Wasted Orient

Trying hard to create a Chinese version of The Decline of Western Civilization, American director Kevin Fritz has instead made a Chinese version of something crappy and American. Probably the Germs bio-pic starring the guy from A Walk To Remember. Poorly thought-out comparisons aside, Wasted Orient is a really, really bad movie. Everything from the editing to the score (especially the score) comes close to making the whole thing unwatchable; it’s not that it’s amateur but simply that in his attempt to create a unique aesthetic, Fritz just made a mess. Following Beijing punk’n’roll act Joyside as they embark on their first tour, Wasted Orient is 90 minutes of dudes in leather jackets getting drunk and talking about Johnny Thunders. Which could be awesome. But isn’t.