Tropic Thunder.

Les is not happy about the delay!

Normally I would not get very excited by a documentary, but Tropic Thunder (2008) came highly recommended. This intriguing piece of work gives an account of the making of a Vietnam War movie after it was decided that the final part was to be actually shot in the jungle, on location. The reasoning behind this decision was to speed up the completion of the film when it was revealed to studio executive Les Grossman that his movie was more than a month behind schedule.

The first problem encountered on location was when the films inexperienced British film director, Damien Cockburn, got himself blown up when he stood on a land mine. The second, and consequently more serious problem, was when the actors and crew discovered that they had been dropped into the middle of the Golden Triangle. This area turned out to be the Heroin production base for the fearsome Flaming Dragon gang, an unremitting bunch of renegades lead by Tan an uncannily young looking gentleman. This gloriously convincing docu-drama charts the progress of the Hollywood team as they attempt to get back to civilisation with getting maimed or killed.

Sergeant Osiris is about to prepare supper.

The film these brave people were supposed to be making was allegedly based on the memoir of Nam war hero John ‘Four Leaf’ Tayback. A man who donated both his hands to the war effort, but it has since been rumoured that his book was a slight exaggeration and that Tayback actually served in a Coast Guard sanitation unit and no where near the front line! This tale of incredible bravery features such great names as Tugg Speedman famous for his lucrative Scorcher franchise but recently the poor man has only appeared in box office poison including his attempt to go upmarket when he accepted a more serious role in Simple Jack which raised controversy with disability activists for the repeated use of the term ‘retard’. His role of Four Leaf Tayback was an attempt to revive his film career. Bad boy Kirk Lazarus, the talented Australian who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, had pigmentation alteration to play the African American Sergeant Lincoln Osiris. As normal Lazarus refused to break character even when he trying desperately to escape from the confines of the jungle. Jeff Portney well known for using flatulence in film’s, plays the raspy-voiced soldier named Fats. The drug addicted comedian/actor played all the parts in his previous movie The Fatties: Fart 2. Also worth a mention is the well known gay rapper Alpa Chino in this, his debut film.

Osiris apologises for his cooking.

I did enjoy what was probably the best documentary of 2008 and may, from now on, have to seriously revise my opinion of this genre?