The Anarchist Cookbook (film)
Encyclopedia
The Anarchist Cookbook is a 2002 black comedy
film directed by Jordan Susman. The movie is about a young honors student-turned-anarchist, Puck (Devon Gummersall
), and his group of anarchist friends living peacefully in a Dallas commune until a nihilist, Johnny Black (Dylan Bruno
), appears with The Anarchist Cookbook
and completely destroys their way of life.
The movie was heavily criticized by anarchists
for its poor presentation of anarchist theory, philosophy, and ethics, which they felt amounted to anti-anarchist propaganda.
Other members of the commune include Johnny Red, a '60s radical who constantly refers to Sweden
as an ideal society; Gin, Red's hippie
girlfriend; Karla, a bisexual
with issues of misandry
; Sweeny, a promiscuous DJ who worked at a local record store; Double D (real name David Dwight), an unintelligent but good hearted commune member, and Puck's best friend; and "The Trolls," a ragtag group of "crunchy types" who lived in tents in the backyard of the house and home schooled
about a dozen children. The commune, referred to as "Sam," is funded by a collective Anarchist bookstore, where the members take turns operating the front desk. Throughout the movie this group is referred to as "The Family," and their way of life is described as peaceful and happy, until the day Johnny Black, a mysterious, militant nihilist
with a forceful personality, appears.
Johnny Black shares much of the rebellious philosophy of "the family" when he shows up, however he disrespects what he sees as the narrow minded and shortsighted protest tactics Johnny Red espouses. However, politically weak within the framework of the Family, Black cannot challenge Red's authority for the time being.
Frustrated and unhappy with his social life and lack of direction, Puck seeks a girlfriend. He eventually meets a young woman at a night club, Jody, who he learns is a young Republican college student. However, when his new observations of Jody's political beliefs and academic success causes him greater internal conflict and personal embarrassment, Puck decides to temporarily leave the Family and ventures out to find a new job and home. Still unhappy and directionless, Puck opts to return to the Family.
plant, Black denounces the peaceful, non-violent approach most of the attendants support, and presents two tools to be used in their attack on the plant: semtex
and The Anarchist Cookbook
.
Johnny Red describes the book as "a relic from the past... it taught you how to make bombs, how to make drugs... and it meant something once." He also accurately mentions that the author, William Powell
, has disavowed the book. He continues, commenting, "the book's not the problem. The problem is the kind of people who look to it for answers."
A few days afterward, Johnny Black discovers Red's private journal, in which he admits to being sexually attracted to young boys
. He places this in the open for Gin to discover, and after reading a passage in which Red admits to his pedophilia
, she dumps him. Following this, Red's personality becomes more anxious and submissive to Black.
One day, while carrying science kits, Puck, Double D, and Sweeney are approached by a police officer who randomly stops them and requests to inspect their contents. After complying, they receive a ride from the officer to Sam, explaining that their run down house is in fact an orphanage the kits are intended for. The officer decides to visit the building, and enters to discover Karla in the midst of using cocaine with Johnny Black. The entire group, except for Johnny Red, is promptly arrested and brought to trial, the presiding judge ironically being a spurned, former lover of Karla. The flop house, Sam, is shut down by the city; Johnny Black receives time at a medium security prison, with the possibility for parole in four months; Sweeney and Double D each receive 250 hours of community service; Karla, aside from being insulted by the judge, is made to receive a mandatory psychiatric evaluation; and Puck is placed under house arrest for 180 days, and forced to move into his parent's home in the city of Plano
, Texas
. Puck chafes in his suburban life, but comes to accept it with Jody's encouragement, until Johnny Black is paroled after four months. Black appears in Puck's apartment and easily convinces Puck to remove the ankle bracelet that tracks him and rejoin the Family.
". The next stage of Johnny Black's strategy for his movement is the creation of a coalition of organizations which agree with any facet of his goals. However, these include extremist, conservative groups, such as neo-nazis
and militia men.
Black offers The Anarchist Cookbook as an instructional booklet to the other groups, while they pledge to offer various arms and explosives, and plans a "joint mission" to attack a local university. Puck attempts to leave the organization, but is under constant surveillance. He commits to remaining in the group, so as to watch over Double D, for whom he feels responsible. This situation eventually ends in tragedy when Double D overdoses on diazepam
. Puck finally resolves to escape from the group and prevent the mission, and convinces a sober Sweeney and Johnny Red to help. Together, they devise a plan to intoxicate the extremist group members with pancakes laced with the very drugs Double D overdosed on.
Once the entire organization is unconscious, the surviving members of the Family split up. Alone, Puck decides that once the group awakens he'd be in immediate danger, and so decides to report the organization and cooperate fully with the FBI, for which he receives a reward of $200,000. Immediately afterward, Puck considers his options and realizing that he now has the money and time to commit to his future, decides to take Jody's advice and return to college. Alone, he begins to hitchhike to California to join Jody as she intern
s at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
. Receiving a ride from a truck driver, Puck is asked what his name is, and after some internal thinking, decides to accept his legal name and chosen name together: "Peter Puck." The final monologue by Puck meditates over his new perspective on life and his personal philosophy, and renounces the concept of "freedom without responsibility," which contrasts with his idealistic opening-sequence monologue.
's book Planning the Low-Budget Film
. It was shot in Dallas, Texas, during the summer of 2001 for just under $2,000,000.
In an interview, director commented that inspirations for the film included "Animal House
, Battle of Algiers
and Duck Soup... Everywhere Chico and Harpo Marx went, anarchy ensued. When they spread their anarchy, it was the most joyous thing you had ever seen. I made (lead actor Devon Gummersall) watch Duck Soup, and he saw what I wanted to show, which was a sense of personal freedom and autonomy."
shows a freshness rating of 41% (with a 33% rating from the 'Cream of the Crop' critics), and Metacritic
s average review score is 36 out of 100.
The film was also heavily criticized by anarchists, who charged that, aside from its poor cinematic qualities, it presented caricatures of anarchist characters and philosophy, which amounted to anti-anarchist propaganda. Negative reviews for the film appeared in anarchist publications, including a scathing review in Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed
, by Lawrence Jarach
:
Green Anarchy
magazine also published a review of the film with a similar critique:
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
film directed by Jordan Susman. The movie is about a young honors student-turned-anarchist, Puck (Devon Gummersall
Devon Gummersall
Devon Ryan Gummersall is an American actor, writer, and television and film director, perhaps best known for acting on the cult classic television show My So-Called Life.-Life and career:...
), and his group of anarchist friends living peacefully in a Dallas commune until a nihilist, Johnny Black (Dylan Bruno
Dylan Bruno
Dylan Bruno is an American actor and former model. He portrayed FBI agent Colby Granger in the CBS series Numb3rs.-Personal life:...
), appears with The Anarchist Cookbook
The Anarchist Cookbook
The Anarchist Cookbook, first published in 1971, is a book that contains instructions for the manufacture of explosives, rudimentary telecommunications phreaking devices, and other items...
and completely destroys their way of life.
The movie was heavily criticized by anarchists
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
for its poor presentation of anarchist theory, philosophy, and ethics, which they felt amounted to anti-anarchist propaganda.
Puck's introduction
The story is narrated by the protagonist, Puck (real name Peter Leslie Gold), who begins with a monologue describing the basic reasoning underlying his philosophy, as well as the movie's general interpretation of Anarchism, as he walks through the commune he lives in, while events of his daily life are presented.Other members of the commune include Johnny Red, a '60s radical who constantly refers to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
as an ideal society; Gin, Red's hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
girlfriend; Karla, a bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
with issues of misandry
Misandry
Misandry is the hatred or dislike of men or boys.Misandry comes from Greek misos and anēr, andros . Misandry is the antonym of philandry, the fondness towards men, love, or admiration of them...
; Sweeny, a promiscuous DJ who worked at a local record store; Double D (real name David Dwight), an unintelligent but good hearted commune member, and Puck's best friend; and "The Trolls," a ragtag group of "crunchy types" who lived in tents in the backyard of the house and home schooled
Homeschooling
Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...
about a dozen children. The commune, referred to as "Sam," is funded by a collective Anarchist bookstore, where the members take turns operating the front desk. Throughout the movie this group is referred to as "The Family," and their way of life is described as peaceful and happy, until the day Johnny Black, a mysterious, militant nihilist
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
with a forceful personality, appears.
Johnny Black shares much of the rebellious philosophy of "the family" when he shows up, however he disrespects what he sees as the narrow minded and shortsighted protest tactics Johnny Red espouses. However, politically weak within the framework of the Family, Black cannot challenge Red's authority for the time being.
Frustrated and unhappy with his social life and lack of direction, Puck seeks a girlfriend. He eventually meets a young woman at a night club, Jody, who he learns is a young Republican college student. However, when his new observations of Jody's political beliefs and academic success causes him greater internal conflict and personal embarrassment, Puck decides to temporarily leave the Family and ventures out to find a new job and home. Still unhappy and directionless, Puck opts to return to the Family.
The rise of Johnny Black
In the time that has transpired in Puck's absence, Black's influence over the family has steadily grown. Encouraging the group to forge alliances with "like-minded" organizations. Over time, Black undergoes a more militant shift in personality. At a meeting for a planned protest demonstration against a petrochemicalPetrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
plant, Black denounces the peaceful, non-violent approach most of the attendants support, and presents two tools to be used in their attack on the plant: semtex
Semtex
Semtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and in certain military applications. Semtex became notoriously popular with terrorists because it was, until recently, extremely difficult to detect, as in the case of Pan Am...
and The Anarchist Cookbook
The Anarchist Cookbook
The Anarchist Cookbook, first published in 1971, is a book that contains instructions for the manufacture of explosives, rudimentary telecommunications phreaking devices, and other items...
.
Johnny Red describes the book as "a relic from the past... it taught you how to make bombs, how to make drugs... and it meant something once." He also accurately mentions that the author, William Powell
William Powell (author)
William Powell is the author of The Anarchist Cookbook, which he has since disowned. He and his wife are currently the co-directors of Education Across Frontiers, an organization aimed at the professional development of international school teachers and administrators.-Employment:* CEO of the...
, has disavowed the book. He continues, commenting, "the book's not the problem. The problem is the kind of people who look to it for answers."
A few days afterward, Johnny Black discovers Red's private journal, in which he admits to being sexually attracted to young boys
Pederasty
Pederasty or paederasty is an intimate relationship between an adult and an adolescent boy outside his immediate family. The word pederasty derives from Greek "love of boys", a compound derived from "child, boy" and "lover".Historically, pederasty has existed as a variety of customs and...
. He places this in the open for Gin to discover, and after reading a passage in which Red admits to his pedophilia
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
, she dumps him. Following this, Red's personality becomes more anxious and submissive to Black.
One day, while carrying science kits, Puck, Double D, and Sweeney are approached by a police officer who randomly stops them and requests to inspect their contents. After complying, they receive a ride from the officer to Sam, explaining that their run down house is in fact an orphanage the kits are intended for. The officer decides to visit the building, and enters to discover Karla in the midst of using cocaine with Johnny Black. The entire group, except for Johnny Red, is promptly arrested and brought to trial, the presiding judge ironically being a spurned, former lover of Karla. The flop house, Sam, is shut down by the city; Johnny Black receives time at a medium security prison, with the possibility for parole in four months; Sweeney and Double D each receive 250 hours of community service; Karla, aside from being insulted by the judge, is made to receive a mandatory psychiatric evaluation; and Puck is placed under house arrest for 180 days, and forced to move into his parent's home in the city of Plano
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Puck chafes in his suburban life, but comes to accept it with Jody's encouragement, until Johnny Black is paroled after four months. Black appears in Puck's apartment and easily convinces Puck to remove the ankle bracelet that tracks him and rejoin the Family.
Escalation and Puck's resolution
Puck soon discovers that Karla, Sweeney, and Double D are all suffering from drug addiction, and have relocated to a new squat which they name "Son of SamSon of Sam (disambiguation)
Son of Sam could refer to:* David Berkowitz aka Son of Sam, an infamous serial killer from the late 1970s* Son of Sam a horror punk band featuring Davey Havok of AFI* Son of Sam law, a law designed to keep criminals from profiting from their crimes...
". The next stage of Johnny Black's strategy for his movement is the creation of a coalition of organizations which agree with any facet of his goals. However, these include extremist, conservative groups, such as neo-nazis
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
and militia men.
Black offers The Anarchist Cookbook as an instructional booklet to the other groups, while they pledge to offer various arms and explosives, and plans a "joint mission" to attack a local university. Puck attempts to leave the organization, but is under constant surveillance. He commits to remaining in the group, so as to watch over Double D, for whom he feels responsible. This situation eventually ends in tragedy when Double D overdoses on diazepam
Diazepam
Diazepam , first marketed as Valium by Hoffmann-La Roche is a benzodiazepine drug. Diazepam is also marketed in Australia as Antenex. It is commonly used for treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures including status epilepticus, muscle spasms , restless legs syndrome, alcohol withdrawal,...
. Puck finally resolves to escape from the group and prevent the mission, and convinces a sober Sweeney and Johnny Red to help. Together, they devise a plan to intoxicate the extremist group members with pancakes laced with the very drugs Double D overdosed on.
Once the entire organization is unconscious, the surviving members of the Family split up. Alone, Puck decides that once the group awakens he'd be in immediate danger, and so decides to report the organization and cooperate fully with the FBI, for which he receives a reward of $200,000. Immediately afterward, Puck considers his options and realizing that he now has the money and time to commit to his future, decides to take Jody's advice and return to college. Alone, he begins to hitchhike to California to join Jody as she intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
s at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs is the presidential library and final resting place of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Designed by Hugh Stubbins and Associates, the library is located in Simi Valley, California, about northwest of...
. Receiving a ride from a truck driver, Puck is asked what his name is, and after some internal thinking, decides to accept his legal name and chosen name together: "Peter Puck." The final monologue by Puck meditates over his new perspective on life and his personal philosophy, and renounces the concept of "freedom without responsibility," which contrasts with his idealistic opening-sequence monologue.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Devon Gummersall Devon Gummersall Devon Ryan Gummersall is an American actor, writer, and television and film director, perhaps best known for acting on the cult classic television show My So-Called Life.-Life and career:... |
Puck (Peter Gold) |
| Dylan Bruno Dylan Bruno Dylan Bruno is an American actor and former model. He portrayed FBI agent Colby Granger in the CBS series Numb3rs.-Personal life:... |
Johnny Black |
| Gina Philips Gina Philips Gina Philips is an American actress.Philips was born Gina Consolo in Miami Beach, Florida. She is known for her recurring roles on David E. Kelley's Ally McBeal as Sandy Hingle and Boston Public as Jenna Miller... |
Karla |
| Johnny Whitworth Johnny Whitworth Johnny Whitworth is an American actor.His early years were spent in his birth place of Charleston, South Carolina, with his mother. When he grew older, he moved to Dallas, Texas with his father . At age 15/16 in 1991, he won the 1st Young and Modern Man Contest... |
Sweeney |
| Katharine Towne Katharine Towne Katharine Payne Towne is an American actress.Towne was born in Hollywood, California, the daughter of actress Julie Payne and Robert Towne, an Oscar-winning screenwriter, director, and actor.... |
Jody |
| Steve Van Wormer Steve Van Wormer Steve Van Wormer is an American actor and comedian. He was born in Flint, Michigan, attended Grand Blanc Community High School and Michigan State University, and moved to Los Angeles, California upon graduation. He has acted in movies including Groove, Meet the Deedles, and Jingle All The Way... |
Double D |
| John Savage John Savage (actor) John Savage is an American film actor, producer, production manager, and composer.- Acting career :... |
Johnny Red |
| Sabine Singh Sabine Singh Sabine Singh is an American actress.-Early life:Sabine Singh is a first generation American, born in Suffern, NY to immigrant parents. She is the daughter of Anand Singh, an Indian Maharaja and Gisa Singh an Austrian model... |
Gin |
| Bo Barron | Cool Teen |
Production
The film's budget and schedule are used extensively (and reproduced) in Robert Latham BrownRobert Latham Brown
Robert Latham Brown is a film producer, line producer, production manager, author, and teacher. In his 30-year film career, he has worked with Mel Brooks, George Lucas, Paul Verhoeven, Steven Spielberg and many others. His expertise in budgeting and line producing inspired Mel Brooks to nickname...
's book Planning the Low-Budget Film
Planning the Low-Budget Film
Planning the Low-Budget Film is a book by Robert Latham Brown describing the processes involved in scheduling and budgeting motion pictures....
. It was shot in Dallas, Texas, during the summer of 2001 for just under $2,000,000.
In an interview, director commented that inspirations for the film included "Animal House
National Lampoon's Animal House
National Lampoon's Animal House is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis. The film was a direct spin-off of National Lampoon magazine...
, Battle of Algiers
The Battle of Algiers (film)
The Battle of Algiers is a 1966 war film based on occurrences during the Algerian War against French colonial occupation in North Africa, the most prominent being the titular Battle of Algiers. It was directed by Gillo Pontecorvo...
and Duck Soup... Everywhere Chico and Harpo Marx went, anarchy ensued. When they spread their anarchy, it was the most joyous thing you had ever seen. I made (lead actor Devon Gummersall) watch Duck Soup, and he saw what I wanted to show, which was a sense of personal freedom and autonomy."
Reception
The movie was received with mostly negative criticism. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
shows a freshness rating of 41% (with a 33% rating from the 'Cream of the Crop' critics), and Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
s average review score is 36 out of 100.
The film was also heavily criticized by anarchists, who charged that, aside from its poor cinematic qualities, it presented caricatures of anarchist characters and philosophy, which amounted to anti-anarchist propaganda. Negative reviews for the film appeared in anarchist publications, including a scathing review in Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed
Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed
Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed is a North American anarchist magazine, and is one of the most popular anarchist publications in North America. It could be described as a general interest and critical, non-ideological anarchist journal...
, by Lawrence Jarach
Lawrence Jarach
- External links :* official website.Publications*"" by Lawrence Jarach at the Berkeley Daily Planet...
:
Green Anarchy
Green Anarchy
Green Anarchy was a magazine published by a collective located in Eugene, Oregon. The magazine's focus was primitivism, post-left anarchy, radical environmentalism, African American struggles, anarchist resistance, indigenous resistance, earth and animal liberation, anti-capitalism and supporting...
magazine also published a review of the film with a similar critique:
See also
- Anti-anarchism
External links
- Anarchist Cookbook The Movie, the official website of the film.