Dirt Boy

I can appreciate the work that went into making this movie, but that still didn't make it a good movie. The story isn't bad, the execution is awful. This could definitely be on Sci Fi Theater. Childish dialogue and amateurish acting. Too bad, because I am sure it was made with a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

In the town of Atwater Commons for a criminal investigation seminar, Matty Matthews (Jacob Hedman) becomes embroiled in a local murder mystery involving a serial killer known as DIRT BOY. The more he uncovers, the darker it becomes.

While this may sound exciting, it's really not.

It's an odd story with very little action. Some events are intriguing and seem to be leading to something big, only to peter out. It's fairly creepy, but seeing it once was enough...

As the niece of the Producer, John Smalley, I should say this movie is wonderful due to the fact he is my Uncle. Well, whether he is or not, this movie is still great. I know he was very dedicated to the making of this film and it shows in every way. John Smalley did an excellent job for his first independent film and I hope he continues to make great movies such as Dirt Boy. If anyone gets the opportunity to watch this film, please do so! Thanks.

This was a movie that I got from winning a contest through a podcast. It is part of a compilation of 8 Midnight Horror Movies - Hatchets & Cleavers. This isn't starting out well though as this isn't a horror movie and it also doesn't feature either of these weapons.

That isn't to say I hated this movie though. We get an interesting set up here. Our lead character, Matty Matthews (Jacob Hedman), has been accessed to this workshop with a famous criminologist, Dr. Ronald Klugard (Luca Berovici). This takes Matty to Cape Cod area.

As he leaves, he's given a book titled Dirt Boy. The crimes within in happened in the town he's going and the writer still lives there. Matty listens to it on tape to pass the time. He gets sucked into searching out the places of the murders and it leads to him being targeted as the killer is still around.

What I like about this film is the small town feel. Everyone knows everyone. They love their author, Atwater Bridges (Arthur J. Walsh). They also bring in tourists to the area and this seminar from Dr. Kulgard seems important too. I like that the town knows about the murders, but thanks to Atwater, it has given them a strong economy here. When Matty looks into the crime though, they circle the wagons to stop him.

The story needs work though. We start in a flurry and I was lost at first. I did settle in though. From there we get an interesting little mystery. It is a bit farfetched with some things, but I can work through that. The acting is decent. For the budget though, I thought it was fine. The movie is from 2001 and a low budget, so it looks like it. I do think they do some interesting things with cinematography so I'll give credit there.

We get an interesting concept here, but the execution falls short. It is using elements we've seen before. For me, I'd say this is over average. Despite it not fitting with the compilation, it was a decent enough start.

My Rating: 6 out of 10.

I had seen "Dirt Boy" while at the Seattle Film Festival and again at a theatre showing in Massachusetts. I recently noticed it in my local video store and brought it home to watch once again.

After watching the movie at home I realized the move was like reading a well written mystery novel. The movie draws you to concentrate on the narration, not just the visual to solve the mystery. The setting on Cape Cod in the winter was a great location for this story and the actors came across as real "Cape Codders".

I feel the filmmaker did an excellent job with his first time project and I hope to see more from him in the future.

People always say; "If you like the book you'll love the movie" with Dirt Boy it's all rolled into one.