Boring

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

This runs like an Americanised version of SHALLOW GRAVE and received a lot of flak for the excessive gore, violence, and sick humour (me, I don't mind). However while I was at the cinema I found myself enjoying this one quite a bit. I'm a big fan of black comedy and this film hits just the right spot. Criticism was levelled at the actors who spend most of the film shouting or screaming their lines and it is certainly over the top, but this just adds to the fun. It's a violent, fast ride showing a spiral into madness and murder.Christian Slater has never been better as a psychotic, and here, he's an estate agent. Many people call him a Jack Nicholson-wannabe but I think he's good value here and elsewhere. The other notable name is Daniel Stern, an actor I have watched play nerds in 80's horror films to comedy losers in the '90s. He always gives a mugging, way OTT performance and this film is no exception. I almost see him as a comedy version of Bruce Campbell. The best bit in the film is where he goes mad at the service station and thinks everyone is watching him. The rest of the actors all look rather similar but it's worth watching just to see Slater and Stern. Cameron Diaz is the love interest, and she gets to broaden her talents. She's not really my sort of actress, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt in this case.VERY BAD THINGS is not the best film ever made, but if you're looking for action and violence mixed with sick comedy, then I recommend it. Interestingly, the director is Peter Berg, star of diverse things like SHOCKER and COP LAND. In my opinion, he does a good job here.

Very Bad Things (1998): Dir: Peter Berg / Cast: Christian Slater, Daniel Stern, Jeremy Piven, Cameron Diaz, Jon Favreau: Miserable comedy that had me disturb when the audience laughed at its senseless violence. It is not funny to see people kill one another yet it is presented as humour in this mindless chunk of dung. A bachelor party goes horribly wrong when a prostitute ends up dead. While five males point blame Christian Slater devises a plan to bury the body in the dessert until a security guard investigates a noise complaint and is shot dead. The bodies are buried but everyday life becomes clouded with guilt until Slater goes berserk. One of them runs his brother over with a car. Slater attempts to strangle a victim's wife but she retaliates by biting his testicles. Absolute garbage full of disgusting images all intended as so-called comedy. Director Peter Berg must have had his mind in the gutter because there are so many ways that this could have been funny, yet instead it is just plain sick. Slater is difficult to read due to motives. Daniel Stern, Jeremy Piven, etc play other members of the party gone wrong and they either try to off each other or Slater decides to attempt it for them. Cameron Diaz plays the frustrated blushing bride whose final scene has her wailing in the street. That was pretty much my reaction after witnessing this bile piece of trash. Score: 0 / 10

It is a Very Easy Thing to Hate, this Blackest of Black Comedies. Even if You found it Outrageous, Deliriously Different, Scathingly Sadistic, and in Good Bad Taste, the Constant Yelling and Screaming in the First Half maybe its Biggest Fault.But the Movie is so Twisted and Demented the Watch is Worth it because it is Laugh Out Loud Funny in Parts and is a Guilty Pleasure at Least and a Triumph of Nighlistic Nastiness at Best. Nothing Quite Like it although it does at Times seem Influenced by Other Films of the Same Natural Tendency to Taunt the Viewer with Over the Top Tastelessness.But as Divisive as it is Delightfully Engaging it is one of the those Love it or Hate it Types that will Outrage Sensitives and Tickle those with a Penchant to go for the Jugular. Subtlety is Nowhere to be Seen and the Film Never Even Tries to be at all Friendly and Inviting. A Good Cast and Much to Say about Yuppies, Traditional Values, and Morals.Recommended for Cult Movie Lovers, Off Beat Seekers, and those who have the Constitution to Digest Very Bad Things that are Served as Sustenance for those Looking for Some Creative Cuisine and not just the Usual Helping of Popcorn and Sweet Drinks.

The idea is okay and at least two performances are very good (Christian Slater as Robert Boyd, a vicious real estate agent, and Cameron Diaz as Laura Garrety-Fisher, Kyle's determined fiancée and later wife), but the plot is hectic and uneven; at times nice thrilling moments are replaced by long and nervous reasoning on issues like remorse and moral. However, black humor is in place and the pre-wedding events are more or less realistic; later ones I was not so fond of and the ending were not up to my expectations either. But it is true that a small thing going out of control could trigger serious consecutive incidents where there is no way back... But do not reckon on remaining "totally clean"!