Postal (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Postal

Promotional poster
Directed by Uwe Boll
Produced by Uwe Boll
Dan Clarke
Shawn Williamson
Written by Uwe Boll
Bryan C. Knight
Starring Zack Ward
Dave Foley
Julia Sandberg Hansson
Chris Coppola
Jackie Tohn
Ralf Moeller
J.K. Simmons
Michela Mann
Michael Paré
Verne Troyer
Chris Spencer
Rick Hoffman
David Huddleston
Seymour Cassel
Carrie Genzel
Mike Dopud
Music by Jessica de Rooij
Cinematography Mathias Neumann
Editing by Julian Clarke
Distributed by Freestyle Releasing
Release date(s) October 18, 2007 (Germany)
May 23, 2008 (USA)
Running time 100 min.
Country Flag of CanadaCanada
Language English, German
Budget $18 million
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Postal is a 2007 film based on the 2003 computer game Postal². The film is directed by filmmaker Uwe Boll, and filmed in Cloverdale, British Columbia.[citation needed] Postal premiered in Montreal on July 22, 2007 during the Fantasia Festival.

Initial trailers market the film as a shock comedy, and have caused controversy as they show a jet flying into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, reminiscent of the September 11, 2001 attacks.[1] It was later revealed that this scene is in fact the opening scene of the movie, where two of the hijacker terrorists get to know that their sign-up deal for the "99 perfect virgins" might not work out due to the lack of resources after too many recent martyrs, and decide to hijack the plane to the Bahamas instead, only to be overpowered by the airplane passengers, who, in the struggle for the controls, end up driving the plane into one of the towers.[2]

In his seminar at Breakpoint 2007, Boll has noted that he will "probably end up in jail for it", and claimed that he wanted to create a movie that is "ruthless, just like Monty Python movies used to be".[2]

A cast listing on Boll's website shows that the film will also feature Richard Kyanka, one of Boll's opponents in his infamous "critic boxing" matches, as well as Vince Desiderio, the producer of the Postal video games.[3]

Recent news revealed that the film will be released in the USA May 23, 2008[4], although Uwe Boll claimed it would be released October 12, 2007.[5]. On May 16, 2008 theater distributors pulled out of their deal with Boll for a wide release. Postal, as of May 16, was set to be released in only four screens, down significantly from the original 1,500 screens[6]. As of May 20, its screen count has increased to 12 screens. The movie was released in German theatres October 18th. The DVD and Blu-ray release date is set for August 26th 2008.[7] A rated version will also be available on DVD and in the UK June 16th.[8]

Contents

[edit] Plot overview

September 11, 2001. Terrorists are about to fly a plane into the World Trade Center when they realize that there can't possibly be enough virgins left in the afterlife, given the recent rash of suicide bombings. After a quick phone call to their leader confirms that they may only get twenty, they decide to call off the attack and fly to The Bahamas. Just then, the cockpit door is kicked open and the passengers struggle to take control of the plane. Veering out of control, it smashes into the Twin Towers - the fiery explosion revealing the film's title card.

Six years later, in Paradise, Arizona.... After being mocked at a job interview, kicked out of his local unemployment office, and discovering that his morbidly obese wife is cheating on him, a volatile young man known as "The Postal Dude" is mugged by an aggressive panhandler. He kills the man in self-defense and, fleeing the scene of the crime, ends up at his uncle Dave's religious commune. There, he discovers that Dave's "love cult" owes the US government over a million dollars in back-taxes. With his nephew's help, Dave plans on hijacking a shipment of Krotchy Dolls - rare, sought-after plush toys that resemble giant scrotums. The only shipment in America has been delivered to a Nazi theme park called Little Germany, which is owned by controversial filmmaker (and Postal director) Uwe Boll.

While attempting to retrieve the Krotchy Dolls, they meet up with a group of Al-Qaeda terrorists, led by Osama bin Laden (who has been hiding in Arizona, under the watchful eye of his best friend, George W. Bush). The terrorists, hoping to come up with something as big as 9/11 was for them in 2001, wish to procure the dolls for themselves, fill them with Avian flu, and distribute them to American children.

A shootout ensues in the theme park, where hundreds of children are gunned down, Uncle Dave escapes with the Krotchy Dolls, and park owner Boll is shot in the genitals after getting into a fight with Postal game creator Vince Desiderio. Verne Troyer, the park's opening day celebrity guest, is kidnapped by a member of Dave's love cult and shoved into his own luggage.

Upon returning to their compound, Dave and his nephew (now dubbed "The Postal Dude" by the media) see that Al-Qaeda has already arrived. They covertly sneak into the compound's underground bunker (at one point using a live cat as a pistol silencer), where Uncle Dave's second-in-command reveals that he has must now fulfil the prophecy foretold in Dave's fictional bible. He throws Verne Troyer into a room filled with chimpanzees, where he is raped to death, and then - after passionately kissing him - shoots Dave to death.

The Postal Dude manages to escape with a plethora of weapons from the bunker and and decides to wage a one-man war against Al-Qaeda, his uncle's murderer, and his cheating wife. On the way to his trailer (where he plans to blow up his spouse), he meets up with a attractive young barista, who joins forces with him after an explosive gunfight. The two of them then proceed to kill all the terrorists, all the bloodthirsty townspeople, the remains of the now-mad love cult, his wife, and her multiple lovers.

In the midst of the shootout, Osama bin Laden escapes to a payphone, where he calls George Bush for help. Bush (who refers to bin Laden as "Sammy") sends a helicopter to save him and plans for the two to rendezvous.

The Postal Dude and the barista drive away, assuming all is fine and relieved that his dog was somehow saved from the explosive violence. They casually turn on the radio, only to learn that Bush has blamed the day's shootouts and explosions on China. China, in retaliation, has unleashed thirty nuclear missiles toward America, which are schedule to hit in under two minutes.

The film's final shot features President Bush and Osama bin Laden skipping through a field together, hand-in-hand. As mushroom clouds explode on the horizon, Bush laughs and says, "Sammy, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

[edit] Casting

Boll regular Zack Ward (Bloodrayne 2) appears as the lead in the film, while Ralf Moeller (star of Boll's Seed) appears as a dim-witted police officer.

Dave Foley is the supporting lead, Uncle Dave. During one of his first scenes in the film, Foley is completely nude for over a minute of screen time. After filming the scene, Boll informed him that it was a full body shot and that "everything" would appear in the film. Foley expressed no hesitation at the news.[citation needed]

Director Boll appears in the movie, playing a parody of himself — what he calls a "mini-Nazi", who, clad in Lederhosen, opens a "mini-Auschwitz entertainment palace" in Paradise City. In a scene set at this amusement park, he also says his movies are financed with Nazi gold (a response to an actual accusation rumored on the Internet). The fight over the Krotchy dolls ultimately ends in a wild gunfight during which Boll is being shot in the scrotum, his last line being "I hate video games."[2]

[edit] Box office performance

Postal opened at number 27 in the German box office, taking in $79,353 from 48 screens and has banked $133,568 as of November 11. In Austria it ended its box office run after two weeks with $5,165. As of February 10, 2008, it has grossed a total of $142,761 worldwide.[9]

The film opened in limited release in the United States on May 23, 2008, playing in 21 theaters.[10] With 2 more following on later dates. The movie has been banned in all but 4 theaters nationwide.

Recently Uwe Boll stated that he would make a Postal 2, even if it went direct-to-video, considering that his film BloodRayne 2: Deliverance was a successful direct-to-video sequel.'

[edit] Controversy

Due to the film's controversial subject nature regarding 9/11, Uwe Boll has claimed that the movie was banned in all but 4 theaters in the United States.

Theatrical distributors are boycotting Postal because of its political content. We were prepared to open on 1500 screens all across America on May 23rd. Any multiplex in the U.S. should have space for us, but they're afraid... We have even tried to buy a few screens in New York and Los Angeles, and they won't let us even rent the theaters! I urge independent exhibitors to contact us and book 'Postal'! Audiences have been expecting the film and I don't think exhibitors should censor what gets played in U.S. theaters.

[1]

On May 23, 2008 the official Postal movie website reported that the movie would open on one day in 21 theaters with two more following suit at later times in America [2].

[edit] Critical reception

Postal received generally negative reviews from critics. As of May 23, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 10% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 31 reviews.[11] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 22 out of 100, based on nine reviews.[12]

[edit] References

  1. ^ 'Mockumentary' director bares towering insult
  2. ^ a b c Uwe Boll - Transforming Games into Movies - seminar video recording from Breakpoint 2007
  3. ^ http://www.boll-kg.de/sonstiges/postal/postal_cast.jpg
  4. ^ Going Postal with Running With Scissors CEO Vince Desi | Geek.com
  5. ^ http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/feature/408
  6. ^ Uwe Boll's Postal Denied Theatrical Release
  7. ^ http://gopostal.com/postaldvd/
  8. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Postal-Zack-Ward/dp/B00163HNBO/
  9. ^ Postal (2008) - International Box Office Results. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
  10. ^ UPDATED: Is Postal at a theater near you?. Movieset. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
  11. ^ Postal Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
  12. ^ Postal (2008): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Postal
Games
Expansions
Characters
Films
Postal
Related articles
v • d • e
Movies directed by Uwe Boll
Original films
German Fried Movie • Amoklauf • Barschel - Mord in Genf? • Erste Semester, Das • Sanctimony • Blackwoods • Heart of America • Seed • 1968 Tunnel Rats
Video game adaptations