The Target Shoots First

2000
7.1| 1h10m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 09 March 2000 Released
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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An NYU philosophy grad struggles to maintain artistic and personal integrity as a production manager for Columbia House.

Genre

Documentary

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Director

Chris Wilcha

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The Target Shoots First Audience Reviews

Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.
Listonixio Fresh and Exciting
ShangLuda Admirable film.
Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
uraj Chris Wilcha has made a small home movie with, it seems, deceit and bitterness as his guides. He paints a bunch of professionals who are minding their own business, trying to get their jobs done the best they can, as a bunch of morons. The unintended result is the depiction of Wilcha's insecurities, jealousy, and general sour grapes. What he doesn't understand is that not everyone in the corporate world is a sell-out, and not everyone who can't make a living is a noble artist. Is it really possible that besides Wilcha's boss Rick Hunt (the only good guy in the whole movie), no one at the company has both a brain AND a heart? Columbia House allowed Wilcha to aim his camera at the company every day, so it seems to me that they had nothing to hide. Wilcha obviously does, but wasn't successful.
phswaddle Perfect. The most important documentation of the generation x paradox: the wish to be a revolutionary free-spirit and yet having to earn money in a regular job, regular city with regular people. It is an entirely temporal piece, perfectly preserved as a slice of cultural history, impossible to recreate at any other place, at any other time. The documentary is the study of office politics in a Columbia House record club office. Wilcha took his camera into work with him everyday. He quickly becomes the guru of alternative rock within Columbia House, in parallel with the rise of Nirvana, (Nevermind had just exploded in America,) because of his 'youthful' record collection. His promotion after promotion is in direct opposition to his intention to be a creative mind and to increase artistically, not financially. There is certainly an intention to demonstrate this interior battle, but it is his appreciation of people and emotion that makes the documentary so much stronger. The studies of office parties or pregnancies are superb. The film looks beautiful. People and urban landscapes are considered throughout and Wilcha's reality-directorial talent shines through in a fly-on-the-wall experience of the true nature of multinational business. The editing is excellent and unbelievably, the camera's sound is used, no other dubbing was necessary. The film has a naivety similar to Douglas Coupland's book 'Microserfs', and the frustrations of office environments are familiar to both. Coupland fans should definitely strive to see this. I had the honour to meet Wilcha at a viewing last month, he talked of incredibly exciting new work for which I cannot wait. His own experiences within the company share a sad and spooky correlation to the rise and fall of Kurt Cobain within the music industry. Part of the film's genius is this play on reality and fantasy. Whilst speaking to this phenomenally easygoing culture-journalist, I was sure I saw something of Cobain in his eyes. There's a quote which says something like "Nirvana were the band that told America how unhappy it's children were." Perhaps Wilcha is the director that will tell them about their office workers. Paul.
#1 Gracie I really enjoyed this film when Chris Wilcha presented this movie to me and my class recently. It was a creative concept, well shot, and succeeded in finding what it was going for. Special kudos to Chris for editing that much footage into about an hour and a half long movie. ****, 10/10
merie Documentaries do not usually draw big crowds. But when I saw the film at the Rotterdam Filmfestival it was a full house. And justly so!A very interesting - almost shocking - and hilariously funny insight into US mail order CD shops. Shocking because you get to learn about corporate intruige. Shocking because the head of marketing does not even know what she is selling.Remember Columbia/Warner is the biggest reseller in the US! And frightening because these corporations are fast taking over Europe.And amidst all this, one lone warrior for the independent spirit fights himself out of the corporate noose to make this absolutely delightful documentary.Never condescending towards his colleagues. With tongue in cheek and without surplus commentary (remember you are almost watching a home movie) the film maker won my respect and my heart. The posing for a 'picture with the rich and famous David Haselhoff' had me and my friends in stitches. I wonder where Chris Rocha go next?