Movie Chumbawumbas,
This week we showed the 2012 classic “The FP” to some new unsuspecting members. I believe it’s firmly a movie that is better to quote later than to actually watch the first time. Unless you see it in theaters where other people are laughing at the questionable directions the plot takes. It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s just wacky enough to hit the sweet spot for me. Bad acting (on purpose?) weird dialog, weird plot, but it looks way better than a movie filmed for 45K should look.
Facts:
- Budget $45000 (self financed)
- Box Office $ $40,557 (including my $10) (and bill, and MJ, and Laurel, and Kelli, and Jesse)
- Every member of the Trost family involved in the film (producer, director, Cinematographer, stunt coordination, actors, costume design, explosion experts)
- The actual area code of Frazier Park is 661
- Much of the profanity in the script was taken from conversations overheard by costume designer Sarah Trost at parties
- Trost based the opposing gangs’ outfits on American military uniforms of the American Civil War era. The 245’s outfits were based on the uniforms of the Confederate Army, while the 248’s outfits were based on those of the Union Army. (you were right Chris)
Real Life Facts.
- FRAZIER PARK, CA Demographic Information
- Population: 6,001
- White Population: 5,350
- Black Population: 33
- Hispanic Population: 611
- Asian Population: 55
- Hawaiian Population: 17I
- ndian Population: 77
- Other Population: 270
- Male Population: 3,007
- Female Population: 2,994
- Avg House Value: $104,700.00
- Avg Household Income: $39,530.00
- Avg Persons Per Household: 2.57
- Median Age: 39.20
- Median Age (Male): 39.50
- Median Age (Female): 38.90
- Wikipedia Page
Plot:
This movie is set in some kind of alternate reality, the kind you live in when you grow up on the outskirts of LA. So it starts off at a party? where the 245 gang is gonna battle the 248 gang. our heroes are brothers BTRO and JTRO of the 248. They challenge L DUBBA E to a beat off, but the game mysteriously starts new mode “OMEGA GANGSTA“. This is never explained (TINE). During the match BTRO falls and loses so bad that he is 187’d and he dies right there on the floor. TINE. JTRO swears off Beat Beat forever and walks off into the wastes.
Smash Cut, some years later and JTRO is working as a lumberjack? when KCDC finds him and asks him to come back to the FP. Reluctantly he does and lives at the house of BLT. In a hilarious monologue, KCDC explains that L DuBBA E has taken over the liquor mart and he decides who drinks in the town, shits fucked up now. the bums left town, and with no one to feed them, the ducks have also left. and without the ducks… “Hows a guy supposed to sort his shit out, B”
Thus revealing the plot of the film. There is no booze, therefore there are no ducks, shits fucked up. The booze must flow.
So JTRO realizes that Stacy, a girl he likes is now dating/forced to date/problematically wants to date L DUBBA E. So JTRO agrees to stay in town to take him down. He begins his training. Right away he challenges him to a beat off, but due to politics he is forced to take on Triple Decka 1K at some other shitty town. He is tricked into drinking Meth, but powers through and wins.
Cue another training montage, and probably the best music in the film. He trains in fighting and running also… TINE. BLT drops some all time motivational lines. It’s great.
Then the final battle is set, LDUBBAE and JTRO are gonna have a title fight. Since most of this movie’s plot is stolen directly from ROCKY, you can tell he’s gonna win. The actual dance dancing is probably the worst part of the movie. L Dubba E loses and is 187’d, although he does not actually die… TINE. He pulls a gun and they have a gunfight straight out of naked gun. Then they have a car chase to an abandoned gas station. Where L Dubba E and JTRO fight for real, JTRO wins and he forces Dubba E to leave town. I don’t know the legal ramifications of this. TINE.
With the town saved and the booze flowing free JTRO takes Stacy to a pond, where she drops to her knees and blows him. Also the ducks come back. The End. No joke that’s the end.
One of the jokes that kept making me laugh was when Stacy kept leaving her trailer home and yelling at her dad that he was an asshole (or whatever the word of the day was) and she was never coming back! But then she’d be there the next day yelling at him again that she was never coming back!
CHRIS
Reaction.
While this movie is crazy, I can totally see that it’s wildly problematic and not aging very well. But it was all those things to begin with, on purpose. We stream a lot of movies on this list, but I have 2 blu-ray copies of this and have kick-started the sequel. So I’m not really biased at all! I think not really explaining the plot was a comedic choice. The whole film is played with such a straight face that when the slightest little thing is off it comes off as funny. There’s tons of stuff going on in the background that is great and there are little moments of comedy thrown in.
Bottom line, I still love this garbage movie and will totally see the sequel in Theaters if I can.
This is a great midnight movie.
Next week is probably Erskine’s pick.
So start thinking about it now.
-Mark
