Pizza: The Movie

'Pizza: the Movie' is no technical masterpiece. It doesn't have million dollar actors. It's not full of special effects or crazy, mind splitting camera work. In fact, I've never heard of the director. At first thought, a glace at the website and based on the title, I expected very little.

Then this package came in the mail. And, that in and of itself, is no big thing because I get all sorts of packages (do you hear that FBI), but this package I wasn't expecting. It was 'Pizza: the Movie', an incredibly well packaged and produced DVD. The quote on the back summed it up oh so perfectly... "It's better than I thought it would be." Barbara Gregory, the director's mom. Damn that made me chuckle. And that wasn't the last laugh either.

I'm not going to get into a detailed diatribe about what was wrong with "Pizza: the Movie' (because it wasn't much in this humble reviewers mind, just typical but forgivable indie problems), but what I will say is what was so great. It's a great premise that doesn't go where you would expect it to go (Hollywood style) and isn't too over the top. It's enjoyable to watch and is full of humorous parts, some that I wouldn't have expected. The characters are enjoyable (although one character is the like 'em or hate 'em variety) and well balanced, reminding me fondly of my days in college. It's paced well, and believable.

'Pizza: the Movie' was not only a surprise, it has inspired this independent filmmaker to aim higher.

8/10 slices of pizza.

Oh, and lastly Donald, next project, be sure to let me know so you can quote me. 'It's a… Movie?' Ryan Foss, some idiot filmmaker online

Pizza The Movie is about a guy named Kevin (Craig Wisniewski), who has a crush on Valerie (Eva Conrad), a girl he went to school with. He wants to ask her out but is not sure how to approach her. He finally decides to take her to the best French restaurant in town, which will cost about $300. So his buddy Barry (Jason Muzie) gets the "brilliant" idea of Kevin becoming a pizza delivery guy (like him) to get the courage/excuse to show up at her doorstep. It turns out pizza delivery is harder than Kevin thought, and runs into quite a few snags along the way, including a tough delivery girl named Wendy (Daniela Mangialardo), who won't let anyone stand in her way to afford breast surgery.

Now, I haven't seen any other independent films before, so all I could compare this movie to were big budget films, which doesn't hurt this movie at all.

I enjoyed this movie a great deal and I found myself laughing a lot. The film is produced very professionally, and the soundtrack (which is available to listen to via the movie's menu)seemed to fit perfectly with the scenes in which it was used.

The Extras: The extras are just as funny as the movie, if not more so. There is a lot of extras on the DVD, they were very generous with them. The out takes and "Making of" are my favorites.

Bottom Line: If you have a somewhat open mind and like to laugh, you will enjoy Pizza The Movie. It's well worth the 98 minutes.

This film starts out in a way that you think might be predictable, but with fun plot twists, clever dialogue, genuine energy and a slew of laughable moments, totally surprises you and wins you over.

If it seems like the film is only about the plight of a pizza delivery person, think again. Sure, most of the best moments are terribly funny scenes of the worst delivery scenarios imaginable. But there's a bigger story than that and other fun sub-plots that make for a well-rounded film about a guy who just happens to be delivering pizza for a concrete reason, and the rest of the world around him is given equal weight.

The whole DVD is a nice, slick presentation with tons of extras that are definitely worth checking out.

AND the soundtrack really rocks! It's a great array of mostly Ohio-based musicians (local to the filmmaker) and the varied songs are well incorporated into the film. This is truly a soundtrack that merits listening to on its own.

So, cue up your DVD, crank the volume, order a pizza (and tip generously, or at least humanely) and watch alone or with friends. Just don't burn the roof of your mouth!

This little known, no-budget indie flick took me by surprise. As a self-proclaimed low-budget enthusiast, I went in excepting laughs, mainly from low production values and campy acting. I got it, but I also laughed a great deal at the intentionally funny parts as well, many which come at you unexpectedly, ala the much mentioned squirrel. Unlike a great majority of disappointing films that start of with a lot of promise and fizzle by the third act, this movie does the exact opposite. The beginning shows little promise and begins in much the same way as a million other romantic comedies. By the second act, it begins to become apparent that this movie is not going to follow that much treaded plot structure and begins to take on a Kevin Smith type dynamic with a little slapstick thrown in for measure. The third act takes a refreshing turn and avoids the typically expected Hollywood ending to leave the viewer feeling as if the characters in this film actually achieved a real growth (except for one)

The acting isn't the best, however the male and female leads do an satisfactory job. The best friend character is played extremely over the top, almost to the point of unbearableness in this reviewer opinion, although this is countered a lot by the main characters 'straight man' performance. The pizza shop owner is also very funny, although a little one-note in his delivery. The female lead did a good job at balancing these extremes. The best part about this movie was the extras however. The making of feature was downright hilarious, almost more than the actual movie itself, done in a extremely tongue-in-cheek manner. It's becomes readily apparent that the people involved in this film don't take themselves too seriously, and that made me somehow more forgiving of the film as a whole. The outtakes were also funny, even if they went on a bit too long. What's most interesting about the extra was the soundtrack (in it's entirety) was accessible from the DVD menu, and is actually quite good for a soundtrack comprised of complete unknowns.

In the end I walked away from this film pleasantly surprised, but I also walked away with a sense that the film was made by people who truly cared about what they were doing, even if the results weren't as

spectacular as they imagined. Definitely worth checking out.

First was Hot Dog, Then Hamburger, Now Pizza The Movie.

If you've ever delivered Pizza, and who hasn't, you'll love this flick. I cracked up over and over. Maybe that's because the movies scenarios happened to me, but my wife enjoyed it as well. Course, as a kid she too worked the counter of a Pizza joint.

How many times did I have to wait for coupons, or people to count out their pennies? Ugh! People need to tip better!

The flicks premise is fun and original. I expected it to just be about pizza deliveries, but the movie has a heart. It's about love.

What is great about this movie is that it doesn't follow Hollywood's sugarcoated bull or Indies tragic art. It walks a fine line that makes it different and stand alone.

The movie takes the indie road, but not seriously. It has pig Latin subtitles for Christ sakes. I think that pretty much sums up writer/director Donald Gregory's sense of humor.

Grab some friends, order a pizza, and pop in this flick.