Office Space

Part of The Loft Cinema’s summer series, 1999! BEST. MOVIE. YEAR. EVER.

Writer/director Mike Judge puts cubicle culture on blast in this endlessly quotable cult comedy about mandatory flair, evil copy machines and climbing (and then destroying) the corporate ladder! Stressed out office drone Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) hates his soul-crushing job at software company Initech, where his days are consumed with endless tedium, ridiculous office politics and a greedy, patronizing boss (Gary Cole). While undergoing hypnotherapy to combat his office ills, Peter is left in a blissful state when his therapist dies in the middle of their session. Now, there’s no shutting off the bliss – he refuses to work overtime, plays games at his desk and unintentionally charms two consultants into putting him on the management fast-track. When Peter’s friends, Samir (Ajay Naidu) and Michael Bolton (David Herman as the OTHER Michael Bolton!), learn they’re about to be downsized, they hatch a revenge plot against the company (inspired by the movie Superman III), and before you know it, their misguided plan has snowballed out of control, and the hapless threesome must figure out how to not only keep their jobs, but stay out of prison as well!  Also starring Jennifer Aniston, John C. McGinley and Stephen Root. (Dir. by Mike Judge, 1999, USA, 89 mins., Rated R)