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Review

A quirky modern update on Shakespeare's Macbeth set in a '70s fast-food restaurant called Duncan's. Norm Duncan (Rebhorn) has been peddling fast food for too long - he's real bored. Meanwhile his employees are jockeying for power and stealing from him. After one nasty employment departure, Joe McBeth (LeGros) who feels he should have been named manager, plots with his wife Pat (Tierney) to murder Duncan. McBeth hits his boss over the head with a frying pan and he falls face first into a vat of cooking grease, splattering and burning Pat's hand.

Joe has been having visions - he has conversed with three witches on a carnival lot - 2 obviously gay guys (one of whom is Andy Dick) and a gal. They cast a few spells, give misleading advice and generally cause comic mayhem. After Duncan's death his two sons inherit the business. Malcolm, the older son is rock-n-roll obsessed and plays in a cover band. Donald is a gay teen, obsessed with Laura Nyro, Cabaret and movies with bare-chested men. These boys obviously have no interest in a fast food restaurant and they quickly sell to the McBeth's and move onto their own interests. On the advice of the witches, the McBeth's start a drive-in with an intercom, they expand the store and start offering Chicken tenders - they also change the name to McBeth's. There is obviously no resemblance to McDonald's intended here. In enters Ernie McDuff (Walken), a shuffling TV style cop who follows the clues in the mysterious fat fryer murder case.

With great '70s haircuts, clothing, fabulous sets and a classic rock score, this one makes for great fun. While screaming with laughter dig out your old Shakespeare, this is really the story - the blood becomes fast-food fat, the opposing prince becomes a cop and Lady Macbeth becomes Mrs. McBeth - but the story remains the same.

Scott Cranin