve it.

Another solid effort from the Duplass brothers.

[iflapsimh · 7/10 · 2 July 2010]

Well, more fun from the mumblecore scene (wish they came up with a better term but hey ho). I must admit to laughing quite a bit at the opening scene, it was almost as if the filmmakers were mocking the genre itself with the Q&A. There's also a couple of funny gags in there that work as they're believable at the same time. The romance side of things works as well, just like it did in The Puffy Chair, and the horror is just lots of fun.

I just enjoy watching this type of movie, actors always seem a lot more at ease and it just means that I've a much better viewing experience. Some say it's not a comedy but I laughed even at the parts that weren't 'supposed' to be laughed at. That's how it goes. Another thumbs up for the Duplass brothers.

Bag it

[amosduncan_2000 · 1/10 · 5 August 2008]

Well, it says something that they got this distributed by Sony.

After an amusing opening spoofing the low budget indie film world, the filmmakers go on to make what I guess they think is a spoof/comedy on said.

A very long hour and a half follows. I know the pudgy guy was funny and charming, because one of the other actors EXPLAINS that to us. It's that kind of movie.

The two actresses suggest they might be likable and talented if they ever end up in, you know, a MOVIE. That's about the nicest think you can say about this.

Just not my bag baby...

[pturner1010 · 25 September 2011]

So this is 'mumblecore'? This is the first 'mumblecore' film I've watched and on this evidence, it's unlikely I'll watch anymore.

I was hoping for a silly horror film parody, something similar to the recent and infinitely better Rubber featuring a nasty rubber tyre that likes to blow peoples head ups with the power of its little rubber mind.

Unfortunately, though Baghead does feature a guy who stands menacingly outside four friends' cabin in the woods with a bag on his head, it also features no surprises, not much of a script and DV cinematography that just seems downright lazy.

Beginning with a preachy bit about still being able to make good films on a very low budget, it then proceeds to prove that it doesn't matter what size your budget is, you need some likable characters and some interesting plot developments that aren't obvious about 10-20 minutes before they are revealed.

I guess this might be likable if you like 'mumblecore' films like Funny Ha Ha and In Search of a Midnight Kiss but after this I won't be in too much of a hurry to seek them out.

If you fancy an unconventional, silly horror film... go watch Rubber... NOW!

A little pretentiousness goes a long way.

[Jacques98 · 2/10 · 7 April 2009]

Hypocrites. You know what the term means. The modest Christian girl that gave you the you're-a-piece-of-ungodly-filth look whenever you slyly grab a feel of your girlfriend's breast, then you found out a few weeks later that the oh-so-modest Christian girl is pregnant (. . . for the third time). Whether it's mature or not, these sort of simple character contradictions make us angry. If someone judges us, then contradicts their own standard, it's nearly impossible for us not to slap their flaw in their face. It's human nature. In a way, that's how I feel reviewing Baghead. Part of me wants to forgive the films faults and admit that I deep-down somewhat enjoyed it, then the other part of me wants to beat its face bloody for its blatant hypocrisy.

From the opening scene alone, the Duplass brothers make it clear that this is a parody of pretentious indie films. They laugh at the idea that everything low-budget is automatically a work of art. They buddy-slap each other on the arm and chuckle at how many pretentious indie films, labeled as art, just downright suck. For this, I cheered. Finally, I thought, someone has the balls to head-on assault the fine-cinema-whores. This feeling of satisfaction lasted until about 30 minutes into the film.

And then I found out that Baghead was pregnant for the third time. And I was mad.

Most of the dialogue in Baghead is improved. I have nothing against this, and for the most part, it worked decently. It certainly added freshness to the stale paint-by-the-numbers horror dialogue we could all recite in a coma if we had to. But then again, the dialogue is far anything special. This isn't Quentin Tarantino, by a long shot. I don't even remember a single line from Baghead, much less praise it for coming up with godly improvised dialogue. In reality, anyone and their half-drunk friends could say the things these characters say. It's a little fresh, but it's nothing special. That's where the first strike of hypocrisy comes in. It's impossible to overlook that the Duplass brothers, who just parodied the pretentiousness of indie films 30-minutes before, now expect to be praised for coming up with some average dialogue that they seem to think is the height of creativity.

Likewise, the plot is . . . well, okay, there isn't any real plot, and that's the point. Again, the idea of someone running around with a bag on their head and trying to scare you is fresh, but it's far from special or original or even creative. The movie has a very loose non-plot structure, but when you look at it overall, you see Baghead just treads the same exact cliché ground horror movies have treaded for years. All the predictable clichés are here. Topless girls, romantic subplots, lost friends, phone line cuts, car dismantling . . . need I go on, or can you fill in the rest on your own? As with the dialogue, the story structure is presented in a semi-fresh way, but it's still exactly the same thing you've seen thousands of times. If a 12-year-old were to write this story in an English paper, it would get a C- for lack of creativity. So, then, why do we praise this movie made by grown men? The Duplass brothers could think of a much more original story, but they don't. They, just like Hollywood, don't feel like putting out the effort to think of something we haven't heard a thousand times. Or even a hundred times.

I read a comment on one site that said this film was infinitely funnier than the big-budget Hollywood production Tropic Thunder. First, the falsity of that comment made me laugh harder than Baghead did. Second, based on comments like those, it seems the audience that liked Baghead simply liked it because it was low-budget. Close-minded, immature, childish thinking at its most extreme level: If it's indie, it's art; if it's Hollywood, it's crap—no exceptions. I put that statement on the same level of intelligence as I put: If I eat an apple a day, I won't get cancer; if I eat a muffin a day, I'll die of AIDS—no exception. Neither statement reflects reality.

What I'm trying to get across is this. Baghead is fresher and slightly more fun than most big-budget horror productions anymore, but that doesn't mean it's good. And that certainly doesn't make it art. When a 12-year-old kid writes this, it's lack of creativity. When two pretentious indie film makers write this, it's art. Uh-huh. If that's true, I might as well take some crayons, draw a few squiggles on a piece of white paper, put on my suit and tie, and, by God, I'm an artist. Pay me. I put as much effort into that crayon drawing as the Duplass brothers put into this story. So pay me, indie art fans. Pay me. I'm an artist. I swear I'm an artist.

2/10