Estrada Sem Volta

These reviewers are obviously being paid to do this, or friends with someone in the movie because damn it even if this movie was made 50 years ago it would still be considered horrible.

Terrible, really really bad movie. Nothing redeemable at all. Horrible story, horrible acting, awful production, abysmal camera work, sometimes when movies are this awful they try to pretend it was supposed to be a spoof. No chance of that here. Just a really awful movie, avoid at all costs.

Funny, but I don't see many reviewers (here or otherwise) commenting on the title sequence. The titles are done in a very imaginative way. In fact, it is so unusual (but not unique) and subtle that my friend didn't even notice that we were watching the title sequence. One of the reasons I enjoy independent films is because you get little gems like this after you sift through enough dust and sand. Without the title sequence, I would only be giving this two or three stars.

However, if you remove the title sequence from the equation, this is not a particularly good film. The story is acceptable and the film looks like most independent films, but the acting is pretty bad. The leads might even achieve acceptability, but the secondary characters and extras (or whatever you want to call them) are Grade-A amateurs. It doesn't help that all the characters are pretty off-putting and extreme. I believe that you have to care for at least one character in a movie, or at least empathize with a character, in order to enjoy it. Directors understand this and often achieve success by having you identify with multiple characters at different points within the story. "Zzyzx" fails in this respect.

Finally, the pacing is pretty poor. I wouldn't say that the movie is boring, but it comes pretty close.

Final advice, rent it and watch the title sequence (which means you have to sit through several very boring and poorly-acted minutes prior to the titles) and then rewind and watch them again. If, after watching another 15 minutes of the movie, you're bored or just disinterested, you can take the DVD out, return it, and you won't have missed anything.

"Zzyzx" has to be the best film seen by the fewest people ever. It was only by the luck of a friend's recommendation that I even heard about this flick. Honest to god, my life is richer because of it.

The first interesting point about "Zzyzx" is the fact that it is a real road, in a really spooky desolate desert area, with a truly odd history. Not the one portrayed in the movie, but weird nonetheless. With that as a starting point, this piece of work takes you on a hell of ride, despite its miniscule budget. As always, good writing is the key, and this baby's got it. Twists, portent, and finally complete resolution make it all worth it. Sure it's upsetting, but not gory for gore's sake or anything of the sort.

If you like desert flicks shot in daylight, relish this film. Here's a hell of a story well told. So tell your friends!

Just want to point out that this film is DIFFERENT from the film starring Katherine Heigl. These two films have been getting mixed up a lot because of their similar names. To be clear, Zyzzyx Road is a 2006 film starring Katherine Heigl, Leo Grillo, and Tom Sizemore. The film is about an accountant (Grillo) who has an affair with a seductress (Heigl) in Vegas. Heigl's psychotic boyfriend (Sizemore)turns up and things get ugly. Zzyzyx is a film that came out around the same time by Richard Halpern starring Ryan Fox and Robyn Cohen. In this film two friends crossing the desert get themselves in a dangerous situation, which makes it terribly clear that desolation and desperation can have a frightening effect. There has been a bit of a battle between these two films, look it up online.

ZZYZX is a sign you see in the middle of nowhere on I-15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas- my wife and I were wondering how it is pronounced-

Zissicks? Zissk?

We always make the joke that north of Las Vegas is Area 51 and south of Las Vegas is Area 52-60, culminating in ZZYZX. heh heh heh. There always appear to be suspicious little enclaves and compounds out in this neck of the woods. And of course, China Lake and the Marine Base for real.

There is no more dessicated place than the Mojave Desert to choose as a location for a thriller, and this is sounding like a great film and a great locale.