Captain Underpants
Looking back on it, this is firmly in the same category as Bee Movie and Enchanted, two films I had no intention of watching at the cinema but ended up doing so and really enjoyed when I did so. I love Enchanted, Bee Movie not as much. With Captain Underpants, I thought it was the film aimed at primary school aged children (not even Mark Kermode tweeting about paying to watch it, including viewing after the press screening, convinced me otherwise) so, unlike the two previously mentioned films, I didn’t avoid it at home viewing, but just didn’t bother with it until my brother told me it was good fun.
The film follows two young friends, George and Harold, next door neighbours who are virtually inseparable – even at school – and basically have two loves in life: pulling pranks on teachers and their comic book creation: Captain Underpants. When an attempted prank involving tampering with toilets and a new invention is foiled by the school nurse, the school principal, Mr Krupp is about to sign a bit of paper putting them in separate classes when George hypnotises him with a ring from a cereal box.
After a brief test to see the hypnosis is real, the two have a brainwave: tell Mr Krupp he is Captain Underpants. This is intense but problematic and hilarious because there is a certain gravitas expected from a school principal, one that is severely undermined when he was nothing but large Y fronts and a red cape. Fortunately, they find the process is reversible but, when the classroom separation paper re-appears, back to hypnosis and its Captain Underpants time again!
I think even if I hadn’t been expecting something childish and basically written, I would have loved this in the same way I did with the SpongeBob SquarePants films as they work on two levels because of jokes aimed at different audiences from different generations and cultures.
Street Trash
Directed by Michael Muro as part of one of Roy Frumkes’ class projects, Street Trash is a tough film to describe as it occupies a special place in cinema, between absolute schlock and student film. With a low budget and featuring people who had never previously acted or worked on a film set before (including one Bryan Singer!), it is tagged as ‘The Ultimate Melt Movie’ and revolves around a case of dangerous Tenafly Viper.
The film follows a group of derelicts who either sleep rough on the streets or, for the most part, in the junkyard owned by the grotesquely overweight Frank Schnizer, a behemoth who lusts over Wendy, one of his employees, and tries in vain to get rid of the hobos who take up residence amongst the rusting vehicles and also try their luck with her. Two of these are brothers Fred and Kevin, one older and more streetwise and the other young (about 14 years old) and dependant on others for food.
Fred finds the local liquor store selling Viper for a dollar a bottle and, with this just within his budget, buys one only to have it nicked by another bum. Furious about having his fix stolen, Fred doesn’t realise that the thief has taken a swig and dissolved on a fire escape! With other street trash discovering the cheap hooch, various members of the homeless community meet grizzly deaths,
It’s not just the Viper they have to worry about as Bronson, a deranged Vietnam vet with a dagger carved from a human femur, his very dangerous and protective of his girlfriend, Winette.
When a gangster’s wife goes missing after drunkenly wandering into the junkyard with Fred, the police become involved and Bill, a tough street cop looking into the dead tramps, finds himself investigating a murder and a case of necrophilia.
Street Trash is a prime example of a cult film with a sizeable following and it’s easy to see why as the film is such fun with grungy effects which are far from convincing, bizarre humour and a sense of energy and ambition. Any movie that features a game of ‘catch’ with a hobo’s severed penis (obviously a dildo) gets a vote from me because it demonstrates everything about the tone and content.
Roy Frumkes is probably best known for his terrific Document of the Dead documentary which was made over several years about Dawn of the Dead and I had no idea that he was a teacher (now professor) at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and used his students to help him move house and fulfil his filmmaking ambitions. After writing Street Trash, the production was undertaken by members of his class with Frumkes as producer.
It reminded me a great deal of films like Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case, Peter Jackson’s Bad Taste and Braindead and Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead with the audacious effects, puppets and larger-than-life characters. Street Trash is directed and acted with real wit and energy and the acting is surprisingly accomplished, from Mike Lackey’s Fred to R.L. Ryan’s grotesque Frank and Tony Darrow’s excellent turn as the mobbed up Nick.
The film is a whole lot of fun and I think I have four copies across different formats, including the Synapse and 88 Films Blu-ray releases; it's something I can watch almost any time and find a scene, line, or practical effects to enjoy.
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