Search and Destroy (1995)

Purely Joyful Movie!

Excellent but underrated film

Don't listen to the negative reviews

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Very nasty satire on the problems with having a single vision when approaching the art - and business - of film-making.Most of it is quite good - neatly written, acted, filmed, and nicely paced.The film has a big weakness - Christopher Walken. He plays the same character he has played for the past 15 years, and frankly, I've had enough of it. I won't tell the whole story here - but his character should have been offed in the first third of the movie. Unfortunately, that character is pivotal - and that's a big mistake - he's too slimly to carry this film, he drags it down.In the bit with the IRS accountant, nicely played by executive producer Martin Scorcese, I couldn't help thinking of the brilliant, and long forgot, comedy "A New Leaf" with Walter Matthau. And there are enough chops in the script, and among the other actors, to have produced a film to rival that one.But it's the same old same old Christopher Walken, isn't it? Pretty good - but could have been better.

christopher walkens best preformance ever!!! if you are a fan of walken or dennis hopper you must see this movie.it's weird but never boring. also it's unpredictable. and you can read into it endlessly if you want to know what it's trying to say,or you cad just sit back for the ride. How Fu*&ing good is Cristopher Walken. great! Funny! Entertaining! origanal!

Great story, great cast. I think this is a very underrated movie, unfortunately i've noticed so few people seem to have really enjoyed it. It's a typical 90's indie movie, with odd characters and something to say, not the usual blockbuster automatic pilot. For me, it mainly shows the contrast of our childhood and teenage beliefs from the adultwood letdowns, when we have to deal with petty stuff like money and how to make a living. Our 60's rock stars, for instance, could be represented by the Dennis Hopper character, only interested nowadays with the movie producer's wallet and the money he can offer for his book's rights. And the bored grown up kid, leading a tedious life as an executive, trying to get rid of his yuppie routine by following the book's rules by every word, even if it means killing someone. For him, that's a breakthrough of some sort. Christopher Walken in one of his best maniac performances. I'd love to see another David Salle's incursion into moviemaking.

Great movie, probably one my favorites, although I'm not sure why. Technically, it's pretty sloppy but I just love the cast, the crazy rapid-fire delivery of Turturo, the eerie deadpan Walken, the manic Dunne. Griffin Dunne performs a souped reprise of his role in "After Hours", although he overacts at times, he has the desperate loser role down pat. The movie title, to me, is about searching for what you love and then destroying it, something most of us seem to do over and over again. I like this movie more and more each time I see it, although the sloppiness bugs me increasingly as well. There is a message here about the dangers of pop psychology and new age mantras, but muddled among the nonsense sayings there are some meaningful comments. My favorite is the observation that "We are afraid of change, we are lazy and we are addicted to our pain". How true....