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      Firecracker

      2004 1h 40m Drama List
      Reviews 49% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings Abused by his brother (Mike Patton) and his mother's religious zeal, a young man befriends a carnival's main attraction (Karen Black). Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Feb 13 Buy Now

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      Firecracker

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      Critics Reviews

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      Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The movie has one of the most immediately gripping opening scenes I can remember. Rated: 3.5/4 Aug 18, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Noah B Wow. Mike Patton and his many projects have made some of my most favorite music of all time, but Christ almighty; he is fucking terrible in this film. Are people simply giving this high ratings because it's Patton? Again, he's a musical genius- but the acting is bottom of the barrel. Most of the acting is terrible, so I'm not trying to signal out one of my favorite musicians; but seeing people give this a high rating simply because it's Patton is embarrassing lol. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Weirdest trip of a movie. And you could sometimes see the "cue walking now" moments. The double casting was confusing and didn't seem to make a point. When you can't tell the difference between a killing and sex scene, that's not a great indicator. Was surprised that Karen Black signed up for this. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review guillaume h Definitely on the art side, a tiny budget, with the cast acting like its a truly tragic John Waters (especially Mike Patton and that lead guy, and many supporting caracters who are fun to watch in their voluntarily over-generous colorfullness). Karen Black in both her roles is magnetic and grand, giving two of the most cathartic performances of her courageous career. I admit the color scenes may be a bit jarring in their brightness but this is due to budget and even though the director could have taken this reality in consideration and chosen a more achievable way, i admire his courage to momentarily not prioritize the solemnity and opt for what is the visual firecracker: the fire brightness, whorered and skyblue. ( the mental firecracker are the moments of explosion, mirrored in the double stories, you will see...). The scenario is rich and the imagery is very evocative and poetic, either bleak but meaningful or oversaturated and desperate. With many influences (Lynch, Hitchcock, Jarmush, Antonioni) This is like a cerebral western, a dreamy film noir, a gothic americana freakshow with a hypnotic scarred heart. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Unlike any movie I can recall, Firecracker attempts to expose a real life cover-up in Wamego, KS half a century ago. Filmed in the actual house the murder took place and using symbolism throughout from the Yoruba Religion it this movie is truly art imitating life. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Sadly not a great movie. Fun to see Mike Patton in a movie, but that doesnt save it at all. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Godawful piece of insufferable wanna-be high-art drivel, recklessly pretentious, wildly overacted and overshot, with an embarrassing debut performance from the brilliant (musically anyway) Mike Patton. One of the biggest disappointments in recent years, especially to longtime Patton fans. Had to muster great resolve to finish it. Seriously. It sucks that bad. Balderson (the writer and director) is nothing but a Lynch rip-off artist (and that's the only phrase where I think the word 'artist' could apply to this guy), piecing his film together with pantomimes and parlor tricks that do nothing but insult the intelligence of a discerning filmgoer. Would have been better if he'd just made a self-acknowledged piece of crap, like Stephen King did with Maximum Overdrive, instead of aping greats like Lynch and Bergman and trying to pawn it off as something brilliant. I'll take Emilio Estevez and King's killer clown 18-wheeler over this drek any day of the week. And that's saying something Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Abused by his brother (Mike Patton) and his mother's religious zeal, a young man befriends a carnival's main attraction (Karen Black).
      Director
      Steve Balderson
      Production Co
      New World
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Runtime
      1h 40m
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