Dorkgasm Gonzo Is God

A Legend Is Born By Michael C. Riedlinger Editor-In-Chief             Sports comedies are often at their best when a few formulae are followed. Like geometry, deviation from the formula is dangerous and often disastrous. You need a sport without a popular professional following, like dodgeball or beer drinking. Endanger something the main characters love. Add a crazy guru to train the hero, and then have him compete in a tournament that will earn him the exact amount of money to save the aforementioned threatened something. It sounds easy, but the list of these films is short enough that it must go wrong a lot. When it goes right it is a wonderful event to behold, and Clubless: The Legend of Victor Montango goes right in almost every way.             Suburban Chicago comedy troupe, Enough Stupid, really nails one out of the park. The chosen sport here is disc golf, or as most people think of it, Frisbee golf. Erin Pallesin stars as Aaron, a disc golfer who has spent most of his life playing the sport leisurely, when a professional shows up to buy his favorite course and turn it into a parking lot. The villainous golf pro, Zach Penner (played by director James Hauser), is every bit as hilariously-prickish as White Goodman in Dodgeball or Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore. Zach is so socially vile that his rich father pays the film’s love interest, Bev (Nicole Frier) to hang out with him. Of course, Aaron falls for the girl too, and more is at stake in winning the Disc Golf Nationals than just money and pride. First, however, he has to get into the tournament and train his brains out.

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            Herein begins some of the best humor of the film. Aaron’s best friend Noz (Joe Goratowski) comes up with a harebrained scheme to sell him to sponsors as a mysterious disc golf pro from Canada named Victor Montango. All that remains is for the hero to actually beat a two-time tournament champion. Enter disc golf legend Heavy Handed Frank, who gave up the sport after a tragic accident saw his wife beheaded by a disc. Will Cummings III pulls off the crazy-mentor role with more panache and flare than even Rip Torn or Chevy Chase. The hysterical training regimen and made-up mythology had me rolling on the floor, but even those not familiar with the sport will laugh their asses off watching Frank put Aaron through the paces.             When we finally get to the tournament, we actually care about our hero’s plight and there is some trepidation as to whether or not he can win. The course at the University of Wisconsin Parkside features prominently here and the beautiful setting is used very well. Once Victor Montango is revealed as a sham, Aaron and Zach engage in a no-holds-barred final showdown for all the marbles. A combination of slapstick and smart-assery, their final round features almost the entirety of Parkside’s well kept grounds and showcases some of the best physical humor in cinema since Jackie Chan started channeling Buster Keaton. It isn’t often that an independent feature, especially one with so low a budget, comes along and accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do, but Clubless manages to make it look easy. The comedic stylings of Enough Stupid will take them far, and I for one was impressed with this film. Check it out soon on DVD, and keep your fingers crossed that someone with money notices, because these guys could easily be the next Broken Lizard if given a budget.