Drug films are something filmgoers love to watch or don’t want to watch. Recently, the subject of heroin has been replaced with speed or “crank” as some would call it for the case of new drug films. Recently, D.J. Caruso’s “The Salton Sea” took a film-noir tone to the drug as it helped revive the career of Val Kilmer. Now, another film has come out on the drug. This time from controversial video filmmaker Jonas Akerlund whose videos for the Prodigy’s “Smack My B*tch Up”, Metallica’s “Turn The Page”, the Cardigans “My Favourite Game”, and Madonna’s award-winning “Ray Of Light” video were filled with dazzling visuals and controversial themes. For his full-length directorial debut in feature film, Akerlund chose to go for the grittiness of the world of crank users in his 2002 film “Spun”.

“Spun” is about a crank user who meets up with a wild assortment of characters during a weekend binge on speed while helping a crank cook, his stripper girlfriend, and a dealer while cops are in pursuit. Directed and co-edited by Akerlund based on a screenplay by Will De Los Santos and Creighton Vero, “Spun” is a surreal, chaotic film of the lifestyle of crank users. With a leading cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, Brittany Murphy, Patrick Fugit, Mena Suvari, and Mickey Rourke along with a slew of cameos. “Spun” is likely to be a really promising film but the end results are really a film that is filled with some fun moments but not enough to deliver in its promise.

It’s a hot, sunny day in Los Angeles as a young crank addict named Ross (Jason Schwartzman) is desperate to nab some crank from a fellow drug dealer named Spider Mike (John Leguizamo). Spider unfortunately, is trying to find some new stash as his girlfriend Cookie (Mena Suvari) is calling him a loser while fellow addict Frisbee (Patrick Fugit) is busy playing a video game. One person Ross doesn’t recognize is Cookie’s friend Nikki (Brittany Murphy) as Mike is trying to sway all other clients so he can try and find the stash he is missing. Ross is waiting as Nikki suggests getting some crank from her boyfriend The Cook (Mickey Rourke), as Spider couldn’t find the stash as he makes everyone leave as Ross gets his new stash from the Cook.

Ross gets the stash as he keeps calling for his ex-girlfriend Amy (Charlotte Ayanna) about the $450 he owes her while going to a strip club and making out with stripper April (Chloe Hunter) who he takes her to his apartment where his lesbian biker neighbor (Debbie Harry) is listening the two having sex. The next day, Ross gets a call from Nikki about her dog Taco, who has turned green and she needs help as April, hand cuffed to the bed is still tied up with Ross duct-taping her mouth and eyelids as he meets with Nikki and the Cook. He drops Nikki off while helping the Cook score some ingredients he needed while Frisbee gets busted by a couple of speed-driven cops (Alexis Arquette and Peter Stormare).

After stopping at a 7-11 where the Cook beats up a Latino gang member named Angel (Nicholas Gonzalez) for the Latina clerks, the Cook stops by to get some porno where Ross has a moment where the Cook talks about the female anatomy. Nikki returns to work at the strip club where Ross is trying to call Amy as the Cook tries to work on his stash for Spider. Frisbee is then forced to go undercover as Ross returns to April and still leaving her tied. Nikki suddenly breaks up with the Cook as she hangs with Ross for a bit as she waits for Taco’s recovery before she could leave for Las Vegas as she, Ross, Spider, and Cookie go on a binge on crank that lasts the night. The next day, Frisbee turns up at Spider’s house where Cookie finds a wire leaving Spider and Cookie to be busted while Frisbee gets shot. The Cook continues working before his lab blows up and he gets busted at the porno shop.

Ross and Nikki continue to go on a drive-out binge on crank where Ross’s obsession with Amy continues. The Cook is free by his pal, the Man (Eric Roberts) as he calls Ross to drop Nikki off as they decided to go to L.A. to meet the Man and Ross finally meets Amy while the Cook is ready to work with some bad results for everyone in the end.

While “Spun” has some interesting moments, the film is weakened pretty much by its screenplay. The film’s script leaves a lot of unanswered questions about Ross’ past and his relationship with Amy while it comes out with an unsatisfying ending that doesn’t leave much for the film itself. While the script does a good job in capturing the life of crank users, it doesn’t carry much depth as far as the grittiness and power leaving Jonas Akerlund to do his directing. Akerlund brings out some weird visuals with some animation of drugs and sex along with some graphic moments and nudity along with the language. Unfortunately, because of the weak script, Akerlund is forced to be shocking by having some very disturbing scenes including Ross tying up April and having a green dog along with other moments that I won’t reveal.

Akerlund does deserve credit for making the film seem exciting, especially with its fast-paced editing and shots of car engines and the actors going nuts on crank with a grungy, looking cinematography from Eric Broms that doesn’t really add a lot of depth in the film’s look. Instead, it comes off as a bit low budget despite its weird, surreal visuals and animated sequences. While most drug films tend to have more hard-rock driven music or something fast-paced, the film has an acoustic-driven score by former Smashing Pumpkins singer Billy Corgan that plays up to the film’s more laid-back tone in some scenes while music by Foghat and Motley Crue play up in the more intense scenes.

Then there’s film cast that really gives the film some magic. Jason Schwartzman delivers an excellent performance as the nice-guy Ross while bringing out some funny, hyperactive moments on drugs though he doesn’t make his character sympathetic. John Leguizamo provides the film’s more funnier moments with his fast-talking demeanor and obscene languages while being shocking in a disturbing yet funny scene involving phone sex. Brittany Murphy is good as the Nikki but doesn’t really give much depth to her character since she’s just there to look trashy and desperate about her dog while she does have a nice dramatic scene with Mickey Rourke. Rourke though is the film’s best performance as the wise-talking Cook as he gives out strange philosophy and all sorts of coolness. Mena Suvari though, doesn’t do much but talk fast and complain while looking trashy and doing something we don’t want to see. Patrick Fugit is funny as Frisbee while he brings in his most shocking performance as the zit-faced addict who you end up feeling sorry for in the end.

If the main cast isn’t fun enough, the film has a slew of hilarious cameos like Debbie Harry as the neighbor who beats up Nicholas Gonzalez later on in the film while Charlotte Ayanna has a lovely presence in the film’s final act but doesn’t add much to the film. Peter Stormare and Alexis Arquette are both funny as the speed-addicted cops that play up to the satire of “Cops” while Eric Roberts is funny as Rourke’s gay boss. Other cameos though are fun to watch like porn-legend Ron Jeremy, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford as the porn store clerk, Billy Corgan as a doctor, and “American History X” director Tony Kaye as an emcee are also fun to watch though they’re just their as cameos in the film.

Overall, despite a weak screenplay and its tendency to shock rather than explore, “Spun” is still a good directorial debut effort from Jonas Akerlund. While the film has great moments and a stellar cast, it’s clearly not a film for everyone. Everyone who likes shock value will want to get the film’s unrated DVD version for the graphic sex and animation plus Mickey Rourke’s hilarious, unedited speech on the female anatomy. Despite its comedic moments and gritty scenes of drug use, the film doesn’t carry much weight while it is still watchable overall. In the end, for some funny moments on crank, “Spun” is the film for you but for serious filmgoers, “The Salton Sea” is more preferred film to watch due to a better cast, screenplay, and film noir tone.

The Salton Sea (2002):

http://www.epinions.com/content_121763106436



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age