Burning Annie

I'm not a big fan of long winded reviews, technical blathering, unabashed praise for "breaking new ground" or endlessly cheering another cinematic innovation when these elements disguise a weak story.

Thankfully, BURNING ANNIE is anything but that. It's a somber, somwhat bipolar view of what it's like at College for THE REST OF US. You know, the one's who didn't have that AMERICAN PIE experience in the "best years of our lives", the one's who, more often than not, didn't get the girl, and ultimatly, the ones who still examine our lives, wondering what more we can get from it. That said, BURNING ANNIE holds more in tune with THE RULES OF ATTRACTION than VAN WILDER or any recent college film in memory. It's not entirely uplifting, but it's true to life, and it's humor is found through these moments, the ones we all can relate to. While the copy of BURNING ANNIE I saw wasn't 100% complete, and the festival venue was less than stellar, it was truly one of the gems out there. Few times have I heard more people discussing it over a post-film cigarette.

Will BURNING ANNIE be a smashing success like AMERICAN PIE? Probably not.

Does BURNING ANNIE break new ground? Not exactly.

Are it's characters rich, fully fleshed out, with real flaws and real pains? Yes, yes and YES!

And that's it's strongest point. Everything else, from the moody rag-tag indie label music, to the subdued somber lighting, paints a beautiful portrait of REAL people struggling with REAL problems trying to find their places in the REAL world. From the direction to the acting and everything in between, it's a solid, consistent production that, despite a few minute hiccups, has earned a place among my favorites.

But it's not a movie for everyone, and if it doesn't get distribution (which would be a shame) few will have a chance to disagree with me. In an age of target marketing and mindless gross out targeted at the village idiots, it's a breath of fresh. And to those who like thoughtful well paced character studies about the transitions in life and the prices we pay, this is a film for you!

As a first time movie, few films rival it, so it's with great excitement that I look foreward to another production by the same cast and crew.

Van Flesher's `Burning Annie' is a smart comedy about a neurotic college student who becomes convinced that his obsession with Woody Allen's `Annie Hall' is ruining his love life. Unlike so many twentysomething comedies, `Burning Annie' relies on a strong story and a talented cast of characters to tell its tale.

Gary Lundy is fantastic in the lead role of Max, a college station disc jockey who keeps changing his radio program's schedule out of fear that someone might be listening. Kim Murphy plays Beth, Max's ex-girlfriend and sounding board, and Sara Downing plays Julie, Max's new love interest. These strong performances are rounded out by Brian Klugman who plays Max's goofy sidekick, Charles, in a role reminiscent of the Tony Roberts character from Allen's `Annie Hall', if only in spirit.

The script, by Zack Ordynans and Randy Mack, is filled with dark wit and clever dialogue, and provides a surprisingly honest look at everyday college life. It's self-referential without being too cute, and manages to tip its hat to Allen's `Annie Hall' while remaining fresh and original, throughout.

`Burning Annie' is well worth a look -- one of the surprise hits from thi s year's festival circuit.

Burning Annie is the best film i seen this year plus the music is great.

If you haven't seen it you can get it at Walmart.com or best buy.com it is also available for rent at Hollywood Video, it is a must see.

If you love great comedies, then you will love this film The acting is great and it is defiantly a great date movie .

I wish there where more great films like this and look forward to more films that can at least compare to this one.

Gary Lundy did a great job playing max, i love when he says "I'm the only guy i know who gets insulted in his own fantasies =]

I saw Burning Annie at Clark University on April 3, 2004. Burning Annie is about a bunch of college kids who blame their poor luck with relationships on their ritualistic watching of Woody Allen's Annie Hall. The script is brilliantly witty and would seem to be begging for comparison to Woody Allen himself, if not for its moments of modesty and self-deprecation. It doesn't take itself too seriously and that is its charm. The film's editing was fun and playful, fitting into the rest of the film perfectly. Absent of any stars, the acting was quite impressive. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gary Lundy in another film very soon. As a college kid, I can completely relate to the characters and storyline. They hit the nail on the head with this movie. Overall, this was a superb film, and I would recommend Burning Annie to anyone looking to have a good time with a movie.

I saw this movie in a film festival this past Saturday and it was a lot of fun! Hopefully it will get picked up and distributed soon so more folks can see it. It's basically about this college guy who decides that his obsession with the movie Annie Hall is a curse on his love life. I'm usually pretty picky about comedies but this one got a lot of giggles out of me, and it had a great reception at the film festival, so keep your eye out for it!