By Melissa Antoinette Garza
This is a difficult find typically. I have a VHS And bootleg DVD, but since I just noticed someone uploaded it to YOUTUBE under the name BRAD IS BUD, I figured it was available enough to review.
Brad Dourif is one of the greatest actors of all time. He is gritty, and rough and raw. He goes for the gut and never tries to appease the academy by holding back in his performance. He portrays every character perfectly. He’s sinister, evil and smug as Deputy Clinton Pell in MISSISSIPPI BURNING (1988) contrasted perfectly by Billy Bibbit’s naivete and innocence in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975). He’s over-the-top and zany in his vengeful voice-over work as Chucky yet subdued and near eloquent as the murdering mortician in DEATH AND CREMATION (2010). Versatility doesn’t even begin to describe it.
His portrayal in HORSEPLAYER (1990) is among his best work. Bud Cowan (Brad Dourif) works at George Samsa’s (Vic Tayback) liquor store. He has some baggage and because of his history he remains a recluse. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke and he doesn’t have sex. All he does is play the horses. He’s a nice guy. He’s sexy, shy, but peculiar enough to be the right kind of dangerous.
Con-artists and thieves Randi (Sammi Davis) and Matthew (Michael Harris) move into a run-down apartment in the same building as Bud. The two claim to be siblings, but it is obvious that something else is going on and that they are not related.
Matt and Randi are actually lovers. Matthew is an artist who finds the subjects of his paintings with Randi’s help. She seduces someone they believe to be intriguing. Randi relays all information she gets from them back to Matt, and the info is used to inspire Matt’s portraits. He’s a narcissistic sociopath and she is his more in-your-face Squeaky Fromme.
One night, Randi wanders into Bud’s place seemingly drunk. She seduces Bud and at first he resists. He goes over his no sex rule, but when she starts working his body he reacts. He throws her on the bed and ravishes her. YUMMY!
Matt hears the whole thing from next door and begins drawing. Everyone needs kicks! Still, make no mistake: I’m #TeamBud
Sadly, Randi is not Team Bud. Though she can turn it on pretty quick, she is not thrilled with Bud’s matching level of intensity. He gets rather possessive after they make love telling her in a hauntingly erotic way, “You’re mine now.”
Bud changes over night. He starts drinking, misses appointments with his probation officer and stops playing the horses, but mostly he’s all about Randi. She doesn’t want to see him again, but Matthew convinces her to go to him and to pump him for info. She does and Bud tells her that his family is loaded with rich artistic assholes. His father abused him for not appreciating art enough.
Pushing him on his family turmoil, makes him want to hold on her tighter. He hints to her that she can’t live with her brother forever. She placates him, but becomes nervous. She warns Matt about Bud’s mental well-being and family history, but he urges her to continue. Thrilled to be called his muse, she does.
When Bud sees Matt’s mug on the face of an elitist art magazine, he begins to hate Matt more. He still sticks by Randi and helps her financially, but makes her promise that she won’t use it on art. She does. Considering, Bud’s history with elitist assholes, this couple chose the wrong dude to fuck with. The moment Bud really grasps the situation, the tide turns. In the end, everything is wrapped up perfectly.
Everyone in the cast does a stellar job. Vic Tayback is always terrific and here is no different. He generally portrays the same style character, but he owns it.
Michael Harris is great as the pompous, arrogant prick. He obviously only cares about his acclaimed work though it’s empty and affected.
Sammi Davis is terrific as the minx who tries desperately to kill her self-preservation instinct because of idol worship for an undeserved hack.
The shining star of course is Brad Dourif who immediately wins over the audience as the sympathetic loner. Bud was just a guy genuinely trying to do the right thing. He’s trying to forget about his bullshit abusive childhood. He’s moving on from his past criminal nonsense. He has a job and he steers clear of nearly every vice. Had it not been for Randi and Matthew, he would have lived out his days being a horseplayer. They were the catalyst that caused Bud’s devolution and walking Dourif play each step of it out is amazing.
I can’t recommend this one enough. Grab it now before the copyright cops take it down because this is a hard-to-find, but must-see flick.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8.5/10
