A BIT - NO A WHOLE LOT - OF LAUGHTER : "IRON SKY"

You know, usually you can classify films. But just occasionally, you come across that one unique gem you cannot quite place. It may be presented to you in the most unlikely wrapping. But once you see through all that, it is quite clearly a life-changing experience. Well, almost. When one of my many neighbours in halls first presented us with the idea of a film about Nazis in space one thing was evident. It was either going to be totally brilliant or a total disaster. With a storyline like that, you literally cannot be mediocre. Now this film has not got the publicity I feel it deserves. Because, to my mind, it is categorically one of the best parodies to hit the screens in a very, very, very long time. But let’s get the storyline first. We all thought that, post-WW2, the Nazis were either caught or killed. Not so. They actually moved to the “dark side of the moon” where they have been living in their own colony, developing their own technology and planning for the day they will take over the planet once again. And the whole process is kicked into action by a pair of American astronauts stumbling on the colony. It is obvious to the heads of the colony that these “earthlings” are part of the great Allied strike that will destroy them; the Nazis pull the date of the plan forward. The question is, is Earth ready? Will good overcome evil? And will James Washington (our surviving astronaut) be able to convince the rest of the world that “the space Nazis are coming?”… Before we started watching this, somewhat obviously, we all had our different views on how the film would turn out. I had my money on the theory that it would be so bad it would be good, you know Ed Wood style. But no. Take all the cheesiest jokes and corny stereotypes you can think of. Then just stuff them all into the same film. Not all willy-nilly of course. But basically that’s what the film felt like. In a good way (Half an hour in we – a room full of post graduate students – were hooting with laughter and in some instances rolling on the ground). Nothing is sacred. Everything is made fun of and I mean everything. Every single Hollywood convention you can think of. And the difficulty of it is of course that if I were to give you any examples it would be a massive spoiler. Which we do not do on this blog. So, don’t be put off by the weird plotline. It’s merely an excuse to bring out one of the funniest films in a long time. I had never actually heard of the scriptwriter/director but I sincerely hope he has more stuff coming. In fact, I honestly can’t wait…