Jimmy and Stiggs
Jimmy and Stiggs
Starring Joe Begos, Matt Mercer
Directed by Joe Begos
Jimmy Lang (Joe Begos) is a down-on-his-luck stoner filmmaker who lives in his small apartment and doesn't really have any friends, as even his former best friend Stiggs Randolph (Matt Mercer) is estranged. One night however Jimmy is visited and tested upon by a group of aliens, and he's bent on getting revenge. He reunites with Stiggs as the two men bunker down in Jimmy's apartment and takes on the gang of aliens who want to use them as their personal guinea pigs.
Aliens have always been a fascination and horror for myself, as when I was a child I refused to sleep upstairs alone because I was worried aliens would abduct me (my mother rightfully pointed out if aliens really wanted to abduct me, and they flew millions of miles to do so, a set of stairs wouldn't deter them), and I'm a sucker for a good alien abduction movie. "Jimmy and Stiggs" is one such film, although toned down in scale but amped up with practical effects that gives a grindhouse feel that you just don't see anymore apart from a Tarantino or Roth film (Eli Roth himself produced this film). Shot in 16mm, it's got the gritty feel that adds to the grittiness of the movie itself, and the dizzying camerawork and dazzling blacklight blood effects makes for a tumultuous viewing that, again, not many people would appreciate.
Joe Begos has been directing smaller horror films for awhile (most notably "Christmas Bloody Christmas"), and he brings his arthouse style in full force in this film, a personal passion project of his that he's been filming for four years. You sense the desire, heart and passion he has for the project even though it's not as polished as other works, but that only adds to the fun. Jimmy is a loser in every sense of the word, but he's not someone to take things lying down. When he learns what the aliens are doing, he goes on an alcoholic/cocaine/pot fueled revenge rampage to kill them all, and he does so with gusto. The other actor in the film, Matt Mercer, plays Jimmy's equally loser friend Stiggs who at first doesn't believe Jimmy, but when it starts hitting the fan he equally hits back hard, again with hilarious and neon bloody effect.
The main focus of this film is the visual effects, which Begos delivers in every frame (if you see this movie in the theaters, stick around until after the credits, where Eli Roth interviews Begos about what it took to make the film, and you'll have an even deeper appreciation for it). The aliens are your typical "X-Files" greys with big heads and big eyes, but small bodies which makes it easy for Jimmy and Stiggs to dismember and disembowel. Shot with blacklight neon style, the blood really pops on the screen and the camerawork is so fast-paced it feels equally cocaine-fueled which makes, again, for a unique visual experience. He makes so much work with so little, and it's absolutely impressive (even the MCU can take notes on this).
Where the film falters is with the script, which was also written by Begos, which seems more like an adventure in ad-libbing how many times you can curse in a minute. There's very little plot apart from killing aliens, and there doesn't need to be, but it makes the pacing seem off and for the scant 80-or-so minute runtime, makes it feel like it drags in certain places. Honestly, this would've worked better as a "V/H/S" segment rather than a full film, but fortunately there's enough insanity thrown in to not make it totally boring.
Showcasing what someone can do with a passion, some money, and an idea, "Jimmy and Stiggs" isn't a blockbuster film for all audiences, but for their niche market it's just what you want - neon blood, extreme violence, dazzling practical effects, and committed performances.
The Score: B+
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