Film Geek

The cover of "Film Geek," you may notice, proclaims "This year's Napoleon Dynamite!" Depending on your tolerance for the 'quirky nerd' shtick, this may entice you or make you run the other way. Comparison to "Napoleon Dynamite" aside, "Film Geek" is more human, lower budget, and with a melancholy edge. Unlike Napoleon, who had a small group of friends orbiting his planet of nerddom, This movies protagonist, Scotty Pelk (Melik Malikson), repels practically everyone he come comes in contact with.

Scotty is a twenty-something young man with no life to speak of, who spends his time inevertedly harassing people at the video store that he works at. If they aren't driven off by his voice (which sounds like he's been inhaling helium) or his generally aggravating demeanor, it's probably the fact that he relentlessly badgers people on his knowledge of movies. He has so much trivia it might put half the "Film Threat" reviewers to shame.

Scotty appears to be clueless about his effect on others, although often they aren't exactly subtle about their disdain for him. He could quite possibly be diagnosed with Asperger's, but then viewers with Asperger's and their friends may be angered. He is so intensely annoying, in fact, that his boss finally takes him aside and tells him that his "expertise might be better appreciated elsewhere."

Unable to get any other film-related jobs, Scotty starts working at a car parts factory. It is around this time that he meets Nika, a free-spirited artist who is first seen by him reading a book on the films of David Cronenberg. Scotty decides that Nika is his chance for a romantic relationship, but she is, understandably, not so sure. As they go to events and she encourages him to "expand his horizons," this odd semi-dating status is invaded by Nika's obnoxious, egotistical, but less geeky ex-boyfriend.

Scotty is such a sad individual that he most likely will be either hated or pitied- in my case, pitied. Spurting movie jargon and attempting to relate to other people, he is a far cry from Napoleon, who spent most of his film acting purposefully gawky and being a self-satisfied object of laughter, less capable of normal human response. So, by saying that I sympathized with the loser, does this mean I recommend the film?

Not really. Despite their differences, "Film Geek" and "Napoleon Dynamite" reach the same pitfall. They're not funny. Sure, they're quirky, but watching a oddball, nerdy person live their isolated life and act like an uber-dork is not the same, for me at least, as being entertained. In this case, you feel more uncomfortable then amused. Even though "Film Geek" slightly overcomes this by being almost thought-provoking in it's presentation, I found myself becoming distracted and concentrating on the many movies in the background. 'Is that Todd Solondz's "Happiness" over there?'

You might like "Film Geek." You might hate it. If you like the 'nerd' genre and find the general tone of oddities such as "Napoleon Dynamite" to be amusing, go for it. This is not bad, like another low-budgeter "Imagination," just sort of pointless (Rated R.) **1/2

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