Short Takes

This allegedly comic mockumentary charts the slow, arduous rise of would-be rassler Big Thing and manager Golden Graham Galloway (Paul Goebel and Graham Elwood). Much of the humor seems intended to spring from Golden's frizzy mullet and Ben Stiller-esque misplaced intensity. That and Big's penchant for lazing around in his underpants. Oddly enough, the flick even struggles to match the inspired wit of Cattlebone Films' sneezing longhorn mascot, which precedes it, or the zany bloopers that follow it. Although this "Titanium Edition" disc still bares recommending for its shear wealth of content including THREE bonus short films by brothers Marq and Ren Morrison. There's the often hilarious Takin' It to the Mat that explores real-life wannabe wrestlers. Catholic pilgrims flock to rural Georgia to commune with the Virgin Mary in The BVM. Plus, Goebel and Elwood costar in Dammit Jim, I'm only a Documentary that actually predates the CineSchlocker fave Trekkies. No breasts. Lesbian nudists. Gratuitous Elvis impression. Forehead carving. Uncontrollable sobbing. Horsewhipping. Gratuitous blackmail plot device. Comely Ms. Tara Chocol purrs, "You know what? I'm a kinky kitty!" (2001, 98 mins, Fullframe, DD 2.0, Directors commentary [which may be the first to feature an actual infant], Deleted scenes, Audition reels.)