BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
Pawn Shop Chronicles is a dark comedy that centers on a rundown southern pawn shop. Two old timer pawn workers hang out in the shop as a variety of characters show up to pawn stuff. They break up the “chronicles” into a few segments. The great ensemble cast is made up of Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, Vincent D’Onofrio, Chi McBride, Elijah Wood, DJ Qualls, Keven Rankin, Paul Walker, Lukas Haas, Thomas Jane, and the amazing and beautiful Rachelle Lefevre. I was surprised to see Ashlee Simpson show up. She did pretty good in the small role she had, but then I saw “Joe Simpson” listed as one of the producers at the end and felt like I was movie date-raped. Joe Simpson is now allowed to be connected to my entertainment choices. We follow a group of redneck meth addicts who are too screwed up to function but still manage to keep going in pursuit of drugs and money for drugs. Another segment sees a newly-wed couple come in and the husband gets caught up in a very crazy plot of finding out where his formerly thought of as dead wife is. This plot gets crazier and crazier. We also follow the route of a failing Elvis impersonator who is down on his luck and contemplates a deal he can’t refuse. I don’t want to get too deep into the plots. Watching it all unfold and connect together is part of the fun. This movie far from perfect. The tone is a rollercoaster of stupid funny to bizarre funny to uncomfortable funny. Luckily the on-going trend is “funny”. The best segment and most enthralling part of the movie is the second segment with the husband. I’d probably not watch this movie again unless I’m showing it to someone. There was nothing about it that made me watch to re-watch it. It was like a hillbilly version of Pulp Fiction, minus the magnitude of greatness. The performances were good and the story was fun, but there was nothing too amazing to hang my hat on. It’s a fine little indie dark comedy with a solid cast. I’d recommend it, but with minimal expectations. I went into not knowing much and was pleasantly surprised and shocked. Give it a shot on a Sunday afternoon sometime. B-
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