Search and Destroy

Search and Destroy

1995 "A screwball tragedy!"
Search and Destroy
Search and Destroy

Search and Destroy

5.3 | 1h30m | R | en | Drama

A self-help guru's televised teachings inspire a down-and-out businessman to pursue his dream of making a movie.

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5.3 | 1h30m | R | en | Drama , Action , Comedy | More Info
Released: April. 23,1995 | Released Producted By: October Films , Nu Image Country: Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:
Synopsis

A self-help guru's televised teachings inspire a down-and-out businessman to pursue his dream of making a movie.

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Cast

Griffin Dunne , Rosanna Arquette , Illeana Douglas

Director

John Canterella

Producted By

October Films , Nu Image

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Reviews

NateWatchesCoolMovies Search And Destroy is an exceptionally weird, nearly impenetrable satire of Hollywood, produced by Martin Scorsese (he also cameos). It's essentially just a series of odd, puzzling vignettes vaguely based on business and movie archetypes we've all come to know, and love to make fun of. As far as coherent story or heartbeat, look elsewhere. You may however enjoy it's oddball characters, and you've got to do a double take when you see how many awesome actors are in the cast, in a film you've probably never heard of. Griffin Dunne, who started in Scorsese's excellent After Hours, plays Martin Mirkheim, a shameless moronic suck up desperately trying to get his awful script sold to some show business bigwigs. Along the way he meets a host of hives inducing freaks that one might expect to find in early 1990's film scene. Dennis Hopper lurks into the frame as Dr. Luther Waxling, a batty self help guru and author of a pretentious psychobabble book starring an allegorical man (Robert Knepper). John Turturro ramps up the mania past his Big Lebowski role (yes, it's possible) as a demented agent, Ethan Hawke plays adislikable assistant to Hooper. Roseanne Arquette is Dunne's hampered wife, Illeana Douglas is great as Hopper's oddball girlfriend who takes up with Mirkheim. Her schlocky horror movie pitch monologue up is a highlight. Stealing the show, however, and can we expect anything less from him, is Christopher Walken. He plays Kim Ulander, a wondrous Walken creation, a shady, pleasant mannered ad exec who goes absolutely postal at the drop of a hat, the funniest sociopath you could ever hope to meet. This film doesn't mean much. It's more of a subtle, deliberate perversion of the industry that forms it, biting the hand that feeds it while it's tongue is right in its cheek. Enjoy it for its abstract, absurd dialogue, weirdo fucknut characters, and darkly silly, nonsensical, self destructive aura. Those are probably the key reasons that this wasn't well received. They're all the reasons I got a nasty kick out of it.
kodak007 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!
alexander.stroeck This is surely one of the funniest comedies I´ve ever seen - especially in terms of strange characters. Walken is over the top here - and the others follow. You will hear unbelievable weired dialoges with grip and power. Those who compared this movie to Mr. Scorseses "After Hours" are right! You feel Scorseses guiding hand (-producer) behind the scenes. Well-said enough-watch it if you want to enter a new universe of fun!
mug88 This movie is in the realm of genius. Turturro's performance is outstandingly quirky; Walken is frighteningly strange and unhinged. A classic if you would like to see something a bit different.