Dead Pet

I'm a fan of "Savage" Steve Holland's "Better Off Dead" and this film is similar not because of plot, but instead for the assortment of humorous and bizarre characters and groups assembled. Some of these include "cultist" cutlery salesfolks, parents who care more about their dog than their son and activists demanding justice for a dead animal. Also, just as in BOD, the protagonist comes across as a "normal" guy who is stunned and confused by the antics of those in his life.

With a larger budget, some minor re-tooling of the script and a cast of professional actors, I could see the film having quite a bit of success in wider release.

Dead Pet is the kind of movie that a huge video store will have one copy of, if that. It was clearly made on a non-existent budget and, if we are to believe the director's (or is that producer's?) introduction, shot in less than two weeks. Depending on which way you swing, those reasons alone are justification enough for dismissing or embracing it. I embrace it.

There is nothing particularly special about the plot. It starts in the middle and ends in the middle, with little backstory and no clear visions of the future. But you've seen the film or read the synopsis, so the plot is in your hands already. The real meat of the film is in it's characters. Each character has his or her own specific traits, and most of the actors bring them to life wonderfully. Jake is short tempered, but non-threatening. Willy is a shameless suck-up with a superiority complex. Eric obviously couldn't cut it as a real professional, so he throws himself completely into a very menial job. The Dukester... well, the Dukester is the Dukester.

It seems reasonable to worry that such pigeonholed players would become tired towards the tail end of the movie, but someone thought ahead. The film is less than eighty minutes long. At first I felt a bit cheated, but on repeated viewings I have come to believe that this is the perfect length. A great deal of wit is crammed into the picture as it stands. Adding more footage would be stretching it a bit.

I really hate to compare this film to Clerks, as they are from two different worlds. What they do have in common, however, is that their appeal is entirely in the dialog. Nothing of importance happens through the course of the film, yet you stay interested because the characters are saying the things you've always wanted to say. It's roughly the same theory with Dead Pet.

This story is about the wacky life of a kid who comes home from college and finds his life turned upside down. As a film it doesn't compare to American Beauty but it does stand on it's own in the ranks of indie film. If you like indie film you will like this.

I always have to give credit to anyone who actually makes a film, especially a small indy film. There is an intro to the film on the DVD where the writer/lead actor comes on and speaks briefly only to be interrupted by the producer, who goes on to say how he put thousands of dollars on his credit cards to produce the film. Well, that's the way you have to do it sometimes, but this was an abysmal first attempt. The truth is, the writer wrote a screenplay that has no meat. It's a boring premise, and I wonder what he was thinking as he was writing it. I can't believe he chuckled as he wrote down the dialogue or scenes. It reeks of a bad high school play. The WORST part is the acting. Everyone, including the guy who wrote it, act like they are in an appliance commercial. I'm waiting for anyone to scream, "I'll knock 20% off that Trinitron!" Another words, subtlety never enters the picture, with all the actors going way over the top. The only reason I kept watching was because of an actress named Gina Doctor. She has amazing screen appeal, and her acting may go further. By the way, I picked up this DVD in the bargain bin at a video store that was going out of business and thought that the cover looked interesting. It is; however, it's misleading. That scene lasted about 3 seconds and had nothing to do with the rest of the film. The writer of this film should take some more writing classes and perhaps stay out of the way of the lens.

Obviously "Dead Pet" was produced with an ultra-low budget, but that never seems to get in the way. When Harvard student Jake Thompson returns home for the summer, his life begins to rapidly spiral out of control, beginning with his parents forgetting his birthday and to pick him up at the airport. From there things get worse as the family dog has gobbled up the remainder of his college money on a series of expensive operations. When the mutt turns up dead, Jake is accused of doing in the pooch. A series of hilarious headlines in the local paper chronicles Jake's downward plunge. Selling Matador quality cutlery to support himself, provides a great spoof of the in-home sales industry."Remember the phone is your lifeline". This little gem has a lot of heart, and a message not to let other people drag you down. Truly a winner. - MERK