Review of Zero Effect (1998) by Bill E — 13 Feb 2010

Jake Kasdan, along with damn near everyone associated with Freaks and Geeks and that Judd guy, peaked too early. At 23 this guy makes a pretty decent noir film with BIll Pullman and Ben Stiller as an updated Sherlock Holmes. Before it became all the rage on television to make a neurotic guy who didn't get out much but whose special power was being really observant. Now we are cursed with House, Psych, That One With Tim Roth, and who knows how many others. Do you? DO YOU?

I don't know how I missed this movie. Ben Stiller. Late 90's. Misanthropic noir. Nick Cave. I should have watched this five years ago or so. But I didn't. I probably would have loved it then, but now it's just decent. What's really surprising is the career Jake Kasdan set out after this. He wrote for freaks and geek, and made three mediocre films. I assume they're all mediocre. I haven't seen all of Orange County. The TV Set was the biggest let down since we let the 9-11 highjakers come in, and come on. I'm not watching Walk Hard for the the heroin in Seattle.

What would make this movie amazing would be tightening up the pace. At two hours it's too long, and there's too much uninteresting parts. Like any part with Ben Stiller and that woman he plays a game of scrabble with while listening to her complain about Daryl Zero. It should have been weirder, but the weirdness oddly calms down after the first forty five minutes or so. And I'm writing too much about this film. I mean it's one of those movies I really wish was amazing, but falls short. I guess that's why I've never seen it. And why the Onion wrote about it in the New CULT CANNON sectorial. Fuck the Onion. This isn't a cult movie. I've never heard of it, no one talks about it, and it's never gotten a midnight screening anywhere ever. This movie gives me that Barton Fink feeling. But don't ever watch the TV set. Even though it's got mulder in it.