Review of The Corndog Man (1999) by Elise B — 19 Sep 2010

[font=Tahoma]I found The Corndog Man at a flea market for $5.00. I'd never heard of it, but thought it might be one of those rare gems. I think I was right. A lot of people don't like this movie because it's "annoying," and I admit that the first time I watched it, I didn't pay much attention and had to turn it off. I finally decided to give it a chance and really pay attention. I liked it. I watched it again last night and still liked it.[/font].

[font=Tahoma][/font].

[font=Tahoma]The Corndog Man is a revenge film, but you don't really know that until the end. Noble Willingham plays Ace Barker, who sells boats. At the beginning of the movie, you see Ace talking to someone on the phone about a boat, and you see another man arriving in town. Soon after, the unseen man is calling Ace. First he acts interested in a boat, but it gets ugly shortly thereafter. The calls keep coming, the man gets meaner, and Ace gets angrier. The entire movie, you wonder why this guy is doing this to Ace. Ace is a very funny character, with all his anger and vulgarity. It's about like anyone would be, with this guy harrassing you constantly and knowing your every move. The calls eventually affect Ace's boat sales and practically ruin everything.[/font].

[font=Tahoma]When the reason behind the harrassment is unveiled, it comes as a slight shock. Although, with my second viewing, I noticed the racist comments more. The first time, I thought Ace deserved it for what he did. The second time, I think enough time had passed for him to be forgiven, but Ace surely didn't seem to want forgiveness. He didn't seem to care at all (but after the guy driving him crazy, I don't know if he should care), and he still spouted racist comments. So it's up to you whether you think Ace deserved it or not, I guess. [/font].

[font=Tahoma][/font].

[font=Tahoma]Still, I think it's a very interesting story, and Ace is a great character whether you like him or not. The music is also fitting. The cinematography is nice too, because it shows some very different angles and points of view. I like how it didn't show the caller's face, but it showed everything else. I like the shot where Ace goes to get a corndog and his reflection is seen in the sunglasses of the caller. So, all in all, I liked it, but I can understand why others wouldn't.[/font].