Pups

I respect what Ash was trying to do with this movie, and the guerilla film making style could have worked. To make a great movie, you don't need a huge budget, fancy distribution, or heavy promotions; but you do need a good script.

When you're trying to watch a film that realistically depicts the angst of today's youth, cliche lines like "what about when you touched me down there?" only detract. Trouble is, this film is filled with cliches that tend to take away from the message.

The film also would have done better to just be honest instead of trying to prove it's cool factor. I mean, Kurt Loder??? The idea of having Kurt freaking Loder in a movie sounds more like the idea of a bunch of 50 year old balding executives wearing suits in a boardroom trying to be "hip" and "cool" than that of a director who actually is hip and/or cool. In fact, that pretty much sums up a lot of this film: it tries to be cool instead of just being cool. It almost seems like a big budget film trying to pretend it was made by a young hipster director on a tight budget.

Then, why is the lack of professionalism sorely evident in the lackluster acting and weak script? The kids probably could have done a decent job with more time and coaching, but this seems like it was shot in a single day. The raw talent is there, it just isn't polished. The same can be said for the film making itself...I even saw the boom mic in one shot.

Pups is a decent movie that could have been great. There are seeds of truth in Pups and a fair amount of honesty. You just have to be willing to weed through the cliches, rammed down your throat morality, fake coolness, and Kurt Loder to see it.

Obviously, the studio didn't think much of this movie. The DVD isn't even widescreen. If you want to see a movie that is cool without trying so hard to be, then definitely watch Clerks or Doom Generation. If you want to see an average movie that perhaps offers a glimpse into the angst of teens without telling the full story, Pups is a decent romp. If you can imagine a younger version of SFW, that's pretty much what this movie is.

Oh, by the way....Burt Reynolds, your career called. It said it's jumping off a cliff.

This film was worth seeing. It tackled the issue of gun violence among youths head-on and was very witty and thoroughly entertaining. Cameron Van Hoy, as Stevie, puts forth a tremendous performance and has amazing presence in front of a camera, bringing to our attention the very real anger and emotion of this young, fragile looking boy. Rocky, a young Mischa Barton, is very full of wit and is very corrupt in her innocence as well, and their dialog is clever and amusing. Their relationship projects the idea that they have grown up too fast, which makes sense in today's world. The emotional connection that each of the hostages (who's individual characters are also developed very well in this movie) make with each other and with Stevie and Rocky is heartwarming, and the way this movie comes together is brilliant and shocking. Considering that it was so low-budget, i think everyone involved did a fantastic job. It even has Burt Reynolds. My rating: 7/10

Pups is a movie with both good sides and bad sides. To start with the good news: Great acting by all three major roles. Burt Reynolds does his best. Cameron van Hoy is even better. But Mischa Barton is the best of all and shows that she is very talented. Also very good: The dramatic development during the hostage. Ash seems also a very talented director. But the film is also a failure. The Burt Reynolds part is very unrealistic and badly written. But the worst part of Pups is the extremely simple moral views. The writer/director is telling us "look what happens if parents are away all the time and the media is showing violent movies". This simplistic view is a missed chance. Pups could have been much better.

I chose to watch "Pups" because I'm a fan of Mischa Barton and Burt Reynolds, but I do have to say that I was disappointed by this movie. The main thing that bothered me was that it's very loud! So loud, that it gave me a headache. Why is it deemed necessary that Cameron Van Hoy's character "Stevie" needs to shout every single one of his lines? It gets very aggravating watching this kid rant and rave for the entire film. I agree with some of the other comments too, that "Pups" just doesn't seem to flow together. It drags at points, gets repetitive, and tiring to watch. I also agree that these kids were presented as too filthy minded for kids their age. The point would have still gotten across, even if the kids were less vulgar with their speech and attitudes. I ended up rating "Pups" a "5" because it's far from the worst I've ever seen in film, but it was no where near as good as I hoped it would be. If you're a big fan of Mischa or Burt too, then watch it like I did just so you can say you've seen it, but don't expect that "Pups" will end up being one of your favorites.

What struck me most after seeing 'Pups' is how intense the whole experience is - you feel as though you have lived through it. As such, at times it is not a particularly enjoyable film, but thought provoking to say the least - especially in the way it challenges the viewer to evaluate their own motives for seeing the film, practically daring the viewer to enjoy it. Worth watching (if you can stay with it for the whole distance) just for the last 10 seconds. They'll stay with you for a long time.