Hot Diamonds

This is a superb example of film-making by a really talented writer/director, Michael Damian. Great story line with super casting. This film comes off way beyond it's limited budget. Jason Priestly's cameo performance is great. Mike Starr is his usual bad self. The music in the film is really exceptional. There is a very hot love scene with Diora Baird whose star is just about to take off. Randy Spelling does a superb job in the lead role - very well cast and believable. The supporting cast is awesome right down to Sandy Martin's cameo (the Grandma from Napoleon Dynamite). I saw it at the Newport Beach Film Festival and the house was packed and the energy was high - lots of laughs. This is a great film that sadly not enough people will see - so check it out!

I have to say I really liked it. There's plenty of plot holes and other issues. But, first and foremost, it's entertaining. You have compassion for the plight of the antagonist, and love the supporting cast. A kid from Wyoming joining a Salsa Band in Los Angeles has to be one of the most unique ideas I've seen in a long time. I'm more a punk rock guy, but it has me toe tapping by the end. A splendid job of casting, everyone looked like they were enthusiastic about their parts.

There were only 10 minutes left of the movie and it seemed like it had just started. The pacing was good, the scenery fit the mood, it was just a good time.

I do think tacos have replaced pizza! When was the last time you made a pizza at home...

This film essentially begins with a high school teenager by the name of "Harlan Woodriff" (Randy Spelling) coming to terms with the death of his father. Just prior to that, however, his family welcomes a foreign exchange student named "Caesar Lopez" (Matt Cedeno) who introduces him to salsa music. Being musically inclined and a drummer in his high school band, Harlan immediately takes an intense interest in it. That said, after his father's death and having graduated from high school, Harlan decides to leave his home in Wyoming and drive to Los Angeles to join a salsa band. Naturally, with Caesar having recently moved to Los Angeles, Harlan gladly accepts the invitation to stay with him until he finds a place of his own. What Harlan doesn't count on, however, is a shady crook stashing a backpack in his vehicle on the drive to Los Angeles which is highly desired by two murderous thugs named "Al" (Mike Starr) and "Dewayne Longfellow" (Sean Blakemore)--and they will do anything to get their hands on it. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was one of those comedies which had good potential but was missing the most important ingredient of them all--humor. Sure, it had a couple of attractive actresses in Diora Baird (as "Tuesday Blackwell") and Carmen Electra ("Riley") along with the two credible hitmen mentioned previously. But it just wasn't that funny. At least, I didn't think so. That being said, while certainly not a terrible bad movie, I have difficulty rating it any higher than I have. Slightly below average.

It's obvious from the start, that this movie does not have a big budget or anything near a decent set designer for that matter. But that shouldn't be too much of a problem (unless you expect otherwise, which you shouldn't). The sets are quite alright for a movie this size, the acting is spot on for the purpose of the movie and the story moves along quite nice.

While at times it seems to drift into complete idiocy, it still never loses too much of it's charm. And this has not only to do with the fact, that the lovely and sexy Diona Baird has a relatively big part in the movie. It's the ensemble and it works quite fine, if you allow yourself to enjoy it.

There are so many elements to this movie that add a delightful sense of the absurdly normal. The corn relish (what?). The hot tamales. The white dude wowing the salsa band. The hot chick. The killer weed (and that reaction was so over the top believable). Really everything that happened in this movie belonged.

It's so corny and uplifting with its quirks and turns that it keeps you glued to your seat waiting for the next surprise. Excellent script, totally incredible acting, I am not sure why I didn't rate it a 10 except that it's not family fare (but is certainly good for a sit-down evening with the girlfriend!).