Rating: 
Summary: French Fries, Murder and Morality
Review:
This movie had me laughing from beginning to end. Especially the end scene with Christopher Walken. True belly laughs from a great movie.
The great thing about MacBeth, and this movie, I guess, is the belief in supernatural justice and morality. If they had just worked and waited for a few years, they could have owned McBeth's legally, but, no, their ambition was too big for their morality.
James LeGros and Maura Tierney played a perfect upwardly-mobile seventy's couple resplendent in middle-class utopia of the era. Walken was in one of his funniest, sharpest roles ever as a peace-loving vegetarian gumshoe. All-in-all, a great flick set in the great state of Pennsylvania.
-- JJ Timmins
Rating: 
Summary: You want Fries with that dagger ?
Review: A clever retelling of the tragedy of MacBeth. Rather than being the loyal vassal to the King of Scotland he is the dedicated sort-order cook for the workaholic restaurant proprietor, Norm Duncan. Inevitably Joe's wife decided that the time is now for these "underachievers who need to make up for lost time". After the tragic and mysterious death of the owner, the couple is able to buy the place at a discount from the dead man's sons. Once ensconced as the owners they make a stunning number of changes including big red arches, a drive-thru, and little fried chicken pieces (called little chicken MacBeths). It all seems so perfect until the details start to unravel. A policeman named MacDuff is investigating the murder of Duncan, MacBeth's best friend starts asking questions about where the couple was the night of the murder, and Mrs. Macbeth develops an obsession with a grease burn she got on her hand.
This was a movie well worth the money. It was funny from one end to the other. It reminded me of the comment that Kissinger once said about academia "The Politics are especially vicious because the stakes are so small". In this film we see that even the smallest kingdom is sometimes worth fighting for.
Rating:
Summary: Great Adaptation
Review: A very clever adaptation of Macbeth. It was nice to see a version where the actors weren't caught up in a "concept" without anyone else being able to understand what is going on. Loved the time period and loved, loved, loved the music
Rating:
Summary: Great Adaptation
Review: A very clever adaptation of Macbeth. It was nice to see a version where the actors weren't caught up in a "concept" without anyone else being able to understand what is going on. Loved the time period and loved, loved, loved the music
Rating:
Summary: Clever, dark, vicious and fun
Review: As a fan of Shakespeare, I went into this movie expecting to enjoy it. I wasn't dissapointed - Scotland PA is wonderfully quirky while remaining very faithful to the original plot by Willie Shakespeare. Maura Tierney and Christopher Walken shine as offbeat characters in an off-the-wall comedy, but the retelling still lends itself to the universal themes of greed and ambition. Personally, I don't see it as being nearly as enjoyable if you aren't familiar with the original MacBeth - for me that's half the fun. This retelling has all kinds of easter eggs for those who have read Macbeth, and I suspect that those who have said it isn't faithful to the original only read the cliff notes in high school. To me, it doesn't get any better than this - a crazy dark comedy for and about the crazy dark side in all of us.
Rating:
Summary: McMacbeth
Review: As an English teacher who has taught Macbeth to bored students for year after year after year, I love Shakespeare, but could never get most of my kids beyond the "OH NO! SHAKESPEARE!" attitude. This is the film that could do it, if only I could show it in class. I can't, unfortunately, because of the very liberal use of profanity (about every fourth word is the f-word). For myself, however, the film was an absolute joy. It is set in 1970s Pennsylvania, and the power struggle is over a fast food joint, not a country. The film script follows the original script relatively closely, but with a wink and a nod, and tongue firmly in cheek. The first half is hysterically funny, especially for those who know Macbeth and can pick up on the sly references (Witches' Brew Beer! A food fight that sets up Joe McBeth as Duncan's favorite!). The murder of Duncan is particularly strange and funny. The second half gets progressively darker, and the suspense starts to really pick up. Maura Tierney is amazingly on target as (Lady)Pat McBeth, although Joe McBeth (James LeGros) is played as kind of stupid. Christopher Walken is typically sly and strange as Detective McDuff. I also enjoyed the perceptive (but brief) interview with the writer/director in the Afterthoughts section of the extras on the DVD. I just find this film to be a wonderful example of why Shakespeare is the greatest writer of all time; 11th century Scotland or 1970s McBurgerland, this story of ambition and madness remains the same at heart.
Rating:
Summary: The New Generation of Shakespeare
Review: For all of you who missed "Scotland, PA" in the theatres, this is your second chance. Released early last year after a stellar review at the Sundance Film Festival, "Scotland, PA" didn't do so well on the big screens of America, but there's still time for it to be a hit on your screen.
Billy Morrissette, writer and director of "Scotland, PA" works with an all-star cast including: Maura Tierney (Morrissette's real wife), Christopher Walken, James LeGros, and James Rebhorn, in this well-written, well-performed parody of Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Joe "Mac" McBeth (James LeGros) and his lovely wife Pat (Maura Tierney) are two "Underachievers who have to make up for lost time." Tired of working for Norman Duncan (James Rebhorn) at Duncan's restaurant, Mac and Pat devise a plan to make the restaurant their own.
Spurred by his wife's encouraging kisses and a vision of three stoned witches, McBeth and Pat break into Duncan's restaurant and give Norman Duncan a really good look at the deep fryer.
After his father's death, Malcolm (Thomas Guiry) sells the restaurant to McBeth, who promptly frames Malcolm for Duncans murder. Banco (Kevin Corrigan), Mac's best friend (and employee at McBeth's), suspects Mac could be to blame for Duncan's unfortunate demise and takes his concerns to Lt. McDuff (Christopher Walken).
This is a really great film whether you're familiar with Shakespeare's Macbeth or not. Of course, Shakespeare fans know how the story will end, but they'll be pleased--as I was-- by the new perspective Morrissette takes on the tragedy, and the modernization of the plot. Those of you unfamiliar with Shakespeare's Macbeth will still enjoy "Scotland, PA" for its clever comedy and hilarious subtext.
"Scotland, PA" is a "greasy spoon," "bloody murder" comedy. Morrissette does a fabulous job transforming Shakespeare's tragedy into a 70's cult classic with all the trimmings. Crazy decade fashions and 70's pop culture are woven throughout the movie, and they make "Scotland, PA" funny and believable.
Available now at your local retail rental location,or here at Amazon.com, "Scotland, PA" is a must see this winter.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Idea, didnt satistfy.
Review: For some reason when i was watching this movie i kept getting really bored with it and was really not to impressed with how the story was played out. i found some humor in the movie but overall once was more than enough
Rating:
Summary: Shakepeare's "Macbeth" done as a fast-food dark comedy
Review: Given that Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood" is out there any other director wanting to do a transposition of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" would have to want to go in a different direction, which is what Billy Morrissette does with "Scotland, PA." My reductionalistic take on this 2001 film would that it crosses "Macbeth" with McDonalds, but that is rather simplistic and too cute to do this wicked little film justice. However, that suggestion would certainly point to the fact that Morrissette is veering off into the realm of black comedy, that would be on point. What little you remember about "Macbeth" from any previous encounter with this particular text by the Bard will probably serve you in good stead. You are not going to be distracted by noticing strong parallels; in fact, if you see the three hippies sitting on the Ferris wheel and think of the three witches, then you are probably ahead of the curve. As long as you know who Macbeth (James LeGros) kills and why you can appreciate the dark humor, otherwise "Scotland, PA" will strike you as strange beyond comprehension and only when Christopher Walken shows up as Lt. Ernie MacDuff, the cop investigating the murder, will you breath easier. This Macbeth and his wife, Pat (Maureen Tierney), work at a fast-food burger stand back in 1972 in the titular town in Pennsylvania run by Norm Duncan (James Rebhorn). Apparently Morrissette suffered intense psychological scarring in such a place as a lad and in the great tradition of independent film making gets his revenge on celluloid. This Macbeth dreams of one day being manager of the place and when he learns the current boss (Josh Pais) is ripping off the place, the Macbeth turn him in to boss and await their reward. But when Duncan decides that his two sons Malcolm (Tom Guiry) and Donald (Geoff Dunsworth) are going to inherit the place (admitted, a radical notion), Macbeth's lady gets super ticked. When her husband's idea of a drive-through pays off she pushes him (repeatedly) to kill Duncan, knowing they can buy the restaurant from the two sons, who could not care less. In the best line of the film she tells her husband, "We're not bad people, Mac, we're just underachievers who have to make up for lost time." Most of the dark comedy in this film consists of bits that are essentially throw-aways, so be sure to pay attention (especially when the local deputy is on the screen). The character of Macbeth is actually more of a wimp than the original and it is Tierney's Mrs. Macbeth that steals pretty much every scene she is in throughout the film (unless, of course, Walken pops up). Appropriate to the context of the story this time around, her "spot" is a grease burn and in the end there is only one way to get it out. "Scotland, PA" will not be a classic Shakespeare update, but it is certainly one of the quirkiest interpretations of the bard to come down the Pennsylvania turnpike.
Rating:
Summary: it's great
Review: hey this isnt a good movie by any means but it's a fun badly acted strange indie film. i loved it. just watch it if you want pure camp.
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