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 EVEN
DWARFS STARTED SMALL (Anchor
Bay) DVD. 1969. Weird. B&W. Approx. 96 minutes. NR. German with
English subtitles (optional). Directed by Werner Herzog. While their
friend Pedro is being held by the institution’s caretaker, a group of
adult dwarfs rebel and run amok destroying everything in their path. The
dwarfs kill animals, torment the blind midgets, laugh at some pornographic
pictures, and even hotwire a truck to partake in a joy ride. As the gang
appears to be having the time of their life, the caretaker must decide how
to save is institution, and his life.
Ok, this is perhaps the oddest movie I’ve ever
seen. I had no idea what the point of this movie was until I listened to
Herzog’s commentary. However, I still loved it because of it’s pure
oddness and creativity. There are so many bizarre things to wonder about
here. Although the institution is meant to be inhabited by only dwarfs,
everything is still sized for people of “normal” height. Hombre, who
appears to be the main character, is absolutely, without a doubt the most
intriguing person to ever grace the screen. He may have even been an
influence for Beavis and Butthead. His laughter will kill you! His lines
are insane, and he is just damn odd. Herzog’s use of black and white
film is phenomenal and his direction is even better. From the opening
title track to the nutty ending (Hombre’s 5 minute laughing fit at a
camel), this movie will baffle you. DVD is 1.33:1 ratio and enhanced for
16x9 tvs. Features include; interesting commentary by Herzog, Crispin
Glover (oddball actor), and Norman Hill (no idea who he is). If you like
movies by Harmony Korine and David Lynch, you’ll dig this flic. –
Denis Sheehan
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