Personals

I don't recall this being released at the time. I just saw it in blockbuster while looking for something else and thought oh a new straight to DVD black movie, I better check that out. Wow! I was impressed. Certainly, not the best movie of all time but it was definitely ahead of its time and also expanding on an idea from a past movie. Here is what I mean: 1) Movie reminds me of scene from Coming to America where Eddie and Arsenio's characters interview different ladies for marriage 2) Kinda reminds me of Will Smith's movie Hitch because Will lied about his occupation just like Keith, etc, etc. 3) 30 dates in 30 days hmmmm. I think fox had a series based on the guy that did the experiment surviving on eating McDonald's only for 30days.

I'm sure there is more since no movie is really "original" but I think it is interesting that this movie contains all those same elements from the movies/TV shows I mentioned.

"Personals" will forever be considered the indie version of "20 dates," the recently released mockumentary. But it's much, much better. Stacy Dash is terrific as always. The photography and editing are representative of the indie style this was produced under, but they support the narrative nicely. Definitely worth a look.

A small, independent film, it's about a writer who spends more time womanizing than writing (Yoba, at his best), so he decides to write about that. His article--30 women in 30 days--is based on research in Personals ads. The movie's a kind of screwball comedy with a soul and brains. The succession of women he meets are all dressed to get laid, and all but one or two(esp. Dash, with a lot of exposed flesh) are strictly played for laughs. The comedy is real, to-the-point stuff, but peppered with pithy, truth-telling dialogue (bravo, Mike Sargent). Unfortunately, Yoba's best friend's wife is the only female who comes off as a fully realized character.