A favourite podcast of mine that I often have filling my
earholes when I am preparing the Sunday roast is the highly informative, often
funny podcast Behind the Bastards. Hosted by former Cracked Writer Robert
Evans; each episode documents an infamous grifter, villain or dictator from the
world’s rogues gallery. A recent episode dealt with the recent phenomenon of Tiger
King. If you’ve not got Netflix and have been living under a rock, The Netflix show
depicts the beyond the bizarre tale of a polyamorous, gay wild cat owner, whose
increasingly insane antics ended up with the aforementioned Joe, banged up in
Federal Jail for violating the endangered species act and the attempted murder
of another Big Cat owner Carole Baskin. The limited series delves into the
outrageous lives of a variety of eccentric characters. Joe’s nonconformist
lifestyle is as much of the documentaries focus as his grifting and obsession
with Baskin. Everything seems to hold itself in a twisted sense of
balance.
Much has been said about the show and the background of the
people for whom it is about. But the thing that really picked my brain about
the show came from comedian Billy Wayne Davis who guested on the Behind the
Bastards Podcast. With his origins based in a more rural, part of southern
American, Davis’ reaction was one of near passivity. To him, he had met so many
people like the cast of colourful characters on the show, that while he found
the show funny, he was non-plussed by their behaviour. Remarking in a near
throwaway comment that folks like Joe Exotic only shock city folk due to the
little knowledge they hold of locations that the likes of Joe inhabit. Such
criminality is common. Crooked lawmen. Hired hitmen. Dubious means of obtaining
sums of cash. And always wrapped up within a lifestyle which goes beyond the
fringes. Davis also stated on the podcast; The Daily Zeitgeist, that the likes
of Jodie Hill and Danny McBride nailed the rural, southern way of life way
before the hit Netflix show in their films The Foot Fist Way (2006) and the
sitcom Eastbound and Down (2009). Personally, a part of me thinks that we
should have been primed for the likes of Joe Exotic in films such as the 1998
Florida noir, Wild Things.
There is plenty of southern fried features with questionable
escapades that could easily make an enjoyable overnight binge along with Tiger
King. But for me, it’s Wild Things that sticks out as the crown jewel. True Crime has made a splash in the podcast and streaming world with its lurid elements
and forensic details. However, a film like Wild Things was indulging itself in
the same type of sociopathic chicanery way before Joe Exotic hit the zeitgeist.
There is a clear love of the sensationalised indulgences that true crime shows,
and podcasts enjoy playing into. But while a show such as Making a Murderer
(2015) still can claim an element of moral justice. Tiger King leans into the
outlandish mechanisms that also lie within John McNaughton’s humid cult hit. A
backcountry playground removed from a so-called civilised world far to up its
backside. Non-conformist sexual behaviour, crooked cohorts and the feeling that
everyone not only for personal gain but are also a law into themselves. Likable
characters are not what you watch either Tiger King or Wild Things for, but the
needling desire to see thorn filled rabbit hole leads for these creatures is a
strong pull.
In an article for The Ringer released around Wild Things’
20th anniversary, bestselling author Shea Serrano recounts the amounts of
double-crosses that occur in Wild Things’ 108-minute running. Shea notes the
number of deceptive shenanigans with glee, yet it’s not noted at how well the
film manages to do this. Wild Things comes out in an era where plot-twists and
post-modern monkeyshines are well noted. Let’s not take into account Neve
Campbell popping up in Scream (1996) or the question of Who is Keyser Soze.
Wild Things still comes out a year before The 6th Sense (1999) a film in which
that film's major plot twist leaves the audience shook for years to come. Wild
Things has TWELVE double crosses within its running time, with Shea averaging
that at a double-cross every 9 minutes. Doing for plot twists what Airplane!
(1980) did for sight gags. This is, however, a showcase to how drum-tight the
movie’s narrative is and how well-oiled the mechanics play out. John McNaughton
(Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer) is not a directorial name that features
often in circles of social media, those who know the name, know that he is no
slouch. Watching Wild Things again, it is fascinating to watch how characters
are blocked in scenes to foreshadow hidden agendas and to keep the audience
guessing. The positioning of characters, as well as cutting and story shaping
from editor Elena Maganini, are a great example of “the seen unseen”. A character
placed behind a gated fence, but only after certain aspects play out first. A
coupling of characters suggesting an unfortunate outcome for one, but almost
signaling out another character who is running out of view. It’s also worth
noting aspects such as casting Theresa Russell as the rich bitch Sandra Van
Ryan. Russell who had a notable role in crime drama Black Widow (1987) in which
she plays a murderous sociopath who murders for money. The film’s sheer
audacity to cast Robert Wagner in a film that obtains mysterious boating
incidents as set pieces is a clear note of the film’s gallows humour.
Poor Taste? Of course. But Wild Things is a film that knows
what it is playing at. Salacious is the order of the day. Both Tiger King and
Wild Things embrace taboo and scandal with loving arms. They ride on the idea
of the guilty pleasure. Itching at spots that many would like to claim they do
not have. The infamous threesome is a moment with a decent amount of sleazy
steaminess yet is sneaky enough with the ages of the female students that no
one appears to care that they are sleeping with their former teacher that
should know better. However, as the camera gleefully glides slowly over the wet
body of Denise Richards midway through the film, you see that the film is
playing you like a flute. Roger Ebert in his review of the film asks people to
refrain from telling him the film is in bad taste. It is quite clear. It makes
no excuses. Ebert also remarks that the film is designed for “connoisseurs of
melodramatic comic vulgarity”. How do you feel when you see Richards’ washing a
dirty jeep in short shorts? Do you note that she is a school student in the
film? Your answers will guide you on whether you would want to watch the film.
It may also dictate your feelings towards something like Tiger King. The only
difference (thankfully) Wild Things is fiction.
Listen to the Fatal Attractions Podcast episode of Wild Things here
