Zzyzx

I love suspense/thriller movies and I was very impressed with this one. ZZYZX is beautifully done in all aspects and takes you on an exciting ride from start to finish. It is a very gritty film and the camera work and setting give you a very desolate and isolated feeling that enhances the great performances given by the actors. The mystique of the road itself and the background of the compound/Zillers are great starting points for this romp in the desert. You are quickly caught up in the action and the characters and never see the twists and turns coming. There is enough sex, drugs and music to keep the pace up and you wanting more. The character of Lou, portrayed wonderfully by Kenneth Johnson, is very dark and unsettling. I found this movie very enjoyable to watch and would recommend everyone find a way to see it. It is truly great. My only regret is that I was unable to see it in a theater.

Funny, but I don't see many reviewers (here or otherwise) commenting on the title sequence. The titles are done in a very imaginative way. In fact, it is so unusual (but not unique) and subtle that my friend didn't even notice that we were watching the title sequence. One of the reasons I enjoy independent films is because you get little gems like this after you sift through enough dust and sand. Without the title sequence, I would only be giving this two or three stars.

However, if you remove the title sequence from the equation, this is not a particularly good film. The story is acceptable and the film looks like most independent films, but the acting is pretty bad. The leads might even achieve acceptability, but the secondary characters and extras (or whatever you want to call them) are Grade-A amateurs. It doesn't help that all the characters are pretty off-putting and extreme. I believe that you have to care for at least one character in a movie, or at least empathize with a character, in order to enjoy it. Directors understand this and often achieve success by having you identify with multiple characters at different points within the story. "Zzyzx" fails in this respect.

Finally, the pacing is pretty poor. I wouldn't say that the movie is boring, but it comes pretty close.

Final advice, rent it and watch the title sequence (which means you have to sit through several very boring and poorly-acted minutes prior to the titles) and then rewind and watch them again. If, after watching another 15 minutes of the movie, you're bored or just disinterested, you can take the DVD out, return it, and you won't have missed anything.

These reviewers are obviously being paid to do this, or friends with someone in the movie because damn it even if this movie was made 50 years ago it would still be considered horrible.

Terrible, really really bad movie. Nothing redeemable at all. Horrible story, horrible acting, awful production, abysmal camera work, sometimes when movies are this awful they try to pretend it was supposed to be a spoof. No chance of that here. Just a really awful movie, avoid at all costs.

Special thanks to Richard Halpern for that stellar review above!

I don't know what the "legend" of zzyzx road had to do with this movie at all. The "legend" was mentioned at the beginning of the movie, via titles. That's it. Don't see what it had to do with the story.

Supernatural elements? Where? Maybe I slept through that part. In fairness, I sleep at some point during most movies.

Check it out, though, if you're a fan of Kenny (The Shield). You could do worse at the video store.

Hope it gets distribution!

I'll give it a 5 for Kenny's (and that girl's) acting.

ZZYZX is a sign you see in the middle of nowhere on I-15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas- my wife and I were wondering how it is pronounced-

Zissicks? Zissk?

We always make the joke that north of Las Vegas is Area 51 and south of Las Vegas is Area 52-60, culminating in ZZYZX. heh heh heh. There always appear to be suspicious little enclaves and compounds out in this neck of the woods. And of course, China Lake and the Marine Base for real.

There is no more dessicated place than the Mojave Desert to choose as a location for a thriller, and this is sounding like a great film and a great locale.