IFF BOSTON: Machotaildrop (2009)

This review is part of my coverage of the Independent Film Festival of Boston 2010. (official site)


The Brattle Theatre graciously hosted Friday's Midnight Movie, Machotaildrop: the strangest skateboarding comedy you're likely to ever see. Co-writers and co-directors Corey Adams and Alex Craig weave a tale of jealousy, glory, XTREME sports, anachronistic outfits, circus performers, and gang fights into a highly surreal and funny film. Young wannabe skateboarder Walter Rhum (Anthony Amedori) sees his long-time dream realized when he is accepted as a member of the Machotaildrop team, a prestigious and influential sponsor that runs a restrictive boarding house/training camp for its athletes.

The Baron (James Faulkner), its founder, pushes Walter into stardom as the new face of the company, replacing his idol Blair Stanley (Rick McCrank). Blair's wounded ego soon takes a back seat to a high-concept skate park the Baron envisions, involving an abandoned amusement park and staged fights with local skateboarding gang the Manwolfs, who aren't ready to cede their territory to the corporate bigwigs. Meanwhile, the estate's gymnastic librarian (Vanessa Guide) tries to show Walter the dark truth about Machotaildrop.


Machotaildrop is... very strange, but in an awesome way. On imdb it was compared to The Prisoner, and I definitely see the parallels. It's filled with ambiguities and never apologizes for its own weirdness, thrusting the audience into this surreal world and holding nothing back. A lot of the humor is a product of this unquestioned silliness and unexpected shenanigans, as the setting is inundated with wacky costumes and odd props (fake noses, stuffed horses, tons of plasticine heads, etc). There are some really great locations that add an air of grandeur to the proceedings.

Most of the cast is wonderfully dedicated to the off-kilter atmosphere of the film, with James Faulkner, Rick McCrank, John Mackey, and Lukács Bicskey all turning in hilarious and enthusiastic performances. I loved Mackey especially for his unique and pumped-up line delivery as he gives uplifting, often nonsensical speeches to his Manwolf clan. I think the weakest link here is Anthony Amedori, who really isn't strong enough to carry the movie. He's just not very convincing as an actor, and indeed this is his first (and so far only) starring role in a film, and his strength remains as a skateboarder. He seems unsure of how to play the character of Walter and makes him flat and a little boring. The sheer glee with which so many of his supporting cast members perform is noticeably absent, and it does take away from the film as a whole.

It's got some hilarious characters, an enticing story, and enough weirdness to satisfy people like me, but Machotaildrop falls slightly short of its entertainment value due to a less-than-adept lead actor and a few meandering plot points. Regardless of these factors, with the addition of a good crowd and some Mrs Fields cookies, it made for a really fun midnight movie, so kudos to the IFF organizers!

4/5

It's got a pretty good soundtrack, too!
"Willow Tree"- Chad VanGaalen
"Bye Bye Bye"- Plants and Animals (this is the song from the trailer)

Further Reading:
Machotaildrop official site (which is essentially just the trailer but maybe it'll be updated later)
Machotaildrop Facebook page (more informative)