Man Bites Dog (French: C'est arrivé près de chez vous, It Happened in Your Neighborhood) is a 1992 Belgian black comedy crime mockumentary written, produced and directed by Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel and Benoît Poelvoorde, who are also the film's co-editor, cinematographer and lead actor respectively.The film follows a crew of filmmakers following a serial killer, recording his horrific crimes for a documentary they are producing. At first dispassionate observers, they find themselves caught up in the increasingly chaotic and nihilistic violence. The film received the André Cavens Award for Best Film by the Belgian Film Critics Association (UCC). Since its release, the picture has become a cult film.
A film crew follows a ruthless thief and heartless killer as he goes about his daily routine. But complications set in when the film crew lose their objectivity and begin lending a hand.
P: I loved this one. I think that as a masterpiece of psychosocial analysis, it's up there with A Clockwork Orange. But it has its own bizarre, half-ridiculous/half-serious feel. The main character (Ben) is the biggest smart-ass on the planet and, like the guys filming him, one just stands in awe of his douchebaggery. I wanted to know more about him!
F: Benoît Poelvoorde is hilarious! What a poet! I remember him for playing the role of Brutus in an Asterix movie. That's the only other movie I've seen with him and he has left an impression on me. I will have to check this guy's filmography for sure.
P: The scenes where he is showing the guys how he does his 'work' make for outstanding moments of dark comedy. The camera crew looks rather clueless at first, but then they start to engage in Ben's activities, and we don't know if they are willing to make the sacrifice for the sake of the film, if they are afraid of Ben, or if they just start to enjoy that sort of thing. As a viewer, we are also put through a series of events that make us question the nature of the movie itself all the way through, as it shifts from comedy to gore to straight drama, accurately portraying the twisted mind of a psycho killer, and still remaining entertaining throughout!
F: As a big fan of dark humor, I was delighted to see a serial killer shouting at a poor old lady with a heart condition. That made me laugh hard! You also get totally absurd moments that take this movie to a whole other level, like the scene where a secondary film crew, that is following one other assassin, appears out of the dark. Then they took it even higher when they completely horrified me with all the gore and nasty scenery of a morning after a gang rape. By the way, the music here was superb. There's also a lot of little things that make me love this movie; facial expressions, gestures, a leg falling in a bullet hole or a credit roll without any music.
F: I absolutely loved the crazy editing, filming, and sound of this film! The black and white is perfect. I think it gives it a more surreal feeling that lightens up the mood, sometimes turning what you are seeing into a complete nightmare.
P: I say it's an amazing movie that deserves to be watched.
F: Yes it is truly a killer comedy to be watched by those with the right stomach!
A melhor comédia negra de todos os tempos.
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