Man Bites Dog
December 5th 2006 22:32
Sounds horribly cynical I know. But remember where you are; a dark alley called Urban Rage, in the shadows of a suburb called Black Comedy, in a noirish city I affectionately refer to as my Pleasure of Nightmares.
At the 1992 Cannes Film Festival three young Belgian filmmakers presented a mockumentary (fictional doco) to a startled and disturbed audience. Innocuously titled C'est arrivé près de chez vous (It Happened in your Neighbourhood), it became known internationally as Man Bites Dog, secured the Cannes International Critics Prize, and went on to win several other European and American awards.
During the course of the film the two filmmakers become inexorably embroiled in Ben’s vicious, uncompromising agenda, ultimately sacrificing their objectivity and their morality. This is guerilla filmmaking with fangs fully bared.
The film ironically mirrors in many ways the filmmaker’s own plight: the story of a film crew dying to make a film. They even use their real names to add to the film’s authenticity.
It is, of course, a deeply manipulative film, that occasionally operates like a motor-mouth backseat driver, winding the audience up, sometimes delivering a nasty pay-off, and sometimes confounding them. It outrages and appalls. It’s a home invasion that ties you up and savagely tickles you. In retrospect it is almost like a precursor slap in the face to Lars Von Trier’s Dogma manifesto.
Much of the film’s inky humour comes from killer Ben’s comments about the trials and tribulations of life, and his opinions on art and culture. He’s like a young Robert De Niro doing a perverse alternate take on Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle. It’s a compelling performance which drives the film relentlessly.
* images on this page are courtesy www.phantasmogoria.nl
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Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
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MS Paint Art
Don't know what I'm doing here, just keeping an eye on you, I'm overworked, another post?
katyzzz....calmer days have to be coming.
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Great review. I have heard of this film, but haven't ever seen it. I'm going to have to hunt it down and watch it. I now have a list of movies that I must now watch based on all your recommendations. I'm taking some time off work in a week or so....perhaps I will spend a few days educating myself by watching a myriad of movies.
KylieW.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Man Bites Dog is a funny film that has something to say and isnt afraid to use a sledgehammer because being delicate hasnt got through. I liked it a lot.
Have you seen Julian Richard's The Last Horror Movie (2003) yet Bryn?
A british film that takes Man Bites Dog one step further and is also impossible to take your eyes off while making you guilty for giggling like a it was Tom and Jerry. Im sure you will find things to like about it.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
JD, cheers my man! And, no I haven't got to Last Horror yet, although funnily enough I got home from a dj gig tonight and saw a title in the shop that I thought was possibly one you'd recommended, but wasn't quite sure, and wasn't prepared to take the risk ... so got Derailed instead. It was called something like The Last Great American Snuff Movie ... ??
Comment by LaurenD
LaurenD
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Cheers Lauren ... have you seen the movie? And if not, will you hunt it down?
Comment by LaurenD
I commented about it in your 'Shawn of the Dead' post... best scene is the two camera crews meeting... both following killers.
BTW, I got 100% on your werewolf test. Snarl.
LaurenD
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Ahh, yes, so you did! And that is a great scene!
100%, huh? I forgot to add the scoring, and I can't seem to modify my post at the moment which is really frustrating! GRRRRRRR!!! (werewolf snarl!)
Comment by suitably*wounded
Eternal Days; Author: Illness, M.
But if you keep up writing like this ( "....that occasionally operates like a motor-mouth backseat driver, winding the audience up, sometimes delivering a nasty pay-off, and sometimes confounding them. It outrages and appalls. It’s a home invasion that ties you up and savagely tickles you. In retrospect it is almost like a precursor slap in the face to Lars Von Trier’s Dogma manifesto." ), I'll be forced to simply move to NZ, become an even more devoted groupie than I already am and never, ever see the light of day again.
After all, who needs any sunshine??