The Scenesters

I loved this film. I saw it first at the Austin Film Festival and then saw it again when it hit the Chicago Film Festival. The second time I saw it, I got even more out of it. It has gotten some critical acclaim including Best Comedy at the Hollywood Film Festival, Best Director at the Edmunton Film Festival, and, I think it got Most Interesting Film at the SlamDance Film Festival. I know it got other awards, too, but I'm not sure of all of them.

The deliberate change from black & white to color and back again has significance, and it it fun to see it all played out. The film has been cast well and includes some very funny lines and scenes. If you like mystery and spoofs, you would find this film quite entertaining. I definitely recommend this film.

These filmmakers are very underrated.

This is a crime noir, tounge in cheek very clever and subtle comedy.

If people didn't like this film it's because they didn't get the nuance.

I have watched this film so many times. It has become one of my wife's favorites.

I want more people to see this film.

It's black and white and that will turn off a lot of people.

But don't be that guy.

Obviously they didn't have much of a budget and that's another reason to watch it, they did such a great job with what little they had. If you are a fan of film, or comedy or detective noir then you will love this.

The phrase "first time film-makers" is usually associated with messy, amateurish affairs. Not so for this movie. A masterwork of "found footage", this film contains a broad range of styles, expert editing, sharp writing, terrific performances, and a killer soundtrack (literally). Hard to believe this is a low-budget, and even harder to believe that it is a feature film debut for this group. And unlike most "comedy troupes" (for example, Twisted Lizard) who make movies, these guys did not just put a comedy sketch writ large or a series of disconnected jokes loosely tied together onto the screen: they made a complete and complex story with various layers intertwined together to form a very satisfying whole.

It's a great movie for seasoned pros. It's an amazing accomplishment for first timers (and I say first implying there will be a second and third and...).

I can see why it has done so well on the film festival circuit and I wish these guys luck with distribution!

If you borrow this film based on the 18 Film Festival palms listed at the top of the case, as I did, you're apt to be terribly disappointed by way too many minutes of silly pointless meandering nonsensical filmic moments adding up to less than nothing. Yep, it's edited and has a sound track, but it's no more a hip murder mystery than it's an "award winning" production. It has evidently played at a lot of festivals, and occasionally been deemed "interesting" or "well-written," but unless you're entertained by bad actors pretending to do a documentary, you may end up just wondering as I did: "Why did I bother to watch the whole thing?!" I'd rather watch "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" twice than see even half of this movie again. Even "Hank the Cave Peanut" is more entertaining. There are a few laughs in this, but Ouch! they're spread real thin. Do yourself a favor and watch almost anything else. A moment of camp, another of kitch, 8 moments of dreary cliché posing as art.

When an unsuccessful artsy, film maker is forced to be a crime scene videographer, he finds his surprise inspiration for his next project, in a heartbroken, down on his luck, crime scene cleaner. But there is a serial killer on the loose in Los Angeles and things get personal and intense real fast. An entertaining film on many levels. It's part crime-drama, comedy, romance, court room drama and horror film. This film delivers on many levels! An original story that entertains and also has some good chills, thrills and twists! A very talented cast!! Well directed and super fun!! Plus, it's shot very well. A film within a film that keep us on our toes. Pays homage to the great city of Los Angeles. Some good cameos too.