Kisses and Caroms

A buddy gave me a screener copy of this and it cracked me up. It's a low budget indie-ish movie that totally reminded me of Clerks and Chasing Amy. If I didn't know any better, I'd be suspicious that this was made by the same guy.

It's very one room stage play-ish. But it keeps your attention. There are some JackAss scenes that seemed to be inserted for shock value, but they were funny.

The acting is soft, but not bad. Some of the people were really good and I'm surprised I haven't seen them before. The lead Zack is a great example. That guy has a familiarity that I could swear I seen him before, but when I looked him up, he wasn't listed in anything. The women were HOTT. My god, I was mesmerized every time the blond was on screen. I'm not even sure if she spoke, I was just in awe.

I didn't think the David guys character would do what he did, and if he did, I thought he'd back away. May sound riddle-ish if you haven't see it, but once you do, you'll get my drift.

Overall, knowing this is a first movie, and was made by a guy who never made a movie before, it was great.

This movie hit me as an updated West Coast version of Clerks. Vince Rocca has created a real feeling of life in an area where "just sex" and "meaningful relationships" are often blurred by "glamour" of being a player. The characters all handled their roles with ease and both the writing and the acting nailed the point home. The only real misses where the toilet and sneeze scenes that seemed to in the movie for a shock effect. Ginger Lynn showed that she has a sense of comedic timing. Vince may just pick up where Kevin Smith left off with this gritty but real look at the illusion of promiscuity as a glamorous lifestyle, with a tongue in cheek delivery.

This movie is particularly weak. Near the end there are about five or ten minutes which are mildly intriguing and provide only surface tension, but mostly this is a super lame attempt at crude comedy. The box seems to scream out that it is a Clerks wannabe, and the guy at the store told me that if I liked Clerks then I'd like this, but I don't' think that's true. Sure, this movie focuses around coworkers and their interactions with customers, but it ends there. In Clerks, Dante hates his job, which is what makes it work. In this movie David has a bachelor's degree but is so happy working at a billiard supply store that he doesn't feel the need to use it.

The DVD cover features a quip from Kevin Smith, but don't be fooled. Smith must have been washed over in hero worship. This film makes direct references to Dogma (Rufus, the 13th apostle) and Chasing Amy (fingercuffs) and includes a character named Silent Bobbette who is a female version of Silent Bob (but looks more like Jay trying to dress up like Silent Bob).

This movie doesn't live up to any indie hype it has.

In California, Zack (Drew Wicks) owns the "Breakingtime Billiards", a store that sells pool tables and game room supplies. He works with his girlfriend Jennifer (Nikki Stanzione); the sexy seller Tara (Nicole Rayburn); the installer of pool tables and best friend, the wolf David (Ryan Parks), and his idiot assistant Eddie (Keith Alexander). After having a threesome arranged by Jen with Tara, Zach breaks up his relationship with Jen, in spite of her bringing him up all the time. He tells his sexual experience to David while Jen asks for an advice to her psychologist Dr. Bob Johnson (Bart Shattuck) in his radio show. Along the day and after the visit of many peculiar clients, Zack concludes that Jen is his dream girl.

"Kisses & Caroms" is visibly inspired in Kevin Smith's "Clerks" and "American Pie" franchise, with erotic and gross jokes and situations. However, this low budget movie has an ace called Nicole Rayburn. This unknown actress is extremely sexy and attractive with her luscious body, has a good acting and is the greatest attraction of this very reasonable independent film. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Kisses & Caroms"

I thought that it was a cute and funny. A great start for a new director and writer. It builds off of a fun evening with a couple trying to save their relationship with a threesome, but turns into the uncomfortable and funny situations that are created after-wards.

Than you add in the group of friends to fan the flames and add a little extra action of their own, and you get this fun film.

I think it's a great start and can't wait to see where this new directors career is going to go. I was especially impressed when learning that they were able to create this project with a budget of only around $5,000. It adds to the fact that there is something to be scene from Vince Rocca and Mike Hutchinson in the future.