Impaler (2007)

So sad - and so compelling, 9 May 2009

What a sad, sad story. Impaler tells the story of Jonathan Sharkey. Sharkey, for those as in the dark as I was, ran for the governor of Minnesota a few years ago as a self professed vampire and Satanist. I was impressed with director W. Tray White's work on the film. He sets up the movie to initially draw the viewer's sympathy. I admit that at first I found myself caring for Sharkey even though he was obviously crazy as a loon. It's painfully obvious that Sharkey has no idea about politics (impaling criminals?), vampirism (a hickey on the arm is not feeding on blood), or Satanism. But White gives him the rope and Sharkey gleefully hangs himself with it.

However, once White's got you sucked in (pardon the pun), he switches tone to reveal what a scum his subject really is. And by the time I found out that Sharkey had kids from a previous marriage that he refuses to see or support or that he had outstanding arrest warrants in Indiana, I was ready to string him up myself. White's finale – allowing Sharkey a few minutes to sum up the movie and his life – is brilliant. It serves to drive home the insanity of what came before. In short, Sharkey was, is, and probably always will be nothing but a fraud who needs some serious help from the mental health community.

But the film goes beyond the campaign, vampirism, and Satanism. Much of Impaler is an indictment against American pop culture. The insanity uncovered in Impaler includes our celebrity driven society that will give someone like Sharkey a platform to demonstrate his insanity for the bemusement of the masses. It becomes painfully obvious quite early on that Sharkey's not operating with a full deck. The lengths this man will go for attention are staggering. And it's deplorable the way the American press feeds the egos of these people. I can easily see how Sharkey might get some time and attention from The National Enquirer or even The Daily Show, but Sharkey actually made it to Fox News and CNN. These are supposed to be legit news gathering organizations. Watching Tucker Carlson interview Sharkey was more like watching something I would have expected from Stephen Colbert. No one was taking Sharkey seriously except for Sharkey. It's all really sad.

7/10