DVD Review: The Tripper

Coming from the sometimes-warped mind of David Arquette, I figured The Tripper was going to be a spasmic, fun, spaced-out killer ride. But instead what I got was spasmic, slow and ultimately disappointing one. The set-up was good, about a bunch of stoners heading into the woods for a mini-Woodstock-type festival only to slaughtered by a madman wearing a Ronald Reagan outfit. There are certainly environmental and governmental overtures throughout the movie, but at times, they seemed to overshadow the fun of it all. Plus, I gotta ask you, is there any work out there for Jason Mewes where he isn't playing a stoner? He was so annoying in this movie that I uttered "finally" when he got whacked. The killing wasn't thrilling, there was never a sense of tension, and not even Pee-Wee Herman himself could shed light on this one. However, Thomas Jane did make me chuckle with his performance as the Sherriff. With so many drug references and psychadelic effects, I think Arquette hopes people are stoned while they're watching the movie. Alas, it may be the only way to enjoy it. The Tripper trips up and gets ** out of *****.