Peluca (2003) Reviews

• A work of genius!

  the_shark152004-05-19

  A hilarious short piece about a wacky kid and his adventures in trying to help his friends out. The humor isn't corny and it's not even smart, but it makes you laugh nonetheless. A fantastic story, with great acting from the lead. One of his Hispanic buddies understands English yet only says two words NOT in Spanish the entire time (if you understand Spanish these parts are even funnier). The cinematography/editing looks professional -- it's hard to believe that the graininess and such is a mistake, because it adds to the feeling of dullness in a small, rural Idaho town. A must-see!

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• Word-up to all Aspiring Actors and Directors:

  imdb-62412005-04-17

  I gave this short film a 10 for a very specific reason: This film became a springboard for both the Writer/Director and the Lead Actor. The fact that this film cost 2 days and $500 makes it quite fantastic that the careers of at least two young men have been assured. As many already know, this is the short which Jered Hess and Jon Heder made in Preston, Idaho...detailing what amounts to a day-in-the-life of a smalltown nerd. Heder's character development of what would become Napoleon Dynamite (Seth, in this film) is obviously undercooked, but the ingredients are all there, and it tastes just as sweet. Think "Cookie Dough". In the Director's Commentary, Hess admits to messing up the exposure which shows itself in most of the outdoor shots, and while it's a little distracting, overall it almost lends a kind of "low-rent" charm which you quickly get used to. 9 minutes of quirky angst, and you can't help but grin throughout. Film "quality" issues aside, and keeping in mind this is basically a "student film" in regards to writing and character dev, and it's really just very cool that the small amount of effort which was undertaken could blossom into a Feature Film deal and an underground hit. Word-up to all aspiring actors and directors: All you need is 2 days, $500 bux, a quirky idea, some basic film skills, some ninja skills, an interesting character, and a belief in yourself and you too can give up your day job and move to Los Angeles for an exciting career in the Movies! ...which beats a decroded piece of crap anyday!

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• A funny pre-"Napoleon Dynamite" short

  Electrified_Voltage2008-06-22

  Not long before filmmaker Jared Hess made his feature-length debut with the polarizing teen comedy, "Napoleon Dynamite", he started his film career by making this very similar short, "Peluca", which, like its successor, features Jon Heder, who was yet to become very famous, in the starring role. As a fan of the movie that followed, I've seen this short more than once in the bonus features of the Special Edition DVD. While I would say "Napoleon Dynamite" is the superior of the two, "Peluca" definitely comes close to it in terms of quality. The main character here is Seth, a geeky teenager who is pretty much just like Napoleon Dynamite. He's not very popular at school, but is friends with two Mexican students, Pedro and Giel. During lunch break, while Seth is at the table in the cafeteria with Pedro and Giel, Giel (who is like Pedro Sanchez in "Napoleon Dynamite") has his hood over his head. This is because he was recently feeling too hot, and shaved his head to cool off, but now he doesn't want to be seen without any hair. The three of them agree to ditch their next class and go shopping, so Seth can buy a fanny pack and Giel can get a wig, but can they get enough money to do so? Quite a few things in this short are also featured in "Napoleon Dynamite", including the way it begins. If you've seen ND, I'm sure one part of my plot description sounds familiar. However, there are also some things that did not end up being repeated in this short film's successor, but are still funny. One difference between "Peluca" and ND is that this short film is in black and white and the picture isn't quite perfect, obviously due to the very low budget. However, despite that, I certainly do recommend this pre-"Napoleon Dynamite" short for fans of the movie. If you like the style of humour in Jared Hess' feature-length debut, you can see more of the same in this film.

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• How did Napolean Dymamite come from this?

  jfenton2004-12-23

  I have seen Napolean Dynamite a good 6 times, and just finally saw "Peluca". Don't let the die-hards fool you - this thing is a mess. It shows promise and Hess is about as good as he is in "Dynamite", but the cinematography is awful, the "Gosh!" and "Idiot!"s are way overused.. I can't believe they got the green light to make a major motion picture based on this. Again, that said, I love Napolean Dynamite, and am glad they re-cast the character of Pedro, among others. It just wouldn't have worked the way they originally set out. It's on side 1 of the DVD if you want to check it out.

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• Winner!

  klh_skyenet2006-11-17

  I saw "Peluca" after becoming an ardent fan of "Napoleon Dynamite" so this may not be the most objective review ever written. That being said, I thought this short had just as much heart and the essence of the feature film; although, I did miss Uncle Rico, Kip and the rest of the cast. I liked the rough or grainy look of the film (even if it was an unintentional effect) because it added to the "feel" of the film. I don't think the film depicts the characters as dorks or losers, instead it seems to portray Seth as a selfless, good-hearted and true friend. After all, he didn't buy the much coveted fanny pack for himself, instead he chose to buy the wig to help out his friend. "Peluca" and "Napoleon Dynamite" could have easily been made into mean-spirited films with the main objective being to make fun of the less popular kids. Instead the movie seems to point out the good qualities of Seth and his friends, making them cool in their own way! It's a fun, feel good film.

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