The movie is centered around a passionate film geek “Brad Zhul” played by Daniel Bartkewicz and his movie review website that has so much authority that it can influence Hollywood, think power to the little people. The portrayal of the webmaster come film critic is spot on and resonates with everyone here at independent film reviews, though sometimes a little over the top.

“Spoiler Alert is a black comic/revenge tale from first-time feature filmmaker David Rakowiecki (pronounced Ra-cow-ski). Itʼs about Brad, the operator of a movie scoop website and Harrison, a down on his luck film director who has squandered his artistic abilities in pursuit of easy paydays. One night Harrison shows up on Bradʼs doorstep looking to exact revenge upon him because he feels Brad and his website have ruined his career. Chinese food, movie geek talk and murder ensue.”

The scene is set, and stays that way throughout, inside a small basement cave – a movie making tactic that hasn’t worked in a very long time, or at least as long as I can remember. The director uses hand held camera work and scene cutaways which help with the flow and overall feel of this film which everyone here at IFR thoroughly enjoyed.

Spoiler Alert deals with something we discuss here on a regular basis, how do you deal with a bad film when you have so much influence at your disposal and you know your review can help make or break that movies chance of success? I’m just thankful right now I actually loved this film and could write an honest review without a knock on the door from the disgruntled director!

For a basically “one scene movie” with virtually no score, Rakowiecki keeps things moving along with some unexpected plot twists and turns that managed to keep us all entertained, when the pace began to slow, another twist comes along at almost exactly the right time, great directing overall and kudos to the camera operators for some stellar hand held work.

Well – no bad reviews over here, or spoilers for that matter. We all thought Spoiler Alert was one of the most well polished, best acted and well written indie flicks we’ve received in a long time. Unfortunately we get a lot of junk sent our way and unlike Brad, we try and stray away from negative reviews, you just never know who will be knocking on your door!

Get your hands on a copy and see for yourself. 7/10

It’s Giuliani’s New York. Peep shows are being cleaned out of Times Square; boom boxes and graffiti have become public enemies. Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) has just graduated high school. In the span of this one summer between his parents’ apartment and his college dorm room he will experience a myriad of life’s firsts.

Set on the Upper East Side, “The Wackness”, is a new twist on the common coming of age theme. “What new twists?” you ask. Well, while many of us had a summer job, I don’t know anyone who sold marijuana out of an ice cream pushcart.

Luke does his part to keep New York City the way many non-New Yorkers envision it. He plays a soundtrack of early 90’s rap on his walk-man as he sells drugs to Manhattanites. Luke trades drugs and candid conversation with his Therapist, Dr. Squires played by Ben Kingsley.

The relationship between Luke and Dr. Squires takes on new meaning as the doctor gives Luke frank advice about living in the moment and enjoying his youth through sex and drug use. His advice comes back to bite him though when Luke begins a relationship with his stepdaughter, Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby). We watch Luke grow and learn the lessons we all had to learn the hard way. I felt a connection with the main character as he described his place in the striated society of an American High School’s population.

Director and writer, Jonathan Levine, does an excellent job getting his audience involved with his characters. Each one was developed with enough texture to make us care about the events in their lives. The addition of some offbeat talent (cameos by Method Man and an Olsen twin) made for a unique cast that did a great job with their acting duties. The general feel of the city and the time period came through to the audience on an appropriate level. This type of movie has the potential to become a kitschy rendition of what it is trying to portray. “The Wackness” did not come off in that manner. Much of the credit for this accurate rendition must be given to the music. I enjoyed the soundtrack immensely and it brought me back to my days listening to A Tribe Called Quest and Notorious B.I.G. The music really set the tone for the entire movie.

If you are a 30 to 35-year-old man who grew up in America, you will have an immediate attachment to many of the themes in this movie. I’m sure you will root for Luke in his final throws of adolescence. While he’s no Holden Caulfield, Luke does a good job as an anti-hero that we can relate to.

Best line (that is not representative of the rest of the dialog): “I got mad love for you, Shorty. That’s on the real. I like… I wanna like listen to Boys II Men when I’m with you.” – Luke Shapiro

The film has some dramatic moments, like when entertainment lawyer Marilyn Marsden confronts her ex-lover and his new boyfriend.  It also includes several laugh out loud scenarios including deluded Ashley pouring her heart out to her sex addict lover, Todd.

Three stories run parallel over a period of time in the film and all come together in the dramatic climax.

The writers made me care about the characters and left me wanting more so I would have to give this film a big thumbs up.

User Review Submitted By: Aaron Kreider

The scene starts as Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and his vice captain are escorting a relic called the “King’s Seal” across the real world when suddenly they are assualted by a masked soul reaper and two viazards ( viazards are soul reapers who are able to maifest their hollow energy into physical form thus increasing their power). Hitsugaya takes on the masked Soul Reaper and is fatally wounded by his sword. He is suddenly reminded of his past. As the masked Reaper runs away Hitsugaya abandons his transport to chase after this person whom he believes is a diseased friend from his early days named Kusaka. The entire 10th division (his squad of soul reapers) is placed under arrest until Hitsugaya is found. It is Ichigo who finds him and seeks answers to the strange behavior that Hitsugaya is showing.

Toshiro leaves Ichigo to find the truth. Meanwhile, the entire Soul Society is in pursuit with some for truth others for capture. Kusaka is revealed to be the devious Soul Reaper who has taken the “King’s Seal” and has a dangerous plot to not only Toshiro but the entire Soul Society in a whole. Will Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya be able to see the reason for this whole sordid affair? Will Soul Society ever begin to understand that duty is two fold? And will Ichigo ever hook up with one of his many admirers? Well the first two can be answered, unfortunately the third will have to wait!

The animation is crisp in this movie. Noriyuki Abe really put a lot of work into displaying all the emotion and raw feeling of battle and honor that has made Bleach fans fall in love with the series. Michiko Yokote and Masahiro Ōkubo wrote a very deep and in depth plot line that is not cut up and flows very well. Fans of Shonen Jump and mangas alike will enjoy the cleverness and deep rooted themes. Those who enjoy the visual art will not be disappointed either with the gorgeous display of colors, no choppiness, and emotional actions that is sometimes left out inside full length features (Naruto can sometimes be called on for this).

So in closing definitely see this movie. It is a nice display of all the Bleach animators and their capabilities, as well as ingrain you into a story that if you haven’t been following you will want to. A 5/5

So there is a it of familiarity with this film, such as the same type of prison theme you see time and time again. Shaun Parkes plays Joey’s cell mate, and though enjoyable to watch is very cliche’. Not to mention Gil Bellows’ performance feeling very reminiscent of Mickey Rourke’s character in Bullit. Visually there are some really nice scenes artistically but not enough that will keep you entertained. The writing also is a bit drab, trying to be philosophical but coming off as dribble and out of place. The music does add to the effects though as most of it is taken from the Blue Notes and gives some added ambiance. But overall the theme is predictable and the story pretty much tells its ending all throughout which gives the viewer a bit of a letdown.

I would definitely say to rent this one and check it out if you’re in the mood for a semi moody noir but don’t go in with high expectations. There are some pretty good scenes and semi solid writing but overall a 4.5 out of 10 because it is a theme that is played out and has been played better and a bit predictable.

Though this documentary is one sided, it does bring up many topics that the computer world still seeks to answer today. Hacking back in those early years was an exploration of answers for kids whose techno intelligence was far more advanced than that of the people who were providing the technology at times. Another thing I like is that even though you do get a Michael Moore feel in the light-heartedness that Emmanuel Goldstein emits, he never strays from the main story of this film and every route he takes leads back to the subject of Kevin Mitnik.

So in closing if you enjoyed Hackers are People Too then try to find this one. It is distributed through the 2600 site and you may be able to find it on one of your local non-commercial movie rental stores. Another nice thing about gettig this movie is there is a follow up interview with Mitnik and Godstein that is really nice to hear because you get a sense of what it was like throughout the whole time Kevin was being chased. This film easily earned a 8/10.

And it’s pretty damn funny at times. The guy playing Michael Justice is dead-pan to the point where I was actually uncomfortable for the other actors. He has these little moments where his character is just so dumbfounded by someone or something that he can’t even speak. He is by turns arrogant and cruel, slow-witted and naive. What’s funny is not that he’s making the worst movie ever, it’s that the people around him are actually humoring him and taking the project seriously. It’s similar to a Christopher Guest vehicle in that sense. The laughter comes from awkwardly ignorant or self-absorbed characters.

No Burgers for Bigfoot works on many levels, and falls short on others. I don’t think all the actors were talented enough to pull off their archetype in a half-way believable way. Most error on the side of cartoonish absurdity. Yet overall this is a pretty clever film that should find its home on the Indie shelves at video stores around the county, the passionate recommendation of the quirkiest of employees! I give it 3 our of 5 stars.

Overall this was a satisfying glimpse into a world I don’t know much about. The editing was crisp and the characters all seemed to speak freely and naturally, the sign of a talented director. The film runs in at about 45 minutes, but doesn’t feel too short. Most of the footage obtained is from a recent Defcon conference, which is an annual conference where hackers convene for a big tech fair and party. I would recommend this film to just about anyone. It was fun, full of colorful characters and really interesting. 4 out of 5 stars.

Be Kind Rewind is just that, a fairy tale of a film, and it’s certainly a wonderfully ride. Michel Gondry’s world is always imaginative and beautiful, and this is no exception. In the scope of his career, I would put this below Eternal Sunshine but above The Science of Sleep. This film is most definitely worth seeing!

8 out of 10 rating

When the New Hanover Wildcats lose their funding, a band of obsessive local weirdos pull together to save the season and the program. They come up with the idea of an adult flag football game with local celebrities to raise money. What ensues is a wonderfully deadpan, eerily believable, and overall well done film with some priceless moments and a cast that seems like they were born to play these roles. I would highly recommend checking this one out!

9 out of 10 rating

In Attack of the Slime People (directed by Martin King) Buddy Flavanoid is a washed up Hollywood director trying to make his big comeback and cement his place in history as one of the greats. He sets out to make a monster movie about slime people but ends up himself becoming a monster of sorts, murdering (with a baseball bat of all things) anyone who threatens to get in the way of his “uncompromising vision.” There are some bizarre twists and wild gross out moments which I don’t want to ruin by disclosing too much here.

For a low budget movie, this is a fully-realized work of art, with great writing, directing, acting, look and style. It’s at once timeless and modern. All I can say is: find and see this one-of-a-kind comedy that both satirizes a genre and turns it completely on its head! A future cult classic in the making!

9 out of 10
Movie Posters

Control, based off the memoir of Curtis’ wife Debbie (played here by Samantha Morton), is a beautiful, moving, but ultimately flawed elegy to the late singer. Music video legend turned feature film director Anton Corbijn (Nirvana, Depeche Mode, etc.) shot the entire film on location in stark black and white. Visually, this is a gorgeous and mesmerizing film, but where Corbijn fails is his blind desire to make this a study of one man and one man only, a decision that comes at the expense of nearly every other character introduced, including Curtis’ wife herself (a shameful waste of Morton).

An even bigger, and downright unforgivable, flaw is the misguided and joyless approach to Joy Division’s music. We are forced to watch lifeless performance after lifeless performance (and from the footage I’ve seen, Joy Division was anything but lifeless on stage), the only exception being a show where Curtis actually collapses on stage from an epileptic seizure. The band is only seen rehearsing and writing music once (are we supposed to believe music as powerful and influential as theirs just came out of thin air), and we never get a sense of why any of the other musicians are in the band. Corijn seems to strip every character around Curtis of a personality to somehow amplify the “specialness” of Curtis himself. None of this, of course, does the music and art of Joy Division any justice. And this is coming from someone who’s not even that big of a fan.

Sam Riley, who plays Ian Curtis, is the one shining light. He deftly carries the film through some painstakingly slow plot development and meandering story lines, like Curtis’ other love interest, Annik. The biopic, especially the musician biopic, seems to be a task rarely pulled off, and while this is a noble effort, clearly done with much love and respect to Curtis, it unfortunately falls way short of its subject.

6.5 out of 10

Margot’s sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is engaged to Malcolm (Jack Black), an unemployed slacker who fancies himself a struggling writer and artist. As a couple, they are intelligent but underachieving fatalists. And having Margot around isn’t going to help at all. She comes in like a whirling dervish, force-feeding her paranoid theories and repeating every nugget of gossip told to her in confidence. What Baumbach really excels at is dialogue and interaction. Without resorting to pithy back-and-forths or bombastic showdowns, the characters deconstruct and analyze of one another almost nonsensically until they are all pushed to brink of madness.

Baumbach has come a long way since his whiny and self conscious debut Kicking and Screaming (1995), and in his maturity has begun to make challenging and entertaining tragicomedies that will stand the test of time. I would put his last two works up there with any film of the last five years. 9 out of 10.

As I am married to a British citizen I already knew much of what was portrayed in this well laid out film. However there is a lot to be said about the other countries that I was at least partially unaware of. I like to think a fair amount of U.S. citizens know just how bad our health care system has become but when compared to country’s that you just out right expect to have a lesser system in place such as Cuba only to find they are a few levels ABOVE us?!? There was something *I* personally learned.

Michael Moore goes out of his way repeatedly to avoid biased opinions from the people he interviews and continuously finds new “average citizens” of the various countries he travels to in order to give the viewer a well rounded perception.

Its hard for me to imagine there is a place where people are given top notch health care and no one is in huge debt from receiving life saving treatments, such a place sounds like something out of a fairy tale. On the flip side of that, in all the countries in which such things are true (and there are many) those people can not imagine our situation. There is right and there is wrong and denying a person Chemotherapy with 80% success rate because they can’t pay, well that’s wrong.

The revealing information regarding top name insurance companies of this country is fascinating and if for no other reason everyone should view this film to see that aspect. Well worth the 123min! 8.7/10

Our story starts off with our main character Ryan (Paulo Costanzo, “40 Days and 40 Nights”) who in the span of one day loses his girlfriend, his apartment, his job, and the chance at a lucky lottery ticket. When calling in the ticket he finds out it is the wrong numbers but the right time for his call. He gets a job doing stories for a lottery winner newspaper and it is from here that he meets his new life, there are many choices that he must make that begin to make him question his morals, and the morals of the people around him.

The movie starts off great. I’m a big fan of Paulo Costanzo due to his like-ability and charisma on screen. Unfortunately after the first fifteen minutes he misses the cues of keeping the character like-able nature and loses a lot of life that he shows. The supporting actors didn’t do a very good job either except for the parents who remind me of a Freed Willard and Catherine O’Hara duo.

The writing jumps around way too much, one minute Ryan is learning about how to live his new life, the next he’s giving dissertations on other peoples. Also the transitions between scenes fast forward a lot and the audience is left with far too much to speculate. The scenery however does save this film from being bad, as it shows some of the best that Vancouver Canada has to offer. If you’re stuck on whether or not to check this one out I would not advise it and that hurts me to say. The acting is a trifle lacking, the story jumps around a bunch, and the writing just isn’t there. I hope Douglas Coupland can redeem himself from this one because I did see what he could be capable of. This film gets a 4/10!

The plot is simple, an alcoholic hit man (Kingsley) botches a job due to his alcoholism, Is sent to San Fran to clean up his act and get into a program. Even telling some co-workers about the premise of the movie cracked a laugh. Its a very whitey movie, sometimes a little slow but definitely worth a watch….

One thing that did grab my attention was Lenoi’s role, I felt it was almost identical to the role she played in Fun with Dick and Jane, I really think they should have thought of that whilst casting, but she did a great job none the less.

Luke Wilson played a fabulous AA sponsor, Hes really grown on me over the years (check out Idiocracy) and brings much more to the table than his more One dimensional brother, Owen. (Except Behind Enemy Lines but that doesn’t count because it bombed.)

Dennis Farina played an outstanding role as the Irish mafia leader, He’s one of my favorite badguys of all time, You Kill Me is definitely one of his best roles, all be it a little small. Overall, the acting in this Indy film was very good, the casting was perfect, the plot with intertwining stories worked very well and it made me laugh out loud on several occasions.

Well worth the watch, check IFC for times. I’ll give You Kill Me a 7.5/10

While conducting experiments in a garage, Two brilliant engineers who lead double lives accidentally discover that there latest project allows them to travel back in time. Each mans curiosity leads to experiments without the other’s knowledge, some with serious consequences. (from the DVD cover) This is the most thought provoking, intelligent film I have ever seen…

The Acting is just mind blowing, It’s so refreshing seeing new faces on screen with real talent. The two lead males in this movie were simply fantastic. The dialog is beyond anything we’ve been treated too since some of Kubrick’s stuff in the early 2000s.

Its not often a movie comes around that forces you to think the unthinkable, solve incredible puzzles and blows you away with it’s smarts. This is one of those DVD’s anyone should have in there collection for so many reasons, Not only did it win the grand jury prize at the 2004 Sundance film festival, it became critically acclaimed world wide for being one of the most ambitious, clever and successful independent films of all time.

With that said I have no hesitation in giving Primer a mind-blowing 9/10 Easily being my favorite Sci-Fi Movie of all time.

When asked to check out this new independent film, obviously we jumped at the chance, a free DVD screener, who wouldn’t? We were incredibly anxious for its delivery via fed-ex so, whilst waiting eagerly on the front porch for its arrival, we did a little research. (thank you Wi-Fi!)

So it seems the people behind the new movie “Outsourced” are very ballsey. If you didn’t already know, they opted to distribute the movie themselves, via there website and select theaters. I love this attitude and fighting spirit, future Indy film producers, take note.

Now, onto the review.

From the opening sequence you can tell that this movie means business. Some stunning cinematography and gorgeous shots of downtown Seattle accompanied by a pretty stellar soundtrack, This movie takes no time at all getting started. We’re introduced to Josh Hamilton playing Todd Anderson. A customer service/sales manager. This guy is great, I don’t know why we haven’t seen a lot more of him. He’s done some notable TV but I think once his performance in this movie gets picked up, he will be in a lot more demand.

The plot quickly unfolds and leads Todd on a trip half way around the world to train at a new Indian call center. Pretty basic stuff, right to the point, no time wasted. Just how I like my movies.

The lead actress, Ayesha Dharker playing Asha, an Indian call center employee, looks absolutely stunning on camera, there is something about her smile, it just lights up the screen. The casting for this movie, in a nutshell, is perfect. The characters being played are so believable, charismatic and charming, there chemistry is intoxicating. This is one of those films where it just all comes together perfectly and is a real pleasure to watch.

Now, the topic of this movie is one I feel very strongly about – Outsourcing work overseas. You can read and discuss more on this over in the forums. I think the movie did a amazing job in bringing these two completely different cultures together, without potentially angering people due to the nature of the subject and the history between the two. To me, it was an honest, humorous look at what is actually happening in the world, completely balanced in its opinions, never going to far. Two very big thumbs up, nicely done.

The romance is just simply adorable. It’s very rare I seen a movie where the characters just look and feel so good together. The Humor, although a little over the top at times, was of the laugh out loud caliber.

Something else I really enjoyed was the subtle lessons in middle eastern religion and beliefs. Not often a movie teaches you new things, especially when presented in a humorous way. Looking back, I now know more about India than I think I ever did, some of its heritage, religion and its customs. Genius!

I don’t think I will say this again in the next six months, but – go and buy this movie. If your lucky enough to have it show in your city – go and see this movie. If you cannot get out, nor afford a copy for yourself, spread the word. digg/stumble this review, visit there website, tell your friends… The more we support our independent film producers, the more of these quality films they can give us.

Such a charming, delightful – will watch again soon – 9/10.

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I’m still in shock I managed to sit through all 81 minutes of it. This sham of a crime / drama movie needs to be taken off any shelves and burned in a large open field so the stench of crap doesn’t pollute anything else….

I’m not even going to give you a basic plot outline for this one, nor list any of the flaws in this movie, what I am going to do is give it a rating of 2/10 and hope the rest of you don’t waste those precious 81 minutes of your life as I did. Horrible Horrible movie.

It’s the emotional tale of a dying woman, played by Redgrave going back over a failed love affair some 50 years prior as conveyed to her daughters.

The script is very touching without being smarmy and the photography is superb adding just the right atmosphere. It’s a story of mistakes that are regretted and eventually seen for what they are. Through the tale Nina (Collette) finds her own resolutions as Ann reveals more and opens up.

I have to say, despite this being a terrific film I just don’t understand why the casters had a blue eyed Redgrave being portrayed earlier as a brown eyed Danes, it was the only thing that irritated me in an otherwise good film. User review: 7/10

Now, when you think about British skinheads in the early 80’s violence, racism and brutality are the words that come to mind, This film strays away from typical skinhead behaviors and focuses more on the friendship and bonds that can be made no matter what clique your in.

I loved how this movie looked and felt. I was emerged in 1980’s England. The council estate, corner shop, graffiti, clothing everything was true to the era. The young actors did an amazing job developing truly believable characters, even the “bad guy” was played to perfection, I love a good Scouce bad guy.

Its not often I rate a film so highly but this is the easiest 9/10 I have ever given. This is a must see movie.