Yes! It's the curiously titled 'Cockfighter'! Fear not though, it's about blokes who enjoy watching chickens kill each other. Maybe fear a little, this isn't a Disney film.
Warren Oates seems to be continuously excellent the more of his work I get to watch, and sure enough he gets the {sports metaphor involving a net or a run or a goal which means he's great}. Here he plays a character who pretty much says nothing, using only hand gestures to display his feelings about cocks.
He pulls it off.
This film 'ain't no 'date' film; this is about strapping sharp weaponry on to small birds and then watch them kill each other. Apparently it's the manly thing to do. Viewers get to see chickens stab each other in the head, then get to watch it in slow motion. Again. And again. There is however something visually amazing about watching two chickens kill each other, which I'm sure is why people did (do??) it. Probably not.
It's an interesting and engaging character study, despite the 'shock' factor of chicken-death -for fun. Everyone turns out great performances; The Oates seems to blend into the chicken scene expertly. Ed Bagley Jr. appears as a guy who loves his chicken a little too much and wears ridiculous clothing. He is a treat to behold. James Earl Jones' dad even pops up, which in retrospect I feel to be quite an honour, for some reason I can't quite fathom, a bit like people who feel 'lucky' to witness an animal give birth when in reality it's quite disgusting. The guy that plays the polish chicken-fetishist type guy (at one point he says something like "I'm well into cocks" or something) is strangely creepy in his zeal for the 'sport'; watch all the close ups of him and tell me you don't feel awkward like you've just watched him lick a child's face and he's turned to you and started a conversation about hammocks like nothing has happened. Harry Dean Stanton cuts a fine figure as a rival cock fighter who wears suits and fancy shoes. He all the way classy..uhuh. There is even a guy who sticks a c chickens head into his mouth, licks its gentlemanly parts, then sticks his finger up it's hows-your-father, which apparently is illegal in the noble world of cock fighting. Who'd a thunk? Personally, I detest animal cruelty, and when it's for entertainment I'm raging. However I really enjoyed this film, which puts me in a weird place, like I've travelled to the future and got into a fist fight with my future-self. I'm not entirely sure whether it's pro-cock fighting or anti-cock fighting (although I suspect the film doesn't care). It's just about a guy who has found his calling doing something that most find morally reprehensible, but it's who he is and what he's good at. It's quite scary because it shows what people got up too to fill their time before game boys were invented.
Think of 'Rocky' but with chickens. Yes 'Rocky' fans there is a montage of chicken training action. Fear not. Chicken on a treadmill.
According to IMDb.com this film has been banned from being released in the UK ever because the chicken fighting contravenes some film makers law, which is fine, but it is a good film, which is annoying.
Ross @ www.musiconthemoon.com
Warren Oates seems to be continuously excellent the more of his work I get to watch, and sure enough he gets the {sports metaphor involving a net or a run or a goal which means he's great}. Here he plays a character who pretty much says nothing, using only hand gestures to display his feelings about cocks.
He pulls it off.
This film 'ain't no 'date' film; this is about strapping sharp weaponry on to small birds and then watch them kill each other. Apparently it's the manly thing to do. Viewers get to see chickens stab each other in the head, then get to watch it in slow motion. Again. And again. There is however something visually amazing about watching two chickens kill each other, which I'm sure is why people did (do??) it. Probably not.
It's an interesting and engaging character study, despite the 'shock' factor of chicken-death -for fun. Everyone turns out great performances; The Oates seems to blend into the chicken scene expertly. Ed Bagley Jr. appears as a guy who loves his chicken a little too much and wears ridiculous clothing. He is a treat to behold. James Earl Jones' dad even pops up, which in retrospect I feel to be quite an honour, for some reason I can't quite fathom, a bit like people who feel 'lucky' to witness an animal give birth when in reality it's quite disgusting. The guy that plays the polish chicken-fetishist type guy (at one point he says something like "I'm well into cocks" or something) is strangely creepy in his zeal for the 'sport'; watch all the close ups of him and tell me you don't feel awkward like you've just watched him lick a child's face and he's turned to you and started a conversation about hammocks like nothing has happened. Harry Dean Stanton cuts a fine figure as a rival cock fighter who wears suits and fancy shoes. He all the way classy..uhuh. There is even a guy who sticks a c chickens head into his mouth, licks its gentlemanly parts, then sticks his finger up it's hows-your-father, which apparently is illegal in the noble world of cock fighting. Who'd a thunk? Personally, I detest animal cruelty, and when it's for entertainment I'm raging. However I really enjoyed this film, which puts me in a weird place, like I've travelled to the future and got into a fist fight with my future-self. I'm not entirely sure whether it's pro-cock fighting or anti-cock fighting (although I suspect the film doesn't care). It's just about a guy who has found his calling doing something that most find morally reprehensible, but it's who he is and what he's good at. It's quite scary because it shows what people got up too to fill their time before game boys were invented.
Think of 'Rocky' but with chickens. Yes 'Rocky' fans there is a montage of chicken training action. Fear not. Chicken on a treadmill.
According to IMDb.com this film has been banned from being released in the UK ever because the chicken fighting contravenes some film makers law, which is fine, but it is a good film, which is annoying.
Ross @ www.musiconthemoon.com