Search and Destroy (1995)

Absolutely the worst movie.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Very nasty satire on the problems with having a single vision when approaching the art - and business - of film-making.Most of it is quite good - neatly written, acted, filmed, and nicely paced.The film has a big weakness - Christopher Walken. He plays the same character he has played for the past 15 years, and frankly, I've had enough of it. I won't tell the whole story here - but his character should have been offed in the first third of the movie. Unfortunately, that character is pivotal - and that's a big mistake - he's too slimly to carry this film, he drags it down.In the bit with the IRS accountant, nicely played by executive producer Martin Scorcese, I couldn't help thinking of the brilliant, and long forgot, comedy "A New Leaf" with Walter Matthau. And there are enough chops in the script, and among the other actors, to have produced a film to rival that one.But it's the same old same old Christopher Walken, isn't it? Pretty good - but could have been better.

Greetings to the rare few who have sought out this title on IMDb, and the rarer few who have chosen to read my little rant. Hope it sits well with you....I have to say that this movie is one of the rare pieces of film that shows what can be accomplished with no money at all, or little money.Scene to scene, moment to moment, it is the essence of what a "low budget movie" can accomplish, it does not wallow in what it cant do, and focuses on what it needs to do, to tell a story. There are moments in it, where you totally don't realize how little it took to create the scene, and its because your lost in the story, and thats what gives the film so much strength.True enough, if you have the cast this film has, you can do little wrong. But its great to see that each member does their part, and keeps up with the story, and makes it all seamless.The travel scene to NYC with Douglas and Dunn is a perfect example of what can be accomplished with creative thinking and attention to character. without a airport being shut down to accommodate a production schedule that is based more on ego than need.There are moments of sheer perfection in this film that i, as a avid lover of film and movies have rarely seen. for over ten years now i have proudly listed this film in my top favorites, as its eccentricities grow more and more lovely upon each watching.The arc is there, and so is the commitment to the ideas that it presents almost immediately as its thesis. Waxling is the truth sayer in this piece of fiction, and he lets you know right away what to expect.i remember being up late, watching HBO, High, Bored, and finding this film. It was a huge factor in my interest in film school. The tone is unmatched in my opinion. As it is a complete work, not quirky for the sake of it, as so many other movies rely on... but quirky due to the fact that life is quirky, off, odd.You can be what you want, you can do what you want, this movie sums that up in a rare way that i have not often seen, and i appreciate upon each watching...Dr Waxlings comments are gold. All and all i am proud to be in the small group of people that promote this film to no advantage of self, as it addresses many of the same issues that other films like Fight Club go in to in a more serious, bigger budget way.Check it out. Break out your VHS player, and be ready to want to rewind and see it again.Really a gem in the wild.Boo Ya!

This is indeed a quirky movie, so Walken is clearly in his element. Griffen Dunne does seem like he's playing the same character in After Hours, only he has fallen on hard times. Dennis Hopper's character, Dunne thinks, holds the key to a brighter future, but only if he can raise the money to turn Hopper's book into a film. That's where Walken's character comes in. But he doesn't want to give him the money directly. He's read Hopper's book too, and wants to help Dunne empower himself, by finding a deal that can help Dunne raise the money, which is where Taturo character comes in. Taturo is a perfect foil for Walken's laid back style. He's no Barton Fink here, but just as weird. If quirky comedies that chug there way over the top are your thing, this movie is for you!

DETAILED PLOT SUMMARY AND SPOILERS (if that's possible for a 1995 movie)The first time I saw Search and Destroy, I disliked it. I thought it was trying to jump on the Pulp Fiction bandwagon by putting words like "off-beat" and "eccentric" on the video cover. Then I thought about what I'd seen and it truly affected me the way the lead character in the film is affected by a certain book he reads.His name is Martin Mirkheim, played brilliantly by Griffin Dunne, and he is a truly unique film character in that he believes in himself. He truly believes in the power of himself and his ability to create dynamic change within a static environment. It is exciting to watch the process of each of his failures and successes.The book that inspires him is similar to a Dianetics type of book but without the cult-like following that Scientology implies. The book is about a child who goes on an adventure to find his strengths, test & eliminate his weaknesses, and learn about the world the way it really is. Most importantly, having learned about the world the child now can understand his place in the world and how he can initiate change.The author, Dr. Luther Waxling, played by Dennis Hopper, is a down & out cable access show host who wrote the book many years ago in his glory. Back then, Waxling may have believed in himself but now he just wants to make money through his TV show and from his self-improvement classes. At that point in the movie, I figured I had the plot down: Martin was going to show Waxling where he went wrong. You know; the ol' student-teaches-the-teacher gag (yawwn) but I was glad to be wrong.Instead, Martin wants to buy the rights to Waxling's book and make a movie out of it but Martin doesn't have any money to give him. Martin calls Kim Ulander, played by Christopher Walken, whom he met earlier at a party. Walken is the type of actor who doesn't get bothered at the fact that he's typecast as the wacko. Walken has accepted it and I think at this point in his life he embraces it. And what a wacko he plays. There's one scene where he's in a kareoke bar and he performs a lounge song that made me want to slit my wrists. Martin and his assistant Marie, played by Illeanna Douglass, hook up with Kim. Together they try to raise capital to buy the rights to the book.Martin's journey to reach his goal mirrors what's portrayed in the Waxling book but that's the obvious side. There is a second variable that makes it more interesting: Walken. Walken's character, Kim, has read the book too. Kim is also a big Waxling fan but he has interpreted the book's message a little more literally than Martin. Kim is a businessman who's tired of the rat race; he wants to test his strengths in a different venue. With each new conflict we get two different reactions; Martin's and Kim's. The interaction between these two characters is what makes the movie shine to the very end.Watching Search and Destroy is a bit like sitting through one of those inspirational seminars. At the beginning, you're convinced you won't enjoy it and that it's all a sham. At the end, you're ready to inspire others.