rootuser-40030 Reviews

The Horde (2016 Video)

This movie was plain fun, get over it!

[8/10 · 18 May 2016]

Please see my rating system below. I am not a producer, promoter, or in any way financially attached to this film (other than I paid to buy it)

Sit down and get ready for a mix of Rambo meets Friday the 13th meets The Hills Have Eyes! The Horde is a dive in to a world of drug runners, hill folk, and a photography class outing that all come colliding together for an action/horror flick that gave me a lot I didn't expect.

As a kind of typical slasher flick, think you've seen this movie before in some iteration? Quite possibly, until we add a slight wrinkle. Not all of the campers are hapless victims, and in fact, one of them is a former Navy Seal, and BAM! suddenly we change gears into Man on Fire meets the Most Dangerous Game meets Taken.

John Crenshaw (played by Paul Logan) becomes our hero and sets out to rescue his campers and rid the world of the hideous Hill People Drug, Rape and Cannibalism Cartel (that's a joke), infamously known the world over as the HPDRCC. Logan does an excellent job with the stunts. I don't typically expect to see many if any stunts, and if there are any it's usually camera work, but in this case we had several well choreographed fight scenes. In particular, when Stone (Matthew Willig) squares off against John Crenshaw, the shots look great. NO WIRES. No fake camera, and we get to see just a couple of guys doing their own stunts and I think it plays out well.

The main bad guy, Cylus, played by Costas Mandylor comes off as your typical maniacal, egotistical, erudite, enlightened psychopath, and Mandylor just nails it. I really believe Costas should be the person playing Neegan right now in the Walking Dead. I buy his character even with the lack of dialog he has. He is the man in charge and you believe it throughout the movie.

The entire crew does their job, each one of them over-doing his or her role to the most annoying point where I am relieved to begin to see them get chopped up one by one. This is the point of the movie isn't it? I don't feel too bad when anyone dies, and some points, I'm rooting for the Hill people and I loved it! Then when I realized the hill people were sicker that heck, thanks to the role played by the immortal Vernon Wells as Earl, I begin to think they are going to get what's coming to them in the form of a John Crenshaw knife bomb to the top of the head.

Overall, if you are looking for a FUN movie, that is not afraid to pay homage to many great horror flicks in it's own way, then you'll have fun with this one. The price is right at $3 on Amazon and it's worth a Saturday night sit down. If you paid $15 to watch the Fantastic 4 that quite literally had 100 times or more the budget of this movie, and you wanted your money back like I did for that Fantastic 4 piece of garbage, $3 is a real bargain for something entertaining.

Walk in knowing what to expect, and quit expecting to get big Hollywood out of movies that are shot in just a couple of weeks, that folks barely get paid, and that isn't the umpteenth remake of a comic book I read in grade school. These movies are supposed to FUN! Have FUN and turn off your "Critic" filter and maybe just enjoy the spread!

**** My rating system **** I have rated well over 700 movies on IMDb, and written reviews for quite a few. I try to take a scientific approach and as a result, my ratings fit a bell-curve pattern as would be expected over a large sample set. I am slightly skewed on the tail (Hey, when I hate a movie I hate it) and slightly under represented on the head (Hard to find a perfect 10 IMHO).

I rate Independent flicks against independent flicks, and I rate big Hollywood against big Hollywood. It is not fair to take a movie that cost tens of thousands of dollars or less and compare it to a movie that costs 7 or 8 figures (Maybe 9!) With unlimited retakes, huge production crews, massive marketing budgets, teams of professional writers/re-writers etc. I expect more out of big Hollywood movie. I try to rate equally on story.

I like to take the time to write reviews about smaller independent movies rather than movies that 1000s of reviews as I hope some one takes what I write seriously rather than getting lost in a cacophony of similar voices.

Restoration (I) (2016)

Excellent indie psychological thriller flick with some depth

[9/10 · 3 May 2016]

As one of the first reviewers, I think it is incumbent upon me to mention I am not in any way connected to the movie. This review is completely independent. I am not in the movie industry or anything of the sort. I was lucky enough to see the movie as it was suggested to me among a long list of titles, and I am very glad I did.

Zack Ward, who you may recognize from Transformers, Resident Evil or A Christmas Story, takes his first shot at directing in this film. Along with his cohort and horror genera regular James Cullen Bressack, Zack Ward produces and takes on a major role in the film. Ward does a superb job figuring out a balance of what is needed to make a good movie on a budget. He doesn't over-do-it with cheap thrills, gallons of corn syrup blood, or anything of the sort. He allows the story to take shape naturally without forcing us immediately to conclusions.

Our story follows Todd Jordon, played by a surprise sleeper hit, Adrian Gaeta and his wife, Rebecca played by the ever talented Emily Roya O'Brien. The couple moves in to a new house and is greeted by two friendly neighbors, Harold (Zack Ward) and Francine (Sarah Ann Schultz). The couples become fast friends.

During renovations of the home, Todd and Rebecca come across a teddy bear concealed in a wall. The seeming innocuous item is actually home to a child's diary. As the story unfolds, we find that the diary belongs to little Katherine Vanderhurst. She had obviously lived in the house before, and without giving away too much, had been witness to some pretty horrible things that people do to each other, both emotionally and physically.

As the movie rolls on, we learn more and more about Katie and more about what happened to her. I appreciated the voice-over by Anna Harr. She was superb. She played the voice inside my head to perfection. Harr delivers enough for me to understand her child- like demeanor and lens on the world; but also enough to be creeped out about the whole thing all with her voice. The combination of well written lines and her delivery sealed it for me.

Sooner than anticipated we get into the meat and potatoes of the movie. The couple must unravel the mystery around Katie, and without giving away too much, their neighbors are there to help them do it (more or less).

Adrian Gaeta pulls off an excellent "guy next door". He seems like a totally normal dude, and we can all understand where he is coming from throughout the movie. I was very pleased with his performance and I bought into the writing of his character and his portrayal.

Emily Roya O'Brien does a great job with her character Rebecca, however I found her almost too good looking and too successful for the guy Adrian plays. Not because Adrian isn't a good looking guy with his chiseled features and what not, but because Ward writes the character in such a way as to be believable and you are left thinking that this guy is swinging way above his weight class with a wife like Rebecca. This is not accidental, and it plays into the movie perfectly. It is this kind of subtlety that I did not expect from a first timer like Zack Ward.

Ward plays his role well as he always does, although whoever did wardrobe and put him in a Ben Hogan hat (or whatever it is called) should have their head examined. It is not cool, not geek chic, it is I don't know what, but it doesn't work for the character. You should be ashamed! (end rant) After getting over the choice of head apparel/accessories I could see myself liking a neighbor like ole Harold, and I quite frankly hate most of my neighbors, although if he came over for a BBQ I would ask him to change his hat (ok rant REALLY over this time).

Overall, I got a movie that had some unexpected depth and layering, that didn't go straight for cheap thrill or try to over-think itself and trick me like some M. Night whoever movie. Ward and company kept it simple and it was a straight forward thriller. I would have liked a bit more character development but at the end of day, these movies are limited to ~90 minutes, so you can't get too deep. I think there was a lot more to the characters than could be crammed in to the time allotted.

Restoration is exactly what I look for in an indie horror thriller and I would recommend it.

P.S. You do get to see Ward and Gaeta pull off a pretty cool fight scene that I didn't expect to be so well choreographed. Turns out Ward is a bit of a bad ass, except for the hat.

**** My rating system ****

I rate Independent flicks against independent flicks, and I rate big Hollywood against big Hollywood. It is not fair to take a movie that cost tens of thousands of dollars or less and compare it to a movie that costs 7 or 8 figures (Maybe 9!) With unlimited retakes, huge production crews, massive marketing budgets, teams of professional writers/re-writers etc I expect more out of big Hollywood movie. I try to rate equally on story.

I like to take the time to write reviews about smaller independent movies rather than movies that have 1000s of reviews as I hope some one takes what I write seriously rather than getting lost in a cacophony of similar voices.

Flipped (2015)

What if your world got Flipped???

[8/10 · 6 April 2016]

Please read below on how I rate my movies so you can get a sense of what to expect.

What would you do if your world had been quite literally Flipped upside-down? Our story starts with Scotty Dee (Think Justin Bieber type played by Evan Taubenfeld) and "Model" Nicole Diamond. They are at a restaurant, they seem like the perfect celebrity couple, and then BAM! car into a ditch. Life goes from perfect to f-ed in an instant.

Our main character, who incidentally was actually suspended upside-down for the shooting of this film, Nicole Diamond played by the beautiful Stella Maeve, finds herself pinned under the dashboard unable to move. Phone smashed, and that god awful in-car Siri/Sync system not working (command not recognized!), Nicole finds herself unable to call for help. Her 1987 Black Berry has only a few buttons that work and she is forced to start dialing random numbers. When she finally gets hold of some one, the voice on the other end is that of a self-described nice guy who is ready to "help".

The voice on the phone, voice-over by Mr Blonde himself, Michael Madsen, talks Nicole through this tough time. He let's her know help is on the way, and decides to fill the time with her by talking through her relationship issues with Scotty Dee, who is conveniently also hanging upside down in the seat next to her.

This movie is really about relationships. It is about celebrity, the price of such, as well as what happens when we actually bother to take our world and flip it on its head. We are sometimes forced to confront our own shortcomings as well as those of our partners. We come out the other side either with an intact, stronger relationship OR a house-cleaning and moving on our way.

Madsen is absolutely superb. That gravely voice and his ability to play a seemingly sincere, yet disturbed individual comes out well over the phone.

Stella Maeve does an equally admirable job playing the shallow model, consumed by her own celebrity that is mostly in her own mind. The change in facial expressions she pulls off is subtle, but excellent. As she gets more and more understanding of her situation, no only being pinned in a car, but her situation in her relationship with Scotty Dee, she slowly adapts her expressions to fit the mood. Very well done IMHO.

One thing I did not like about the movie is that both Stella Maeve and Evan Taubenfeld both look just as good upside down as they do right side up! Their symmetrical faces do not seem to be effected by the reverse of gravity. Annoying that beautiful people always look beautiful....

Overall I enjoyed the movie because I took it for what it is, a movie about a relationship. You have a lot of time to think when you are hanging upside down in a car.

**** My rating system ****

I have rated well over 700 movies on IMDb, and written reviews for quite a few. I try to take a scientific approach and as a result, my ratings fit a bell-curve pattern as would be expected over a large sample set. I am slightly skewed on the tail (Hey, when I hate a movie I hate it) and slightly under represented on the head (Hard to find a perfect 10 IMHO).

I rate Independent flicks against independent flicks, and I rate big Hollywood against big Hollywood. It is not fair to take a movie that cost tens of thousands of dollars or less and compare it to a movie that costs 7 or 8 figures (Maybe 9!) With unlimited retakes, huge production crews, massive marketing budgets, teams of professional writers/re-writers etc I expect more out of big Hollywood movie. I try to rate equally on story.

I like to take the time to write reviews about smaller independent movies rather than movies that 1000s of reviews as I hope some one takes what I write seriously rather than getting lost in a cacophony of similar voices.

Alienated (II) (2015)

Our relationships

[7/10 · 3 April 2016]

I am a real person, who really saw this movie, and has nothing at all to gain from leaving a positive and or negative review. Read below for my criteria on how I rate these movies. Some people seem to be complaining about the positive review ratio, not sure if those are valid concerns or not. I am not friends with the actors or distribution manager or anything like that, I chose to see this movie on a suggestion.

Alienated is one of those movies that reminds anyone that has been in a a deteriorating long term relationship exactly how petty, small, and jaded we can become.

First, for all the talk of aliens in this movie, you can replace the aliens with just about any "fantastic" object and or situation and the movie still plays. The "aliens" are just the beginning of a conversation. This is not an Alien movie in my opinion, it is a movie about relationships. If you are going in expecting a sci-fi flick you'll be surprised to find out it isn't.

The movie opens with Nate, played by George Katt, witnessing a strange event/phenomenon. As he walks back into his house, the first thing you notice is he doesn't run in and tell his wife Paige, played by Jen Burry, what he just saw. They begin typical couple chit-chat as they prep for a party, but they have a subtle, yet noticeable little nag back and forth.

As thing progress, you begin to note that not all is well in this household. There are petty jealousies and simply inane and pointless bickering. The movie is uncomfortable at some points because we all either know a couple in this situation or have been there ourselves.

Enter, Griffin, played by the immortal Taylor Negron. Griffin is the next-door neighbor that offers Nate some insights into his life. Negron does not play a big part, but as a veteran actor he does a great job with his part. Would have liked to see more of him in this movie.

I won't spoil it too much, but I look at this movie differently than most of the other reviewers. I see Griffin as a Jiminy Cricket character. In my opinion, he is just the subconscious thoughts of Nate and doesn't actually "exist".

The end of the movie (which I won't spoil) isn't really what it appears to be. It is an illustration of exactly how when we are caught in these bad situations and relationships the entire world outside out little "Situation" just evaporates. There can be an alien invasion, a nuclear blast, or whatever, but we are just focused on the small things and missing the big picture, like maybe actually caring or no longer caring for the other person.

I liked the movie. I was pleasantly surprised and it was worth my time.

**** My rating system ****

I have rated well over 700 movies on IMDb, and written reviews for quite a few. I try to take a scientific approach and as a result, my ratings fit a bell-curve pattern as would be expected over a large sample set. I am slightly skewed on the tail (Hey, when I hate a movie I hate it) and slightly under represented on the head (Hard to find a perfect 10 IMHO).

I rate Independent flicks against independent flicks, and I rate big Hollywood against big Hollywood. It is not fair to take a movie that cost tens of thousands of dollars or less and compare it to a movie that costs 7 or 8 figures (Maybe 9!) With unlimited retakes, huge production crews, massive marketing budgets, teams of professional writers/re-writers etc I expect more out of big Hollywood movie. I try to rate equally on story.

I like to take the time to write reviews about smaller independent movies rather than movies that 1000s of reviews as I hope some one takes what I write seriously rather than getting lost in a cacophony of similar voices.

The Historian (2014)

The perfect indie movie

[9/10 · 10 February 2016]

My immediate reaction while watching the movie the first time: Why haven't I seen this????? Indie films are hard to keep up with and harder still to separate the wheat from the chaff but the Historian has risen to the top of my indie list to watch again and again, but more importantly, to show off to my friends.

Primarily, I would not write you had to have spent any time in academia to appreciate this movie, although having been to college or through a college course might add some appreciation, it certainly is not needed. The movie does not treat the viewer as obtuse. It assumes you can follow along and understand the multi-layered and multi-faceted complexities of the characters. Because the movie is able to go deep and wide with each character, you can begin to see them as human beings with all their faults. One might even find him or herself feeling sorry for the antagonist.

In this movie, we follow the life of Valerian Hadley, played by the immortal William Sadler. A middle-aged department head at a small private university somewhere in the south, Hadley's world is crumbling. Hadley struggles with his father's Alzheimer's. A new professor has come to town to be the big man on campus. Couple all this with Hadley's inability to get his new works published and the professor's life is just unraveling. His dry and bland personality meshed with the fact he is a jerk certainly makes him the bad guy in the film but a human one. At some point, you can see he is even dying for companionship. Although of course he handles himself "poorly" even in this facet of his life.

There is a particular scene where Hadley practices his martial arts kata (looks to be Tai Chi possibly) and you get the feeling the character is "Centering" himself. He has begun to accept the new age in his life, and things can only get better..... or maybe not. But even if they don't get better, Hadley will at least be able to finally deal with himself.

For Miles Doleac's part, as writer, director, and producer, he has done a stunning job for a first time filmmaker. Being that he wrote the script, he fully understands what and how he wants the characters to be. He seemingly lets the actors stretch their legs a bit in certain areas and it works. He did not get over-bearing and not everything is perfect, as one would expect in life.

The real story here is the humanity. The middle aged professor moving on to the later half of his career, and the new hot-shot professor just really getting his feet wet in his, both of them faced by different, but none the less daunting problems. Problems of the faculty, problems with each other, problems with possible romantic interests and even problems within themselves. There is a very pointed history lesson here: History repeats itself, even in each other. Kurt Vonnegut probably said it best: "I've got news for Mr. Santayana: we're doomed to repeat the past no matter what. That's what it is to be alive." And coming to grips with this being alive is not fearing a repeat, and maybe embracing the second half of life is exactly the message The Historian is trying to get across.

Bottom line: There are any number of ways one could read into this film, and each time I watch it, I leave it with a slightly different perspective. For a major Hollywood release, I would not get this, ever. Hollywood guides me to one specific ending, one specific feeling, the one they want me to have, and I tend to resist. The Historian however beckons me to embrace it's eccentricity, and take from it what I want, rather than being spoon fed. A mental stretch in my living room watching the Hollow is a good day. I recommend this film highly as a best in the indie film scene of the last few years.

Nightmare Code (2014)

Oh the humanity!...not really...maybe?

[9/10 · 9 December 2015]

The first complete work by director Mark Netter and co-writer and co-executive producer M J Rotondi is a "Drop the Keyboard, I'm out" success. Normally one would expect a smaller budget film to skimp on detail, and substitute blood spatter for material, however this absolutely was not the case with Nightmare_Code. The stunning attention to even the smallest detail made this film as good as anything you'd see out of big Hollywood, and the best part (wait for it!): It's a terrific, multifaceted story! Let me begin by writing I would not classify this as horror. It is much more of a thriller / suspense movie. It has a few horror elements to it, but it certainly is not blood and gore by any stretch of the imagination or anything akin to a "slasher" type movie. If you love thrillers and suspense this movie is for you. If you are looking for Jason XXXIV: Jason kills the Matrix you're probably off base.

A prima facie look at the movie will tell you that it centers around ROPER, a computer AI that runs amok. What is one of the many wonders of this movie is that the story really is the human one, and not the story of ROPER. ROPER more acts as a gravitational point which the other characters revolve around.

For much of the movie, we are viewing the world through the eyes of the artificial intelligence, ROPER, and the screen is split into 4 distinct quadrants, like looking at surveillance cam footage. The sound team deftly moves the sound appropriately to each area of the screen by moving the sound through the 5.1 or Stereo fields so you aren't left fighting to figure out which "screen" to watch. Just relax and let the sound guide you and you'll follow along just fine.

Foster Cotton, played by Steve Wozniak type Googy Gress, and his team are working on an artificial intelligence surveillance system that reads emotions and state of mind by tracking facial movements, body positions etc and then tries (with gaining accuracy) to predict the target subject's next behavior. Unfortunately, Googy for reasons later revealed comes unhinged and massacres his fellow co-workers. The sequence/footage of the killings, when revealed, is downright disturbing due to the artful way the entire movie is put together. You feel like you are witnessing a workplace shooting first hand and there is nothing you can do but watch.

When the carnage is over, it is left to the reboot team to finish the project. Enter Brett Desmond played by Andrew J West of Walking Dead infamy, and Nora Hunstman played by Mei Melançon and the rest of the crew. The underpants gnomes are off to work! (South Park reference). Working tirelessly, with Desmond both working and sleeping on site, the group tries to close out bugs and finish the project but for some reason, they can't seem to just get it over the hump and ready to ship.

Working in the technology world myself, I was stunned how close to reality this was in many ways. Of course film makers take liberties, however the idea of working all the time, facing drop dead dates, and doing the impossible as an everyday course of life nearly sent me into post traumatic stress from my days sitting and working with a team much like the group Netter and Rotondi have put together.

The little details, like the Unix shells on the screens, the obsolete books on the table, and the constant jumpiness of the characters themselves can be found in any tech company still today.

Stress points and boil overs, with a constantly menacing AI stirring the pot lead the characters down some pretty dark holes. When the characters do make mistakes, even ones they shouldn't, you feel sorry for them. You "understand" why they do the things they do, even if you know they are wrong. This is the very human piece of the story. You are meant to have little sympathy when the AI goes wrong. Humanity, is a purely human trait, and left for humans.

I will close out by writing: Nightmare_Code is a must see if you enjoyed movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey. ROPER is not as overwhelming as HAL but quite frankly, that makes it more nefarious. The question was posed to me, is the writer in the code or is the code in the writer, and I think this movie sort of answers that question in it's own interpretation. I personally thought this was a great movie and have already seen it twice. I will certainly see it a third time.

Star Leaf (2015)

Star Leaf: Follow the rules... or be punished

[7/10 · 25 November 2015]

When first introduced to the title I immediately thought of Cheech and Chong's Next Movie. Space weed and "trippin'" is what I had a feeling this movie was going to be about, and while that was part of it, it certainly wasn't anything like Cheech and Chong.

Star Leaf tells the story of 3 friends on a road "trip" to find a special strain of extra terrestrial marijuana, the Star Leaf. This drug, they hope, will help their friend cope with the effects of PTSD. Unfortunately for the group, there are rules to be followed when partaking of this cure and needless to say, some one always breaks the rules.

The story actually has multiple morals intertwined into decisions we may all face day-to-day one way or the other.

Primarily, if you use marijuana or not, it is difficult not to sympathize with a set of friends trying to help their buddy suffering from PTSD. The tolls of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq have left us with soldiers much like our veteran in this movie. Our veteran struggles with the idea of using a possible illicit substance, being an upstanding person, however, he is probably in the greatest need of the relief the Star Leaf will bring to his affliction.

Beyond the overt medicinal and or recreational uses of marijuana the story reminds us "There are rules". With great relief and or "high" comes great responsibility. And if you break the rules, there will be consequences. This is much like our politicians like to remind us, that if marijuana is legal, there are still regulations around it.

The consequences for breaking the rules are exactly when things go to hell in a hand-basket for our friends. While it is not quite a "horror" element, it definitely gets the point across. I would categorize this movie more as a Sci-Fi Drug Thriller.

Richard Cranor, who directed and wrote this film, filmed most of it right in the forests of Olympia Washington near where he resides. Ironically, Richard plays "Ranger Dave" a kind of law enforcement man watching over the "rules". Yet another not so subtle reminder, you can partake, but the law is watching.

What made this movie compelling for me was Richard Cranor's personal story. He has a brother who struggled with PTSD and Richard himself was stricken with cancer. Knowing this going into watching the film made me appreciate the personal connection he made with this movie.

I don't want to add too many spoilers, but I will write: Star Leaf is a movie with a message that resonates in my opinion. As indie movies go, I really enjoyed it. You do not have to be high or on something to get enjoyment out of the story, although I am sure the story might seem different if you were. I particularly like movies when things go to hell due to the characters bringing it down on themselves, and this movie delivers.

One can never go into watching a micro-budget movie expecting a full-fledged Hollywood flick. There is not unlimited cash to make everything picture perfect, so be forgiving. Take the story for what it's worth and enjoy the filmmaker's vision. I look forward to more of Richard Cranor's work as I think he has lots of story to tell.

Hans Crippleton Talk to the Hans (2014)

An exercise in inbred hilarity

[8/10 · 13 November 2015]

Hans Crippleton, in this viewers opinion, is the logical extreme of any "reality" TV show. It is no more silly than Ghost Hunter and the Real Wives of Wherever rolled into one. We as the viewers are essentially treated to an episode of Horror Hunts with Barnaby Hunt, played by Andy Hankins. The "show" follows the life of Hans Crippleton, played disturbingly well by Kevon Ward, and his inbred family and their lives living on a rundown farm.

We are immediately greeted with a seriously "holy Toledo!" moment near the beginning of the film when learn of Hans' birth in a dirt field as his mother is being chased by zombies. Hans is dragged through a field by his umbilical cord. This scene immediately let's us know exactly why Hans is the way he is and what kind of movie this is going to be.

The Crippleton's are essentially the Kardashians of hilly billy, inbred zombie killers and Hans is the Kim of the family. He is the celeb among celebs of their community.

On a much deeper level, this movie pokes fun at the cliques in the film and acting community. Celebrity and its micro-chasms. Hans makes a "living" attending Horror Conventions, where he is regarded as one of the celebs. Even the entire inbred Southerner theme is actually more of an allegory for the incestuous relationships that go on in the movie business as a whole. While the horror movie genre would be the first guess, I tend to think this is shot across the bow at all movies like it. Even when you look at Comic Book conventions, and the stars they now attract you see the same people over and over again, celebrity begetting celebrity. Any Star Trek convention without Jonathan Frakes isn't really a Star Trek convention is it? Any horror convention that isn't "Hans Approved" really isn't a horror convention! Hans himself is a reminder of the price of celebrity and how fickle the world can be. It might also be a lesson to not take your 15 minutes too seriously and just enjoy them.

I don't want to put in too many spoilers so I will wrap it up by writing this: Watch this movie with an open mind, and an open mouthed laugh and you will enjoy it. Micro-budget films like this are something that are best approached with levity in your heart. You will find it much more entertaining if you do. If you expect big budget explosion after explosion, scenes doctored to the nth degree, and unlimited re-shoots to make it "perfect", than this type of movie is probably not for you.

Jimmy Lee Combs is a welcome addition to the micro-budget film genre, giving us a film that is funny, has layers, doesn't bury its message too deep, but allows us to dive in deep if we want to. Jimmy lets all that is sacred just hang out there like a piñata to be beat upon, and like blind-folded little kids, we can run around and laugh and have a good time doing so.