World Gone Wrong

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 4:58pm

I saw a very interesting and funny show last night at the Brick Theatre in Williamsburg called "World Gone Wrong" that is part of the Moral Values Festival that's about to conclude this weekend. It was a film noir parody - most of the lines were taken verbatim from some 200 different film noirs from the 40s and 50s with tough talking dames, gangsters and private detectives. Cleverly, the writer also inserted lines from Rumsfeld, Cheney, and GWB into the mix -- it was almost frightening how much their 21st century nonsensical double-speak sounded indistinguishable from the overheated potboiler language of the 40s. The basic overall story was a search for the truth amidst corruption, murder and lies -- the parallels our correct political climate were remarkable.

All of the dialogue was prerecorded by the cast of 20, who then acted out their parts by lip-synching their speech (which was underscored with jazz, sound effects and dramatic music). It gave the effect of the same sort of heightened naturalism typical of those old movies. Very clever, very entertaining and well-worth seeing.

Tickets $10

Updated On: 7/1/05 at 04:58 PM

[nmartin]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 5:05pm

Margo, I would love to see that. Were there lines from Double Indemnity?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 5:15pm

I don't remember hearing any of the obvious famous ones from Double Indemnity, but the dialogue goes by so fast and furious (a la a 40s movie) that it's a futile exercise trying to pinpoint the source of most of the quotes. Ian Hill the playwright said that he took SO many quotes from SO many sources (some 200 films are used for a 90 minute play) that even he can't remember exactly where they all come from.

The only ones that I easily recognized were the ones from Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush (at one point a gangster does the Bush speech which ends with "Bring it on") and again, it was amazing how well their rhetoric blends in with the film noir dialogue.

[nmartin]

Posted: 7/1/05 at 5:39pm

That is a fascinating premise. Once again, I would love to see this.