Midnight Son

NIce indy find.
I really enjoyed this movie, it is surprisingly well shot and paced, especially for an Indy. It has lots of atmosphere, and the director successfully creates an ever increasing sense of dread as the film unfolds. Also, the San Francisco area locations are well represented and add a nice sense of scale and intimacy to the proceedings. Some may find it less then action packed, but there is a lot of promise on display here that well cancels out whatever growing pains might be evident. Nice job.

On my top 10 list
This movie offers a fresh take on the genre. I found myself easily identifying with the main character, and the melancholic mood reminded me of Let The Right One In, another of my favorite vampire movies. The choice of the scriptwriters to focus on realism was a welcome change from the overly supernatural offerings that are so common. If you like vampire flicks that are thought provoking instead of kill-a-minute (although it has its share) get this movie.

Nicely done and better than expected
This is a very nicely done story of a man who discovers that he is turning into a vampire, while at the same time falling in love with a young woman who becomes increasingly worried about him. It was far better than expected, well acted and photographed.

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Freak Dance

Matt Besser. CBB. Make it work.
It is no "The Dark Knight Rises," but it is a movie by the delightful Matt Besser. Show some love for the CBB - UCB - ODB homeboy and boy/rent/view his movie. It is better to live in a world where Matt Besser works hard than a world where he does the opposite.

This movie changed my life!
Not for the weak-stomached, this movie is for connoisseurs of the 1980s dance movie genre. If you weren't a wide-eyed youth when you watched "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo" for the first time, "Freak Dance" may not hold the same special something. Although there is a healthy dose of shout outs to "Step Up," "You Got Served" and the like, it is "Flashdance" and "Beat Street" that this movie's roots are in. Basically, this movie is HILARIOUS!

Great Goofy Musical
This is a pretty enjoyable goofy musical, with lots of good dancing. Kind of a spoof of footloose. Full of hilarious comedians. I would have liked to see the weed fiend played by Paul Rust a little more; that character was hilarious. Unsurprisingly, the 4 funniest characters were the ones played by the seasoned UCB founders. This movie is very fun, but probably not for anyone who dislikes musicals.

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The Forger

Caramel by the Sea
JHutch is an artistically-talented 15-year-old boy who's mother left him. He ends up entering-but-not-breaking into the home of an artist who eventually becomes his temporary guardian and who commissions a forged painting from him.

Basically, Everly (the artist/art dealer) takes advantage of Joshua's talent and the fact that he is a kid with no place left to go. In steps Anne Marie, who DOES in fact give a care about him. Turns out that Anne Marie and Everly have a little something in common.

Then there's Amber, who Joshua decides right away he has a thing for. He befriends her and her older brother and becomes a bit possessive of her. Amber (Hayden Panieterre) doesn't have a crucial role in this film. I think they just threw her in for a romantic element.

Still confused about the little Irish guy. I'm not sure if he's supposed to be Everly's partner or his partner, partner if you catch my drift. Either way, he's a bit annoying.

Storyline...

Great cast! Great location! Great score! Great movie!
The beautiful scenery of Carmel, in combination with a great cast and score, make this movie a great one. I really look forward to more from this director...

Stellar cast, gentle film, I wanted and expected more
THE FORGER (a/k/a CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Prod. Josh Hutcherson/Carlos De Los Rios, Writ. Carlos De Los Rios/Lawrence Roeck, Dir. Lawrence Roeck, 2012, 110 minutes) was sort of fun, humorous 'after-school-special' type drama that kept me watching.

Josh Hutcherson plays Joshua Mason, a Carmel, California kid of immense misfortune. His horrifying monster of a mother, drug addict and child abuser, abandons him in a motel room where he is later found. Though he is supposed to be 15, Joshua somehow eludes school and even foster care. He is taken under the wing of a suave art forger (Alfred Molina) who needs Joshua's immense artistic talents.

One thing simultaneously refreshing and frightening is the art forgery lesson this film teaches. Never have I seen a film specifically oriented this way, but it felt quite real to me. More real than the drama it enfolded.

Along the way he meets the wonderful, immortal Lauren Bacall as Anne-Marie, the local eccentric...

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The American Dream

"The American Dream" review
"The American Dream" plays much better than those jerky hand held camcorders and there's even a homage to that inserted in the movie. It still manage to retain an edge of professionally done, as I haven't experienced the nauseous seesaw feeling that one get from watching handheld movies. What movie does managed to succeed brilliantly is to haunt me. I kept thinking about long after the movie ended.
First, I want to mention that I am deaf. Though I have a cochlear ear implant, movies are not always understandable to me, no matter how loud it is. The product information does not mention closed captioning (CC) and/or English subtitles. I knew Mr. Walker-Smith was on Twitter and have tweeted him about the possibility of being sent a link to the movie's transcripts, as I've ordered the movie. I and a bunch of other loyal fans continue to follow the careers of the actors from Stargate Universe. Most of the time when I ask about these things, I'd get the standard response of "I'll look...

solid first time directorial effort
Jamil Walker Smit has put together a smart low-budget film that shows the reality of those who go off to fight for our country, the choices they make (have to make?) in order to do so and what happens when they are finally abroad. All without sacrificing heart and humor.

The American Dream
In their last 36 hours before embarking upon a different type of battleground, i.e., the war in Afghanistan, two best friends, Luis and Ronald, will capture on video their countdown moments leading up to their enlistment as Marine Corp. Luis (Jamil Walker Smith, Stargate Universe) and Ronald (Malcolm Goodwin, American Gangster) are polar opposites in terms of personalities; however, both share memories of growing up in Los Angeles and will leave behind families that express mixed emotions about their decision to fight in the war.

Luis is the lighthearted prankster and Ronald is the philosophical soon-to-be father. Luis was abandoned by his father at a very young age and then later in life by a girlfriend that moved to Brooklyn, NY. Although Luis dreams of being a filmmaker someday, his low grades didn't secure a scholarship to the University. Ronald, on the other hand, is shown reading a thought-provoking book while on a beach excursion and in another scene, talking to and...

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