 a film in three minutes, the Last Supper. You know, there's just something about a dinner with friends that you really can't beat. Home cooked food, fine wine, the company of guests, oh and conversation, the wonderful art of conversation. What's not to like? Well, I suppose you could end up inviting someone over that you disagreed with, maybe they hold a political view that you find reprehensible, or perhaps a religious conviction that offends your moral principles. Or, more likely, they're just an arrogant, contemptible opinionated, hateful egotist. And that's before I've even gotten to the hosts in Stacey Titles' 1995 Black Comedy, The Last Supper. Set in Iowa, the story follows five liberal grad students, each named after one of Jesus' apostles, who share a traditional Sunday dinner and discuss politics whilst raging against the right-wing populism of TV personality Norban Abathnot, played by Ron Perlman. Then on a stormy night, one of the students peaked has car trouble and is saved by Zack, played by the late Bill Paxton, who is invited to stay for dinner. However, things quickly become tense when Zack reveals his racist, pro-hitler views before threatening to kill one of the students, and is then murdered himself. But instead of informing the authorities and coming clean over their heinous deed, the five students decide to cover up the murder and vow to embark on a crusade to rid the world of right-wing conservatives or just anyone that disagrees with their politics. And what follows as the main course is a descent into a liberal, narcissistic, self-righteous madness with a mean-spirited comedic garnish thrown in for extra flavour. Shot on a micro-budget of only $500,000, The Last Supper's story is a mixture of macabre comedy a la Frank Capra's arsonic and old lace and absurdist political satire. The cast includes then up-and-coming famous names such as Cameron Diaz, Annabeth Gish, and Courtney B. Vance, whose performances as the opinionated zealous and supposedly liberal ideologues carry much of the plot's dark sense of humour. The political arguments each unsuspecting guest brings to the dinner table could easily be construed as nothing more than simple strawman targets for the hosts to knock down. But it's when a guest begins to intellectually challenge the supposedly righteous views of the students where the film's comedy works best, especially when they are brought face-to-face with the Rush Limba inspired Abathnot in A Chance Encounter. Released at a time when American political satire seemed almost devoid of any meaningful target, The Last Supper's darkly comic take on intellectual debate seems only more relevant due to the increasingly polarised and toxic discourse of today's world. A twisted, morbid exploration of what happens when those who think they are always in the right begin to act on such dangerous notions whilst seemingly forgetting the very value they once placed on their most cherished beliefs. Now with that over and done with, let's say grace and oh, pass the butter please.