Spun Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
the ultimate speed freak's tale.
An out-of-control speed freak (Schwartzman) is introduced his drug of choice's creator (Rourke) by his dealer (Leguizamo). A massive three-day adventure ensues (with Fugit, Murphy, and Suvari in tow).
| Jason Schwartzman | Ross |
| Mickey Rourke | The Cook |
| Brittany Murphy | Nikki |
| John Leguizamo | Spider Mike |
| Patrick Fugit | Frisbee |
| Mena Suvari | Cookie |
| Chloe Hunter | April Love |
| Elisa Bocanegra | Giggles |
| Julia Mendoza | La Sadgirl |
| China Chow | Escort |
| Nicholas Gonzalez | Angel |
| Deborah Harry | Neighbor |
| Josh Peck | Fat Boy |
| Charlotte Ayanna | Amy |
| Eric Roberts | The Man |
| Jonas Ã…kerlund |
6.40 out of 10 (7808 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A failure but even so, SPEciAl!
posted on 08 Aug 2009Spun is not a movie for general audience.This is a weird, sometimes disgusting trip into the life style of various drug addicts, their thoughts and emotions. Every character is sick, disturbed and a sad excuse for a human being.We follow Ross as he turns into a driver for a cook of methamphetamine for a few days. We see his sad pathetic existence while through his eyes we also observe the dementia that runs through everybody else's life too.While there is no one we can relate to, these characters are so wild, unpredictable and unique we cant help but enjoy their company. Some credit also goes to the wonderful cast.Brittany Murphy is one of the most talented, beautiful actresses of her generation. Here, extremely sexy, she plays a stripper, that like everyone else in the movie is always high. She gives a sincere and realistic performance, steals every scene and lights up the screen with her smile...again. However I don't believe this was a wise career move for her, since her character is so trashy and low, I think she risks being connected to her and loosing some future roles. Her strip, while without nudity won't help either, but I have to congratulate her for taking a chance in this dangerous role. I say the same about Mena Suvari. Her small character didn't let her shine at all but now we've all seen her in the toilet, trying to evacuate. Not an interesting thing to have on your curriculum. Jason Schwartzman does a good job portraying Ross but he's no match for the great Mickey Rourke and the fabulous John Leguizamo. These guys are in a league of their own. Rourke could have been huge. Its still a pleasure today to watch him perform with all his charisma. Leguizamo is a fantastic actor that makes a fool of himself for the movie and puts his reputation on the line. The best moments of the film are his. A special note to the two cops and Patrick Fugit. Those guys were just hilarious. Great acting.One of the biggest problems with Spun was the directing and editing. True to his videoclip background Jonas Akerlund seems to think he's shooting a three-minute video. We are all now well accustomed to this kind of work with fast editing and irritating direction that never seems to let the camera stand still. I understand that Jonas tries to emulate the characters disorientation but after a while it gets uninteresting especially when the storytelling is put behind for the sake of one more `cute' shot.Spun has obvious influences from the far superior `Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' but it doesn't come close to its brilliance. I believe that more than a movie about drug addiction it's a comedy. I found some scenes just hilarious and the characters are so `out there' and unique that provide for even more fun. The movie tries too hard to be strange and shocking but maybe even unconsciously turns ridiculous giving the audience great laughs and keeping us interested until the awful, stupid end.I loved the atmosphere and lightness of it. There's no real message in it. I think there's not even an objective to all this.
It's a few days in the paranoid and empty lifes of a bunch of junkies. It's a trash movie, with a lot of flashy camera moves, some nice actors but in a degrading, perverted world. Its very nasty I warn you, but no doubt also a lot of fun. Very entertaining and a great surprise. If only they had a different director…
Good flick
posted on 05 Jul 2009I thought this was an accurate portrayal of the meth addicts life. Living in a small farming community in Iowa, annyhdrous meth is abundant! The craziness of this movie, is a harsh reality of the area I live in. I thought Mickey Rourke and Brittnay Murphy did an awesome job.
Familiar images, but pretty entertaining
posted on 22 May 2009'Spun' is a movie that steals from other movies, 'Requiem for a Dream' mostly, but manages to stay entertaining and interesting the entire time. It is about drug addict Ross (Jason Schwartzman). He gets his drugs from Spider Mike (John Leguizamo), the place where he meets Nikki (Brittany Murphy). She is the girlfriend of The Cook (Mickey Rourke) who makes the goods for Spider Mike. Because of Nikki Ross becomes The Cook's driver for a couple of days days. Of course there is also police that can give some trouble. Basically this is the story. There are some subplots where we see how Ross tries to contact his girlfriend, probably former girlfriend, and how he has sex with a stripper, ties her up to his bed and totally forgets about her.The story is there, I guess, to entertain us with strange characters and a nice visual style, especially for those who have not seen 'Requiem for a Dream'. The way the addiction is and especially reaction to the drugs is shown comes straight from that movie. There are animation sequences, not from 'Requiem', that look pretty good. The strange characters I was referring to are played by Leguizamo and Rourke. Their characters are weird, one full of energy and another is Mr. Cool himself. Strange cool, but cool.Where 'Requiem for a Dream' is an anti-drugs movie in the best way, without a single happy moment, 'Spun' in the first place is a comedy. We have some good laughs because of the characters and their actions. The problem is that nothing has really happened in the end although Murphy's character has made an important decision. It seems that certain sequences are there because they could be funny. One sequence, and I admit it is funny, shows two Latina girls protected by The Cook. The way it plays is great but the reason we see it is the reason I described above. A similar sequence returns, again useless in this movie but again funny. It is probably one of the reason you will be entertained, I know I was, but also the reason it is just an average movie.
Pretty damn accurate...cough cough but how would i know?
posted on 14 May 2009Well...lets just say i had a friend who had a friend cough cough and this movie was a pretty realistic ride through a three day binge on Meth... In fact after watching the movie i had to take three tylenol pm's to fall asleep cuz it made me have flashbacks, yeah.. ahem... i mean ahem it would have made me have flashbacks if i had actually ever did meth which i didnt i SWEAR!!!! wait a second this is like one big run on sentence... well in closing, John leguizamo was as usual awesome, brittany again amazes me at how well she plays the role of a wild and crazy girl, so much that i can hardly realize she is the same girl who played shy in clueless... You've come a long way baby.."I'll never tell" and mena..girl if you read this..Damn they messed your teeth up for this role, kudos to you just for letting them make you so damn ugly and film you! i know they took hours to make you look that ugly because your naturally beautiful! i would have gave this movie a 9/10 for the realism alone but because only 12% of the people rating it gave it a 10.. i decided to make like emeril and KICK IT UP A NOTCH! 10/10 for GRITTY REALISM and a rollercoaster ride..lest i forget my man Rourke..as usual perfect in a grimy seedy role.. When you gonna Box again Mick?
Strong Realism in Performances
posted on 04 May 2009Very Bizarre and realistic movie.The behavior of "Speed Freaks" always fascinated me growing up in the mean streets of East Colfax in Denver Colorado. Growing up a "Pot Head" myself, I was at the extreme over end of the drug experience spectrum from the meth users. This movie so strongly reflects many of the aspects of the behavior of old friends and acquaintances that I thought these characters came right from my old neighborhood. Personalities that are paranoid beyond the belief of the straight mind, leading to acts of ultimate stupidity by people who are trying to act cool and blend in! The pace of the film is geared to assist the viewer in experiencing the mind set of the speed user. Several visual tricks also enhance the feeling of a Topsy-turvey world put into fast forward. The research done is really reflected in this screenplay! Great Performances from Mickey Rourke, Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo and Brittany Murphy.
Sometimes entertaining but mostly the usual drug garbage..
posted on 22 Apr 2009I was expecting a lot more out of this movie than i received. I thought it was going to be a serious, interesting drug movie such as requiem for a dream, however i was disappointed to see that it was basically a comedy about a bunch of speed addicts who are on the prowl for their next hit. This movie does not really show the negative sides of drug use. It does however show the aggression speed users experience and the rapid change of moods but doesnt go into much depth on this issue. Spun lacks feeling for the characters. Some parts of it were entertaining, but i wouldnt get your hopes up on this one. 4/10. I wouldnt bother paying to see it at the movies, wait until its on video/dvd
Welcome to Skiddleyboop!
posted on 29 Mar 2009I wouldn't call myself a Tweeker ('cause I don't fiend for the drug) but as a dope smoker I really can relate to this movie. I think the casting was wonderful and the story line was great. I personally know what it's like to stay up for days at a time and I can personally relate to Jason's character. I think Britany Murphy did a wonderful job. The cinematography was awesome. But every time they took it up the nose it made me cringe. I think you really have to know about dope to understand the movie or relate to it. All in all it is a great flick so get really spraked and go watch it, if you haven't already (watched the movie that is). Watching this movie is like smoking a shard bowl without even hitting the pipe! Anywho... Skiddleyboop to all!!
An interesting tale of redemption in the drug world
posted on 11 Mar 2009My first reaction to the film was the above, one-sentence "summary", and that alone. But, as I considered it further, I came up with the following...This film somewhat reminded me of Requiem for a Dream in that the characters' consequences continued to mount, building toward an uncertain ending at which point the sinners had all gotten what they deserved, as had the innocent, and the main character who was somewhere in-between lost everything but simultaneously was freed of his addiction.How, you may ask? That last part didn't occur to me until shortly after the movie was over and I began writing this rather short review in my mind. First, after losing everything (mainly his girlfriend in a brutal, abrupt, but expected scene) he had two choices: 1. to continue on his self-destructive path, growing ever closer to oblivion, which seems unlikely considering his morals and values or 2. to pick up the pieces that were left and begin to grow, to regain and re-establish himself. Second, all of his using "friends" were either incarcerated or dead (the two most common ends for the drug user), so his access to the drugs was limited. For me, this gave the movie far more credibility, depth, and meaning than I had originally thought possible.Perhaps I'm completely mistaken, but considering that I am a recovering cocaine and heroin addict, I think I may have slightly more insight into the subject than many people. IMHO that is, as always...
no point whatsoever
posted on 07 Mar 2009Yes, we can see here some fascinating editing and directing but that's completely taken from Aronofsky's films "Requiem For a Dream" and "Pi". Besides that there isn't much in it. We get to see good performances from John LeGuizamo and Brittany Murphy but the story that surrounds them is to pointless and idiotic that I can only say: they wasted good parts on a movie like this.
Need a Fix
posted on 13 Feb 2009Mickey Rourke tells a story about his mother killing a litter of dogs in a bathtub. He asks her why she's killing them and she says, `I have to kill what I can't take care of.' And then she says, `I wish I could do that to you.'At that moment, I realized that people are broken and they are looking for a fix. The people in this movie are the fringe of society and deserve our respect because life is precious and these people deserve to be loved.This movie reminded me of Trainspotting. Trainspotting taught me that these people on the fringe are salvageable.It also reminded me of Requiem for a Dream which taught me that these people meet their demise if they don't pull out of the downward spiral of wickedness in time.
Uglier than sin.
posted on 07 Feb 2009A non-sensical jumble of a bunch of drug addicts and their everyday lives.The best thing here is Mickey Rourke's performance as "The Cook", who is great fun to watch and his speech about twat at a Porno store is awesome.The Rest of the movie falls flat thanks to terrible editing and direction.Rating:**1/2 (out of five)
You surely must go get 'Spun'....
posted on 24 Jan 2009Spun really is one of those amazing movies you tell your friends to go see. I read some of the comments and I see how people might think it's a Requiem rip off, but doesn't that say whenever somebody uses a camera technique that nobody else can EVER use that effect? No, it's really not a Reqiuem rip off, it's just another drug story. However there is something else here that's amazing...Actors and actresses that usually don't make good movies. Or at least have cinema sins in their past. Britney Murphy and Mena Suvari in particular have done movies that have really irritated me and several people I know, (Just Married for one and American Pie for another....) Being in this movie however has made me forgive them for their cinema sins and take them seriously as actresses. This movie truly is good and true to life. The movie just starts you out on this trip that really makes you feel like you've been thrown into the mind of a speed freak. The tweeking of the movie is similar to that in Reqiuem but not quite the same. Rather than using the effect to focus on the drug use this film uses it to enhance the film and give it the feel of a speed trip, then in particular scenes where the drug is used the effect is zoned in on. It does a good job of revealing the scary and grimy reality of a drug addict.I couldn't believe I hadn't scene this film when I saw it the other day. It's brutal, honest, shocking at times and yet very witty. Combining these elements is not easy for anyone and doing this role has once again added the mounting respect for John Leguizamo. Eight *s out of ten. Amazing movie! Definitely worth the watch. It just sucks you in and spits you right back out. But it's hard to really describe Spun, you have to experience it for yourself. But a warning on renting it... I've heard Blockbuster has this bootleg version that like cuts out half of the movie and bleeps things? So my advice in renting it is make sure your not getting the edited Republican version. Okay, now go out and get Spun....
Interesting as hell!
posted on 22 Jan 2009All I got to say is give me some speed! This movie is completely off the wall and wonderfully filmed. At times I actually thought I was on Speed. Its a shame I never saw this movie in the movie theater, if it was there at some time. All of the characters do a fine job, especially John Leguizamo's character. He is phenomenal and should be in many more movies to come. I'm not a big drug freak so that is not why I enjoyed this flick, it was solely because I felt like I was experiencing the ups and downs of the drug trip. I'll especially give credit to the scene where all the kids are coming down from their speed. I feel for them. AWESOME, but as the movie goes I can only give it a 7/10. Bo HardRock
Excellent!
posted on 16 Jan 2009This film was great! Many people have compared it to Requiem for a Dream, however I preferred this movie. Requiem accurately depicted drug addiction and how low some people would sink for their next hit. It was a very depressing and powerful movie, not one I would ever want to watch again. You leave the theater feeling extremely drained. Spun is altogether different. The only thing they have in common is their central theme. Spun centers around Ross, the fairly normal speed freak as his addiction takes him farther and farther away from reality.Initially, I thought the characters were grossly overacted, however as the movie progressed, the opening sequences did not seem as far removed from Ross' world as I had originally thought. It was very interesting to see Ross' character move farther and farther away from reality. It was only a 3-day all-you-can-consume speed trip, however he started off as a normal guy with a drug problem and ended up on Mars, completely detached from reality. I also thought the cartoon sequences were very effective, they accurately demonstrated his impoverished state of mind while he was tripping. The audience got the impression he really was flying in his own world. It was interesting to see the lifestyles of the other people involved in the drug trade, most had been completely dehumanized by their dependence, living in squalor yet completely unaware of their surroundings.A great film! One that I can watch again for entertainment purposes only, but which also drives home the anti-drug message without being preachy. 8/10
Are you aloud to use synonyms for excrement on IMDb?
posted on 14 Jan 2009I don't normally waste my time writing online reviews of movies, but this piece of sh*t forced me to my computer. Apparetly I don't have enough lines of text to get this published, for some reason IMDb forces you to write 10 full lines of text. That's what I meant about wasting time writing online reviews. Okay, so to fill it up, here's someone else's review of Michael Keaton's 1986 movie Gung Ho.("Gung Ho" does a better job of capturing the mood of the American industrial workforce than just about any other popular movie made during that period. Certainly the movie has its flaws -- some loose plot threads and mediocre acting jobs by everyone except Michael Keaton and Gedde Watanabe. But the story really is about the meeting of East and West: Keaton's Hunt Stevenson personifies America, brash and confident on the outside yet insecure underneath. Watanabe's Kazuhiro personifies Japan, on top of the heap with a successful system, but wondering if there is more to be learned from their Western rivals. The movie's plot, flawed as it is, simply provides a framework for the conflict, and eventually synthesis, of their two personalities.)Again, in nutshell, SPUN is a total piece of sh*t.I have no comment on Gung HoOnce more. Piece of sh*t.* means i
One Long Music Video
posted on 02 Jan 2009If you're looking for another Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, this isn't it. It's a series of quick cuts that make a music video cool, but don't quite cut it in a feature film. I disliked the script, though there are some funny lines, mostly from Micky Rourke's character. There was also some nice animation in there for some "tripped out" scenes. Nothing is really wrapped up in the ending and character development was at a minimum. If you're looking for eye candy Spun might satisfy you but realize that thats exactly what it is.
rip-off of requiem
posted on 31 Dec 2008While Spun was a good movie with decent acting ultimately it was a lesser version of Requiem for a Dream. Requiem came out 2 years earlier and multiple cinematic images and ideas were stolen. The montage of the eye dilating was directly take from Requiem. Also, in the end when all of the characters are finally sleeping the only difference from Requiem was that the characters in Requiem curled up in the fetal position. Despite these blatant rip- offs of a superior movie, I was happy with Schwartzmanns performance and thoroughly entertained and the integration of animation was pretty clever and well done. I suppose I would recommend renting this movie if you really like the actors or you can't find Requiem for a dream. You probably shouldn't buy this movie, Requiem was the original and had a considerably better musical score.
it's not as bad as you may think
posted on 09 Dec 2008Having liked the director's foray into the music video world (his "Smack My B***h Up" clip by Prodigy is a complete classic), I was more than interested to pick this up from the video store and check it out.First thing's first -- it was entertaining. Or, I guess I should say, I wasn't ever bored really. And call me crazy, but I never once thought about "Requiem" while watching it. The subject matter, the way it was made and how it looked has been the director's style for some time now; he pegged this frenetic pace-thing down a long time before this movie existed. So you have to realize that this is completely in tune with the director's sensibilities.There's nothing terribly wrong with this film. Everything is pretty nice -- the okay cinematography, the stellar performances, etc. It just seems to lack a point. It doesn't really go anywhere.And I don't see it as a good thing when I can't tell whether the film is glorifying drug use or condemning it. It looked like a crazy ride to me, but not necessarily one that was portrayed negatively.**1/2 out of ****
Very lame
posted on 16 Aug 2009"Spun" is a dumb movie. I don't know if it wants to make crystal meth abuse seem like a cool, fun thing to do or a really awful thing to do. I suppose the drug can be both at the same time, but "Spun" seems to think that these tweaked out young misguided people and their behaviors are attractive before they are sad or scary or anything else. Yeah, what's her face with her teeth turning black is a statement all right. Just like in "Requiem for a Dream", there are no likeable characers in this movie, though Brittany Murphy isn't too bad. The glamorous senselessness of lost young souls...