FUNNYMAN

Long recognizing the intimate relationship between dread, violence, and the macabre, the horror story in both fiction and film has proven the perfect vehicle with which to poke fun at the things that most disturb us. Pain is always funny when it's occurring to the other guy, and in the throes of someone else's discomfort we find an aesthetic method for exorcizing our own fears - a medicine for melancholy which allows us to poke fun at the doom overshadowing us all. Nowhere is this paradoxically fun yet terrifying process more apparent than in films treading between hilarity and horror, and no other film achieves such dizzying heights of hellacious hilarity as Funny Man.

A deliciously provocative condemnation and celebration of debauchery and cruelty, director Simon Sprackling creates in his scathingly funny vivisection of reality and good taste a self referential, post-modern masterwork of mayhem that bashes open skulls while tickling the funny bone. As intelligent as it is violent, this travelling circus of slapstick slaughter pokes fun at the same instincts it appeals to, embracing and rejecting the brilliantly orchestrated cartoon-deaths that its titular character brings those unlucky enough to cross his path. The perfect icon for a generation lost in the absurdity of its own charnel house condition, FunnyMan works on both surface and allegorical levels. Sprackling suggests in his excess a culture gleefully if unconsciously contributing to its own destruction. A kick in the ass to the self-satisfied, daring to smash taboos, this is a delirious descent into deadly deadpan!

When preoccupied record producer Max Taylor (Benn Young) wins Callum Chance's (Chris Lee) family mansion during a poker game, he likewise inherits a demonic jester (Tim James) with a homicidal mean streak and scathing sense of deadpan. Killing Taylor's two children and wife (Ingrid Lacey) in horrifically hilarious fashion, the movie quickly becomes an anything but serious cat-and-mouse game. FunnyMan himself is a decidedly cruel anti-hero whose antics we cheer for and detest. Splashed with color and wit of a demented Looney Toons short, outlandish violence, gore, and biting humor hurts as often as it amuses, and we become co-conspirators in the stalking of Max, his Rock n' Roll brother, and caricature-like hitchhikers who stop by the mansion.

This movie purposely fails to take itself seriously, yet the disquieting ménage of death and humor is highly disconcerting, daring to accuse and forgive simultaneously. Anything but sombre, this peep show of perversity attacks status quo mentality and politics with glee and disdain, daring everything and fearing nothing. Thankfully, director Sprackling never preaches, preferring to entertain. Thematic asides are clearly there but storytelling takes precedence over sermonizing, and the loudest voice in the choir is Funny- Man - and, if he baptized you, it wouldn't be in water.

A psycho circus of uneasy atmosphere, this live-action cartoon of carnality shouts its subversive enthusiastic love of madcap mayhem with stylish, energetic direction, a camera always on the prowl, and believable performances by the victims while the jeering Jester is nothing less than a larger-than life symbol of carnage, similar in allegorical function to the traditional Paunch and Judy shows which themselves have entertained and terrified generations of youngsters with lovingly detailed re-enactments of domestic abuse, cruelty, and violent death! This comparison is especially telling, for FunnyMan operates on a similar universal scope as ancient folklore, treating characters as brash symbols for loud action-packed scenes of carnality and cruelty. Death, sex, the fool - symbols of archetypal significance are stripped down to size, emphasized by bawdy acting, risky humor, and splashy effects while their power (fear, allure, etc) are ridiculed and mocked for the pleasure and pathos of the audience. A peon to perverse humor, this debut directorial effort looks death in the face and laughs . . . before it tries to kill you!

Subversive Cinema just continues to unearth rare and overlooked treasures that major studios would flee from. Appearing in the US for the first time ever in a complete, restored edition, FunnyMan is lovingly packaged in a cardboard case-covered replica of the cover with playing card art whose symbols and glossiness mimic the visual flare of the movie. Presented in 16x9 widescreen, the image is sumptuous, allowing background and foreground images a distinct dimensional appearance without bleeding or speckles, while colors of vibrant and rich. No spotting or grain was noticeable, with nothing hampering the haunting hilarity of the images. Audio is likewise commendable, included in pristine Dolby Digital and Stereo. Extras are plentiful and carefully executed, speaking of great time commitments and craft. In fact, the overall excellence of supplemental material itself proves the respect that subversive must have for the material, including a lively commentary with director Simon Srackling both informative and surprising as he discusses his inspiration, major hurdles and pleasures making the film. The featurette "Sorting Funny Man" is just as enjoyable, affording more reminiscences and background, followed by an interview with Christopher Lee, and, best of all, the original short film version of FunnyMan, which sparked interest in the feature. This generous package is rounded out with theatrical trailers, promos, and, as a parting gift characteristic of Subversive, an 8-page booklet replicating the director's production diary.

A vicious, voracious vivisection of decency and expectations, FunnyMan doesn't simply tickle your funny bone, it rips it off! Laughing at violence, perversity, loss, and the gaping cold void of very real, very painful death, the films is nothing less than a soothing balm for what ails us.

Review by William P Simmons