Write a commentThe concept of an "earworm" is actually somewhat based in science. Even if you don't know it by name, you've definitely experienced it.
An "earworm" is something, whether it be a quote or a song, that gets stuck in your head, sometimes playing on an unending loop. The general concept of an "earworm" falls under the umbrella term of echolalia. In some of the most severe cases of echolalia, a person can continually repeat words or phrases aloud.
It doesn't even have to make sense. It's not like the song or quote has to be something you particularly like. As a matter of fact, more often than not, it's something you can't stand. When I worked at Lowe's, they switched over to Christmas music around Thanksgiving. In a standard 8 hour shift, you'd hear Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" conservatively 900 times.
Weeks, even months, into the new year and I'd be singing the chorus of this thing. I have a good friend who is a Beatles maniac and even he can't stand that song. (Yes, I know it's not a Beatles song. Calm down. My comparison stands.) I just recently passed a full decade since I've worked for Lowe's and still I hear a few notes of that song and I'm transported back. This isn't a good thing. This isn't a fond memory. Some psychologists may even liken it to post traumatic stress disorder.
Back in Blockbuster days, we had what we called a "trailer tape". For a while, it was an actual VHS tape. Eventually, Blockbuster (kinda sorta) got with the times and it became a DVD. Depending on the month, the trailer tape would run anywhere between 25 and 60 minutes. When the VHS got to the end, we'd have to rewind it and restart it. The DVD just started on its own once it got to the end.
This one particular trailer tape was under 20 minutes long. And while it was called a "trailer tape", it wasn't just trailers. There would be interviews and sometimes music videos. God help me, the full music video for "Don't Phunk With My Heart" by The Black Eyed Peas was on twice. Every 15 to 20 minutes. That means you'd be hearing the whole video almost 40 times in your average shift.
On this same trailer tape, they had an extended clip from the film "Reindeer Games". One of the running jokes of the film is that one of the thugs that has brought Affleck's character into their heist scheme continually references "Santa's dwarves" instead of Santa's elves. The man, played with palpable sleaze by Clarence Williams, III, says, "Now, what do you say to Santa's dwarves?"
Now, to be clear, I saw "Reindeer Games" before I worked at Blockbuster. It came out in February of 2000 but I didn't see it until it came out on VHS. I assume it was sometime over the summer of that year and I ended up buying it. I was aware of the line of dialogue prior to the trailer tape, but the trailer tape essentially etched the quote in the wet cement of my brain.
Every Christmas, someone talks about Santa's elves and I laugh a little to myself, remembering the line. People likely think I've lost my mind considering they say it and I just look blankly for a moment before chuckling to myself. I dare not explain myself because the answer to "Why?" is worse than not knowing.
If I was to sit here and attempt to explain to you the plot of "Reindeer Games", I would need a large corkboard, red yarn and a generous amount of thumbtacks. The very basic story is Rudy (Affleck) is in prison. His cellmate, Nick (Frain), has a penpal named Ashley. In the middle of a prison riot, Nick gets killed and, a little while later, Rudy gets out. As he leaves, he sees Ashley (Theron) waiting for Nick. Rudy decides to act as though he's Nick. The movie frames it as he feels bad for Ashley, but I don't think Rudy had entirely altruistic intent here. Later on, Ashley's brother, Gabriel (an entertainingly sleazy Sinise), breaks into Rudy and Ashley's room to make Rudy (who Gabriel thinks is Nick) help him and his trucking buddies knock off a casino.
That chunk of text is just the set-up to this movie. What follows is a series of twists, double-crosses, triple-crosses and a lot of violence. There's a lot of desperate wannabe Tarantino dialogue and Affleck trying to be charming. And somehow, it all works in a very strange way.
It's the cinematic equivalent of trying to make a meal out of all the things you have available to you in your fridge. You know the stuff that's been sitting there for weeks. You end up quelling your hunger, but there's a stomach ache on the horizon. The constant twists and turns keep you on your toes in that you cannot really believe that they're trying to pull the rug out from under you yet again. Regardless of the fact this is now a 25 year-old movie (man, I'm old), I really don't want to spoil it for you. It's worth watching simply for the audacity the filmmakers have.
And we're not just talking any run-of-the-mill filmmakers either. It's directed by John Frankenheimer of "The Manchurian Candidate" fame. The man directed many classics throughout his career. While he did a few short films after, "Reindeer Games" was his final feature. I could think of a lot worse movies for the man to go out on. It's entertaining and extremely silly.
Speaking of the tone of the film, I don't think the film would work had it not been for someone taking it deadly seriously. The movie never shows its hand by trying deliberately to be ironically entertaining. Frankenheimer and crew seem to have thought they had the next modern crime classic on their hands. While there is humor in it, the constant twists make me believe they were going for a hip and happening kind of movie instead of the silliness we see.
As far as the screenplay goes, it has a mountain of quotable lines. Quotable not because they're cleverly written, but more so because they're silly. I challenge you, dear reader, to watch the film and not be thinking about it days later. It has a little of Tarantino and some Shane Black thrown in there for good measure.
It comes down to this: what do you really expect when you watch a movie? Baseline, you're looking to be entertained. For the most part, people definitely are looking for something that's well-made or culturally relevant, maybe even aesthetically pleasing, but if you're not having fun, does it really count?
Not all movies should feel like assignments. Some should feel like playing hooky, grabbing some Chinese food while all your schnook classmates sit around and listen to a lecture about the Whigs. "Reindeer Games" is exactly that.
"Now, what do you say to Santa's dwarves?"
"You say, 'Thank you.'"
Reindeer Games (2000)
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Cast: Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise, Charlize Theron, Dennis Farina, Clarence Williams, III, Danny Trejo, Donal Logue, James Frain, Isaac Hayes, Ashton Kutcher
Runtime: Theatrical Cut - 104 minutes, Director's Cut - 124 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated R for strong violence, language and sexuality.
Rating (out of ****): ***
"Reindeer Games" is available on Paramount + with a subscription as well as Tubi and PlutoTV for free. It is also available to rent or buy via all major streaming platforms as well as on DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K via Kino Lorber.
