Much like how I felt about Falling Down and The Comedy, my main concern with Man Bites Dog is a question of intent. Luckily the audience demographic it is applicable to is much more broad, but the fundamental issue remains: is this merely an observation of the rising indifference to (and tacit participation in) sex and violence in the media, or an indictment of the societal acceptance of it? I have to believe it is both, which not only leaves the finale confusing, it leads to two very different responses to the film as a whole.

As an observation, Man Bites Dog is extreme, but witty in the use of its mockumentary format to blur the line between observer and…

As far as dark satire goes, they don't get much grimmer than this.

In this fake documentary a film crew follows a serial killer in order to understand his methodology and the way his mind works. In following him we get to see some gruesome murders, some hilarious dialogue but, more importantly, it also tries to say something.

I love the wryness of this kind of humour. It is anything but subtle and it is as dark as it gets. Even though it is rather violent, it never is graphic. The comedy the writers have found in the situations presented to us is simply fantastic.

This isn't merely fun though. The further we get in the film the more we…

“Usually I start the month with a postman.”
-Benoit ‘Ben’ Poelvoorde (Benoit Poelvoorde)

Film 32 of 35 of The Found Footage/Mockumentary Project.

Another film from 1992 now, but this one’s from the other side of the Channel. Man Bites Dog is a mockumentary in which a film crew follow a ruthless, remorseless, serial-killing thief as he goes about his usual routine.
Realistically, a film like this shouldn’t be as excellent as it is. Although the concept it introduces was original at the time, Man Bites Dog is still essentially a student film, very much an experiment by four young aspiring filmmakers on a shoe-string budget.

Of course in a film of this nature, the lead is everything. He is the…

Just watched this with my cousin and I have to say it gets better every time I watch it. (I have the criterion version).

Benoit is a career murderer. He kills people that, from his extensive experience, are guaranteed to have cash and makes his living this way. He also often kills for sport. When a documentary crew approach him and ask him to star in their film, he readily accepts and shows us just how charming, and horrifying he really is.

This film is such an amazing piece of art. The acting alone is enough to merit it with cult status, but the story and the content are just brutal and hilarious. In this the point of the film,…

In conversations with many a self-proclaimed film buff, I have noticed a trend, particularly pervasive among males aged 15-27. It is considered very cool indeed to enjoy "dark comedy " or "black humor". Many consider themselves cultured and sophisticated for seeing comedy in death. I can’t claim any distance from such affections. But I cannot shake the feeling that the very nature of dark comedy is unclear to many of its proponents. When asked, if they answer at all they will invariably say something to this effect: "Dark humor is empowering because it makes sense of awful things. I laugh, therefore I have power over the pain portrayed."

Man Bites Dog (Belvaux, 1992) is perhaps the greatest challenge to this…

Much like how I felt about Falling Down and The Comedy, my main concern with Man Bites Dog is a question of intent. Luckily the audience demographic it is applicable to is much more broad, but the fundamental issue remains: is this merely an observation of the rising indifference to (and tacit participation in) sex and violence in the media, or an indictment of the societal acceptance of it? I have to believe it is both, which not only leaves the finale confusing, it leads to two very different responses to the film as a whole.

As an observation, Man Bites Dog is extreme, but witty in the use of its mockumentary format to blur the line between observer and…

While it may not sound very original now, this film caused a stir when it was released in the early 1990's. It has achieved somewhat of a cult status in the past 20 years.

It's a black comedy mockumentary about a film crew that follows around a serial killer. Not only do they capture his crimes, but they keep the cameras rolling so they can get a glimpse of his personal life and opinions.

The first hour of the movie is rather amusing, because the killer is a total douchebag who loves to talk about himself and his expertise on everything. Despite hating women and foreigners, and even though he's an arrogant know-it-all, he has a charm that attracts the…

Man Bites Dog is an utterly bizarre film. It is difficult to specify the genre because although the film contains a great deal of disturbing scenes, there is a heavy sense of black comedy throughout.

We are introduced to Ben (Benoît Poelvoorde), a psychotic serial killer and thief who flaunts in his daily crimes. A film crew document Ben's daily routine, however they are slowly lured into his cruel world.
I find the character of Ben interesting and i believe he shares similarities with the protagonist Alex (Malcolm McDowell) in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. "Hate the sin but love the sinner". This resonated in my mind after viewing both of the films. Both character's share certain traits. One of…

Just watched this with my cousin and I have to say it gets better every time I watch it. (I have the criterion version).

Benoit is a career murderer. He kills people that, from his extensive experience, are guaranteed to have cash and makes his living this way. He also often kills for sport. When a documentary crew approach him and ask him to star in their film, he readily accepts and shows us just how charming, and horrifying he really is.

This film is such an amazing piece of art. The acting alone is enough to merit it with cult status, but the story and the content are just brutal and hilarious. In this the point of the film,…