The MacGuffin

In the trailer of Oren Moverman’s latest film, Rampart (2011), a quote says that “Woody Harrelson is the most corrupt cop you’ve ever seen on screen.” I would guess that that statement is fairly accurate. The character Harrelson plays, L.A. police officer Dave Brown, is not a good man. Heck, he’s not even a descent man. Brown is a down-and-dirty son of a gun in the worst way possible. He’s a hateful, misogynistic, egocentric, adulterous drunk who does whatever he wants, all the while hiding behind the protection of his badge and the power of his gun. When it comes to cinematic anti-heroes, you can’t get much worse than this guy. I usually like protagonists that tiptoe that moral line, who do questionable things as a means to an end. It’s much more interesting to see a person who has faults and eccentricities; it makes their journey much more fascinating to watch and analyze. So why exactly didn’t that work for me here?

Television has been taking up much of my time, as I am still playing catch up with several shows, so these are the newest shows I have been trying out.

“…And here ya are, and it’s a beautiful day.” - Marge Gunderson

This quote comes at the end of one of the most unique and memorable crime films of modern cinema, (1996). The character who speaks it comes from a small town, where everyone knows everyone else, and life is made up of small beautiful moments shared between those that love each other. Which makes it all the more confusing for her when she comes face to face with the person who is not of that lifestyle, who is a killer with no remorse, and whose sole motivation is money. It’s a juxtaposition that could only have come from the minds of Joel and Ethan Coen. With this movie, they created a classic story of unique quirkiness, where the characters themselves are just as memorable as the events that unfold. The film is unlike any other, where the people you least expect get thrown into a plot you wouldn’t think they could be a part of, but in the end, all of it fits together into a perfect whole.

Spencer and John spend this special bonus episode chatting with Dave ‘Gruber’ Allen, best known for his work as Mr. Rosso on Freaks and Geeks.