Hard Core Logo-The Movie Essay, Research Paper
Last Shot
Hard Core Logo is Bruce McDonald s film on touring with an eccentric Canadian rock group. The genius of McDonald to make this film look like a documentary was amazing. What makes this film stand out among others is it s ending. The end of the film has Joe Dick whom is played by Hugh Dillon saying It s end the tour one more shot than pours himself a shot and then kills himself with a last shot to the head. Joe is responsible for the last shot, and it his him that does have the last shot.
The ending of the film is very significant to the plot as well as to the movie in general. The Hard Core Logo tour was a last ditch attempt to bring back a rock group that came so close to stardom many years ago but eventually broke up because of internal conflict. The band was now seen as an over the hill group making one last shot. The group is lead by Joe Dick whose life was identified by this band. He is the underlying force behind the group s reunion. He arranged for the agent, got the gigs and one could see from the movie, Hard Core Logo is the Joe Dick s reason for existence. When the tour finally comes to an end, and Joe finds out that Billy is going back to Jenifure, he realizes that his last shot has failed and thus creates a new last shot in which we see the suicide attempt. Which ironically is the last shot of the movie.
Billy Talent, whom is played by Callum Keith Rennie has a unique character in that, without Hard Core Logo there is still a Billy Talent. Billy, after the breakup with Hard Core Logo, went to play for Jenifur. He reunites with his old band after Joe convinces him its a worthwhile tour. In the end, it s the action that Billy took by telling the crew he is returning to the United States that leads to Joe Dick s tragic death. The fact that he will return to the US and be a star, is a blow to Joe s ego. In the end it s love. The relationship between Joe and Billy can be read as brotherly rivalry, blood alliance, homo-erotic love story or pure machoism. They share a special relationship and the fact that it is also coming to an end, drives Joe to suicide.
In retrospect, one can see the only way for this movie to end is with some sort of tragedy and thus, as Hugh Dillon said to Bruce McDonald while filming, Somebody’s got to die. McDonald s last scene is a fitting ending to the tour, the movie and Joe Dick s life. Joe has his last shot (the tour), his last shot (drink), his last shot (bullet) and THE the last shot. In the end it s love.”