grodscorp@grods.comMIFF ‘08 film review: Otto; Or, Up With Dead People
 | Posted by Scott on Saturday 9 August 2008, 6:18 pm Categories: MIFF '08 Tags: Tags: MIFF, OttoOrUpWithDeadPeople |
Film rating: 3/5
Walkouts: 2/5
Pretentious clapping at credits: 4/5
BPM sighting: No
Filmmaking provocateur Bruce LaBruce’s (The Raspberry Reich) latest film features a hoodie-wearing zombie, Otto, who reticently rises from the grave and wanders the gay clubs of Berlin. In his journey of self-discovery he stumbles across an underground filmmaker, participates in a documentary about himself and attempts to reconnect with a former boyfriend, with disastrous results. Moral boundaries and acceptable levels of ‘decency’ are challenged, as is the modus operandi of writer, filmmaker, actor, photographer and pornographer LaBruce.
This gay zombie flick with tongue firmly planted in its cheek amused and shocked in equal measure. On the one hand it’s a bit confronting to see a dude have sex with another dude’s gaping stomach wound, but on the other hand it’s so ridiculous (and presented so ridiculously) that it’s impossible not to laugh. The characters of Otto and his grand director were brilliantly funny, as were simple tricks like the black-and-white silent movie character.
I’m not sure that I walked away from the film with any sense of an overarching message but I had a good laugh. And that’s nice, innit?
