No, it's too long since I saw it. But I picked it up on ebay yesterday, so shall soon watch and give my opinion. BTW, what is R exactly? Is it 18 and over?
I don't feel lucky to be alive! I feel lucky I'm not dead. There's a difference.
the MPAA goes down hard on independent productions, which often cannot secure the proper kickback money.
shareWOW! can't believe people have been discussing this relative obscurity and as recent as three days ago! (am so excited! sorry! try to be calm, try to be calm)
I saw "Static" when I was about thirteen years old and have not forgotten it to this day, the ending still ! haunts me.
The only other film I can think of that has that kind of totally unexpected outcome has got to be "The Hitcher"
I'm sorry gotta ramble a bit, but has anyone seen anything quite so beautiful and poinient as that begining sequence when the main charachter is stealing reject plastic crusifixes off the production line ? only to hang them in this "iconaclastic" composition on his bedroom wall!
And while i'm at it WHY HAS THIS MOVIE YET TO SEE A DVD RELEASE!
"Maybe his head just got loose and fell off?"
I love this film and am so glad there are now at least a few folks on the msge board talking about it.
I caught Static on Channel 4 TV late one night (in the UK), must've been very early 90s. (Apparently Channel 4 UK have aired it more than anywhere else).
I still have it on tape, lucky 'cos I have only ever seen it once available on video (it was a rental copy and v. expensive).
I don't think it ever got released on sell-through vhs and it's definetely not out on DVD.
I read an interview with Keith Gordon (co-star, writer, producer) when he was promoting 'Singing Detective' and he said he'd do a DVD but it's not his place as Romanek is the director, and he doesn't seem too bothered about it.
Shame, this really is an undiscovered gem.
I have no idea why this would be rated R! There is no sex, violence, nudity or any hardcore profanity. Actually I don't remember any profanity at all! Sixteen Candles came out around the same time this was made and I remember that being PG. And that had both the 'F' word and nudity! The only thing I can think of is that the MPA or whoever they're called saw it and decided it was just too weird for young minds. And possibly because of the deformed Jesuses.
If I had a nickel for every cigarette your mom smoked, I'd be dead.
I'm pretty sure they use the 'f' word at least once(when ernie is telling his childhood friend to leave him alone.) But I think as someone mentioned before it may have to do with the crucfixes...not sure because nothing seems blantantly offensive to me.
BTW, is it just me or does Romanek seem ashamed of this movie? I don't know why...I think it's quite good for a first effort.
The F word is also used when Amanda asks Keith "What the F--- are you doing?" during the hostage scene. But, using the word only twice in a film is not justification for an R rating. This should have been a PG-13. Just look at the film Permanent Record... it used the F word FIVE times in it and it still got a PG-13. Still, I can say that for some odd reason the use of the F word twice is the only reason Static was rated R. There is no sex, nudity, violence, or overtly disturbing images. Basically no other cussing neither!
shareIt certainly is a very soft "R," but this was released when a lot of those "borderline" films were given R's instead of PG-13's. Too bad, because the rating would ensure it would miss much of its core audience – which, coincidentally, seems about the same group that would enjoy the PG-13-rated "Permanent Record."
Before the PG-13 rating was initiated in the mid-'80s, an f-bomb almost always guaranteed an R-rating, at least when applied to intercourse (which isn't the case here). The PG-rated "Same Time, Next Year" was an exception.
I have no clue why exactly. Like many said, the film used the terrifying "F-word" a couple of times, but there was no other suggestive content. I suspect that the disturbing nature of the crucifixes also contributed to the R rating.
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