Fubar (2002)

Headbangers Terry and Dean explore the depths of friendship, and the art and science of drinking beer like a man.

Director:

Michael Dowse

Writers:

Michael Dowse (as Dowse), David Lawrence (as Lawrence)

Stars:

Paul Spence, David Lawrence, Gordon Skilling

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Spence	...	Dean (as Paul J. Spence)
David Lawrence	...	Terry (as Dave Lawrence)
Gordon Skilling	...	Farrel
Andrew Sparacino	...	Tron / Troy
Tracey Lawrence	...	Trixie
S.C. Lim	...	Dr. S.C. Lim (as Dr. S.C. Lim)
Sage Lawrence	...	Chastity Anderson
Rose Martin	...	Rose Murdoch
Jim Lawrence	...	Ron Miller
Laurie D'Amour	...	Laurie D'Amour
Roxana Oltean	...	Cooler Girl 1 (as Roxanna Oltean)
Carmen Lewis	...	Cooler Girl 2
Margaret Spence	...	Mrs. Mitchner
Sandy Armstrong	...	Shotgun Girl
Ella Simon	...	Ashley - Campfire Girl (as Elizabeth Simon)

Storyline

Terry and Dean are lifelong friends who have grown-up together: shotgunning their first beers, forming their first garage band, and growing the great Canadian mullet known as "hockey hair". Now the lives of these Alberta everymen are brought to the big screen by documentarian Ferral Mitchener in an exploration of the depths of friendship, the fragility of life, growing up gracefully and the art and science of drinking beer like a man.

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Plot Keywords:

death | beer | drinking | friendship | band | 

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Taglines:

Just Give'r

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Genres:

Comedy | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language including sexual dialogue

Details

Official Sites:

First Weekend Club

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 2004 (UK)

Also Known As:

Fubar: A Documentary by Farrel Mitchner

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 350,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Busted Tranny,Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC),The Alberta Film Development Program of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min 80 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the actors (and the fist-fighters) were bystanders who thought that the filmmakers were shooting a documentary on the Common Man.

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Quotes

[at a funeral]
Dean Murdoch: Hey, Mrs. Mitchener, you wanna hear a joke?
Mrs. Mitchener: Most certainly
Dean Murdoch: It's farrel really liked this one. What do you call a guy who's from Pakistani who's seen everything and done everything?
Terry: Been everywhere.
Dean Murdoch: Yeah. Seen everything, been everywhere, done everything. And he's from Pakistan.
Mrs. Mitchener: I don't know.
Dean Murdoch: Bindair Dondat.

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Crazy Credits

Opening dedication: to F.M.

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Connections

Referenced in Trailer Park Boys: The Movie (2006)

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Soundtracks

Fubar Is A Super Rocker
Performed by Thor
Written by Jon Mikl Thor (as Jon Thor) and Johnny Hatch
Used with permission of Plumik Productions (SOCAN) and TOEN Wave Music Ltd. (SOCAN)

User Reviews

It truly is "F.U.B.A.R.," but it's also a funny mockumentary

I remember it was the summer of 2002 when I first heard of this mockumentary, reading something about it in a Canadian magazine. For a while, I didn't know much about it, other than the fact that it was comedy movie produced in my country, and didn't get around to seeing it until about four years ago. I may have been reasonably impressed during my first viewing, but I'm not 100% sure. I definitely wasn't sickened by it, which some people obviously would be, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I've seen it twice since then, and still think it's a little weird, just like I did the first time, but with my second and third viewing, I had seen it before and knew what to expect, which made it a bit better.

Dean Murdoch and Terry Cahill are two headbangers who have been friends for a long time and live in Alberta, Canada. They love beer, heavy metal, and hockey. A documentarian named Farrel Mitchener has decided to follow them around with a camera, documenting their everyday lifestyle. Terry works at a furniture factory, assisting in delivering furniture to houses, and Dean is a wannabe rock star. The two of them are caught on camera doing what they love, which includes getting drunk and causing a ruckus late at night! Farrel also interviews family members and friends of the Alberta headbangers for his documentary. Eventually, Terry tells Farrel and the camera that his friend has testicular cancer! Dean has been keeping this a secret, but the word gets around, and he cannot ignore his condition any longer!

The first time I watched "Fubar", I expected it be more about a rock band, and didn't think it would be as weird as it turned out to be. However, after watching it three times, I certainly can't say it has never made me laugh. The two main characters are stupid but reasonably likable, and a lot of the humour comes from the stupid things they say, such as Dean thinking Merlin is a real historical figure. Drunken rampages and getting into fights (a fight with Farrel at the campsite, for example), can also really stand out. It can be hard to pick up all the jokes, which I don't think I've ever succeeded in doing. Some parts didn't impress me, such as Dean talking about putting his testicle in the microwave, but most of the film isn't that disturbing. Aside from the humour, I also like Dean's positive attitude during his treatment process. Paul Spence and David Lawrence play the starring roles convincingly, and it's not surprising that the doctor, S.C. Lim, is a real-life physician playing himself here, as his scenes look like they're from a real documentary with a doctor speaking.

Apparently, F.U.B.A.R. is an acronym meaning "F%$#ed up beyond all repair/recognition," and that's probably a fitting title for this movie. It's extremely silly, crude, juvenile, and insane, so much so that the acronym is a good way to describe it, but that's not always a bad thing. It's rated R, which obviously means adults only, and I'm sure the film would make many adults cringe as well, but for some adults, however, probably mostly male, it's pretty funny, even hilarious to some. Around the beginning, I could have easily given "Fubar" an 8/10, but the two idiots can't carry the film for 76 minutes consistently enough for that, and could have really gotten tiring if it were that much longer. Still, this mockumentary is often very funny (for certain tastes), and very Canadian. I'm still not sure if I fully get it, but when it comes to crude, juvenile comedies, you could certainly do much worse.