Flick

Watching Flick from a right-brained perspective…it is an interesting midnight movie. There are a lot of really cool motifs: teddy boys, zombies, comic books, taxidermy animals, prosthetics, detectives, and teenage love. It was a little like Peggy Sue Got Married meets Night of the Living Dead. It is intentionally cheesy like the Rocky Horror Picture Show. With a different frame-of-mind, it is more palatable.

There is a lot of homage paid to David Lynch in several scenes. Since I just finished (re)watching Twin Peaks a few days ago, I noticed that some of the set decorations on Flick were identical to Twin Peaks—metal, flying geese wall decorations (like at Shelly and Leo's house) and a wall decorated like a tropical sunset with fake palm fronds (like Dr. Jacoby's office). At the end of the film, there were silhouettes be- bopping to 1950's music like the end of Mulholland Drive.

Watching Flick like "eye candy" is the best way to distract from the disappointing plot and Faye Dunaway's ill-fitting performance as a one- handed, police detective from Memphis. But, it is worth tolerating. Richard Hawley's role as a pirate radio DJ who broadcasts from a boat moored in a dark shipyard was just awesome. Flick is worth the effort if you dig arty movies and Richard Hawley's music. But, check your head beforehand--it is a different type of movie.

The plot is feeble at times, and the character's motivation unconvincing but the flawless style of the movie more than makes up for it, including the teddy boy clothing, zombie gore and classic comic book style framing with actual illustrated comic panels used in place of montages for the plot links. The cast is also very impressive including the Oscar winning Faye Dunaway as Lieutenant McKenzie , the one armed American cop partnered with detective sergeant Miller played by Mark Benton who had her flown in to catch a rockabilly serial killer in the dark decrepit environment of a modern Welsh city which lends itself well to the horror genre. There are some great one-liners and amusing Monty pythonesque blood squirting wounds that provide the comic relief from the rampaging zombie teddy boy murderer Johnny Taylor, whose insane mother played by Liz Smith (Royle Family) is the best part of the film.

I really didn't expect to enjoy this film, but I love to be wrong.

This movie follows Johnny, the scorned lover finally exhumed from the bottom of the lake, forty years after he slaughtered dozens at a high school dance. Now he is back to find his girl and take revenge. A Memphis detective joins a British flatfoot in the hunt to save the girl and kill the bad guy.

The film is very stylized, so if you don't like that don't watch it. And the sound track is fantastic. I love Rockabilly! The characters are over the top, archetypal (just like a comic book) but it is very evident that this is the intention of the director from the comic style of the film.

Definitely not a high budget film for the masses but a must see for anyone who loves rockabilly and rockabilly themes, or fans of the genre.

I keep seeing this listed as a comedy. There really no reason for that. You have the occasional comedic relief, but genre wise really its more of a surrealistic zombie horror.

Anyway, make some popcorn and watch the movie.