Add my voice to the growing chorus of people rediscovering this film thanks to its Criterion re-release. Surely Alex Cox’s best film (certainly his most grand) it has all the humor of Altman, all the chaos of Gilliam and some healthy doses of political anger. Funny, but not a comedy, this twisted tale of industrial imperialism doesn’t have one boring scene, or one predictable beat. One could complain that Ed Harris’ performance gets cartoony, but once the 20th Century helicopters land this ceases to be a problem. Fantastic supporting cast, too, from a host of “hey, it’s that guy!” players.
