Review of Rubber (1936) by Carl M — 28 Jan 2013

This film poses the question: Are you TIRED of the expected? Is what you see in everyday crap from Hollywood becoming more and more predictable? Not only does this film ask that question, but it also answers it for us. In it's opening monologue by one of the characters, the idea of everything having no reason behind it can be so much more interesting than something predictable. There are a lot of films out there that rely on the stuff we don't see or don't even understand. Like why is E.T. brown? Why didn't anyone go to the bathroom in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre? These are the THINGS that have no reason behind it. Just like life.

Inanimate objects coming to life are not very original nowadays. Toy Story, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Killer Condom and the killer doll Chuckie from Child's Play are just a few examples. The idea, however, of a tire coming to life might have you thinking otherwise in seeing this film, but it's the exact opposite. Trust me. What first time writer/director Quentin Dupieux does with this idea will shatter your expectations. He provides a great deal of humor that not only satirizes film structure, but also horror. He even goes as far to send a fuck you message to the Hollywood system as well as to the spoon-fed masses that we call traditionally dumb fucked audience members.

The set up provided here involves YOUR involvement. The audience themselves stand by with binoculars overlooking as the plot unfolds. They watch as this tire rolls along causing havoc among a small desert community. The sheriff in this plot wants so desperately to end this entire film that he'll go to great lengths to have the audience themselves poisoned just so he can go home like the rest of us. What Quentin does here is hilarious! He plays around with the film within a film genre like it's a piece of cake. It was surprisingly well written and so fucking funny!

As for the tire, it's not just an ordinary tire. This tire's name is Robert and when it gets irritated it has the power to blow people's heads off. It's basic function, I believe, is to be a metaphor for the stupidity of everything we're told to by the Hollywood establishment of what to believe and what not to believe. Is a killer tire in any way more entertaining than say a Michael Bay film? Or a fucking Spielberg film? Of course it's up to the audiences opinion not mine, but I'd like to believe that such an idea could be even more potent if people weren't so stupid and spoon-fed by the shit Hollywood churns out. A killer tire movie CAN BE ENTERTAINING and this one IS!

Overall, this film is the best comedy ever made. Quentin Dupieux is a new favorite and I can't wait to see what more absurd crap he churns out!