Cannibal! The Musical

It’s more or less your average movie-musical, except it was made by the creators of South Park during their college years. Before Matt Stone and Trey Parker were mocking anything and everything on their Emmy-winning comedy show, they were writing a musical about Alferd Packer, the only American ever convicted of cannibalism.

Based on a true story, the movie begins as Packer (Trey Parker) sits in a courtroom hearing the story of his cannibalistic endeavors recounted by the prosecuting lawyer. As the sole survivor of an ill-fated trip to Colorado Territory, Packer tells his side of the story to reporter Polly Pry (Toddy Walters) as he awaits his execution. Told mainly through flashbacks, Packer’s adventures include everything from a vicious gang of fur trappers to a tribe of Indians (played entirely by Japanese people), plus countless original songs and choreography.

For a movie about cannibalism, it is scarcely violent (save for the opening scene), but the gore is so outrageous, one cannot help but laugh. It is live-streaming on Netflix, and with crude yet clever humor, the movie is practically a prelude to South Park. It even features the first ever recording of the voice of the character Eric Cartman. If you like singing, dancing and/or flesh-eating, Cannibal! The Musical is one movie you can sink your teeth into.

Rubber

Unless you attended the 2010 Cannes Film Festival in France, chances are you haven’t seen Rubber, a triumph in absurdist film by Quentin Dupieux.

The movie begins with a car meandering down a California desert road as if to deliberately knock down all the flimsy wooden chairs that have been placed there, and, well, the horror continues to escalate from there.

An apparent police officer opens the trunk, steps out, taps on the front window and dramatically exchanges his sunglasses for a glass of water. He then proceeds to ask hypothetical questions about minute aspects of previous films, answering each with “no reason.” Ultimately, he states “the film you are about to see is an homage to ‘the no reason,’” and pours the glass of water to the sand with an ominous scowl.

The film then turns to its debatable protagonist, an independently mobile and apparently sensitive tire who is only referred to by its name, Robert, in the credits. Robert slowly comes to terms with his abilities as a self-aware heap of rubber, initially committing only minor assaults like crushing a plastic bottle and a scorpion. Robert then realizes he can shatter a glass bottle by slightly quivering, and continues to slaughter a helpless rabbit and an unassuming crow. Eventually the relentless tire unleashes a full-force killing spree on a nearby town, telekinetically detonating the heads of humans that have mocked him and his intentions.

Robert’s rampage is witnessed by supposed “spectators” who follow every massacre with binoculars from afar, and after they are eliminated, Rubber shifts its focus; as if showcasing an emotionally complex tire-assassin who annihilates quirky residents of a desert town wasn’t enough, the film poses several deeply existential questions. Why are people here? Are we “here” at all? Why should you watch this movie? Of course, no reason.

The Music Never Stopped

As a much more serious film, this 2011 Sundance Film Festival drama deserves more recognition than it receives for addressing generational conflict in regard to music, patriotism and culture in only 105 minutes.

After being estranged from his father Henry Sawyer (J.K. Simmons) for nearly 20 years, Gabriel Sawyer (Lou Taylor Pucci) returns and undergoes major surgery to remove a brain tumor which damaged his memory. He cannot form new memories or distinguish between the past, present and future. Henry and his wife try reconnecting to their son and ultimately are able to do so through music therapist Diane Daily (Julia Ormond). She finds that Gabriel regains abilities of self-expression and conversation in response to rock-and-roll music, especially when listening to his favorite band, The Grateful Dead. Henry, in failing health, researches the music and culture of his son at the risk of resparking the generational conflict that drove Gabriel away, and the once incompatible duo forms a chromatic bond.

The Music Never Stopped gets to the heart of father-son relationships, as well as music’s ability to connect people of different backgrounds. As a first time director, Jim Kohlberg takes first chair with his rare brand of feel-good resolution, and the heart-wrenching ending can make even the most emotionless viewer choke up. This movie is a must-see for all rock and roll fans and music lovers.

The IMDb page for Cannibal! The Musical

The official website for Cannibal! The Musical