"Drop Box" is a film that will make you double check your movies before returning them.  We open up our film following a lovable slacker named Tom (David Cormican), who is going through another boring day at work.  Things get interesting for him when a pop princess named Mindy (Rachel Sehl) accidentally exchanges "Glitter" for her self-made porno tape.  She attempts to get the video back from Tom without telling him the contents of the tape. Sadly, he's not willing to budge.  Mindy is not having a good day.  She is battling Tom, her manager on the phone, and she's also missing a photo shoot.  Since a good chunk of the film is Tom and Mindy battling each other verbally, the performances need to be sharp, fast, and witty. Thankfully, David and Rachel have great chemistry and look very comfortable on screen. 

One thing I strongly dislike about films like this is the fact that a lot of the characters are unlikable and rude.  They are in the situation they are in because they deserve it.  They don't really have a lot of likable qualities or traits.  It's the same problem I have the "Clerks" franchise. Everyone is cussing, loud, racist, vulgar, and self-absorbed.  You need characters that have some redeemable qualities and traits.  If not, you can clearly understand why they are stuck working at the video store.  If they were charming, entertaining, and likable, they would be running for president of the world.  I think a film like "Office Space" had it right.  Peter and his gang of misfits are talented, but stuck in a bad situation. It's not self inflected like in most slacker films.  You can see them being worthwhile in the world.  That's a major flaw with a lot of these slacker films.

The plot of the film could have also been made clearer and more concise.  First of all, what is a pop princess doing renting VHS tapes at a run down video store?  She should own every single film ever made in the history of the universe.  Also, she shouldn't be out renting the video by herself.  Her entourage should be renting it.  I've never seen anyone even remotely famous at Hollywood Video renting a film.  She is also not misplacing porno tapes of herself.  She's putting her porno tape in a vault with a lock and key.  I just wish the screenwriters would have explained her situation a little bit better.  At times, it doesn't make any sense.  I might be nitpicking here, but these little things annoyed the heck out of me.  If you cleared up a couple of things here and there, I think this could have been a strong film.  It's still enjoyable, but it would have enhanced the enjoyment factor of the film.

I'm really on the fence with this film.  I would say half of the film worked and half of the film didn't work. In the end, I give a mild but cautious recommendation to "Drop Box."  The stuff that worked makes the film worth checking out on Netflix or when it hits video stores.  I still think there is a really good movie to be made out of the slacker franchise.  With that said, I think The Carasoulos’ will only get better as time go on.  This is a good first film. 

• For more information on production, festival runs, impending release, and creator interview, visit the "Dropbox" official site: http://www.dropboxthemovie.com/