Garage Days Reviews

Honestly, I had no idea what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Alex Proyas’s work, I thought I should check it out. Indeed, Proyas is mostly known as an expert in Fantastic/Science-Fiction flicks and, by the way, we will have to wait until 2016 to finally get another directing effort from this guy, it is called ‘Gods of Egypt’, and it would be a gap of 9 long years with his previous movie ‘Knowing’. Anyway, this time, he definitely tried to do something completely different, a comedy about a garage band. I really wonder how he came up with this project but, eventually, the end result was not bad but not much more than that, I’m afraid. I mean, sure, it was rather well done but there was really nothing new, original or really exciting about it. At the end of the day, it is the typical story about a rising band and even though the directing was decent, I can’t say I was really blown away by the whole thing. Still, even though it is nothing really amazing, it is a decent flick and I think it is worth a look, especially if you want to see something else from Proyas.

On bitnik punk:
This gloriously comedic flick is about an amateur Aussie band who tries so hard to get a record deal and when they finally had the chance to do so, their suck-o-meter reaches nirvana. Freddy (Gurry) is the front man who, in the beginning, is with the band’s bass guitarist Tanya (Miranda). Joe (Stiller), the lead guitarist, is a deluded freak who, in the beginning, is with Kate (Stange) who gets pregnant with Joe’s baby. But then Joe turns out to be the most parsimonious prick who affords to have a sexual affair with a suicidal queen named Scarlet, who later turns out to be Joe’s bogus sex mate. Moreover, Lucy (Sadrina) is the band’s devilish drummer who works at a pharmacy, does concoctions that produce more vomit than being high. If you put these punks together, they’re as hilarious as hell! And yes, their manager who truly sucks at everything, Bruno (Dyksta), is the epitome of the general circus atmosphere in which Garage Days is all about.

On famine before feast:
The whole band encounters a chain of shitty events as they aspire to be Australia’s number one rock band because, as they all claim, their music is the shit. Almost throughout the movie, you won’t be seeing them perform live. I thought it was a supreme tease so that in the end, I would totally see them rock they eyes out. But then, in the end, their performance will suck like never before. The feast here is not to be taken unembroidered.

On extreme far-outs:
The most hilarious parts in this movie are in the Fun Using Drugs scenes. Seeing Satan crawl up the ceiling, seeing you own parents dance like lunatics, seeing your friend’s head burning, and all that trashy hallucinations! I was literally laughing my arse off alone! Some parts were even Trainspotting-like. Fun, fun!

Postscript:
I’m giving this ten hand grenades of stars since this is the most riotous flick I’ve seen since Dude, Where’s My Car? Plus, Aussie accent is love! I like Pia Miranda, she’s very skinny but super appealing. But the lead character Kick Gurry isn’t that good-looking. His forehead’s too wide, it’s like wider than the other half of his entire face, lol. However, if you’re suicidal-bound, you should see this freaking movie and I bet you’ll get lighthearted afterward. The closing credits video is a bonus as well. Nicely choreographed!

A great soundtrack, cinematography was alright and the story line was ok but it didn't do anything for me. The characters didn't do anything for me either and as a matter of fact I'm now left with the belief that Pia Miranda can't really act and is on the annoying side. I also felt all the attempts at humour weren't successful and that the only mildly amusing part of the film was the Fun With Drugs Part 2 and even that was pushing it. Shame really because it had potential as a story.