Dvd
The Devil Dared Me To
"Every kiwi lad dreams of greatness. But for little Randy Cambell, the dream is as big as the stunts his not-so-death-defying father died attempting. Young Randy Cambell yearns to be NZ's greatest living stuntman, much to the chagrin of his aunt and uncle who understand that the petrol running in Randy's veins is bound to ignite one day. Can the love of a one-legged female Evil Knieval save Randy and break his descendants' long legacy of fiery and fatal confrontations with the grim reaper?"
Starring Chris Stapp, Matt Heath, Phillip Brough, Phoebe Falconer, Dominic Bowden, Tom Kane
Directed by Chris Stapp (tv's 'Back Of The Y')
Written by Matt Heath, Chris Stapp
Festivals & Awards SXSW Festival (Harry Knowles #1 pick) | Fantasia Film Festival | Frightfest Film Festival 2007
Comedy, Action | 1hr 15mins | Rated (R16) | contains offensive language, violence & content that may disturb | Origin: New Zealand | Official Site »
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Flicks review
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4
This hilarious, raucous, balls to the wall comedy – the feature debut from the makers of DIY classic Back Of The Y Masterpiece Television – is an instant classic. One might accuse it of having some naff acting, being crass and foul mouthed but you couldn’t say it isn’t genuine. In their celebration of New Zealand (and all its crapness), filmmakers Chris Stapp & Matt Heath have made a fireball of a movie, quintessentially Kiwi, that was about the most fun I’ve had in a cinema all year.
Optimistic scallywag Randy Campbell (Stapp) dreams of being New Zealand’s greatest living stuntman, but he’s only a toilet cleaner for the real star: Dick Johansonson (Heath). Dick is a real cock, aggressively blocking anyone trying to share the limelight. The story follows Dick’s team (The Timaru Hellriders) as they tour their way up the country, vying for money and fame. Cue: stunts, explosions, blood, filth & piss-taking.
It’s endlessly quotable. “At the ass end of the world is a land they call New Zea-land… there’s the North Island, that’s the good one, and there’s the South Island, which sucks”. Or “I hope you like big tits and cocaine, cause we’re heading the North Island!” Or “Te Puke’s money, glamour, excitement; Timaru’s a shit hole”.
Too often NZ films bend over in trying to appeal to an elusive international audience but, refreshingly, The Devil Dared Me To couldn’t care less. It feels exclusively made for a NZ audience. Who else is going to get it when the greasy money grubber says he’s going to “make some Sir Edmunds”, or what exactly is involved with a “genital hongi”?
Heath & Stapp are the kings of taking the piss, and the film’s masterstoke is how they work this into the NZ setting. Dripping with sarcasm, Te Puke is NZ’s Vegas – flashing neon signs line the glitzy main street; Auckland is where you go to become a movie star, complete with a big Hollywood Hills-like sign in the harbour. In an uncomplicated and very funny manner, the filmmakers create a parallel New Zealand – where NZ’s crapness is celebrated. It’s this very Kiwi perspective and brand of humour, that the filmmakers so effectively put across, that makes The Devil Dared Me To resonate as something very genuine. It’s as if your mates made a feature film (and did a good job).
Director Stapp shoots the action in a simple and un-showy manner, as all good comedies should be, wisely leaving the characters and gags at the core of the film. This is a low budget film (the first from Headstrong, a production company set up to produce NZ digi-features), and the ‘backyard’, DIY feel is pulled off brilliantly – every potential short fall is used to the film’s advantage.
Surprisingly, there’s a sweetness to the film. ‘Farm-dwelling kid aiming big’ is after all a classic tale – one NZers relate to instantly. But more than that, it’s patriotic – not in a gay way but in a funny. It feels as if there’s a NZ flag in almost every scene, Randy’s helmet and stunt car are adorned with the Union Jack and Southern Cross. And dammit if my heart wasn’t near soaring when the camera rose above the ‘Bruno Lawrence Movie Studio’ sign at the entrance to the Auckland dream factory.
It would’ve been easy for The Devil Dared Me To to lose some of the charm of the TV show, and it might be semi-guilty of it in the first half but in the second half the film really comes into its own. Heath and Stapp have nailed it.
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The people's reviews
7 reviews
Press Reviews
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Ain't It Cool News [USA]
1
A great, crazy, fcked-up little New Zealand comedy ... it's a celebration of the stupidity of the daredevil profession, and it's early-Peter-Jackson-gory...
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Cinematical [USA]
Completely scrappy, wonderfully twisted... very nutty, and quite a bit funnier than most Hollywood comedies I've seen in recent years...
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Dominion Post [Graeme Tuckett]
2
I found the film kind of tedious, self-satisfied, and nothing like as funny or clever as its creators seem to think it is...
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NZ Herald [Russell Baillie]
4
It's crude, rude and boorish. But fortunately its brand of tastelessness makes for the most big dumb fun to roll out of the Made-in-NZ film can in some time. Probably best enjoyed after (quite) a few drinks...
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The Christchurch Press [James Croot]
3
Those who love a good portaloo gag, the sight of someone tongue-kissing a hideously disfigured burns victim or deadly slapstick will consider this the best 77 minutes of their life. Likewise, fans of Heath and Stapp's anarchic TV show Back of the Y will lap up this extended edition, although it is probably closer to early Roger Corman or Peter Jackson than the boys' beloved Goodies or Goodbye Pork Pie...
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