Willard

The way acting supports a film is like the way condiments make food better. Some brainless films don't need incredible acting; like Jumper. With Willard, another remake of a classic horror film, the above par notch for remakes is set even higher by the eccentric headliner Crispin Glover who completely reworks the film at it's foundation.

The plot is familiar. Willard Stiles is a man whose life has been destroyed due to his fathers death and his mothers ailness. Similar to Jackson's gorefest Dead Alive, both children have much maturing to do and leaves them with a distorted sense of reality. Willard works a deadend job with no friends. His boss happens to be R. Lee Ermey, and as this role applies, a lot of emotional damage occurs from this bastard.


Eventually he finds solace in an incredibly intelligent white rat he named Socrates. Using his new friends, he decides to bite back at everything that has caused him pain over the years. So we have a "When Animals Attack!" film with a deep psychological burning inside of it. This by itself makes it a great movie. A beautiful though occurs within all of Glovers films. When you think about him acting in all these common popular films, it's nice to see his privately funded artistic visions being produced with his own brand of sacrifice.


The acting is phenomenally deranged and poignant. Willard is truly a disturbed man. There is no real sense of accomplishment for him, only sorrow, which he uses to fuel his silent rage. Willard is a landmark in mainstream cinema, bringing harsh realities in touch with the common viewer. This film is perfectly complimented by Crispin Glover's music video "Ben". In the music video, you will see trademark Glover, as philosophers and Hitler make an appearance.

-Maq