GOD BLESS AMERICA

I've always admired Bobcat Goldthwait. From 80s comedies right through to recent stand-up routines, he has always been an original. His unique brand of humour is dumb on the surface but calculated beneath. He's a smart man and never short of an opinion and his newest film (he wrote & directed) is God Bless America. The sentiments of this story will appeal to many of us... this is Bobcat's objection to the current state of America. A society that worships gossip, gloss and sensation. Nothing is sacred as he takes aim at everything from advertising to celebrity culture. The story tells of a man who's become so disenchanted with the world he lives in that he picks up a gun and decides he's going to rid us of the parasites. He's joined along the way be a psychopathic teenage girl who bluffs her way along for the ride. God Bless America is a violent, dark and satirical statement that is destined to divide audiences. People like myself who agree that we're becoming a pathetic tabloid-worshipping society will get a kick out of this movie... but those who actually do live the shallow lifestyle will simply ignore it... and so it begs the questions of who is Bobcat trying to preach to? There is limited appeal here and so you've just got to take it on face value and laugh at the depravity of it. It's the lowbrow version of Natural Born Killers really... what shocked me the most about the movie was that real celebrities are named. While many targets are fictionalised versions of actual identities (Bill O'Reilly, Jersey Shore, American Idol etc) Bobcat lashes out at some real personalities too. Woody Allen, The Kardashians and Diablo Cody are all in his firing line. He's got balls, thats for sure! It over stays its welcome (just a bit) but there is a confirmation here that you're not alone. The state of affairs DOES suck and that you have control over it. Tune out and live life... you're not obliged to consume it.

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