Weirdsville Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Royce and Dexter are two slackers who live in the strange little town of Weedsville. When Royce's girlfriend Matilda overdose's on their stash and dies, they decide to bury her in an abandoned Drive-In theater. Things get out of control when they discover Satanists performing a ritual sacrifice right where they were going to bury the body...
| Matt Frewer | Jason Taylor |
| Joey Beck | Sheldon |
| Wes Bentley | Royce |
| Raoul Bhaneja | Omar |
| Greg Bryk | Abel |
| Randy Butcher | Hockey Goalie |
| Joe Dinicol | Jeremy Taylor |
| Derek Gilroy | Squinty |
| James McQuade | Gary |
| Mark Parr | Anthony |
| Jordan Prentice | Martin |
| Dax Ravina | Seamus |
| Allan Redford | Theo |
| Scott Speedman | Dexter |
| Shayne Wyler | Todd |
| Allan Moyle |
6.50 out of 10 (1436 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Weirdsville
posted on 22 Mar 2009Weirdsville = = the off kilter of After Hours + turns of 2 Smoking Barrels + twists of Trainspotting + a dash of Reservoir Dogs + the warmth of Broomstick Boys + a shake of Run Lola Run + a sprig of Fargo and Office Space.Not what i expected in a small movie. I expected so much less, and got so much more. I was caught off guard in it's bright happy portrayal of very dark things. Drugs, crime, gangsters, prostitution, Satan cult and murder all felt like being at a cozy winter slumber party. The minimal cast and barren scenes were perfect, and lonely winter bleakness of the sets enhanced the characters lives and yet another level of warmth to them and to the script. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time... not in thriller suspense as much as the constant 2 hour smile and ongoing hearty feel-good laughs like i was on a crazy roller coaster of tickles in the Scooby-Doo haunted house... for adults. I really wish there were more films like this. Not a big budget, not a big name roster, not under scripted, not pretentious, not goofy slapstick. But it was well shot, well edited, well paced, well scripted, simple-smart, warm, fun and funny... and about drugs, crime, gangsters, prostitution, Satan cult and murder, and stand-by-me friendships in the winter. It never blew my mind, and never felt cutting edge original, but i really loved it because it held me, and quirked me, and it really felt so fresh, free, filling and well done from the title to the end of the credits... including a great soundtrack of music I have never heard of, but wish i had.
Weirdsville - Very Random & Very Worth Your While
posted on 18 Mar 2009I absolutely adore this movie. Some friends and I rented it only because there was nothing else in the store and I am so glad we did. It is so random and definitely lives up to its title. I recommend it to anyone who has an open mind and a sense of humour because you will need both. The acting is amazing, and the story line is so funny, and so over the top that it almost seems plausible, considering the characters. Taryn Manning is great, I have always trusted the movies she's been in (minus Crossroads) and this just validates it. The partners in crime are brilliant and completely believable as addicts, and every character that comes in and out of the plot brings even more color to the film. I've been searching the net to buy as I can't seem to find it anywhere in stores.
A quirky movie to fill the quirky movie void.
posted on 28 Feb 2009Haven't we had enough stuff blowing up, massive body counts, and hilarious yet disturbing dysfunctional families yet? I have! Thankfully there are directors like Allen Moyle who have no problem telling a strange little story sprinkled with junkies, a burn out hippie with a head wound, Satan worshipers, talking mice, winking gnomes, and a drug dealers with strange accent who likes to curl (that sport with a big stone a brooms) in his spare time.You just don't know where this film is going most of the time, yet it's easy to follow. Oh sure the protagonists come out on top in the end just as one might expect. And an explosion caused by oxygen alone is highly unlikely, but it's still damned entertaining. Virtually every character is inept, even the drug dealer and his muscle, but they all (well most all) muddle through somehow.Not so special scenery (Canada in winter *yuck*), but it's not needed the fine cast of characters and odd little story carry the film...beautifully. And the "good guys" win, the bad guys don't, and (almost) everyone lives happily ever after.But what the heck. It's the way it's done.
Beautiful
posted on 07 Jan 2009It's just wonderful to see how three best friends wind up in a story that's just so complicated and poetic. I was amazed by the outcome of every situation and I think there should be more movies like this one. Even the music was perfect for the movie. I also really like it when the makers put something useful to know in the movie and in this one, they certainly did, but what I liked most is that the piece that the mouse (or rat) played in the story, without it, the movie would have been less meaningful and I think it's really great that people can come up with these things to put in their movie which completes it ... without it, the film wouldn't have been the same. ... great piece of work
Great tiltle for great movie!
posted on 05 Jan 2009This movie was not at all what I expected. When I sat down to watch it I wasn't sure what I was in for. But I was pleasantly surprised to end up really enjoying it. I've not seen a movie quite like it to date. The acting was perfect. Not over done, I hate it when actors over act, it's just not believable.I also thought the scenes were just cool to look at. The lighting throughout the movie was very interesting and very appealing to the eye. But let's not forget to mention my favorite part...the Knights!!!! they were excellent!!! And what an interesting twist. Didn't see that one coming. Great job on this movie!
take your own supply
posted on 02 Aug 2008Director Allan Moyle describes Weirdsville as, "Trainspotting shot in Canada but with more heart." It concerns Royce and Dexter, two deadbeat junkie types who "couldn't hold down a job if they were tied to it." Royce's girlfriend Matilda goes on 'business dates' - a term she prefers to 'hooking.' Meanwhile tough guy drug-dealer Omar is hassling them for their drug debts. Mattie overdoses and, in the middle of a cover-up, Royce and Dexter come head-to-head with some self-styled murderous 'satanists.' A security guard midget called Martin and his diminutive friends complete the chaotic clashes of interests.Weirdsville starts off with the now familiar sequences of sudden camera moves and spaced-out montages that are meant to imply drugged confusion and get us in the mood. The early appearance of a body sent alarm bells ringing predictable cliché, but I tried to stick with it. This type of comedy hinges to a great extent on whether you can get in the mood and find the oddball silliness amusing. While the gentleman behind me seemed to find every expression hilarious, I struggled to find anything humorous in the dialogue or derivative situations. By the time the mediaeval munchkin midgets start beating up people and chasing them with crossbows, I am counting the minutes to when it would all be over. Contrived slapstick - an icicle penetrating someone's head or getting hit over the head with a safe - seems as if it is trying to spice up an otherwise dull film.Some dope-heads are charismatic and amusing but these didn't do it for me. Trainspotting drew on fine literary sources for a powerful script and projected the 'young male in crisis' with great conviction, ultimately providing a benchmark movie. Although Weirdsville has some endearing shaggy dog story elements, the whole thing sadly has a distinctly missable feel to it. Weirsdville has poor characterisation, an average script, and a plot that looks like a mish-mash of every slackers movie so far. Although it may appeal to some fans of drug-culture films, it has few other redeeming qualities other than the fun which cast and crew obviously had in putting it together."Are we in hell?" asks Mattie as she comes round from a death defying amount of toxic substances. "No," comes the reply, "We were at the drive in." Not watching this movie, I thought. At least not without a good supply of hash to make it enjoyable.
a sad DNF, i tried but just couldn't finish it
posted on 03 Jul 2008this could have been a really fun/funny movie - a lot could have been done with the premise & story. unfortunately its a DNF because of the poor execution.....for example the scene when the drug dealer/loan shark is shark is threatening them in the alley....oooohhh, shivers of disgust. i felt so embarrassed for whoever made that movie, real face turning red stuff.It's a compelling argument against government subsidization of the movie & TV biz....we all know what socialism does to an economy, this is what it does to a movie. Sorry my fellow Canucks, i only have so many hour on this planet, from now on if its made in Canada, I'm not watching (unless its by my friend Kevin Sullivan).
Not weird enough
posted on 29 Jun 2008Weirdsville follows two junkie friends as they careen through a night of excess and oddities. The main problem with it is that all the weird situations feel contrived, like someone without much imagination sat around trying to think of weird things. It doesn't have the bizarre, what-comes-next edge of a Tarantino or Lynch movie; each time something happens that is supposed to be weird, it's just banal.The acting, production and other aspects of the movie are fine; it's the script that suffers from a lack of weirdness. No doubt it sounded funny on paper.The movie is watchable and better than a lot of films I've paid more to see. It's just that the synopsis and title misled me; I was expecting some really strange turns to the plot and all I got were midgets and dope fiends.
A perceptive review from Emma J Lennox
posted on 07 Jun 2008From Jaws as a lady, to a Canadian romp of Satanists, gangsters and fighting midgets, Weirdsville certainly lives up to its title. Allan Moyle, the director of 1990's Pump Up the Volume, directs another tale of disaffected youth featuring a pair of junkies as an entertaining double act, Royce and Dexter (Wes Bentley and Scott Speedman). Trying to steal money to pay back their thumb threatening local gangster, the plot includes over doses and slap dash midnight burials in reference to 90s film-cool, Shallow Grave and Pulp Fiction. But Moyle adds enough of his own visual exuberance to defy unflattering comparisons and his hallucinogenic effects lend extra scope to the irreverent caper humour. Music video quality moments are depicted in beautiful shots of drug fuelled euphoria including Dexter skating bare foot through the snow sprinkled streets of an Ontarian cityscape.Occasionally the visual tricks jar in a Family Guy style but the interjections are smoothed over by our fortunately endearing duo and their dumb but smart dialog. Most enjoyably Weirdsville doesn't take itself too seriously and the ludicrous storyline is filled with bizarre non sequiturs; stopping to note a single green leaf that remains on an ice covered tree, for instance, is quite touching especially as they're on route to rob a millionaire's mansion. The nonstop pace and assortment of comic characters ensures that no minute drags on longer than it should, and the climax is appropriately gung ho. By turns genuinely engaging and laugh out loud funny, Weirdsville is daft but brilliant.
Has A Few Defining Moments
posted on 02 May 2008WARNING: I advise anyone who has not seen the film yet to not read this comment.Weirdsville was overall a pretty good and entertaining movie. I had been wanting to see it for awhile because it looked very cool and also Taryn Manning was in it and I LOVE her. Well, when the movie started off, I really didn't know what to expect. I had read what it was about and after I did the movie seemed very promising, but the feeling I got from the opening just wasn't a good one. I mean, for about the first 20 minutes I really just wasn't interested in it and was waiting for something exciting to happen. As the film progressed, it was kind of like a roller coaster. At points(When the Satan-worshiping cults fist come in; the midget cop and when he rounds up his medieval posse; all the Taryn Manning scenes) I was very interested and entertained and was loving it. At others though, it was just SO BORING and quite hard to tolerate. I love the whole concept; A cult wanting the blood of a girl who they believed was brought back by Lucipher himself, while at the same time her screw-up friends who are constantly high are on the mission to pay off a guy who they had a drug dealing with and at the end the stories all collide into one; It was just so chaotic and fun. At the same time though, it could've been WWWWAAAAYYY better. Well, I enjoyed it AND Taryn Manning for she made the movie so much better, but overall there are a lot of greater films I could have spent my time with.
Highly Enjoyable Stoner Flick.
posted on 30 Apr 2008Weirdsville might come off as another stoner comedy to some, but to me it's more then that. Maybe because it's Canadian and maybe because the mall scene was shot in my hometown of Hamilton, but I really took to this film. It simply works.The two leads are Wes Bently (weird camera neighbour from American Beauty) and Scott Speedman (mutated vamp/werewolf from Underworld) and they work very well together. The satanic cult folk aren't too great but you get use to them. The girlfriend, Taryn Manning is the girlfriend. The story goes like this, two friends think that the girl has died from an overdose, so they go to bury her in a drive-in. When they get there, they stumble across a few people performing satanic cult rituals. Those satanists chase after them when they screw up their rituals. Oh yeah...and the girl is not really dead. So the rest of the film is them running from these guys. It doesn't sound like much, but it was both fresh and entertaining.Canadian films get the label of always being 'too artistic' or even for a lack of better words 'too Canadian' but Weirdsville in some sort of way breaks that mold. It doesn't glorify Canada like 'Going The Distance' which means it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Unless you knew the locations and some of the slang, you'd think it was some other American film.I recommend this film to anyone looking for a entertainment in this variety, it's a funny low-budget entertaining film. In addition, the soundtrack is great. Give it a rent....if you can find it.
These Stoner Buddies...No Classic Pair Here.
posted on 06 Apr 2008The most positive thing I can personally say regarding Weirdsville is that I did at least keep watching until the end. That said, I just as soon wished I had used the time for something more rewarding. I felt the movie though stylish and reasonably well produced just fell flat in both story and humor.Classic stoner flicks suck us in in spite of the fact most of us do not actually identify with stoners. I mean a good movie of the stoner genre is wickedly funny and built around likable stoner buddies, i.e., Cheech & Chong, Harrold & Kumar, Bill & Ted...et.al. In Weirdsville I never felt a like for Dex & Royce particularly. They were in a predicament that had them racing against time to come up with money (reminded me of The Blues Brothers). They were being chased by several different "nut jobs" (like the Blues Brothers). The ensuing situations just were not especially funny (NOT like the Blues Brothers which was uber-hilarious).Granted I'm not the primary audience this flick is aimed at, I mean I'm 48. However, I know a good stoner flick when I see it and this misses the mark. Simply put, not awful by any means...Just not good enough to recommend.
excellent
posted on 31 Jan 2008I went to the movie thinking, this is gonna be stupid i just know it. but i was wrong. As much as these people who comment about the movie say its cliché and crap.. well i disagree. I think it was written excellently, the characters actually in depth and not total crack heads... for a movie surrounding an illegal substance, i think it was really great. there are moments where your like 'wtf is going on' but you can't help but laugh mainly because it's just so far out there. i liked the originality, and the timing like a previous commenter said nothing lasted longer then it should have. i think it was directed greatly and anyone who honestly thinks a movie to be cliché, either is too harsh, or doesn't know what goes into a movie to begin with. coming up with originality and intrigue is hard to do and i think Wennekers and Moyle both did a great job. :)
Weirdsville, population: everyone
posted on 27 Jan 2008This friend of mine told me about this movie, he got some kind of a screening pass, I don't know... so I walk in there expecting a bunch of vomiting heroin junkies speaking German and all that arty stuff. I never thought a movie about junkies would be that funny and out there. It's so much more than one of those 'don't do drugs' movies Hollywood makes - it's got car chases, gangsters, guns, and there's Satanists and midgets dressed like knights, it's messed up. One of the Satanist freaks is that freaky killer from History of Violence... he's funny in this but I kept getting the creeps every time I saw him. Scott Speedman and Wes Bentley were hilarious, they played off each other really well - they were funny and it didn't even look like they were acting most of the time, they looked like they've known each other their whole life. I was surprised with Bentley, he's not a stiff like usual, he kinda plays the lovable bonehead. Taryn Manning is really good too. There's a bunch of hysterical parts in the movie, I don't really want to give any of it away... so I'm not sure what else to say. They shot it in my home town Brantford, I didn't know until I was watching it and recognized the downtown, that'll send anybody from Brant county for a spin... they shot some of it at that old drive-in on the west end, just before the Blue Bird plant. The music is pretty cool too - The Dears is in it, so is The Constantines and Shout Out Out Out Out, it's about frigging time somebody started using cool Canadian bands in a movie. Speaking of which, I thought it was pretty rad that the guy who directed it did Pump Up The Volume too. They do some cool stuff with the camera work too, to put you in the mindset of a junkie. Another cool thing is they don't really tell you what the drug is - heroin maybe, or coke... I like that you don't really know cause it's not really the point what drug they're on - it's that they're on drugs period.
Weird and wonderful
posted on 05 Jan 2008It's great to see a film that moves along so freely and easily but also has a clever writer behind it.Someone mentioned that the film was being touted as Trainspotting shot in Canada with laughs. Trainspotting didn't cross my mind once during this film. I liked Trainspotting when it came out, but if there was one criticism you could make it was that the film took itself a little too seriously. Thankfully this film doesn't and is all the better for it. Everything about it feels fresh and you really get the feeling that everyone involved enjoyed making it. The acting has a nice improvised quality and script is a perfect mix of playful whimsy and taut storyline.If you got out the wrong side of the bed, don't go and see this. If you're looking for an enjoyable and refreshing 90 minutes that restores your faith in low budget films, buy a ticket.
The same old take on the drug caper
posted on 24 Dec 2007A lot of Canadian film is good, but this is sadly not up to par. There are a few good laughs here and there but it seems like this film was trying to imitate other, better films like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Pulp Fiction. It doesn't work. The acting isn't as good. The story is weaker and the whole thing feels rather rather contrived. Instead of introducing new ideas into this drug caper/comedy genre, the same old ideas are tromped out and they aren't very fulfilling for the viewer. There are coincidences here and there and I don't really mind coincidences if they work. Here they didn't and I found that brought the movie down.
THIS MOVIE ROCKS!! Two quarelling junkies pulling a heist- brilliant.
posted on 14 Nov 2007What a fabulous movie full of oddball characters and realistic dialog that is very funny. Two junkies come up with a scheme to pull a job in order to pay off a debt they can't pay at the moment. They get chased by Satan worshipers, dwarfs(or are they gnomes?), and of course the cops now and then. Every twist in this movie is a turn into something bizarre and unexpected and delicious.I love the character of the female Satan worshiper Treena she's able to kick some ass and nothing looks sexier on a woman than some spirit like that. Maggie Castle soaks up and RULES this minor role and is absolutely delicious in every frame. Maggie Castle - MEOW!! One of the great things that keeps this movie together is the dialog between old party buddies, it felt very real with the games they play on each other all the time and the continual verbal sparring adds a nice jump to the flick's pace.This movie reminded me of Pulp Fiction or Killing Zoe or Love is a .45, or Way of the Gun in the way it's an indie style road movie with weird characters all over the place.
A very enjoyable experience
posted on 09 Oct 2007Because of its review on scifi.com,I thought Weirdsville would have supernatural elements which made it a twist between a thriller and a horror film.But,the film was not like that.I would say it belongs to the genre of modern thrillers with a lot of twists and drug use,like Go and Spun,but shaken with the style of surrealistic comedies like After Hours.The final result may not be an excellent movie,but it's a very entertaining and satisfactory experience.I did not recognize his name at first,but I later noticed that Allan Moyle,the director of Weirdsville,is the same guy who made very entertaining and underrated movies I have liked pretty much,like Empire Records,Pump Up the Volume and Times Square.Weirdsville is not at the same level of that films but what it shares with them is the non-stop energy which makes it very enjoyable.I also appreciated that the screenplay exposes some valid commentaries about drug use,ambition and the friendship.The actors were very well chosen.In 1999,Wes Bentley appeared as a very promising actor because of his brilliant performance in American Beauty.But,after that,Bentley appeared on supporting roles in crappy movies,where he did not have much to do,like Ghost Rider or Soul Survivors.But,in Weirdsville,we finally back to see his talent because he brings enormous enthusiasm and conviction to his character.I had never paid too much attention to Scott Speedman because of his anonymous performances in films like Underworld,The Strangers or xXx : State of the Union.However,his performance in Weirdsville is excellent because his character is always credible and Speedman never seems to be acting.I will now start to pay attention to this actor because,on this movie,he has shown he can be a brilliant actor with the correct material and director.The rest of the cast is very good,specially Maggie Castle and the great Matt Frewer.The only fails I found on this movie are on the screenplay.Some elements feel forced while other elements could have been better developed.Still,I can recommend Weirdsville.It may not be a great movie,but it is very entertaining because of its energy,its humor,its atmosphere and its excellent performances.
dark comedy done right
posted on 25 Sep 2007Dex & Royce are two bumbling junkies with a streak of bad luck. They owe money to a local gangster who gives them drugs to sell, but their lady-friend Matilda OD's on those drugs & they think she's dead. While trying to bury her in the basement of the local drive-in they encounter a small band of Satanists who were performing a ritual, and when blood from that ritual reaches Matilda she is revived so they think they did it and of course the chase is on, but Royce & Dex manage to get her away. To further complicate matters Matilda knows the combination to the safe of one rich guy Jason Taylor (Matt Frewer) who happens to be in a coma in the hospital after being struck in the head by an icicle. Of course, considering the skills that Royce & Dex possess, nothing goes smoothly but they do end up with the safe in the trunk of their aging Saab to take it to where they have the combination. Unfortunately the Saab overheats & they're stuck at the local mall, closely followed by the Satanists but saved by a dwarf security guard. When the Satanists follow in hot pursuit, the security guard calls for reinforcements which are some of his dwarf friends who apparently have some kind of medieval society in which they don armor & and use ancient weapons and they kick some Satanist butt. Combined with all the snide and sarcastic humor are some interesting surreal moments, like Dex skating down the road in his bare feet. There's almost too much to this to describe in writing, but I suggest that maybe you just see this and decide for yourself. Maybe the closest thing I could compare it to is "Employee of the Month" (the one with Steve Zahn). Recommended, 8 out of 10.
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Are junkies really this pleasant?
posted on 09 Aug 2009WARNING: This movie is unapologetically Canadian... which, in this case, is a good thing. Especially when this film could have been set in any city, town or village in the world.I expected a low-budget, independent attempt at art. And what starts as out tragic and dark, grows into a fun, "what can happen now" sort of adventure that is surprisingly amusing. Yes, it's goofy at times. Yes, it borders on ridiculous, too. But dammit, it's fun. It carefully dances on the fine line of gross tragedy and outright slapstick, but doesn't quite cross the line either way.The production value is fairly high, even if the budget wasn't. (The gritty darkness really suits the adventures of two junkies, anyway.) Scott Speedman and Wes Bentley build a real chemistry that grows on you and it's really good to see Bentley in a role that is FINALLY likable. Taryn Manning also does a good job, although I fear she's going to get pigeon-holed into similar roles. She deserves better. The rest of the cast does a solid job with no obvious weak link.Finally, people are going to draw a lot of similarities to other movies. I would like to think of this as a strange cross between "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" and "Dude, Where's My Car?", with it leaning favourably toward the Dude side. It has a couple of introspective, deep moments, but balances it out with lighter, playful moments the rest of the time.Really, if you ever "got the joke" of "Dude, Where's My Car?" or even found some sick humour out of the head trip of "Fear And Loathing..." check out "Weirdsville". You may be pleasantly surprised. 8 out of 10.