If you’re looking for an indie short that’s both utterly disgusting and very disturbing then I have the ticket for you. “The Growth” is almost like a neo-version of “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill,” where we set our sights on a very lonely mane named Bill who lives a life of solitude and isolation. The man is middle-aged, a bachelor and completely lets his family down at every turn when they attempt to get closer to him. After being set up on a date by a friend, he arrives home completely exhausted and explains to his online friend that in the middle of a date the girl he was with bit him on the shoulder in the heat of passion.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
School Gyrls (2010)
I swear the first person who asks me “Why did you even watch it?” gets a smack across the face “Melrose Place” style. I don’t know why I am prone to giving movies that assure me will be awful a chance. I’m just a sucker like that. Maybe it’s the hot girls, or maybe it’s the short running time, but I sat there and watched it and laughed at the appearances by the hip hop stars like Justin Beiber and Soulja Boy, people who supply cameos and are bound to be forgotten within the next two years. Attempting to be “Bring It On,” “Mean Girls,” and “Grease,” this Nick Cannon endorsed pop musical teen drama (that’s an exhausting description) watches like a parody that’s meant to do nothing more than market on the gullibility of its tween audience who want to see three annoying girls who we’re told are outcasts (since when are attractive fit girls outcasts?) overcome the odds by–dancing and singing!
My Name Is Bruce (2007)
In the climax of this horror comedy Bruce Campbell who is playing Bruce Campbell is staring down two executives after the screening of his latest horror film and proclaims “The Fans Deserve Better.” I honestly don’t think he believes that anymore. Because for what I’ve seen over the last few years, Campbell is very aware that he is now riding on his cult reputation more than anything and is strictly winging it in terms of entertainment and original horror films. Campbell who has become somewhat of an icon over the decades by making bad movies and appearing in conventions eventually became a joke. Then there’s this 2007 monstrosity that further emphasizes Campbell the joke while also acting as an obvious vanity project that pretends to be for the fans but really feels like it’s for Bruce.
Lunch Break (2005)
Re-watching “Lunch Break” reminded me what a joy it was to watch the first time, experiencing a short mock documentary centered around the working class and their reliance on big corporations to get by and support their family. John W. McKelvey’s short film is about something, and in the midst of a really bad repression where everyone is losing their jobs and working for basically nothing, “Lunch Break” holds a deeper social relevance now than it did five years ago. People are at a point where they’re sacrificing everything from their personal happiness to their dreams just to get a paycheck and survive another day, and “Lunch Break” has a resonance to it that reaches toward the audience or anyone who has ever been in a rut at a dead end job.
Turkish Superman/Supermen Donuyor (1979)
I make no allusions about my passion for Superman. I love the character, I’ve followed him since I was five, and I’ve seen everything I could get my hands on involving him. I even brag to people about it and gladly welcome their mocking. Most recently I was able to grab a copy of “Turkish Superman” a cult classic that has managed to remain an underground joke among movie collectors for decades since its release. A cinematic embarrassment up and down, it’s tough to really hate this when you consider all the quirks behind the production.
Black Coffee (2009)
Tran Quoc Bao is a very talented filmmaker who I first was introduced to with his short “Bookie” which was a pretty good neo-noir crime thriller. The only reservation I had with this is that Bao has potential to stage a truly exciting feature length thriller here and whether it’s about the budget or the capabilities to do so, I would love to see this eventually made in to a full length mystery that could fully realize the talents of the entire production crew. “Black Coffee” is a film that aspires to take a page from the Hitchcock book of filmmaking.
Asian Bad Ass Meets Sexy Alien: The Interactive Game (2010)
I haven’t been a very big fan of Guil Clavera’s projects in the past. While he does have an interesting creativity to him, his movies don’t always come off as entertaining as they should be. Trying to break out of the box that is indie filmmaking Clavera is testing the waters with his Youtube project “Asian Bad Ass Meets Sexy Alien” which is a series of short films that uses the interactive element of Youtube to turn the series in to a “Choose Your Own Adventure” game. While I was very skeptical off the bat, I found myself rather immersed in the different paths that could be taken as the game goes on.