The Local

Wow, one comment on such a movie, hard to believe it, because it's great.

First, it takes a lot of guts to release a movie so atypical compared to the "hollywood stuff" were watching normally. No stunts, no great looking actors, no digital tricks, no commercial music, no brilliant colors, not even a pleasant hero.

Nevertheless this film offers something, that most of the 1a productions lack off: Credibility!

Dan Eberle plays a loser, who is selling his soul for thirty bucks a day to work as a courier for drug dealers. If that would nor be bad enough, every time he jobs something goes wrong and he ends up beaten up, without money and with even more problems than he had the day before. Nobody is respecting him or taking him for serious. The only thing he seems to be able to manage in his life is his addiction to drugs, he is clean.

So what's so interesting about this film? Well, the fact that it could be a real story, something that really happens every day in every part of the world. The dirty truth, ugly, bloody, revolting and pitiful...

But very interesting, like when two people have a fight in front of you... you can't stop watching, you just stare at it motionless although you don't support it.

Do yourself a favor and watch this movie, it's original, brutal and somehow very fascinating. I will keep my copy and watch it again, what not happens to often.

A drug dealer who happens to be clean himself (Dan Eberle) roams around town on a variety of missions, finding himself getting into fights at every turn. One of his chief missions? Rescuing a heroin-addicted daughter for a concerned father... whose motives are unclear.

Let me lay this on the line: Dan Eberle is the man of the future for crime dramas. He has written and directed a film in the style of Guy Ritchie's "Snatch" and "Two Smoking Barrels" -- also producing and starring in it. When this disc arrived in my mail, I was unsure about it. I receive many low budget piles of rubbish. This one is by far the most professional independent film I've ever had the pleasure to review.

What really adds to "The Local" is the clear plot of a single protagonist, somewhat of an anti-hero. Ritchie's films are beautiful, and carry a lot of star power, but Eberle cuts through the tangled intertwining plots to deliver one distinct narrative. Yes, there are still multiple characters with multiple motives, which really adds to the story... but we never have to keep track of five different plots to make sure we understand where they lead.

You like drug dealer films? Mafia films? Gun fights? Fist fights? This has it all, in the grimy streets to rundown apartment complexes. Beautiful cinematography and a respectable score. There's no reason "The Local" couldn't have been released in theaters across the country. Believe me, I've seen a lot worse in the cinema. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of this film if you are into this sort of genre... "The Local" could be a cult favorite someday soon.

This movies musical equivalent would be Raw Power by Iggy Pop on first listen it seems too gritty and haphazard but you can't deny the genius. You start thinking about how with a little work you could really market this stuff to the masses. But eventually you come to your senses and realize you would never listen to crap that they market to the masses anyway Everyone in this film looks as if they need of a good scrubbing and a shot of penicillin. Dan Eberle is amazing take Vin Diesel combine him with a street addict than beat your creation with a sock full of nickels and you've got the character he plays. Unfortunately I think this movie will be lost on a lot of folks. I remember reading In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway for the first time and didn't know what the hell was going on till I realized that each story was a vignette. This movie is much the same we pop in somewhere in the middle and things go from there. Dan Eberle has created a character that is a lot more than he's letting on and is seeking redemption for things only alluded. I know everyone's gonna puke but I really would like to see more of this character to fill in a few of the gaps. This movie succeeds in capturing the feel of the street a lot like Taxi Driver did in the 70's and Dan Eberle could be the anti hero model for the New Millennium.

I was bored with Hollywood fare and began looking for something different. This is the perfect example to keep you excited on a Sunday. I was totally engrossed in the movie. I was once beset with hard times, picked myself up and this is the part I relate to most in the movie. But that road is long and hard. Thank the lord my path to success was not the same one this character had to follow. The Director portrayed the route perfectly. The characters look like they are straight out of my personal nightmare. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying this movie. It was powerful. Some of the actors look like they are coming direct from the streets. You simply cannot predict your own feelings at the end of this movie. Everything in this movie is a metaphor. I cannot wait to see more movies with the main character, the writers and the director. Absolutely a great movie made on a small budget. Amazing!

Reminded me of The Bourne Supremacy, but much better because the sense of reality this film brings. This was an intense ride from beginning to end.

I was surprised to discover that Dan Eberle is the writer, and also the director and star, WOW. He has a very firm grasp of what he wants, what he's doing, the craft, very difficult to pull all these roles off and very few do it well. My hat's off to you Daniel, you're a very talented young man, keep it up.

Pay no mind to those that dissed this film, they sound jealous and ignorant.

I love that there are no stars in it. ALL the actors are excellent and totally believable, DP, color and edit, just really great stuff.