Hey folks, Harry here with another's look at GOING GREEK... I was hoping there would be someone else.... someone less compulsive about Laura Harris.... Someone that doesn't have a 65 foot statue carved out of solid granite by his own bare hands and teeth that he worships 5 times a day and 10 on Sunday. Someone who's irises were not permanently etched with her angelic visage. Someone that.... well, you get the idea. Well, here is that review... Someone that just goes to college and watches movies and reads AICN... Here he is....
Harry-
I'm a student out in the hinterlands at UC-Riverside. I've been a reader of your site for almost a year now and have always wanted to post a review of my own. Unfortunately, not much of interest goes on out here at the edge of the desert so I've contented myself with Moriarty's rumblings and Robogeek and Co.'s reviews and tidbits.
Last night however, some friends of mine were invited to trek down to LA to see a screening of the film GOING GREEK. The film shot for a few days here last fall but they were mostly on the football field so I never had the chance to find any juicy tidbits to write about.
As psyched as I was to have the chance to post a first review (though I see now that rapscallion Quint has beaten me to it), I have to admit that I was a little reticent to see the film, being that the subject matter of Fraternities isn't exactly tops on my popcorn-meter.
Driving down to the smog-capital of the world, I told my boys that I fully expected to see another Animal House wanna-be (which it is) filled with cheezy, unmotivated gross-out jokes and cookie-cutter characters (which it isn't). Three of them had been extras on the film and agreed that it would probably suck. They really only wanted to see if they made it on screen and had endless debates as to who would get the first offer from Spielberg if they did.
How cool it was for a closeted film-geek like myself to drive through the Paramount gates and be waved on by the guards was near Nirvana. As we walked from the lot to the theater, I half-expected to see Mel Gibson tooling by on a golf-cart whilst sipping champagne and talking on his cel phone... Alas, Mel was somewhere else at the time and we were forced to wait in line outside while the "cool" studio types where whisked in past us.
All was well however as we were finally ushered inside and the director finally (20 minutes late) stood to tell us some info on the film. To be honest, I didn't understand most of what he was talking about, but I do recall that although the flick was shot on 35 millimeter film, for some reason they were showing it on DG Beta so the image would be darker and the sound a little uneven. Anyway...
The lights came down and I sat back, fully prepared to sneak out after the first act and break into an empty office and wait to be discovered like some other director we know.
It was then the laughter started...
I agree with Quint that the opening shot leaves a little to be desired in terms of taste, but (seriously) everything after that was fuckin' hilarious.
Since Q. already told the story of the film, I won't waste your web-space. I will say that what made the biggest impression on me were the characters/actors. The casting was great! The actors were funny as hell. My faves were the stoner guy and Nick and whoever the actor is that played Sully "The Pledge Master" nearly stole the whole show.
To say the audience loved it would be an understatement. The laughter started a few minutes into it and pretty much never stopped. I cheered along with the rest during "Pledge Invaders" and the elevator scene in which one of the characters is taped to a wheelchair (to say anymore would ruin it) was the best of the film.
The circle-jerk scene is sure to offend some, but it was really tastefully done and the dream bubbles were hilarious.
The non-comedy scenes were pretty decent. You start to lose a bit during the football sequences - which could have used some "Any Given Sunday" pacing, and while the character of Gil (the geek) is well played and likeable, you know from the start that he's going to make it through. (Spoiler?).
Afterwards, everybody outside seemed to agree - it seemed like many shared my surprise at not expecting much but coming away really liking the film. Two of my friends made it into the film but strangely enough, the studio contract offers never came.
There was some kind of after-party but with Finals looming we headed out back to school, quoting lines from the film. The consensus favorite? Six words: Do ya like the titty-fuck?... Trust me, you'll get it when you see it.
Since this is my first review, I feel a little guilty at not having anything skewering to say. Chalk it up to newbie-ness if you want, but (if you can) check out the film first. The purpose of the screening seemed to be to find a studio to distribute it, and I'm pretty sure that worked so you should have the chance.
Signing off:
Auda ibu Tayi
"I am a river to my people!"
