The Last Supper

With the crazy things happening in the world now, I thought it would be an opportune time to take a look back at a great black comedy from 1996, The Last Supper.

A group of liberal grad school friends invite a Desert Storm vet, Bill Paxton, to join them for dinner after he helps one of them with car issues. The dinner discussion gets heated when they discover that their guest is a Hitler supporter. This sets off the vet who threatens to rape one of the females in the group, leading the rest of them to come to her rescue and kill the vet. They cover up the murder and decide to invite more guests of the same mindset as the vet to dinner in hopes of changing their views. If they are unable to do so, they will meet the same fate. But by playing God, the group begins to wonder if they are just as bad as their victims.

This is a clever little film that boasts a terrific cast. The group of grad students are played by Cameron Diaz, Annabeth Gish, Ron Eldard, Courtney B. Vance, and Jonathan Penner, who happens to be married to the director Stacy Title. Title also cast her brother in law, Jason Alexander, to play one of the guests. The other guests include Mark Harmon, Charles Durning, and Ron Perlman. Perlman, who loved the script so much, threatened Title to end his longtime friendship with her if he didn't get the role, which was originally offered to Beau Bridges.

The film also boasts a terrific soundtrack that includes some classics from KC And The Sunshine Band, and more contemporary rock from bands like Shonen Knife.

The Last Supper is a funny and dark film that gives the viewer food for thought.

It's available on dvd.