Starring: Edward Furlong, Edward Norton
Rated: R
Released: 1998
What I “know”: Neo-Nazis. Like, so many of them. And a curbstomp heard round the world. And that this is going to frighten me probably more than any other movie I watch because, you know, 2018.
What I know after reading the Netflix sleeve: “A California neo-Nazi gets sent to prison for murder and comes out a changed man. But can he atone for his sins and prevent his younger brother from following in his hate-filled footsteps?” So wait, this is kind of a … redemption story? I mean, maybe? Time to buckle down for two hours of generational hate.
TRAILER!
3:05: That was possibly the least sexy sex scene I’ve ever seen. The Doc Martens were the best part.
5:48: This movie is shot very weirdly. I’m not technical enough to know what’s different, but it’s distracting. Unrelated, whose front door opens out?
6:28: Oh good, it looks like only the first few minutes were shot in weird, grainy, oddly timed b&w.
13:57: “He used Derek to recruit a slew of insecure, frustrated and impressionable kids.” The classic game plan.
15:22. Y’all. I just legit got chills. Like this whole TV interview could be happening RIGHT NOW. I don’t want to watch any more.
24:43: There are white supremacist hymns? What the hell?
33:21: So dude does 3-years-plus on a double murder charge, and his parole doesn’t include “Don’t associate with the skinheads any more?”
36:10: Does Donald Trump just quote from this movie in his speeches? “Our border policy is a joke. So is anyone surprised that south of the border they’re laughing at us? Laughing at our laws? … “It’s about decent, hardworking Americans falling through the cracks and getting the shaft because their government cares more about the constitutional rights of a bunch of people who aren’t even citizens of this country.”
42:21: I really, really, REALLY don’t want to watch any more. The whole riot bit? Like those are legit arguments I’ve heard when I was younger, that I never tied to white supremacy. I honestly never realized how much rhetoric I’d heard from people who ALSO didn’t know it was white supremacy talking points. I’m just gutted right now.
55:10: It’s legit scary how good Edward Norton is at playing psychopaths.
57:06: Seeing this Nazi party (just typing that makes me think of the “Forrest Gump” scene where Forrest apologizes for ruining their Black Panther party) just … they look ridiculous. And I know in the moment I’m sure they feel all righteous. But they’re a bunch of angry young white dudes with no ideas of their own.
1:05:00: Stacy Keach is creepy as hell. He’ll never be Mike Hammer to me ever again.
1:21:38: Guy Torry, stopping racism since 1998. Way to go, pal.
1:25:48: Soooooo the way the racist guys treat black people is by having sex with them? Like that’s what I’m supposed to take away from the shower rape scene? That they all secretly want to rape black men? That’s a terrible threat.
1:41:55: Not OK with the dad from “Boy Meets World” spewing racist stuff.
UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I watched the last 20 minutes of that movie with a constant churning in my stomach. I have no great summation, no deeper thoughts. I have only sadness and wariness.
Next up: “Being There.”