Life on the Edge
| Year: | 1989 |
| Production Co: | Moviestore Entertainment |
| Director: | Tom Burman |
| Writer: | Tom Burman |
| Cast: | John Glover, Juliette Lewis |
One of most surreal, bizarre and funny movies you'll ever see, this little known gem deserves cult status, but it isn't kung fu, goreno or exploitation. Though the style of the movie means the trailer would have fit perfectly amid the two Grindhouse features, the content doesn't appeal to the Tarantino army, and it's a shame, because Life on the Edge remains largely forgotten.
Part of the reason might be confusion about the name. I couldn't originally find any information on the film in writing this review, only to discover it had been recut and renamed Meet the Hollowheads. The conundrum now is; what name do I file the review under?
It's a Norman Rockwell slice of Americana in a strange industrial netherworld of clanking pipes and machinery, the edge of which is literally the end of the world, exasperated mothers telling their sons 'If he threw himself off The Edge, would you?'
A typical American family led by John Glover (the only other recognisable face is a teenage Juliette Lewis) entertains the Dad's boss for dinner one night. He's a sleaze and a creep, and the family have to try to keep the dinner on track so they don't jeopardise Dad's job before the whole shebang descends into violence and farce.
It seems like a hundred other 'life in corporate America' comedies, only the dystopic setting, a cross between Blade Runner and The Jetsons, features heavily. It's a genre mash-up if there was ever one. World-building at its finest, and should be seen by all cult fans.
Part of the reason might be confusion about the name. I couldn't originally find any information on the film in writing this review, only to discover it had been recut and renamed Meet the Hollowheads. The conundrum now is; what name do I file the review under?
It's a Norman Rockwell slice of Americana in a strange industrial netherworld of clanking pipes and machinery, the edge of which is literally the end of the world, exasperated mothers telling their sons 'If he threw himself off The Edge, would you?'
A typical American family led by John Glover (the only other recognisable face is a teenage Juliette Lewis) entertains the Dad's boss for dinner one night. He's a sleaze and a creep, and the family have to try to keep the dinner on track so they don't jeopardise Dad's job before the whole shebang descends into violence and farce.
It seems like a hundred other 'life in corporate America' comedies, only the dystopic setting, a cross between Blade Runner and The Jetsons, features heavily. It's a genre mash-up if there was ever one. World-building at its finest, and should be seen by all cult fans.