Shooting Vegetarians

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C     Main Program: C

 

 

We have to admit, Shooting Vegetarians (1999) is one of the funniest titles for a DVD we have run into in a while.  You have the title, matched up with a cover shot of a man dressed up as a giant bird.  Do vegetarians dress up as animals to make a point?  Does this make them an easier target for gunmen?  Could this be some crazy show about meat eaters with guns chasing them for 90 minutes?  No, though that would have been funnier than what we get here if done right.

 

Instead, this is tale of Neil (Guillermo Diaz) and his crusade to get people to give up meat.  He pleads with them, lets them know the awful conditions most animals are bred for food under and even tries to make it all hip.  His father is a butcher who wants to pass down the family business to him, but he sees it as the killing of his “friends” in the wild.  His human friends are wackier, but seem like good people.  Then, he cannot take it anymore and starts killing those who will not listen anymore.  This runs about 75 minutes long, which is a shame, because there is a real film here somewhere, regardless of this being shot on video.  I like the ideas presented, regardless of whether I agreed or not.  Its heart is in the right place often, too, give or take illicit appeals to pity.

 

The letterboxed 1.78 x 1 image was shot on video and is colorful, but has problems with detail and video black.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is adequate, especially for its dialogue.  The post-Rock music is mixed.  Extras include seven deleted scenes that were not any better or worse than the final product, which can be played with commentary, and there is also an audio commentary by director Mikey Jackson.  There is also a stills section.  This is worth catching in case you might find this funny.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo