Spun: Drugs, Man, Drugs
Spun, Silver Nitrate Films (2003)
By R. J. F.
Meth is a horrible drug that does horrible things to people, and it makes people do horrible things when they need it. Those “before and after” comparison mug shots of poor souls that got mixed up with the substance and abused it for years always break my heart. So, yes, meth is terrible, but the movie Spun is not terrible. I wanted to see it mainly because of Jason Schwartzman, who I had loved in other movies. I also knew that Billy Corgan, of Smashing Pumpkins, had composed the music for the film, and even wrote some new songs to go along with it. The music he wrote is under his other band’s name, Zwan, but I digress. I quickly knew Spun was going to become one of my unsung favorite movies as the opening sequence started to roll.
The movie revolves around a handful of characters that are meth addicts living in some rundown town. It seems like every character in the movie is doing the drug, even the cops that are searching for the head meth maker, known as The Cook. The cast features so many great actors and actresses: Jason Schwartzman, Brittany Murphy, John Leguizamo, Patrick Fugit, Mickey Rourke, and Mena Suvari, as well as bit and cameo parts by Debbie Harry of the band Blondie, Rob Halford from Judas Priest, Eric Roberts, Alexis Arquette, and even Billy Corgan (in a terrible wig and doctor’s coat).
The protagonist of the movie is played by Schwartzman. Ross, his character, is heavily addicted when the audience first meets him. In order to get the drug, he links up with The Cook, played by Rourke, and runs errands for him as a trade-off for a supply of meth. Ross is the nice guy in the movie, although, I don’t know if a nice guy would ravenously fuck someone and then tie them up so they can’t leave while he is gone for hours at a time doing meth, and, essentially, forgetting that he has a naked hostage chained to his bed. But, again, he’s an addict, and addicts make terrible decisions when they’re in the throws of a bender.
Speaking of Rourke, this movie kind of brought him back into the Hollywood scene for a short while. He hadn’t been seen in a movie or TV show for years, and it was kind of a shock for him to choose this role to start off his short-lived comeback. One of the more bizarre scenes features The Cook giving a speech to Ross about his love of porn and pussy in an adult video and toy shop. The Cook is standing in front of a waving American flag while the “The Star-Spangled Banner” plays in the background as during his impassioned monologue. Of course, this whole scene was part of a trip that Ross was on.
Leguizamo plays one of the most spun-out characters in the movie. As Spider Mike, he’s the small-time dealer that everyone comes to when they need a fix. He is on another level in this movie as his character spirals in and out of bouts of paranoia, philosophical musings, moments of rage, and horniness. Talk about an amazing fucking actor! I have so much respect for him because he can play any role that is given to him whether it be comedic, dramatic, or something in between, which is exactly what Spider Mike is composed of.
Ross’s interactions with most of the characters in this movie are very superficial. I mean, it’s not like Spider Mike is his good friend. He’s just a stepping stone to get his meth fix. The only two characters that he has a real connection with are The Cook, and The Cook’s girlfriend, Nikki. Nikki, played by the late and great (Brittany) Murphy, really connects with Ross on a deep level. It’s clear from the get-go that these two characters have an attraction for each other. They spend a long night driving around in Ross’s dumpy car, taking bumps, and talking about life while feeling the effects of those bumps. In a tender moment, the last scene with Murphy and Schwartzman captures the sweetest kiss between these two totally flawed characters. As Ross and Nikki are saying their goodbyes at the bus depot, the touching and semi-forbidden kiss, which leaves both of the characters stumbling over their goodbyes, is perfect. I really wish that the movie had developed this storyline a bit more, but I can understand that some romances are best left undeveloped. The topper to this scene is the song “Wasting Time” that Corgan wrote for the film, which is so beautifully made and placed in the movie.
Obviously, Spun is full of insane moments with all of these characters tweaking out pretty much continuously throughout the film. I have never done meth, so I have no idea what it feels like to do the drug (and I don’t want to), but I imagine this movie is a pretty accurate representation of what happens to people when they are high. I don’t know if this movie is supposed to be a lesson to the audience about what can happen to people and their lives when they are addicted to such a damaging drug, or if it’s just supposed to be taken as sheer entertainment. I feel like it’s a mixture of the two, both a warning and an interesting ride. Either way, I am always intrigued by this movie.
