Spun

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This article is about the 2002 Film. For the Keller Williams album, see Spun.
Spun
Directed by Jonas Åkerlund
Produced by Danny Vinik
Chris Hanley
Written by Will De Los Santos
Creighton Vero
Starring Jason Schwartzman
Brittany Murphy
Mickey Rourke
John Leguizamo
Music by Billy Corgan
Cinematography Eric Broms
Editing by Jonas Åkerlund
Distributed by Silver Nitrate Films
Release date(s) January, 2002
Running time 101 min.
Country Flag of the United States United States
Language English
Budget $2,000,000
IMDb profile

Spun is a 2003 independent movie directed by Jonas Åkerlund. There are 20 producer/ co-producer credits. The film was shot in 22 days. This film holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the most edit/cuts in a full-length feature-film.[citation needed] It includes more than 5,000 edits.[citation needed] The film’s title is a reference to the slang term for the way users feel after going multiple days without sleep while on a methamphetamine binge. This is Åkerlund's début as a film director after being better known for his work on music videos. The film includes appearances from Rob Halford of Judas Priest fame, Billy Corgan, China Chow, Tony Kaye, Ron Jeremy, and Deborah Harry. The film also includes a cameo by Josh Peck, of Drake and Josh fame.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Ross (Schwartzman) is a regular customer of Spider Mike (Leguizamo), a methamphetamine dealer. He and his girlfriend, Cookie (Suvari) are constantly arguing, and Ross strikes up a friendship with Nikki (Murphy) a fellow addict. Acne-stricken Frisbee (Fugit), an avid gamer, is kicked out by Spider Mike, who is furious over losing his stash. Nikki takes Ross to "the Cook" (Rourke) when Spider Mike loses his stash. The Cook gives a small amount of meth to Ross in exchange for bringing his girlfriend home, and says that he'll be in touch.

Back at Ross's apartment, he gets a message from his mother as well as his former girlfriend Amy, wishing him a happy birthday, while asking him to pay back a large debt. Ross, assuming she still loves him, calls her and leaves a message. He then goes to the local strip club while high, which results in a pornographic yet intense hallucination. He takes one of the dancers, April () home to have sex with while they both use meth to intensify the experience. As they finish, the Cook calls with an emergency regarding Nikki's dog Taco. Ross, still high, leaves April handcuffed to the bed and duct tapes her eyes and mouth shut.

While Ross and Nikki are out, policemen and a TV crew raid Frisbee's trailer, falsely believing that a meth lab is located there. They take Frisbee and his overweight mother into custody, where they threaten Frisbee into cooperation in a drug bust.

The same day, Ross and the Cook stop by a local gas station to pick up a case of ephedrine and a soda, then to a liquor store to purchase a six-pack of beer (where Cook beats up another dealer after he slaps one of the cashiers for attempting to buy meth from Spider Mike), then to a adult film store, where the Cook memorably preaches about the values of pornography in America. Ross calls Amy's house again, but to no avail. He drops the Cook off at his place and rushes home to April, who is still tied to the bed. She appears to forgive him, and they proceed to have more sex.

Meanwhile at Cook's hotel room, he and Nikki have a fight after a prostitute arrives. Nikki ends their relationship, and calls Ross and asks him to take her to a bus station so she can go back to Las Vegas. Ross leaves April again, who is still tied to the bed.

While Ross and Nikki are out, Frisbee is coerced by the cops to wear a wire and make a deal with Spider Mike so they can arrest him. When he enters, Cookie attempts to make love to him in response to Spider Mike's usage of an erotic talkline. She finds the wire, and the cops rush in to make the drug bust. Spider Mike, furious at Frisbee's betrayal, shoots him in the testicles. Spider Mike and Cookie are arrested.

While this is happening, the Cook's meth lab is destroyed by a fire, and he takes off to the porn store, where he is arrested after the owner (played by rock legend Rob Halford) calls the police. He makes bail, and calls Ross asking for a ride to another dealer's house in the city after he drops Nikki off at the station. Ross learns of everyone else's arrest, and agrees to drive him there, as well as visit Amy, who also lives in the city.

At the dealer's house, the Cook receives cash, some meth, and the equipment to start a new meth lab. Ross calls Amy again, and leaves a message asking to see her and that he has her money with him. The Cook promises six month's worth of meth in exchange for a ride, which he agrees to, on the condition that he sees Amy first. Amy, who has gotten her life together, leaves him in the park after seeing that he's still an addict. He gives her some of the money he owes her, and leaves with the Cook.

The film closes on everyone finally sleeping after several days of nonstop drug use, except the Cook, who attempts to start up a meth lab in an abandoned trailer, but blows it up in the process.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Critical reaction

The film got mixed reactions, with some analysts remarking that the film added nothing new to the genre of drug movies. Time Out London was particularly harsh, accusing the film of "smug amoralism", and claiming that director Åkerlund simply re-uses other people's ideas and techniques.[1]
Roger Ebert was more empathetic in his review, where he described the film as having "effortless wickedness". His main appraisal is the fact that the film in no way attempts to romanticise any of the characters. He does, however, explicitly mention the similarities between this and the earlier Requiem for a Dream.[2]

[edit] Soundtrack

The original music for Spun was written by Billy Corgan. The soundtrack to the film also features songs by popular artists such as Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Blues Traveler, Phantom Planet, and Satyricon, whose video for the song Mother North appears in the movie.

[edit] Production crew

Danny Vinik
Chris Hanley
Timothy Wayne Peternel
Mark Boone Junior
Fernando Sulichin
Newmarket Films
Murray John

[edit] References

  1. ^ Spun film review. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  2. ^ Spun Review. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Articles about Methamphetamine