Chad-11 Reviews

Levelland (2003)

Amazing

[7/10 · 10 May 2003]

It's ironic how most films portray teenagers inacurately, and then are attended by many teens. She's All That, probably the prime exsample. I was glad I caught Levelland (at Tribecca Film Festival) because it didn't suck, it wasn't pretenous, and it was very accurate. This is a film teens all over the country can releate to, enjoyable without sidestepping darker issues. Sure it had a few very small flaws, but this film lived and breathed. The cast was effective, as was Clark Walker's direction. The skateboarding footage was well done and some montages did play on a little too long (with in exception for one that coems near the end, which is great). Ultomatly I hope Levelland will get some level of distribution, and soon: it's the movie that teens should see, it's not escapest entertainment but it sure is inspiring. This is probably the best teen indie since "The Adventures of Sabastain Cole".

13th Child (2002)

Sucked Arse

[15 December 2002]

Wow this movie was bad. Very bad. To throw back to everyone quoting prices on the board I payed $8.75, and should probably seak $25 back from the filmmakers for this garbage. This film is pure garbage, and whats even worce is the subtitle of this film contains 'Volumne 1' as if there may be more pictures? Lets hope 1.-those cost more on improved digital video (for all who talk about the quality of DV in this film see Personal Volocity or Sex & Lucia, two films that use it beatifully) 2.-it has a plot that can not only conger up scares but is interesting and not assulating to one's intelligence, and 3.-choses talented actors. With all this said, if this were a quality horror film (and the trailer looked like it might have been) I would be chearing the efforts of low budget filmmakers to use grassroots marketing and limited releases to scare selected markets. Thats a nice idea. But this is cinematic torcher. It's even worce and feels even longer than Atarajat: The Fast Runner.

They (2002)

Better Than Most!

[8/10 · 28 November 2002]

After "Halloween Resurrection and the limited release that plagued the NJ area "The 13th Child" I have to say I really enjoyed "They." It tries harder than most films and most of the time I was really into it, it's the type of film that is a good horror film. I say this not a film lover, in fact I've seen more than 200 in theatres this year and this is amongst the most pleasurable of my experience. Guess it depends if your 1.-into this sort of thing and 2.-if you have an audence thats into this sort of thing. Sure some eliments will have you yelling at the screen, but I don't know....theres something really likeable in this. It might even be a guilty pleasure, but it's not a bad movie by a long shot. I don't know why Miramax has such little faith in it, dumping it into theaters with the cheesy title "Wes Cravin Presents" which ussually indicates a very bad movie (remember Wes Cravin Presents Wishmaster), this is suprizingly good.

Sweet 15 (1990 TV Movie)

Shockingly Good

[7/10 · 2 May 2002]

One can call this Stolen Summer...the Hispanic Verson. It's an entertaining family movie (I think...the male lead looked about 28 while the girl he was courting was 15)...beyond that note I think it's really interesting. Filled with devoloped characters, it was a joy to watch, and heartbreaking in certain parts. I saw this in Spanish class and was happy the teacher selected a film this good for a high school class. See it if you get a chance.

Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop (2000)

Great Movie

[10/10 · 3 February 2002]

Jails, Hospitals & Hip Hop is fantastic, and under-rated. Self-distributed the film didn't get the limited regional release it deserves, instead was thrown up on a porly venued screen on the top floor of the East Village 7. This is a great movie, well made, and very funny. It has a lot to say about the impact of hip hop on all sorts of culture and does it extremly well. Danny Hoch is a genus, can't wait to see his next move in movie career.

Texas Rangers (2001)

Not nearly as bad as everyone (including Demension Films) thinks it is

[9 December 2001]

Texas Rangers has hit controversy because of what it is I think. Is it a John Mullis film or a genre western. I would give a great deal to add the John Mullis orgainal script to my collection of screenplays, but I still don't hate this movie (desipite it's flaws). And boy are there some flaws (Rachel Leigh Cook, an actress I normally like's direction, tone and preformance are all wrong, it's too Lanny Boggs like to be in a historical drama..and she's a good actress, I don't blaim that entirely on her), the script is inbetween an intresting period film and a remake of Varsity Blues (which isn't entirely a bad thing, both would hold my attention, but there comes a point when it should chose. Bassicly this film suffers from a teen movie wana be complex- just look at the casting here (although Van Der Beek in his years and films to come, I think can pull off a masterful preformance somewhere, but not here). Then finally why was this movie (which is entertaining and decent) killed off, it doesn't deserve this treatment, it's not a bad movie, just one that feels like was killed off by a studio from the start. From what I've read John Mullis' script was baught my Miramax and they told him to change it. I've also heard other screen writter's names on this project as well, although two lesser knowns are credited. Let me say this..this isn't a bad movie but an undecided one, the direction is decent (although some scenes fail to work or add up) but not revolutionary. But it still held my attention. (6 out of 10)

American High (2000– )

Constently interesting

[9 July 2001]

My hope is that when it was pulled from Fox it would have been re-edited into a feature; the matteral is here for an intresting, complex and rich documentry, and thats exactly what it is. Now it's found a home on PBS, where it has held my attention. It isn't reality based TV, and to dismiss the work of an acclaimed documentry crew as another exercise in reality based TV isn't fair, given the nature of American High. American High cares more about characters than pay offs, much like the film Our Song. What interesting characters these are as well although some are underdevoloped for the sake of time. The relationships are also interestingly portrayed, something not seen in American Telivision, rich, real realtionships, it's all about one-liners in sitcoms vs. established characters. In fact American High, and NBC's reality based romantic comedy seres ED may be the only TV shows to show natural relationships without being forced with a plot in mind. My only hope is American High isn't lost, and that the series comes out on DVD, it's a story I'd like to own, it's characters much like the ones in every suberban culture, and thats why most Americans can relate to it instead of the idiotic Survivor rip-offs (ironically produced by Fox, the same network that funded this show), Big Brother, and banal sitcoms. Watch this if your serarous about good documentry filmmaking.

Wonderland (1999)

Winterbottom will never make a bad movie

[11 January 2001]

I have to admit I liked "Welcome to Saravio," only liked. It wasn't till the Atom Egoyan-esk "I Want You" came around before I realized he like Egoyan isn't a movie maker but a filmmaker. This man is a pure genuis. The film's style alone is beautiful, in a grainy dirty 16MM handheld camera style with a heartbreaking music score. Sure the first hour is a bit slow moving but in the last act of the film we are so taken in by the characters we don't want to leave them, they grow on us, inviting us into their lives and they intrest us. The handheld, 16MM night time carnival scene is worth the price of admission alone, if you watch it on DVD with A/B point loop your bound to enter a drunk-like state. This is a real movie for a real art audence- if your an barberic idiot who likes "movies" stay away, you'll be bored- if your a fan of Chucking Exspress and daring cinema, this is a must see.

Croupier (1998)

It got what it deserved

[27 December 2000]

Shooting Gallary thanks, this movie was great. Croupier is a very good thriller that would have never been seen if it wasn't for Shooting Gallary, and then the film opened in a few muliplexes, remarkable considering this little movie never even got picked up the first time around and now has made 6 million+. Clive Owen is perfect as the cold morality free croupier at the center of the movie. All the performances are good as well, Mike Hodges makes a grand comeback. See this movie sometime, it's a excelent thriller.

A Night at the Roxbury (1998)

A Comment on why this film sucked

[26 December 2000]

How do you take a two-minute SNL (back when SNL wasn't funny) bit that featured no dialogue and a bunch of pathetic idiots bobbing their heads to a song called "what is love"? YOU CAN'T. What the hell were the producers of this garbage thinking when they made it, it's not funny. The movie contained no laughs, I felt bad to laugh at these losers and in the mean time I felt like kicking the director in a private area for making this movie- it's not art. Comedy can be an art but this isn't comedy- it's nothing. This movie isn't even so bad it's funny (campy movies like the John Waters retrospect- for he is the true master of comedy). Chris Katan is wasted, he has some talent but it never comes out in this dull script that tries way too hard and never achieves. Whats worse are that movies of this genre allway included the same eliments: dudes vs. big busness, love side plots, the guys being "nice guys" and many other clashes. Stay away from this movie, stay away, this it the type of movie that makes you feel like jumping from the highest point of the stadium seating theater because you feel like an idiot for wasting an hour and a half of your time. No one I know of found this junk funny.

Loving Jezebel (1999)

Interesting and Fun

[3 December 2000]

The Tao of Steve is another film about a guy who knows how to talk to women and charm them. Hal Harper's character could use some of the Tao of Steve, for this movie is only half as smart. Yet it is fun, enjoyable and well made with sparkling performaces. This is great date picture that transends racial boundaries, it's appeal is compairable with The Best Man. At times it feels a little contrived but when it starts to take itself too searously it tosses in a laugh, sometimes the laughs are kinda cheazy (ie: the teacher's reaction to defination of love). This films romantic comedy structure flows pretty smoothly, not as smoothly as The Very Thought of You (or whatever it's called overseas), but it works well. Go see it with an open mind and ear for some interesting diolge and you'll end of having a pleasent time.

Wonderland (1999)

Brillent

[16 November 2000]

This movie is extremly haunting and beatutiful, it can move you into a drunk like state if you watch it too often I think. The look of this film is amazing in the first place, gosh it is so beatutiful and gritty the way Winterbottom's camera shoots in 16MM. It's music score is equally as beautiful. The story is a tale of reality, it's like everyone and anyone you could ever know. Sure their lives are fractured, all of ours all at times. Most people will say they were bored at this film. That is understood it is slow to some viewers, so fokes with A D D stay away-walk into this film with an open mind and exspecting to see a docuementry on real life without plot and you'll walk out glad you saw it.

Judy Berlin (1999)

A Weird Indie

[8/10 · 21 October 2000]

I love indie film, I like art films, I am split on this one. It is about nothing really, it's performances are fine, it's photography is decent (The Eclips scenes look great), yet this story goes no where. Should it go somewhere? No, but it doesn't stay with it's characters long enough to be about them! I feel awful about not enjoying this film, it's slight and sweet, it's not a hip indie and it doesn't have to be. Wonderland was a film about real people, doing real things, it's the most beatuful film of 2000, this film is pointless. The film isn't a comedy, it has dramatic elements, a film should have to fit into a certain genre (like what was American Psycho, The Virgin Sucides and Run Lola Run really....A horror film or a comedy, a drama or a comedy, or an action or foreign art film, repectively). This film has no genre because it is nothing. It's like a documentary about boring people living their boring life...it's not groundbreaking...but it's not good either. First Love Last Rites and Wonderland are two very overlooked films about real people that are much better than this art film wannabe. At Orlando's Enzian it would have been laughed off the screens by the art film crowd and the film professors that attend the theater. I understand why this film got picked up by the Shooting Gallery, it's not a real film, it's someone's life told without homor, insite or excitment. On the other hand it's charactors and direction were ok-I don't totaly hate this film-there are worce places to be in (like a screening of Adam Sandler's latest opus)-yet I am split on to what the message and the story the filmmaker is trying to tell? What is he saying, what is he telling us....he may be talented but the script is pointless, sure these people exist in real life by is it a documentation of these "real people"? If it is Wonderland is the movie to see (that film gets a 10, this one a 4)

Crime + Punishment in Suburbia (2000)

Mindblowing

[10/10 · 7 October 2000]

An amazing film, I loved every frame of it. The film is a powerful exspience and plays sort of like Boys Don't Cry for a teen audence, not to say it's dumbed down, it has an intence impact, just like that film. I wish Saturn did get theatatrical distribution.

The film's start grabs you, the opening featuring an intence sexual sequence is mindblowing from the start. The film then starts to build momentum and devolop in intresting ways. This film is unfairly overlooked, the reviews weren't kind to it. This film is about real teens (just like "Whatever" and "The Adventures of Sabastian Cole" and even "Almost Famous"). Sure it's vissual style isn't always consistent, and it does mix the in-your-face syle of american indie film with the quite style of Canadian film-it's not Egoyan. Pehaps Smimdt has yet to make a masterpeace, but this film is very nicely made, nicely acted and aways keeps it's tone intact. I am corious to see what others think of this dark thriller.

Psycho Beach Party (2000)

This year's Being John Malovich

[10/10 · 17 August 2000]

This movie is hilarously twisted. This movie should revive a wider release than Strand is going to give it, because unlike other Strand Releasing fare it has a very wide apeal. First of all let me just say with everyone in the indie world on a high over Being John Malkovich (a funny and creative movie with awsome plot twists) this movie out does it's self. Go see it if you have a chance because it might not stay in your neighborhood for long, even if it opens their at all. The movie bashes the beach movie hillarously. The films homosexuality element seemed a bit drawn out, they should have been briefer (not that I am homophobic, it's just it's joke ran on a little too long, and a scene relating to it in a police station took some unnessasary moves for it's charactors) All and all it's diffenatly funny and very campy, who knows in ten years people could be lining up around the block for midnight screenings of this movie, it deserves it's place in cult film history.

Up at the Villa (2000)

Well made

[22 May 2000]

I well written and exciting period peace. The film should be really accessible for audences..it's about sex and volence, two topics our society loves..but it's about so much more. Thanks to a crappy sound system at the theater however we missed about 20 minutes of very important stuff in the middle of the film, free passes were awarded however. The film is daring and exciting, bold performances and first rate direction! It's an incredibly watchable period peace and at times is fun.

Me Myself I (1999)

Charming, cute but not too cute

[9/10 · 28 April 2000]

A great romantic comedy, better than Sliding Doors and Twice Upon A Yesterday!!! Well directed, nicely acted, and real. This isn't a hollywood film that is boring and clashed and fake, it's honest and often hilarous. The only one problem is Regal Cinema's projector lighting, it seemed too dark (the Sony Pictures Classics logo was very dark blue, not sky blue) anyway this film is lots of fun!

Simpatico (1999)

An unskillful thriller

[24 April 2000]

I think Simpatico was ment to be a thriller. The plot is so idoitic the story sets up unnessisary pardoxes to hide it. Perhaps the stage play was adapted bizzarly....or perhaps it should stay on stage. Decent effort and proformances, but the previews do this film no justice. (just like the previews for The Ninth Gate, they make it look like a kick-ass thrill ride, not a boring excersise in tentionless horror) This film also contains no tention, good proformances, the actors tried atleast but were wasted by a bad script and bad dirrecting. I am not asking for a thriller ment to make one jump constently. (after all if I was I could have seen Scream 3, but chose this one because the traler made it look like a mature film).

Simpatico's director (who has a history in theater) has limmited talent in film, one scene works on film the way it was shot. The other scenes built tord nothing. The film is pointless it goes no where and goes around in cicrles. And thats whats dissapointing about it, it leaves too many questions about it's charactors unanswered. Exotica is millions of times better, it's also about charactors, it goes some where without much of a plot. Simpatico makes you think it has a plot. Twister had more of a plot.

Thursday (1998)

Really Good

[24 June 1999]

THIS IS AN ALTERNATIVE FILM. It's for audiences that are too hip to get offended and is wickedly brilliant and very funny. It's a comedy that does cross a line but is also dark. I respect and understand why people didn't like this movie, but I did. Use your own judgement if youre not a fan of dark Pulp Fictionish comedies that mix sex, volence and humor don't pick this one up. If you like these topics on film rent it, I can't belive it didn't play in theaters. Also another note Aaron Eckart is fantastic here as a drug dealer, also check out him playing another unlikeable charactor in the modern classic "in the company of men."

First Love, Last Rites (1997)

Very Good!! This is so inspiring

[21 June 1999]

FIRST LOVE, LAST RITES is a movie that I know people will be bored with. It is slow for some tastes. Life is slow. This movie is so true to life and it's pacing seems all too real. It's amazing it's a story not of plot but of documenting time. The story inspired a screenplay that I just finished Belmar. It has such a slow core to it and is so atmospheric. Bottom line THIS IS AN ART FILM. ("A movie simple enough for a child to understand with images strong enought for an adult"-Roger Ebert. Different people will react differently to this movie. It's for the art crowd and for film students. It's not for the average multiplex movie goer unless they get darring and wana try something new. I hope Jesse Perez makes another movie, the actors were great, well I am a huge fan of Natsha Gerson Wagner. It's a very steamy masterpeace that moves with the charactors and the atmosphere. I have no idea why this film didn't make it big. It sure is a discovery on video!

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (1999)

Not bad for an underground film

[5/10 · 16 June 1999]

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend had a decent plot and took place in one location. This movie however is an underground low budget movie that lives or dies be the actors. I liked it. The actors were alright, nothing Oscar worthy. The story line involving a jealous gay lover was very funny and so was the script. This however seemed like a really good cam corder project. I enjoyed it however but now we know that this filmmaker can make movies like this it's time for him to move on and do something better.

For the people that didn't like it, I don't know what to say. It is an underground movie. So underground indeed it theater in New Jersey. I'm a bit mad that I didn't see when it didn't receive distribution (I think it could have been a small success on the art house market). The movie only played at one theater for a week: The Screening Zone, a small 2 screen was there, I was in the next theater seeing Hurly Burly, another movie that lives or dies by the actors. Go see this one for a laugh and see Hurly Burly for something to think about.

Hurlyburly (1998)

Not bad but not good

[5/10 · 7 May 1999]

Hurly Burly made most people in the theater hurly. Seeing it produced 4 walk outs (the second most, there was 6 idiots that walked out of the awesome Velvet Goldmine). I liked the acting and the conversations. They seemed smart and played like The Last Days of Disco on drugs. The movie however is quite dark and the talented Anna Paquin is wasted as a teen runaway. The movie is enjoyable at times pointless. Also remember the movie is quite desturbing, not as bad as the very funny Happiness but they use al ot of drugs in this movie, (thus the Sheryl Crow song that uses the lyrics "I dropped acid on Saturday night" in the end credit's song "There goes the Neighborhood.") I give it 2 out of 4.

Safe Men (1998)

Cool

[30 April 1999]

A really really funny movie that everyone seems to hate. It wasn't as funny as There's Something About Mary but the art and alternative fans as well as some mainstream fans should like it. Its plot isn't perplexing but more or less it seems like pre Jim Carrey.

The Girl Gets Moe (1997)

A SUPRIZINGLY GOOD MADE FOR TV PROJECT

[12 April 1999]

I saw "The Girl Gets Moe" on HBO and normally I see the world premieres to laugh at how lame they are but this one I enjoyed. It was an action packed witty comedy that could have scored on the art circut if it was given a chance. It was a reminder of the horrable "The Big Hit" and had some essence of the Austrian road movie "Kiss or Kill." The movie was refreshing and bright, it would have been an awesome alternative film if given a release, it is a bigger atrocity then the Polygram scandal over "The Gingerbread Man." Rent it on video it's under a diffrent title and with any luck it isn't cut or edited in any form! It was the best "world premire" on HBO, and a movie that killed other low bugget action movies with actors that should be sent away from Hollywood but look good.

Your Friends and Neighbors (1998)

A GREAT FILM!!!!

[10/10 · 4 October 1998]

The best film since Pulp Fiction, Neil Labute rules. The bed hopping ways of the characters and there evilness make it very funny. Carry (Jason Patrick) is the movie best part. I didn't think it was possable but it was better then in the company of men!