A new cult classic you have to see to believe

What do you call a very low-budget indie film about the Vietnam War, featuring fake-looking violence, a lot of casual conversation and starring everyone from Danica McKellar ("The Wonder Years") to J.C. Chasez (N'Sync) to Faye Dunaway ("Bonnie and Clyde")?

There's no punchline to that joke. It's not a joke at all--we'll, it's not meant to be. Technically a real movie, "21 and a Wakeup," opening Friday at the Gene Siskel Film Center, is the most unintentionally hilarious film I've seen in a long, long time. Someday I predict/hope that this will be shown in cheap movie houses at midnight, for people to gather and celebrate its awfulness.

This is of course with all due respect to those who were actually involved in Vietnam, and certainly director and Vietnam vet Chris McIntyre must have had good intentions. "21 and a Wakeup," in fact, was the first American movie ever permitted by the communist government to be filmed in Vietnam where the war took place. That's a privilege you'd think would come with some sort of quality guarantee. Um, no.

This movie, which misguidedly opens by claiming "This is the way it was," constantly makes it impossible to take it seriously. The film, about the last remaining Americans enlisted towards the end of the war, is not about soldiers burned out or jaded or traumatized. It is not about the agony of war or a commentary on the military. It's not an authentic drama, and it's not a satire.

So what is it? Some of the absurdity of "21 and a Wakeup" has to be seen to believed, but in summary this is a movie in which a character happily hops into bed for some carefree fun only a couple hours after her best friend's death. It's a film where frustration with one's superior is depicted by throwing a plant through her window ... and then walking in calmly. Later, we're supposed to be surprised when an explosion kills a main character ... after the event has been foreshadowed, in the most inept way possible, for about 10 obvious seconds.

Nothing here speaks to any of the real issues involved in the war, or serves as any sort of honor for those who were involved. It's amateur hour all the way, with performances that are at best confused and awkward and at worst so bad they can only be taken as a mutiny by the cast against the crew.

If a movie is going to be bad, I'd much rather it be accidentally funny than really mean-spirited and vile. And boy did "21 and a Wakeup" crack me up.

The weird coda to all this: Chicago was selected as host for the film's world premiere, taking place at 7 p.m. tonight at the AMC River East.

Will you see "21 and a Wakeup"? What is your favorite unintentional comedy?