Spun (Unrated Version) Reviews

• A Wakeup Call

  
  By A1NPNGWBVD9AK3 on 2003-09-11
  A wide-awakeup call, in fact. About five days worth. That's the amount of 24 hour cycles, Ross, the central character spins through in this relentless movie. Yes, this film is derivative. Shades of Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (the animation sequences, especially), David Lynch's Lost Highway (a repeated shot of the dark, empty highway ahead, illuminated only by the car's headlights), D.J. Caruso's The Salton Sea (also about tweakers, with Mickey Rourke here substituting for Vincent D'Onofrio as Mr. Space Cowboy, menace 2 society, honkeytonk hairtrigger), and Darren Aranofsky's cutting-edge, Requiem for a Dream (similar downward spiralling of characters and not too dissimilar an ending).

  So why the five stars, you ask? Because this film, while borrowing heavily from its sources, is still entirely original and innovative. Swedish born director, Jonas Akerlund has taken his music video sensibility and "tweaked" it to an extreme, combining visual and aural sensations in entirely novel ways. The camera work must be seen to be believed. Reviewers who denigrate the script are missing the point. This movie is about the camera. This is not herky-jerky, cinema verite, hand held camera work we're talking about here. This is carefully story-boarded, minutely crafted creativity at play. There are shots that could only have occured to a director who is either as crazy as his characters are (or as drug addled) or to someone possessing something along the lines of cinematic genius. Maybe it's a combination of all these. As this is Akerlund's first foray into feature films, I guess we'll just have to wait for his next movie (Lords of Dogtown, in pre-production) to decide. Don't worry yourselves about from whom, or from what, Akerlund is borrowing. Real artists worth their salt openly acknowledge that they're only building on the works of those who have come before them. I have a sneaking suspicion that Akerlund might be an artist to reckon with in the future.

  BEK
  
  

• Still Spinning

  
  By A3K5IMGDCDBCNF on 2003-04-28
  What an aptly titled film. After seeing Spun I felt, well, Spun. This is a drug movie in every sense. In terms of this genre it takes it's audience where only Star Trek has taken it's Sci-Fi audiences. Drug films aren't for everyone, but it is a wild ride, to say the least.

  Spun depicts a day, or several days, in the life of people hopelessly addicted to Meth. We join Ross (Jason Schwartzman), Spider Mike (John Leguizamo), Cookie (Mena Suvari), Nikki (Brittany Murphy) and The Cook (Mickey Rourke, who is awesome) in a place where few people will ever go with a substance abuse problem. They mostly have no jobs, no money, and no self-respect. Their addiction consumes them and their entire lives revolve around getting high and then getting more drugs so they can get high again.

  Since the film basically follows them through several days of this process and the misadventures that happen along the way it relies heavily on it's performances. And these actors are amazing, they really come through. The same goes for the world director Jonas Akerlund has created for them. The actors chew the scenery all right, but it is so vile that it looks like they would want to spit it out. Also, much has been said about the editing of the film. It is true, few pictures have this many cuts, but it works for the film in ways it wouldn't work for another. It adds to the notion that these people have no attention span and no concept of time.

  Spun now joins the ranks of other films illustrating graphic drug use such as Requim for a Dream, Trainspotting, and Drugstore Cowboy. It isn't as good as any of these films though, because it doesn't tell us enough about the characters (like where they came from, why they are so addicted, etc). That being said, Spun is still a good movie. Perhaps this is the point. None of the characters in Spun could tell you anything about themselves. In that sense Spun does what it sets out to do.

  Ever wonder what its like to be up for days on Meth? Spun is your movie.
  
  

• I've been Spun!!!

  
  By A1DZKOOMMJM1MI on 2003-04-13
  "Spun" is a fascinating journey into the lives of LA drug addicts. Director Jonas Akerlund has created a frantic nightmarish world that is both funny and disturbing at the same time, and never ever boring.Rounding out Akerlund's frenetic visual style is his amazing cast. It's true that this film is chock-full of unsavory drug addicts who you wouldn't want to give a ... for, but every single one of these actors portraying them are so entertaining to watch, that you won't mind a bit spending this 90 minutes with them. First and foremost...MICKEY ROURKE! This is by far Mickey's best role. He plays the Cook, a hulking [person] with his own meth lab he runs out of a motel room. He supplies the schlep rock Ross (the wonderful Jason Schwartzman) with speed as long as he, in turn, drives him and his stripper girlfriend (brilliantly played by Brittany Murphy) around in his car whenever they need it. These drives include trips to the gas station for "ingredients," visits to the porn store, beer runs and chauffeuring Nikki back and forth to the strip club for work. And the bulk of the film carries on this way, focusing on this bizarre friendship, clouded by rail after rail of crystal meth. But like I said, you can't take your eyes off of this cast, no matter how covered they are with sores and blemishes. Everyone is simply outstanding!!!!Rounding out the cast are John Leguizamo as Spider Mike, a dealer, and Patrick Fugit and Mena Suvari as speed freaks who hole themselves up in his house, awaiting their next drug feast. Also, there's Peter Stormare and Alexis Arquette as a couple of cranked out cops, Deborah Harry as Ross' lesbian neighbor with a great interest in martial arts and Eric Roberts as...well, you'll just have to see....On top of that, there're also plenty of cameos from Rob Halford and Billy Corgan, so keep your eyes open. "Spun" is an absolute visual spectacle, and further proof that even music video directors can make good movies.
  
  

• Artistically Capacitated

  
  By A2TTEQHEO28Q8Y on 2003-02-26
  While standing in the Neverending lineup for the Toronto Film Festival, I couldn't help but think about if it was really worth it to be wasting hours of my life just to be seeing a simple little film called "Spun". Now that I have seen it, I shock myself when thinking about how after waiting in a 2 hour line up - I was ready to leave. Jonas Akerlund's work on Spun is nothing but "truly genius" when it comes to cinematography and creating structure for the New Independent Films. My attention was held through every scene and after hearing his "Media conference" it is obvious why. He is such a creative man with a knowledable grasp of what is different. I can't help but shudder when thinking about watching most movies/films that are related to drugs, but this one was different. This film was artistic and expressive in showing the many pros and cons as well as the lifestyle that is ingested when you first consume your first feeling of "ecstasy" (being speed in this movie). I truly hope that there are more directors and filmmakers that can take tips from Mr. Akerlund and apply them to their own movies because there is nothing that is more worthy of time. If you are looking for a Hollywood "Studio Type" Business Blockbuster - Look elsewhere. This film is artistically clever and is more than enough to feed the spirit of anyone who is in need of a different taste in film.

  I'd give Spun a rating of 4**** because of its creative genius as well as Casting transitions. The actors and actresses were truly remarkable when taking on roles and characters that they had never worked with before. From Jason Schwartzman going from the clever and childishly geeky Rushmore student to a Mature (aside from drugwise)manly and entertaining characater that you can't help but adore, to Mena Suvari the annoyingly perfect, sweet and beautiful "American Pie" actress to the angry, unattractive, raging lounger.

  It seems like an all star young adult cast that is just not properly exposed to the media. You want acting skills? These are actors!

  Wonderful Film that makes me crave more of Jonas Akerlund. I could hardly be more impressed.
  
  

• Explosive and fast-paced world of sleazy speed freaks

  
  By A17FLA8HQOFVIG on 2004-08-24
  This 2002 film is an explosive and quirky viewpoint of a group of speed freaks over the course of a few days. There's some fine acting and excellent directing as well as outlandish use of animation. It all comes together with the speed of lightning, sweeping me up in the experience and letting me leave my petty concerns of the day way behind.
  
  Starring Jason Schwartman as a confused young man trying to win back an ex-girlfriend who has moved on to the corporate world, we share his constant highs and frustrations that come from constantly infusing huge doses of speed. Mickey Rourke is as "the cook" who creates the concoctions craved by the addicts by melting down huge quantities of non-prescription pills. Brittany Murphy is a pleasure to look at as Rourke's girlfriend. And John Leguisizimo is cast as a petty drug dealer who is always in search of the next high.
  
  Schwartman is so absent minded that he leaves his current girlfriend tied up in a motel for days. Debbie Harry is the next door neighbor who rescues the girlfriend. And we meet a wide assortment of speed freaks in various degrees of being high. As a matter of fact, the film is so weirdly entertaining that it seems to bring that feeling of being high right to the audience.
  
  Certainly, this film is not for everyone. There's not much story and no moral conclusions. It's just a fast paced slice of life in a world that is totally sleazy and weird. I liked it as a change of pace and mildly recommend it for the curious.
  
  
  
• Censorship SUCKS
  By A19YHEBK099R7U on 2006-01-08
  When I got this movie, I couldn't enjoy it because I was so put off by the obvious, rampant censorship. Cuss words were actually bleeped out and images were fuzzed over, even cartoon images for Pete's sake. I'm glad the 'zon offers an "unrated" version, but when I got this movie, there was no mention whatsoever on the box that it had been severely edited. The responsible parties of tightwadanalretentiveweenies teed me off so much I was actually compelled to rain hellfire on both the movie studio and the video store where I got it (they refunded my money).
  
  Aside from the issue of protecting children, censorship has no place in a free society. Fortunately, more Americans are becoming aware that this continues to be a serious problem, particularly on television news, and they're doing something about it. How ironic that America is known as "the land of the free" when many other countries, especially in Europe, have far fewer restraints and enjoy a much higher level freedom - mainly because tight-wad right-wing Christians who want to control the way everyone thinks have way too much power over here.
  
  
• Burning the Candle at Both Ends
  By A2B0XO8BTPRX7R on 2005-01-18
  I decided to rent this film after reading reports of a serious methamphetamine epidemic in my hometown. Already having some brief experience with this scene and its denizens - some acquaintances of mine in college indulged/abused the substance - I pretty much knew what to expect, and in that regard *Spun* hit all the right notes, reconfirming the horrid extremities that make up this by-the-moment existence of abuse, degradation and constant, unsatisfied addiction.
  
  *Spun* chronicles three days ("three? or four? or three?") in the transient lives of So-Cal tweakers. The characters are vividly drawn, complete with excellent costume-garb and cartoonish titles. We begin with: the paranoid dealer Spider Mike (John Leguizamo), his filthy girlfriend Cookie (Mena Suvari), and a necronerd ADD poseur by the name of Frisbee. These, however, are periphery to the triumvirate of Ross (Jason Schwartzman), a greasy-looking everyman; Nikki (Brittany Murphy) a implausible-fit methhead whom he meets at Spider Mike's, and her paramour The Cook (Mickey Rourke), a meth-chemist, pusher and stoned philosopher. The `plot' consists of this cast scoring, snorting, smoking and/or shooting their drug of choice, and how, afterward, the ways they seek to acquire more tweak and/or cope with said lifestyle.
  
  To be more specific, the main thread of *Spun* hinges around Ross carting Nikki and The Cook about in his battered Volvo on various missions, scoring little bags of dope as a reward. "How long have you managed to stay up on this stuff?" Ross asks The Cook during one such errand. "Twelve or thirteen days," Mickey Rourke replies in a typical performance: the cowboy-burnout, world-weary and impeccably `cool': but this method of madness actually enhances *Spun* tremendously. Rourke gives a standout performance in his career, and the tenuous relationship of mentor/protégé between Ross and The Cook slowly exposes, by jerk and twitter, the unifying thread by which these people manage to make it day-in, day-out: burning the candle at both ends, looking ever forward to the next hit and ignoring the damage wrought in the meantime.
  
  It's rather unfortunate that *Spun* borrows quite heavily from a number of films, for the audience finds itself forced to compare the movie with its predecessors. *Requiem for a Dream* is the most obvious influence, with the constant eye-surge shots and several key editing techniques, as is *Trainspotting* - the opening monologue practically invites comparison - and indeed, the juxtaposition of grimy addiction-subsistence and zany humor makes *Spun* a photo negative of the latter example. *Trainspotting* worked in large part to its `lust for life', the strangely uplifting quality to the writing and character development. The same cannot be said for this film: despite moments of earned levity and some truly bizarre animation sequences (the video-game hallucination standing out as particularly disturbing to these eyes), *Spun* is dark, negative and grim - just like meth - but it fails to successfully balance its humor and drama, struggling to find even ground in the integration of tragedy and comedy.
  
  This unevenness is epitomized in the undercover cop subplot, which should have been excised from the film in my opinion, or at least radically reworked. For 1) it's not particularly funny, at least not anywhere near as funny as it tries to be 2) it's a cliché 3) it comes off contrived, breaking the spell of the movie, and 4) the attempted parody - 70's style copper-drama editing and dialogue - serves in ultimately subverting the pain and emotive catharsis intrinsic in the meth-abuse material.
  
  Still, the way the director manages to combine and build upon his varied influences suggests an artist who has skillfully emulated and synthesized these elements a la Quintin Tarentino; hopefully on future films he will be able to step beyond homage and fashion something (breathtakingly) original. Above all else, *Spun* certainly shows promise.
  
  ~Potential Spoilers:~
  The last image, beautifully shot, can be taken literally... but I wonder, given the (general) competence The Cook displays throughout. Rather, I prefer to see it as a symbol for how these addicts subsist: fuel for the constant burn.
  ~End Spoilers~
  
  World religions tend to focus on the dichotomy of a Heaven and a Hell - tranquility for the blessed, punishment for the wicked. In my view, Heaven and Hell is a metaphor for how people choose to spend their lives; and for a fairly accurate scrutiny of Hell in its refined form, look no further than *Spun* and its assortment of damned souls. One glimpse should be enough.
  
  
• wow!
  By A1YQB7CGVMX3D8 on 2005-07-09
  this movie was so messed up from beginning to end. i didn't know what to expect after the opening scene. it's hard to describe the type of dysfunction this movie portrays, but if you have ever seen a crackhead in action arguing with another crackhead, then you might know what to expect. my friend told me about this one and i recommend it to anyone with a sick sense of humor or anyone who needs a wake up call from doing a drug binge for too long.
  
  i would have to say that the best scene in this movie is the end which i won't give avay, the one with mickey rourke, but the other scene i liked alot is where this kid locked and tied down his 'girlfriend' in his room for 3 days with a cd that keeps skipping loud as hell. i'm not sure if it lands on the really disturbing or really funny side, but it is entertaining.
  
  
• "I'm just killing what I can't take care of."
  By A2PN7Z2VTHICL8 on 2006-03-22
  'Spun' follows the lives of several methamphetamine addicts through their wasted, roller coaster days, but this is not your ordinary 'drug' film. The ambience and atmosphere is so in-tuned with this degenerated culture that you can smell the illegal drugs cooking. Giving the plot away would be moot, since it is a portrayal of everyday life for people of this particular scene.
  
  So, what separates 'Spun' from the rest of the drug flicks? Gritty realism, hilariously bizarre scenes, atmosphere, some great acting, and a complete lack of fear on the part of the creator and the director to dive into the nastiest of behaviors and expose them as pathetic and comical.
  
  The sets are what you will see in real life meth houses. The dress and behavior of the characters is very realistic. My only real problem with the movie is that some of the jerk/flash camera work gets a little annoying, but still serves its purpose of bringing the "tweak" to the screen.
  
  Interspersed in the film are some ridiculous cartoon scenes that are a riot, and two cops that parody TV shows like "Cops" and "Bounty Hunters", along with flash stills and hilarious action music. I am going to be haunted forever by the Spider Mike (John Leguizamo) scene where he is jumping up and down on the bed with a sock on his unit while abusing himself. You'll see what I mean, Leguizamo is brilliant in his role.
  
  Mickey Rourke has proven himself to be quite an actor, a chameleon who can adapt to any role. In 'Spun', he plays The Cook, a nasty loosing white trash cowboy type who cooks the dope for the gang. Watch for Ross's (Jason Schwartzman) hallucination of The Cook's all-American speech in the video store. "Ask not what the kitty can do for you (substitute the 'P' word for kitty), but what you can do for the kitty."
  
  Look for a surprising performance from Brittany Murphy (Just Married, Sin City) as Nikki. The more I see of Brittany's work, the more I like her as an actress. Eric Roberts (playing The Man) may have had one bad role after another, but his part in 'Spun' is perfect for him and very well done. The Man, with his earring and his muscle boys and his overdone lisp was too funny to watch. Roberts worked with Rourke in 'The Pope Of Greenwich Village' back in the early 80's, and its plain that they still mesh as actors.
  
  Watch for Debra Harry (80's group Blondie) as Ross's nosy neighbor, and Ron Jeremy, the king of p*rn, as the bartender in the strip club. All in all, 'Spun' is a movie with a serious twist that will leave you laughing in the wake of the character's bizarre activities. This is one of the best drug/bad behavior movies I have watched, right up there with 'Requiem For A Dream' and 'Kids'. Truly, a must-see movie. Enjoy!
  
  
  
  
• STYLISH & ENGROSSING LOOK INTO A SEEDY WORLD!
  By A1ER6IYOMM8VCT on 2007-10-07
  Watching this film, which plays like a drug addict's nightmare in rehab, was disturbing! It is really a fascinating film which will make you laugh and repulse you at the same time. The entire cast play very realistic pathetic characters with some interesting camera work and animated cut scenes round out this very original film. This film isn't for everyone, but if you like these types of movies, this is a must see! The DVD transfer is very good and there are some cool extras.
  
  
• Spun = Don't Bother
  By A2LE4W46ZG7WHA on 2003-11-06
  I don't have a problem with the subject matter, language, etc. that some people have an issue with. I also saw "Requiem for a Dream" and although it was a bit disturbing - was definitely a great film worth watching. I won't give any details - it's been a while since I've seen it - but it had a good story, plot and character development. In Requiem, the characters and plot were actually going somewhere. In Spun the story was putting myself and I imagine most of the people who have seen it asleep.

  The people who say Spun is a Requiem wannabe are exactly right. Picture an MTV music video director trying his hardest to string together a pointless group of scenes together and this is what you'll get. The movie held my attention for about the first fifteen minutes. There were a couple of funny scenes - but I think some of the reviewers that gave this film good reviews must have been high themselves when they were watching the movie. You gotta be able to care about at least one of the main characters in your film. Ross (Schwartzman) was a love lost loser. The actors for the most part are good actors - Schwartzman, Brittney Murphy, John Leguizamo. I've loved them in other movies they were in. Blame the screenwriter and director. Who know why actors of such high calibre would agree to be in such a piece of garbage - maybe they owed the director a favor?

  Don't bother
  
  

• If you don't understand this movie...
  By A2W1VXKW1XOSM0 on 2006-12-27
  So, most people have never experienced anything close to the heavy drug use depicted in this film.
  
  At first glance, Spun is exceedingly obscene and pornographic, and the editing is enough to make anyone dizzy. However, not only does it excellently depict the drug sensations, the movie has a moral as well. I fully believe that the lack of character development and plot (according to numerous critics) is intentional -- drug abuse doesn't just suddenly get a happy ending, nor does it have any essential purpose beyond the feelings of the drugs.
  
  And in the end, that's what this movie delivers: the experience of a pointless week-long meth binge, and a glimpse at the kind of life few of us would believe exists. Imagine the events of Spun expanded into a year, many years -- people actually live this way, losing days like drops in a bucket of water, doing what they can to get the next high. Extremely important things are simply forgotten, drama explodes as the drugs twist emotions..
  
  There are so many elements of this movie that are thought-provoking, when you get past the layers of grime and tweak editing. A great many people won't care to get past the surface, and understandably so.. You might have seen this kind of depravity in the first half of A Clockwork Orange, but never presented in such a visceral way. Beneath the surface is a silent cautionary tale -- everything from constantly blinking Fasten Seatbelts lights to Ross taking another bump as you cringe "again??" and prepare for another sensory assault..
  
  If this film takes you nowhere, perhaps that is exactly the point.
  
  Love the presentation, 5 stars =)
  
  
• Jump Cuts Like A Knife
  By A3J5UO5QMTFSWB on 2007-02-18
  A lot of the criticism I've read about this movie has to do with the editing. To which I say: did all those jump cuts make you jumpy? Well, that's probably the point - to try and propel you the viewer into the confused and addled mindset of a fiending meth junkie. MY only problem is - once that point is made, the rest of the movie is kind of pointless (although, maybe the other point was to make a movie that's as much of a mess as the characters it represents. And while that wouldn't exactly be a propitious goal, at least it's a goal that they reached).
  
  Granted, some of the skittish shots are beautifully composed - clearly it was a labor of (unrequited?) love to assemble so many artful shots only to run rampant with the jump cut Ginsu knife. And the opening title sequence is gorgeous. I could have watched it forever (which is both good and bad, since what I'm ultimately saying is this movie would have worked better as a music video).
  
  It's a fine line (and one of the only ones that doesn't get snorted in the film), but sometimes a movie's style can get in the way of its substance. And, in the worst cases, sometimes its style serves to mask a lack of substance. This film suffers symptoms from both of these syndromes. I appreciate its aim, but for me the target was never quite hit.
  
  The "comic" moments aren't that funny and the serious moments are undermined by the previous attempts at comedy. The acting is a bit forced and tone-deaf at times (Mena Suvari is surprisingly stilted and just can't seem to be convincingly hyperactive, but Brittany Murphy is actually really good).
  
  The writing is subpar - there are no truly memorable lines that stuck in my mind (for which these kinds of movies are usually reliable). Plot? Not really. Guy drives around, leaves a girl in bed, tries to call his girlfriend. Which would be fine, if the movie was a slice of life or a character study, but this doesn't really feel like much of either.
  
  Most of the celebrity cameos (Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Ron Jeremy of porn) are distracting and kind of useless (still, I can't bring myself to type anything mean about Debbie Harry, so I won't).
  
  And by the time Mickey Rourke gets around to telling his "old dog" tale to a sleeping Jason Schwartzman, I'm practically comatose myself. So when the movie finally reaches its supposedly explosive climax, I'm numb. I'm spent. I'm spun. I'm done. Again, maybe that's the point. But it ain't no fun.
  
  I'd like to give this movie 2.5 stars, but since I have to round up or down, I'll give it credit for being ambitious in what it's trying to do (as well as being so visually intoxicating) and round up to three.
  
  
• A strange, and stylish drug film.
  By AW1D6P2T7TF4 on 2003-08-06
  Ross is a college dropout with a drug problem...a big drug problem. Ross gets the opportunity to get free drugs if he will become the driver of the local Crystal Meth dealer.

  Over the next few days, Ross will come into contact with a kooky stripper, crazy cops, crazier junkies, and a wacko named Spider Mike (brilliantly played by John Leguizamo.)

  Dark, dirty, repulsive, and sometimes funny, `Spun' is a tale told through the eyes of speed freaks. Shot with quick camera motion, and trendy styling, video director Jonas Akerlund does a superb job of setting a grimy atmosphere (you almost feel like taking a shower after watching the film.) The film is peopled with great performances from Brittany Murphy, Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, and Mena Suvari, as well as terrific cameo appearances from Debbie Harry, Alexis Arquette, and Mickey Rourke in a stand out role.

  Those looking for something different will enjoy `Spun', as well as fans of anyone in the cast.

  Nick Gonnella
  
  

• Bipolar syndrome...
  By A1XXBVRRNGBG5Y on 2003-08-30
  It is always refreshing to see a movie that has the ability to divide an audience. Judging from previous reviews Spun is such a movie. There are no two ways about it - you're gonna love this movie or you're gonna hate it. As you can tell from the 5 star rating, I loved it, however I also feel the need to justify why.

  The most common complaint about this movie seems to be the obvious influence of "Requiem for a Dream" (2000), and many reviewrers have compared the two unfavourably. I'm not sure such a comparison is justified. While both movies recount the stories of people who do drugs, they take completely different approaches. "Requiem..." is a strongly anti-drug movie. It is meant to be a realistic take on the evils of drug abuse and the slide into obsession and addiction. It rarely shows the addicts actually enjoying the drugs they are on, and as suchfails to justify why they use so heavily. "Spun", on the other hand, makes no judgements. Drugs are neither good nor bad, they simply are. Drugs exist, people use them, this is what happens. With this approach it ends up being a far more entertaining movie.

  The humour is dark and the characters are almost parodies of the kind of charicatures we've come to expect from other drug movies , except with their own distinctive twists. John Leguizamo, for example, the local drug dealer, turns out to be completely hapless at tasks such as keeping track of the drugs he intends to sell.
  The camera work stands out as exceptional, as the constant jump cuts and intelligent use of split-screen and fantasy sequences both recreate the experience of staying awake for 4 days while high on crystal meth, as well as giving some indication of why the users keep on using. This helps create empathy between the audience and viewer, helping us to identify with the characters. This identification though is quickly spat back at us, as the characters repeatedly make incredibly random and illogical choices, betraying the trust we've put in them and helping to make the movie even more engrossing. For example, when Ross the college drop-out and anti-hero of the piece gets a phone call and has to rush out at the end of a monster drug-fuelled sex session, he leaves the girl handcuffed to the bed. For four days. And this comes after we've begun to identify with him as being the "normal" character in the movie.
  The movie is full of unexpected twists and turns like that. The "Cops" style reality T.V. show, the green dog (which I would say is more a satire of the "dog culture" in this country than an release for Akerlund's personal anti-dog creed) and of course Mena Suvari, the hollywood sex symbol struggling to pass a bowel motion. This is clearly not "an example of the depths Hollywood has sunk to". I also doubt the "local conglomerate video store" will touch it, in fact the copy I saw was pirated from DVD by an independant store owner who rented it for free because he thought it was essential more people saw it. To call this movie "mysogenistic" is similarily misguided - the only true mysogenist in the movie ends up getting his just desserts not once but twice .
  Three particular highlights stand out for me. The first are the random sections of psychadelic animation that randomly crop up throughout the movie. Watch carefully for the one involving Ross, the stripper and three very dirty little pigs.
  The second highlight is the flamboyant old L.A. queer pimp who is Mickey Rourke's financial backer. He only appears for two scenes and is never explained, but he almost steals the entire movie.
  The final highlight is the ongoing relationship between Ross and his "girlfriend". Part "Swingers" Jon Favreau and part "Very Bad Things" Jon Favreau, this alone is worth renting the movie for.
  If more movies were this intelligent, this well written and this well shot the entertainment industry would be in much better shape. I can't wait to see what Akerlund comes up with next...
  
  

• Visionary Brilliance
  By AV0OBG2SS1I1R on 2003-10-16
  I've seen all kinds of movies, and a LOT of all kinds of movies at that. Hell, I work at Blockbuster! But I can honestly say I have never seen anything like this before. If you know that this film is directed by someone previously know for directing music videos, you will be slightly less surprised by this spectacle, for many scenes have a very music video like quality. I never would have thought this would work for a movie, but if it ever did, it would work on a drug movie. Shocking, that there's a connection to be made between musicians and drugs...

  This movie is truly visionary. Every scene is gorgeously directed, some featuring animation, purposely campy special effects, fast motion, or random sound samples. It really is the kind of thing one really can't describe. Just know, it REALLY feels like you're spun too.

  Each character is played to a tee, without exception. Brittney Murphy is surprising convincing, as is Mena Suvari. John Leguizamo is hilariously tragic, Mickey Rourke is great, particularly toward the end, and Jason Schwartzman, who is probably the weakest of the characters, is still excellent. The only problem with all the characters in general is that they really don't seem to exist on this earth. They have no past and no significance.

  This acts as both a strength and a weakness of the film. It's a strength because it really brings you into the mind of a speed freak; no future, no past, barely even a present. It acts as a weakness because instead if it being a hard-hitting look at drugs in society, it's a little too easy to detach from. It doesn't leave you with the right impression. Instead of making you really think about drugs, it leaves you instead with "what a gritty, visual piece," and once you've said that, you can easily forget about it.

  The music was provided by ZWAN's Billy Corgan. At first I was happy to see his name in the opening credits, wondering what some solo material might sound like. While I liked the music itself, it added a fairly inappropriate tone to the film. If the director did mean for this to be a somewhat light piece, why did they add music that sounds so soulful and thought-provoking? It makes it seem like the director was trying for something, and that he failed miserably. I get why one would nab Billy Corgan to do music for this though. I'd expect they were looking more for material like "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" or ever "Ava Adore"; something a little rougher, a little more Smashing Pumpkins and less ZWAN, which in my opinion would have been much better.

  All in all, it's a must-see movie.
  
  

• a great trip show
  By A3UBOQFEXAZJ4U on 2003-10-27
  This movie was really really FUNNY. It seems like many of the other reviews are showing the movie as serious, so i was expecting another Requium for a dream. But the only real similarity was the vision of drugs and how they send a life on a downward course. SPUN is just an engaging film with lots of humor, likeable characters, and some really messed up *@@! happening to them all.
  To truly apreciate the actors you must also see- RUSHMORE and ALMOST FAMOUS. Jason Schwartsman is a totaly different nerd in Rushmore, and Patrick Fuquit was the likeable star in Almost Famous. Both of these guys play extremely different but likable parts in this movie. I was pleasantly surprised and am now big fans of both of these actors.
  BILLY CORGAN does the music, and its great. I just need the soundtrack-which doesnt exist. Corgan also has a small appearance in the movie. Hes wearing a big yellow wig.
  Get the unrated version- it has lots of nudity of one especially hot blond. Britney Murphy was really hot in this movie too, even though she is supposedly a junkie. she has a dance scene at a strip club, but no nudity of course.
  Anyway- Get this movie as fast as you can. It will spin you.
  
  
• doped up idiots will love it, everyone else stay away
  By A3IXRXMPUK5SGQ on 2003-11-06
  Who really cares about a bunch of meth addicts? This movie is stupid and pathetic. It is a total migrane-inducing mess. It's a couple hours of your life that you'll never get back. The whole movie is just following these morons around while they go to porno stores and other dumb places. (Although I was suprised to see Rob Halford as the porno store clerk! that was amusing!) This is one of those movies where all the drug-addict idiots that you know will tell you,"whoa, dude! that movie, like, rocks!" Kind of like Natural Born Killers. This movie is a real turkey!
  
  
• Brilliant
  By on 2003-04-20
  This movie isn't for everyone--harsh, obscene at times--but if you like edgie, indie stuff that's GENUINELY edgie and indie (not like contrived junk like THE DOOM GENERATION or PULP FICTION, where subpar talents like Quentin Morontino think they're geniuses, but ain't) you'll love this. It's really daring and orginal--scratch marks intentionally cover the entire film for edgie feel--and with all the darkness is some of the most hilarious humor I've seen in a while. My eyeballs were scalded watching this film, and I loved every second of it.
  
  
• SPUN
  By A200J00Z78GDRL on 2003-09-01
  SPUN is a dreary movie based on the lives of speed addicts. The movie uses glorfied images of sex and porongraphy without really developing a plot or meaning to the characters. It as well uses scene's for shock value rather than story development. For instance the pussy speach, and John Leguazmo beating off to debbie harry seems on the edge of poronogrpahy rather than an actual movie. not to forget the scene with Mena Sourvenio using the toilet..this is a Tom Green Caliber movie. Skip it.
  
  
• 0 out of 5 stars
  By on 2003-10-31
  A few words to describe this movie are: completely sick, demented, distrubing, nauseating, inhumane. We all know drugs exist and that people who are addicted to them live in messed up dark worlds of their own. But to make a movie about that, with no real point is completely stupid. This movie consists of no plot and no conclusion. A bunch of people stay awake for days while on Meth and the movie ends with them all asleep. If you like watching people crapping into tiolets, or getting strapped onto beds and left there for days to suffer, than this is your movie. About half way through this movie I felt completely sick to my stomach and couldn't even look at the cover afterwards. In my opinion, anyone who likes this movie is seriously messed up.
  
  
• designed to give one a headache
  By A19ZXK9HHVRV1X on 2004-06-26
  You may want to keep a Bromo Seltzer handy while watching "Spun," a dizzying paean to drug pushers and drug addicts that looks and plays like a Baz Luhrmann production on speed. (...) This might have been effective if the script had any real, discernible sense of humor. Instead, the movie relies heavily on distorted close ups, frantic editing, corny reaction shots, insipid double takes and goofy sound effects to achieve its laughs. To say that it is unsuccessful in this area would be a masterpiece of understatement. The film is scarcely more successful when it turns all sentimental in the end - like one of those John Steinbeck stories about lovable losers and romanticized social outcasts, only in this case they're all hopped up on uppers.

  The cast includes such "name" players as Jason Schwartzman, Mickey Rourke, John Leguizamo, Deborah Harry, Eric Roberts and even porn legend Ron Jeremy, who makes a literally one shot cameo appearance as a sex club bartender. They all deserve better. Come to think of it, so do we.

  "Spun" may deserve points for trying to do something a bit different and innovative, but one would probably have to be a methamphetamine addict oneself to really enjoy it.
  
  

• A weird and twisted but hilarious drug-movie!
  By ABE14SVILZLNY on 2004-07-19
  The Swedish music-video director Jonas Åkerlund gives us a movie about drugs. It is heavily inspired by greater drug-movies like "Trainspotting" (1996) and "Requiem For A Dream" (2000). But unlike most of the drug-movies I've seen earlier, "Spun" has no moral or deep meaning and message, it's just a film made to entertain and make you laugh. And it SURE made ME laugh...

  Just as I wrote in the first line...this film is about drugs. It's hard to find a real plot in this film. It's just about people doing drugs, especially Speed (the word "Spun" means to be affected by Speed), and the their messed-up lives and everyday situations, seen through drug-affection. But while "Spun" doesn't have a real story, it has a some other qualities to offer: funny and well-created characters, good actors, a good soundtrack and A LOT of funny scenes and situations (it is bizarre humor though, that may not be recommended for everyone).

  The main character Ross (played by Jason Schwartzman) is mostly a "ordinary" drug-abuser trapped in the sick world of drugs. But the other characters are funny, interesting and original. And the actors gives us these unrealistic, and sometimes almost cartoon-like characters, through some good acting. Characters like Spider Mike, played by John Leguizamo, a man I usually hate to see on the screen, and Frisbee, played by Patrick Fugit are highlights. But the one I will be remembering is Mickey Rourke in his role as The Cook (the one who's cooking up all the drugs). I could try to describe him, but it would have taken up too much space. You just have to see him for yourself...funniest character and performance of the film. Brittany Murphy is not only good-looking in this film, she's doing a good performance as the stripper Nikki. And let's not forget about Peter Stormare and Alexis Arquette, who shows up as some weird characters in some of the craziest scenes in the whole film.

  One thing that can be said about this film, is that it's weird. You can tell that Jonas Åkerlund is used to directing music-videos, because it may feel like a long music-video at times. And sometimes the film is so twisted that you just have to ask yourself "what the hell is going on on the screen??!!". To make this a "different" comedy, the director uses the style of fast-editing, experimental camera-work and the sometimes very shocking pictures, that was seen in Darren Aronofsky's drug-masterpiece "Requiem For A Dream" (2000). But the problem is that it's being over-used.

  I want to use a little comparison to the British film "Human Traffic" (1999). When I saw "Human..." I felt like the film was trying as hard as it could, to be like Danny Boyle's "Trainspotting" (1996). It failed miserably, and in the end I thought it was a bad movie. Now, when I watched "Spun" I felt like it was trying to do the same thing with "Requiem...". It didn't fail the same way as "Human..." though, but it is not even close to being comparable with "Requiem For A Dream". However, "Spun" makes it up with all the humor, and the fact that it is more of the "mindless fun" kind of comedy, that "Human Traffic" wasn't. But as I mentioned earlier, I think the style of the film (which was perfectly used in "Requiem For A Dream") is over-used, and became trying as the film approached it's climax. Therefor, I doubt I will be watching it from beginning to end, one more time.

  Overall, "Spun" was a VERY funny comedy, driven by it's well-created characters, to me. This is not humor that fits everyone though, and there will probably be someone (as always) that'll say that it's glorifying the use of drugs. I will recommend it though, if you want to take a trip to the miserable world of drugs, trough a different comedy
  
  

• Unoriginal, overdone, and S-L-O-W
  By A3JKQTZQZBHBHA on 2004-07-19
  I was visually nauseated throughout this film-yet sat through 75% of it because Mickey Rourke and Britney Murphy were interesting characters. Unfortunately, this film lost all credibility with me because it was trying way too hard to be "Requiem for a Dream".
  I was irritated from the beginning with the obnoxious noises and constant close-ups. It had many well-known actors and actresses in it-but this did not make the film any more interesting. The storyline dragged on- and became incredibly uninteresting after about 25 minutes. My boyfriend asked me why I was still watching it. He had to leave the room b/c it was driving him nuts. As far as the director, he needs to find his own style.
  Don't waste your time with this film.
  
  
• one of the worst movies of all time
  By A82LIVYSX6WZ9 on 2004-07-29
  Jason Schwartzman (rushmore), John Lequizamo (collateral damage), Mena Suvari (American Pie), Brittany Murphy(Just Married), Eric Roberts(National Security), Mickey Rourke (Once Upon A Time In Mexico), Patrick Fugit(Almost Famous), Deoborah Harry (lead singer of Blondie) and Peter Stomare (Happy Campers) are among the cast wasted in this pointless and ridiculously stupid drama about scuzzy white folk with drug problems. None of these characters are worth it and the everlasting cocaine snorting, animated cartoon footage and gross out scenes, is just not worth it. Man what the hell was everyone thinking about when they signed up for this crud, "uh I think I should destroy my carreer" Requiem For A Dream was better then this and I liked that better then this. Ackerland is a horrible visionary and the writer is a horrible story teller. Horrible to the world horrible
  
  
• good trip
  By A13XXRAP7OVYSF on 2004-08-05
  I thought this movie was hella awesome, but i cant understand all the bitching about there being no plot to follow, or character development. I don't know if the movie was purposely made to be this way, but thats what makes it so realisitic. If youre one of the people thinking theres no plot, then you clearly havent been spun/cant relate to the movie. I can say ive been there, and the life of a meth junkie is just that. No plot, no nothing. All there is to think about or do, is anything that will get you more quicker. The hours just sort of go by, with no real meaning. I thought the movie was an excellent example of showing what a junkies life revolves around. It showed how quickly extreme ups and downs can come and go, just like that. It shows how relationships can deminish, just like that, because the meth becomes more important. This movie did an awesome job of showing just how jaded you can become, and what your willing to do for another fix. I definately prefer this movie to requiem for a dream, although maybe its because i can really relate to this movie, everything going in fastforward and nothing matters until that next rail.
  
  
  
• weak, boring, pretentious waste.
  By A67V41KSZBDIB on 2004-10-09
  anybody could make a movie like this. it panders to the audience with its "I want to be cool so bad it hurts" characters (example: Jason Schwartzman staggering around downtown while waiting for his girlfriend. I've never seen a more affected & self-conscious acting job, it's totally embarassing to both the actor and director). and that goes for any of the actors in this "film" (exception: Mickey Rourke, who pretty much just sleep-walks through this one). anyone who was involved with this project ought to feel pretty stupid & I'm actually sort of embarassed for you.
  
  the writing is about as un-inventive, un-imaginative & flat as it gets. the over-reliance on camera / editing trickery gets old after about 2 minutes. the characters are ridiculously un-believable (example: why, why would a guy tie a naked girl up to a bed after he's just had sex with her & leave her there for days, with her mouth duct-taped? oh yeah, because he's "f'ed up on speed". pssh. whatever).
  
  overall, I found this to be an obnoxious, smug, waaay too self-conscious, and painfully obvious appeal to the lowest common denominator of an audience. it'll find an audience with people who don't know any better. don't waste your $$ or more importantly, your time on this garbage. don't line the pockets of anyone involved with this waste of film & talent.
  
  
• Let's staighten the record...
  By A39YTEE0WLV6YO on 2005-07-17
  First of all, wannabe critics, the movie Spun has nothing to do with Los Angeles or California. In fact, it is never mentioned in the movie where the story takes place. However, if you had done any research before you wrote your review, you would know that Will De Los Santos wrote the story about experiences from his matriculation at the University of Oregon. During the movie there are at least 2 references to this fact: 1) Jason Swartzman wears an U of O letterman's jacket (suitably w/o the varsity letter) as his costume 2) The strip club "Jiggles," a wholesome Oregon mini-chain for "Harmless visual stimuli", mentioned twice in the film, used to be right on W. 11th behind the Pak 'n' Save. Withholding that the Eugene/Springfield area produces more meth-amphetamine than PA,NY, and NJ combined, only if you were out crack-shopping or soliciting hookers would you recognize Circus Liquors as being part of N. hollywood and think this an LA tale.
  Now, as for the movie... when you think of it as a little Eugene addict's diary on film its kinda cute, and would have been entertaining if De Los Santos had made the movie himself (he tried and failed in Morocco). With MTV's Ackerman directing, the project turned into a quirky music video with the kind of tongue-in-cheek displayed in "Smack My Bitch Up", sheltering the audience from the truly sordid lifestyle of the addict. This is a portrait of a young man's life unravelling, and shouldn't be as forgiving or comic as it is. This depiction robs its veiwers of the very real situations that drown addicts in a nightmare collapse of tenuously placed dominos that is the structure of their lives. The past, the present and future collide vacuously in an addicts mind, their lives and relationships futilely become based on nothing but the drug. Watching this movie will make you laugh at drug addicts, and will never give you real insight into what being an out-of-control, scattered, drug-addled tweaker really is!
  
  
• "Spun" is rapidly entertaining.
  By A3C6CZC2JP67VK on 2006-10-27
  Wow, I just viewed "Spun" the other night and I thought this movie was outrageous. This is sort of a guilt-pleasure movie but you want to take shower afterwards.
  
  "Spun" has an impressive cast of recognized actors. The film is, essentially, about a few days in the lives of a group of drug addicts. There is The Cook (Mickey Rourke, he truly makes this story worth watching), who makes the drug (speed) and sells it to Spider Mike (John Leguizamo), a dealer with a junkie girlfriend, Cookie (Mena Suvari, looking infinitely less attractive than she did in "American Beauty"). One of his clients is Ross (Jason Schwartzman), who does a lot of favours for The Cook and his girlfriend, Nikki (Brittany Murphy).
  
  I was surprised at how funny the film was at times. It doesn't drown us in anti-drug messages, nor does it become one of those, equally tedious, drug films where you feel like the sober driver at a drunken party. The humour is dark, certainly, but funny nevertheless. A lot of it comes from a subplot about Frisbee, Patrick Fugit, who is caught by a couple of TV policemen (Peter Stormare and Alexis Arquette) and is told he will be let off if he helps them get Spider-Mike. I will only say of the resulting sequence that he does it with all the subtlety of an undercover policeman with his badge stuck to his forehead.
  
  This is a film with a lot of energy, that seems, like its characters, not entirely sure where it is going, but determined to get there, and quickly. Although I am sure it is boring to be surrounded by people on speed when you are sober, this film almost makes you feel like you are on speed too. The director, Jonas Åkerlund, has directed music videos in the past, and it shows in his impatient filming style, as he plays around with animation, speeded-up camerawork and such like.
  
  I'm not recommending the film for its style though, although I am sure it is the best way this material could get to the screen. I am recommending it because I liked the main characters, which I think will stick in my head for much longer than the animated sex scenes or the split screens. I can imagine an entire film about The Cook and Nikki, or Spider Mike and Cookie, or even just Ross, who absentmindedly keeps leaving a girl handcuffed to his bed for hours/days. What makes "Spun" better than those hypothetical films is that it puts the characters into their own little community, and we feel as if we are watching their everyday, speeded up, sleepless lives. Simply amazing.
  
  
  
  
• Horrible Rip-Off of "Requiem for a Dream" !
  By A1CK1RZ1M4JM7K on 2003-07-26
  Why would anyone want to see a movie that is a horrible imitation of "Requiem for a dream"? ( In case you didn't see that movie,it was an anti-drug movie with quality starring Academy Award Winner Jennifer Connelly,Ellen Burstyn & Jared Leto & was so much more than this crap ! )This movie is supposed to be unusual but the only thing unusual about it is the punishment one gets from experiencing it ! It's cast is 100% wasted. They keep showing a gagged naked woman struggling to get out as she's handcuffed to a bed against her will with her eyes & mouth covered with silver electrical tape while the 'boyfriend' goes out with another girl to get drugs over & over while she may be laying there dying in the motel room. Everyone is filthy in this- for example: Mena Suvari ( the beauty of "American Beauty" movie )has brown teeth,the main character has grease for hair,Brittany Murphy's dressed like a low-paid hooker,Patrick Fugit ( star of "Almost Famous" ) has more pimples on his face than a pepperoni pizza & eats food that appears to be actual crap as his 500 lb. mother asks for food & he ignores her,Mickey Rourke looks like he's been on hard drugs in real life for a long,long time, Eric Roberts plays a gay Elvis Presley impersonator & he looks like his sister: Julia Roberts ! in his 2 minute role in this ! & worst of all they have a scraggly dyed green dog they overdose on drugs ! I am 100% no feminist or animal rights activist but this movie was completely disgusting ! It didn't even try to hide that it was using the same special camera angles,special sound effects to show drug use as was done in "Requiem for a Dream". However prepared for a drug movie one is- this is no druggies movie- this is just a sorry celluoid reason to avoid buying movies without renting first ! It is obviously made by someone who hates women & animals & loves drugs. "Spun" is lacking of any meaning whatsoever.If you want to see a despicable depiction of drug snorting women-haters who kill their pets with the fumes of the drugs they're making-watch this 100 minutes of excrement. Whatever it was trying to be- it was an upsetting terrible waste of time. "Spun" makes one wonder "How low can Hollywood sink ?!" At this point,one learns to RENT movies instead of buying to avoid getting stuck with garbage like this trash.
  
  

• Requiem for a Dream (Director's Cut)
• The Salton Sea
• Trainspotting - Director's Cut (Collector's Edition)
• Kids
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas