Nowhere Man (2003)
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Main Program: D
Sometimes a work comes along that is so bad, that it is
jaw dropping in its terribleness. Tim
McCann had directed two previous features with critical raves, so why Nowhere
Man (2003) is so awful is beyond explanation. Were his previous films that good? Regardless, this videotaped feature cannot decide if it is a
drama or comedy, has awful, overdone street dialogue (and obscenities that
quickly become a spoof of themselves for all the wrong reasons) and shrill
performances throughout that could make you care less about anyone here. This is the furthest thing from Film Noir
imaginable to boot.
The story that is here somewhere is about a man who has
his sex organ cut off. If the title was
trying to conjure up Paul Verhoeven’s remarkable The Fourth Man (1979),
forget it. Instead, it owes much more
to the bankruptcy of anything remotely human represented by the insanity
Lorraine and John Bobbitt, though this is not about that or has any idea of how
to put sexuality on screen properly.
The hiring of actual XXX star is only admission of this. The cutter is a former female XXX star and
the dysfunction of this tale goes far beyond its characters. Nowhere Man is one of the most appropriately
titled DVD releases in years, summing up where it ultimately takes its
audience. Even Lloyd Kaufmann’s cameo
cannot save it and its conclusion is beyond absurd.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is poorly
tapes, has terrible detail, smears all the time and is a wreck. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has no
surrounds and is surprisingly lame for a recent taping, with forgettable music
throughout. Extras include a commentary
by McCann and female lead Debbie Rochon, four text biographies and five
trailers for First Run titles including this one. Get the Verhoeven film instead.
- Nicholas Sheffo
