American Cowslip (2009/E1 DVD)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: D     Feature: D

 

 

One of the unfunniest comedies in a few years and definitely of this year, Mark David’s American Cowslip (2009) is an extremely desperate work (they dubbed it “A Redneck Comedy” and that does not even totally fit) that wastes more talent than any feature has in a while, including Val Kilmer, Diane Ladd, Bruce Dern, Cloris Leachman, Rip Torn, Pricilla Barnes and Peter Falk, then there is Ronnie Gene Blevins as the goofy slacker Ethan who needs to grow a plant to win a contest so he has money so he is not evicted.

 

However, the script by David and Blevins is all over the place and far too impressed with itself.  I never believed any of this for a minute, thought some items were such a sidetrack that it shows they did not know what they were doing or writing and how they got these actors is the only story worth telling.  Unless you are ultra, ultra-curious, forget it.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image tries for an oversaturated color palette that really is so and this too backfires and is not funny either.  We get motion blur and softness throughout in addition and it can look a mess at times.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is really a stereo-at-best recording stretched out too much.  Extras include a lame behind-the-scenes featurette and lamer feature length audio commentary by David, Producer Tony Hewett and star Blevins.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo