No clear messages, but movie offers a chance to think about movies and history and the way movies can change the things that really happened. It also asks question of whether violence in movies and TV has any connection to real-life violence.
Extremely graphic, shocking violence in a few scenes. Guns are drawn and fired. A dog viciously attacks humans. A man smashes a woman's face into a wall over and over; gory, smashed face shown. Injured character screams maniacally, firing a gun into the air. One character repeatedly punches another, with profusely bleeding nose, blood spurting. Characters are burned with a flamethrower, both in a "movie" and in "life." Martial arts fighting, with a character thrown against a car. Dialogue about a man killing his wife. Struggling rat caught in a trap.
Scene at the Playboy Mansion shows women dressed up as Playboy bunnies. Revealing outfits. A young woman offers a man oral sex. Somewhat explicit sex-related talk.
Extremely strong, frequent language, including "f--k," "motherf----r," "s--t," "bulls--t," "c--k," "p---y," "poontang," "pr--k," "a--hole," "ass," "d--k," "goddamn," "hell," "loser," and "Jesus Christ" (as an exclamation). Racial slur "beaner."
Several vintage 1960s brands shown, more for flavor than for advertising: Wheaties, Velveeta, Wonder Bread, Kraft Mac & Cheese, a Champion T-shirt, etc.
Frequent social drinking, some secret drinking. Characters get drunk in more than one scene. A character wonders whether he's an alcoholic (he's unable to drive due to too many drunk-driving tickets). Near-constant cigarette smoking. Character smokes a cigarette dipped in LSD. He goes on a drug trip, but only his reactions are shown; the trip itself isn't shown.