FUBAR: The Movie
Encyclopedia
FUBAR is a 2002 mockumentary
film, directed by Michael Dowse
, based on the lives of two lifelong friends and head-bangers living out their lives, constantly drinking beer
. FUBAR debuted at the Sundance Film Festival
in the 'Park City at Midnight' category, which previously launched such films as The Blair Witch Project
. Since its release, it has gained critical acclaim and a cult status in North America
, but especially within Western Canada
. It was both filmed and set in Alberta
, particularly in and around Calgary.
It was filmed entirely with digital cinematography
, on a shoestring budget that required many involved with the project to max out their credit card
s in order to complete the movie (according to an interview on their official website). Many of the people featured in the movie (including the fist-fighters) were bystanders who thought that the filmmakers were shooting a documentary
on the common man
.
FUBAR features characters partly based on a comedy routine performed by David Lawrence
and Paul Spence
that they developed based on the head-banger subculture. David Lawrence, Paul Spence, and S.C. Lim also appear in Michael Dowse's movie, It's All Gone Pete Tong
. (Dr. S.C. Lim plays himself in FUBAR as Dean's doctor. Lim actually is Michael Dowse
's doctor.) The characters of Terry and Dean were later seen again, featured in the Michael Dowse
-directed music video "The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism" by The New Pornographers
.
The movie is notable for introducing several phrases and slang words from the local head-banger and hoser
culture of Western Canada into the wider English vocabulary, such as "Give'r". Also notable is the statistic that the word "fuck" is said 274 times in the movie.
) and Dean (Paul Spence
), who have grown up together: Shotgunning
their first beers, forming their first garage band
, and growing the great Canadian mullet
known as "Hockey Hair". The lives of these Alberta everymen
are brought to the big screen by documentarian Farrel Mitchner (Gordon Skilling), a young director who decides to take a look at Terry and Dean through a lens, exploring the depths of friendship, the fragility of life, growing up gracefully, and the art and science of drinking beer "like a man".
Their lives are complicated by a snubbing by their "party leader" Troy, better known as Tron (Andrew Sparacino). When Farrel discovers that Dean is hiding a serious case of testicular cancer
, the wheels are set in motion for Dean to seek treatment from Dr. S.C. Lim (Dr. S.C. Lim). With Dean's last weekend before surgery approaching, Terry decides to take Dean, Farrel and the film crew camping
. Things take an unexpected turn by the third day, and Terry and Dean must cope with further tragedy.
was filmed in Edmonton, Alberta. Director Michael Dowse
reported that the plot involves Terry and Dean moving to Fort McMurray, Alberta
. Once again the dialogue is heavily improvised, and the budget is "a lot more" than the first film.
The sequel premiered at the 2010 Toronto Film festival on September 9, and was released throughout Canada on October 1.
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
film, directed by Michael Dowse
Michael Dowse
Michael Dowse is a Canadian film director.Born and raised in London, Ontario, he was trained as a film editor. His first full-length movie, FUBAR was shot on a digital camera with a tiny budget, but was selected by the Sundance Film Festival and screened on the prestigious midnight slot, which had...
, based on the lives of two lifelong friends and head-bangers living out their lives, constantly drinking beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
. FUBAR debuted at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in the 'Park City at Midnight' category, which previously launched such films as The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film relates the story of three student filmmakers The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur...
. Since its release, it has gained critical acclaim and a cult status in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, but especially within Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
. It was both filmed and set in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, particularly in and around Calgary.
It was filmed entirely with digital cinematography
Digital cinematography
Digital cinematography is the process of capturing motion pictures as digital images, rather than on film. Digital capture may occur on video tape, hard disks, flash memory, or other media which can record digital data. As digital technology has improved, this practice has become increasingly common...
, on a shoestring budget that required many involved with the project to max out their credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
s in order to complete the movie (according to an interview on their official website). Many of the people featured in the movie (including the fist-fighters) were bystanders who thought that the filmmakers were shooting a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
on the common man
Common man
Common man may refer to:*Common people*Champion of the Common Man*"Common Man progrum" on sport hosted by Dan Cole*The cartoon character by R K Laxman, The Common Man*The Common Man , the 1975 French film...
.
FUBAR features characters partly based on a comedy routine performed by David Lawrence
David Lawrence (actor)
David Lawrence is a Canadian actor, writer, producer and director.Dave Lawrence was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1976. He trained at the Loose Moose Theatre from 1993 to 2001. Lawrence is best known for his headbanger character 'Terry' from the mockumentary FUBAR: The Movie and its follow-up, FUBAR II...
and Paul Spence
Paul Spence
Paul Spence is a Canadian actor, author and musician. Born 29 January, 1976 in Calgary, Alberta, Paul is best known for his portrayal of headbanger Dean Murdoch in the 2001 mockumentary hit FUBAR: The Movie, which he co-wrote with friends David Lawrence and Michael Dowse.The characters and...
that they developed based on the head-banger subculture. David Lawrence, Paul Spence, and S.C. Lim also appear in Michael Dowse's movie, It's All Gone Pete Tong
It's All Gone Pete Tong
-CD 1:#"Pacific State" - 808 State #"Cloud Watch" - Lol Hammond#"Dry Pool Suicide" - Graham Massey#"Moonlight Sonata" - Graham Massey#"Baby Piano" - Lol Hammond#"Ku Da Ta" - Pete Tong...
. (Dr. S.C. Lim plays himself in FUBAR as Dean's doctor. Lim actually is Michael Dowse
Michael Dowse
Michael Dowse is a Canadian film director.Born and raised in London, Ontario, he was trained as a film editor. His first full-length movie, FUBAR was shot on a digital camera with a tiny budget, but was selected by the Sundance Film Festival and screened on the prestigious midnight slot, which had...
's doctor.) The characters of Terry and Dean were later seen again, featured in the Michael Dowse
Michael Dowse
Michael Dowse is a Canadian film director.Born and raised in London, Ontario, he was trained as a film editor. His first full-length movie, FUBAR was shot on a digital camera with a tiny budget, but was selected by the Sundance Film Festival and screened on the prestigious midnight slot, which had...
-directed music video "The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism" by The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia.-History:The band's first four albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voices Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a...
.
The movie is notable for introducing several phrases and slang words from the local head-banger and hoser
Hoser
Hoser is both a slang term and a stereotype, originating from and used primarily in Canada. It is not often used by Canadians, but it is sometimes used as "typical" Canadian slang by those imitating Canadians, similar to the expression "eh?" The term "hoser" gained popularity from the comedic skits...
culture of Western Canada into the wider English vocabulary, such as "Give'r". Also notable is the statistic that the word "fuck" is said 274 times in the movie.
Plot
This is the story of two lifelong friends, Terry (David LawrenceDavid Lawrence (actor)
David Lawrence is a Canadian actor, writer, producer and director.Dave Lawrence was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1976. He trained at the Loose Moose Theatre from 1993 to 2001. Lawrence is best known for his headbanger character 'Terry' from the mockumentary FUBAR: The Movie and its follow-up, FUBAR II...
) and Dean (Paul Spence
Paul Spence
Paul Spence is a Canadian actor, author and musician. Born 29 January, 1976 in Calgary, Alberta, Paul is best known for his portrayal of headbanger Dean Murdoch in the 2001 mockumentary hit FUBAR: The Movie, which he co-wrote with friends David Lawrence and Michael Dowse.The characters and...
), who have grown up together: Shotgunning
Shotgunning
Shotgunning is a means of consuming a canned beverage, particularly beer, very quickly by punching a hole in the side of the can. With this method, it is possible to easily drink a canned beverage in under 10 seconds.. A related technique, strawpedoing, is used for containers not easily punctured...
their first beers, forming their first garage band
Garage band
The term garage band can refer to:* A band that performs garage rock* GarageBand, audio production software published by Apple Inc.* GarageBand.com, a website that helps publicize emerging bands...
, and growing the great Canadian mullet
Mullet (haircut)
The mullet is a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. . The mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s...
known as "Hockey Hair". The lives of these Alberta everymen
Everyman
In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify easily, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances...
are brought to the big screen by documentarian Farrel Mitchner (Gordon Skilling), a young director who decides to take a look at Terry and Dean through a lens, exploring the depths of friendship, the fragility of life, growing up gracefully, and the art and science of drinking beer "like a man".
Their lives are complicated by a snubbing by their "party leader" Troy, better known as Tron (Andrew Sparacino). When Farrel discovers that Dean is hiding a serious case of testicular cancer
Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
, the wheels are set in motion for Dean to seek treatment from Dr. S.C. Lim (Dr. S.C. Lim). With Dean's last weekend before surgery approaching, Terry decides to take Dean, Farrel and the film crew camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
. Things take an unexpected turn by the third day, and Terry and Dean must cope with further tragedy.
Cast
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| Dean Murdoch | Paul Spence Paul Spence Paul Spence is a Canadian actor, author and musician. Born 29 January, 1976 in Calgary, Alberta, Paul is best known for his portrayal of headbanger Dean Murdoch in the 2001 mockumentary hit FUBAR: The Movie, which he co-wrote with friends David Lawrence and Michael Dowse.The characters and... |
| Terry Cahill | David Lawrence David Lawrence (actor) David Lawrence is a Canadian actor, writer, producer and director.Dave Lawrence was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1976. He trained at the Loose Moose Theatre from 1993 to 2001. Lawrence is best known for his headbanger character 'Terry' from the mockumentary FUBAR: The Movie and its follow-up, FUBAR II... |
| Farrel Mitchner | Gordon Skilling |
| Trixie Anderson | Tracey Lawrence |
| Chastity Murdoch | Sage Lawrence |
| Dr. S.C. Lim | Dr. S.C. Lim |
| Ron Miller | Jim Lawrence |
| Troy (Tron) McRae | Andrew Sparacino |
| Laurie D'Amour | Laurie D'Amour |
| Fist Fighter #1 | Cameron Swirka |
| Fist Fighter #2 | Peter N. Cipriano |
Sequel
It was reported in April 2009 that funding had been secured for a sequel film. FUBAR 2FUBAR 2
FUBAR 2 is a 2010 comedy film and the sequel to the 2002 cult film FUBAR. It was released on October 1, 2010 in Canada...
was filmed in Edmonton, Alberta. Director Michael Dowse
Michael Dowse
Michael Dowse is a Canadian film director.Born and raised in London, Ontario, he was trained as a film editor. His first full-length movie, FUBAR was shot on a digital camera with a tiny budget, but was selected by the Sundance Film Festival and screened on the prestigious midnight slot, which had...
reported that the plot involves Terry and Dean moving to Fort McMurray, Alberta
Fort McMurray, Alberta
Fort McMurray is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It was previously incorporated as a city on September 1, 1980. It became an urban service area when it amalgamated with Improvement District No. 143 on April 1, 1995 to create the Municipality...
. Once again the dialogue is heavily improvised, and the budget is "a lot more" than the first film.
The sequel premiered at the 2010 Toronto Film festival on September 9, and was released throughout Canada on October 1.