Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

Wordiezett So much average

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

vchimpanzee Andrew is a college student in California (though he looks a little old to be a traditional student) who works in a hotel and is apparently some distance away from his parents, who have financial problems. His options for continuing his education are limited. He lives with Melissa, who seems to have a job, but whatever they make, it is not enough. With their friend Jonny, they decide to take a trip in a blue Corvair to Mexico, with the apparent intent of partying, but there is one additional stop to make.Pepe is a drug dealer who is quite a character. He also has parties, but that's not why they are visiting. Pepe can sell them $2000 worth of a certain drug which they can take back to the States and sell for a profit, solving Andrew's problems. But to get the drugs past the border guards, Andrew and Jonny have to do something very unpleasant. Actually, Jonny didn't have to do anything but he felt bad for his friend.So the road trip resumes, and the friends get to party, but there are problems, and a return to Pepe's place is required. Pepe is having his own party--a costume party--so the friends have to put on costumes. It's not as funny as it sounds, but anyway ...Carlos is a mechanic the friends meet on one of their first stops, and they encounter him later. The Corvair has some minor damage the first time, and Carlos would be happy to fix it, but Andrew says no. The friends really need Carlos on their second trip through his town, which has turned into quite an adventure.So will the group succeed in their mission? Or will they at least get out of Mexico alive? This movie is an adventure, but not really a fun one. Most of the time it can be quite depressing, at least when the friends aren't on the run toward or away from something. There is humor, most of it provided by Pepe and his obviously gay friend (Pepe also seems gay but it's not as obvious). The friend seems German but the only name in the cast list that would seem to fit is Raul. Anyway, he's tough and strong despite his feminine behavior. These two would seem to be the most obvious reason to watch.I know Colin Hanks from two TV roles: an uptight cop with a rebellious partner, and a fairly normal husband and father with a quirky wife, parents and siblings. Here, he has long hair and is somewhat reckless, but he is slightly more logical than his friend. It took me a while to recognize him (in his other roles he looks and talks just like his father), but he definitely shows signs of his father's talent here.Lauren German also shows talent. Her character is the voice of reason but can't seem to get through to the others. She cares about them but the terrible situations they get themselves into upset her a lot. Still, she does her best to remain strong.I'm not familiar with Eric Balfour but he does a good job as well. Andrew is one dangerous character and he's lucky to have Melissa.I want to single out a cute little girl trying to raise money at the U.S.-Mexico border as well.There was so much cursing sometimes I couldn't tell what was going on for all the interruptions in the sound, which of course were accompanied by obscured faces when it happened. But with the drug references we already knew this was not fit for family viewing. There is occasional violence as well.There was music for just about every taste. I liked a lot of the Spanish language music and judging from the number of times I saw the word Mariachi in the credits, that must have been the style. Some of the other music I didn't care for.If you like desert scenery with some green, there's plenty of that. I prefer lots more trees myself.If you like adventure and can stand not to laugh too much, this might be for you.

Wizard-8 I know the big struggles independent filmmakers often have trying to make movies, so I don't want to come across as a grouch concerning this movie. But quite frankly, I just don't think this movie succeeds. The main problem with the movie is the script. For starters, it is badly paced - the first half of the movie is really padded out, so much so that viewers will quickly become impatient by the movie's seeming reluctance to throw in some kind of conflict. The second half of the movie is a little more successful, with big problems coming up for the protagonists and a few scenes of (mild) suspense. But ultimately, this half of the movie does not succeed because of another problem with the screenplay - the protagonists are annoying. They fail to generate even a little bit of sympathy from the audience, being stupid and law-breakers. I will admit that the movie even during its first (slow) half is not boring, and it looks good for what was a rock bottom budget. But ultimately, there seems to be no point to this movie. It isn't insightful, it isn't really all that entertaining, and it's only slightly more engaging than watching a blank wall for 85 minutes.

vanessa mcc This is a lousy flick. The three main characters were especially irritating. I only continued watching in the hope that I would get some enjoyment out of watching them suffer once things started going wrong. Unfortunately,the level of suffering they endured did not match the poverty of their acting ability or the superficiality of the characters they played. They were not helped by a lousy script. The plot, although not highly original, did have some potential for suspense and interest, however this was never realised in this film. No one involved in this film deserves ever to work in the movie industry again.

Sternbetrachter I liked the movie, I have seen better ones and I've seen worse ones, overall it was okay. I'm a big Colin Hanks fan and I loved seeing him not play a geek or shy guy for once. His character was funny and I loved his performance (but then again, I'm biased). Eric Balfour didn't really impress me, I didn't really get into his character or could care for what he went through. Lauren German was okay - I liked her chemistry with both guys and her acting was believable. The two gay drug dealers are the best - at first you have to laugh at their antics but then later, they prove that it is not good to try and mess with dealers or steal their money.I'd say this movie is a possible choice for a fun Friday with friends, popcorn and coke.