Some of Our Stallions

I had been anxiously awaiting this movie for months as I have found that typically anything Carson Mell (writer/director/actor/musician) is involved with is right up my alley. I am delighted to see Mell beginning to release his own feature length films (highly recommend his previous film horror/comedy Another Evil) and now in Some Of Our Stallions we find Mell himself in front of the camera portraying the big hearted, yet emotionally unstable, Beautiful Bill.

After both being released from a mental care facility, Bill and his best friend Andy (played charismatic newcomer to the screen and producer Al Di) go back into the world with love on their minds as they seek to find a romantic relationship. They soon find that thier attempts to flirt and make advances on the average woman are consistently unsuccessful and decide that they need to find a woman that is "crazy" like them. Enter Olivia Taylor Dudley as their quirky love interest (with her own issues) who they encounter as they falsely pose as a transport service for newly released out patients at another facility.

This movie jumps right into action and immediately gives you a good taste of what's to come. I had a very unique experience watching it as it gracefully dances all across the emotional spectrum of the viewer on a regular basis. These characters are full of love yet can become instantly destructive. They can be a perfect example of childlike innocence one second and the next become whirlwinds of selfish chaos and unpredictable violence. It moves and breathes and keeps you unsure of what these characters are capable of (good and bad).

I loved how many moments of genuine wholesomeness were paired with high anxiety/cringe/danger situations. The humor and dialogue is very original and has a lovely personality all its own.

Great to see Tim Hiedecker and Mike Judge make appearances in this movie. Small but very effective and hilarious roles.

All in all i really thought this movie was a very fun ride and delivered a wide range of intense emotions.

Check it out!

Pinpoint accuracy in depicting mania, delusion and distress. Both hilarious and heartbreaking. I expected the great dialogue coming from Carson Mell, but was surprised by the stoic, earnest acting of Tim Heidecker, despite his minor role.

Some of our Stallions is funny, upsetting, confrontational, and unique. The acting is believable and effortless. This is a damn good movie and more people should see it.

I don't know what problem people have with writing smart and happy guys into a buddy comedy, but no one seems to be able to do it.

In this movie, two guys act dumb and obedient towards each other. Every other scene shows no self preservation, human traits, or will to survive...

Olivia Dudley plays someone with common sense, and her character spends the entire film standing up for herself.

It's clear that Carson Mells is trying to break down the "act tough" or "act pretty" alternate personalities we all carry around, and being a human-being does sell, however we put on those alternate personalities as defense in the real world. So what is shown in this movie is two guys with a total disconnect from the real world, instead of being a part of it like everyone else.

It would be better to see two guys expressing nervousness, frustration, tourettes, electric excitement, excessive nerdiness, etc... Real social, human traits, that people can connect to.

SOOS (which we can use as a handy abbreviation for the funny but somewhat grandiose full title) is an entirely unique film that dances magnificently between outright buddy comedy, indie crime thriller, and beautiful relationship drama. Deep down it's a film about friendship, and the importance of finding people who love us for our true selves.

The mental health of our main characters is troubling, and while they are capable of doing some pretty bad (and generally misguided) things, we are assured early and often that they are good people. Carson Mell's performance is effortless, hilarious, and oftentimes stressful to watch: a well-meaning man unhinged, impoverished, and facing the possible loss of the one thing he has and holds most dear-his best friend Andy. Al Di as Andy is a revelation, naturalistic and sincere, hilarious and charming. While you might need to turn the subtitles on for a few line deliveries, once you know (and consider) what he's saying, it becomes clear just how complicated this man is, and how deeply intertwined these two 'stallions' truly are.

With a solid number of memorable comedic set pieces (picking up women at the mall, post-9/11 "Joyist" donut antics, every interaction between "beautiful Bill" and Bonnie, Bill going 'wolf man' then imagining his shape, and the tense-yet-funny extended scene with Sam in a motel room, to name just a few), and plenty of heart to keep you invested, SOOS is a new favorite movie I expect will only improve the more I watch. Tim Heidecker also gets a shoutout, as a continual presence in fascinating, top tier indie comedy. A true supporter and benefactor of the arts.

5 stars, 10/10 rating. Loved this movie.

Some of Our Stallions is totally unique and creative while remaining unpretentious and truly funny which is a very rare thing. Go and watch it so these guys can keep making awesome stuff!