UTG’s 31 Days Of Halloween: ‘Rubber’

Of all the holidays celebrated worldwide, no single day is loved by the UTG staff more than Halloween. With October’s arrival, the time has finally come to begin rolling out a slew of features and special announcements we have prepared in celebration of our favorite day.

Now in its fourth year, 31 Days Of Halloween is a recurring feature that will run throughout the month of October. The goal of this column is to supply every UTG reader with a daily horror (or Halloween-themed) movie recommendation that is guaranteed to amplify your All Hallows’ Eve festivities. We’ll be watching every film the day it’s featured, and we hope you’ll follow along at home.

This year, the entire 31 Days series is dedicated to the memory of our friend, Justin Proper. We wouldn’t have a film department without him, and he specifically helped pioneer our involvement in the horror genre. Rest in peace, JP.

Rubber Promo

Day 21: Rubber (2010)

One of the great things about the world of indie-horror, let alone independent film as a whole, is its constant ability to churn out new ideas, no matter how ridiculous they can get. A serial killer mom? That’s a thing. A leprechaun in the hood? That’s most definitely a thing. A doll possessed by a murderer? That’s been fleshed out at least six times over the past 25 years.

This is the wild fucking west. The concept “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should” holds no weight out here. Sure, that’s led to several sequels that should’ve never seen the light of day, but on the flip side, that’s made room for movies like Rubber to come to fruition.

“No reason” is the name of the game in this 2010 film that’s practically become a cult classic of its own kind. This is first brought up in a fourth-wall breaking monologue that immediately declares the film to serve as a tribute to that ideology, and then it’s followed up with too many nonsensical moments to count.

Like most good stories, Rubber is full of highs, lows, laughs, suspense, and romance. Not to mention some good ol’ fashioned blood and gore. The kicker? The film’s lead character is a silent, autonomous tire by the name of Robert, who has the ability to blow shit up at his own will. Let me elaborate on that: glass, a rabbit, and human heads will all burst throughout this 85-minute journey, and that’s really just the tip of the iceberg.

And I will bet all that I have that with every minute that passes, you will wonder just what the heck director Quentin Dupieux has waiting around the corner. Granted, in a “no reason” world, it’s almost as if just about any trick in the book can be whooped out without coming off as a move of desperation.

Sporting a rather minimalistic soundtrack, alongside visuals provided by a couple of handheld DSLR cameras, Rubber effortlessly keeps its budget low in a classy fashion. The cameras jostle around in a very organic way, and the silence strewn across the film leaves plenty of room for the viewer to process just what’s going on, because it’s all rather perplexing.

But that’s the beauty of it: this feature truly can become whatever you choose to make of it. Whether that’s a ridiculous, over-the-top black comedy with one too many doses of blood and gore (as if that was ever an issue to anyone), or even a gritty take on a post-postmodern society that obsesses over whatever’s bigger and better.

Still, at the end of the day, this movie’s almost entirely focused on a tire blowing shit up. If that doesn’t make you want to break out some popcorn and forget about your problems for a moment, I don’t know what will.

Written by Adrian Garza (Follow him on Twitter)

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