Curse of the Starving Class (1994)

James Woods Film Fest Movie #2

Synopsis: Ever wanted to watch 102 minutes of James Woods get drunk, break shit, throw artichokes and scream like a white trash lunatic? Nah, me neither… 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “From Bruce Beresford, who brought you ‘Driving Miss Daisy,’ comes an outrageous blend of passion and humor, CURSE OF THE STARVING CLASS. It’s an eccentric story about life, love and one family’s struggle to make their dreams come true.” 

What Did I Learn?: If your newborn baby goat has a tapeworm problem, it’s probably not a good idea to let it eat and sleep in your kitchen. 

You Might Like This Movie If: Just like Wesley Tate (Woods) you know that you can feed your family with a bag of stolen artichokes.

 

Really?: See: “What Did I Learn?” (Seriously, who would do that? For fuck’s sake, a kitchen is the place where you prepare food!) 

Rating: Hoo boy, I hate Curse of the Starving Class. Since it was derived from Sam Shepard’s acclaimed stage play, I can only assume that Beresford took some liberties when he wrote the screenplay, because it’s dreadful. None of the characters are even remotely likeable (that includes the kids, played by Henry Thomas and Kristin Fiorella, who are sullen and obnoxious), and I honestly didn’t give a shit about them – I stopped watching after an hour because Woods’ screaming tirades get old, fast. I cannot recommend this movie. 2/10 stars.

Would It Work For a Bad Movie Night?: Hardly – but take a drink every time Randy Quaid says something sleazy.

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109514/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1