REVIEWS

"VERY BAD THINGS"

I like dark. I like gritty. I like sinister, shadowy, creepy, and grim. It's difficult to be all of those things and be a comedy. I've seen it work in "Pulp Fiction" and "Man Bites Dog." The thing is, in order for it to be a "dark comedy," it's got to be funny. "Very Bad Things" is as dark as you can get, and it claims to be a comedy, but it's not really all that funny.

"Very Bad Things" marks the feature film writing and directorial debut of actor Peter Berg ("Cop Land," "The Last Seduction," and TV's "Chicago Hope"). He must have some kinda clout, because he's collected an impressive group of young actors and actresses. Christian Slater, Cameron Diaz, Daniel Stern, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Jon Favreau (you may remember him as the brokenhearted star of "Swingers," which he also wrote... also, Favreau may replace Nicolas Cage as the "Las Vegas" actor since much of "Swingers" took place in Las Vegas as does "Very Bad Things"), Jeremy Piven (who now stars in that nifty new show on ABC, "Cupid"), and Leland Orser (the bespectacled character actor seen several times on TV's "NYPD Blue," but also as the man who was forced to commit "lust" in "Seven"). They're all really good, and very entertaining to watch. As for the script, it's dark, dark, dark, dark, dark. There are a few moments that are funny, but I think the film may have worked better if the comedic elements were left out.

I will say THIS for Peter Berg. He's a very good director. I like how he handled the excessiveness of the bachelor party, and as violent as the movie is, he coulda made it more so. I think that he has a really bright future as a director. And despite the weak parts of the script, there is a really great writer in him waiting to burst.

An interesting side note: There's a cop in the movie who is named "Officer Randone." In the movie "Cop Land," Peter Berg's character was a cop named "Randone." Coincidence? I think not! I'll bet that originally, Peter Berg thought that it would be cool to put himself in that role as a funky cameo but then thought better of it.

By the way, I know that guys who have seen the movie will wanna know. The actress who plays "Tina" the stripper is Carla Scott. This is her feature film debut. I know nothing else about her. Sorry, guys.

Anyway, I guess I liked "Very Bad Things" as a dark little movie, but not as a comedy. If you're pregnant, have a weak heart, prone to back injury, or if you get all bitchy over a little bit of blood, avoid this movie at all costs. Otherwise, despite it's imperfect script, you'll probably enjoy "Very Bad Things."

Scale of 1-10: 7