Engrenage fatal

I had the pleasure of being Demi Moore's stand-in and photo double for this film, after auditioning against 325 other young actresses for the "role." Normally, you don't have to audition for that crew job, but since this film was Emilio's directorial debut, he wanted to be able to look through the camera lens to "see" what he and Demi would (more or less) look like. The job of the photo double and stand-in is to do all of the takes where you can't really see the stars' faces (drivebys, long distance shots, etc. - yes, I was the one he had slung over his shoulder running in the school parking lot after Karen was shot), as well as to sit in for lighting and sound checks. It was, to put it the most succinctly, like running away and joining the circus!

Notwithstanding some of the legitimate criticisms of the film in other reviews, from a personal standpoint I have to say that Emilio was a total gentleman, and was especially respectful to all of the crew. He thanked the actors after every take and at the end of the day, and he never went into his trailer for meals - he always sat with the crew. The very first day on set, he asked if I had my SAG card, and when I told him I only had my AFTRA card, he wrote in a line for me so that I was eligible to join SAG (they ended up using the shot in the trailer). Emilio didn't have to do that, but it was the kind of thoughtful gesture that he showed others on a regular basis.

Emilio was also well aware of the trust placed in him, being such a young man with a considerable film budget, and he was surrounded by many Hollywood veterans who were equally patient and understanding (Robert Wise, Bernie Williams, to name a few).

While this may not be a true "review" of the film, I thought those of you who had written here might enjoy knowing some of the "behind the scenes" thoughts from someone who was there for the whole shoot. Personally, I enjoyed every moment of the experience, I learned a lot, and I will always be grateful to Emilio for his generosity of spirit and kindness. He was a class act, every step of the way.

I think alot of people knew from the get-go this movie wasnt going to be a award winning movie, but I don't think the movie was horrible. It certainly wasn't Emilio or Demi's finest work but for being the age Emilio was when he wrote and directed this movie, he didn't do that bad of a job. As far as the critics go with this movie: In my opinion they weren't going to be kind with this movie no matter how it good it was because of Demi and Emilio's "Brat pack" status.

why is this movie not on DVD?

and why when i ask if they've seen it do people look at me like i've got three heads?

and why have most of the IMDb comments ripped into it? its great!!OK its no empire strikes back or shawshank redemption but it does the job.good story,good soundtrack,demi moore,what else do you want? i have no doubt that some pretentious English lit grad budding movie reviewer is gonna shoot me down but it ticks all my boxes,if you've not seen it check it out, good old 80's semi post brat pack action pack fun!! that is of course my opinion, you are entitled to yours also.

"Wisdom" is actually nowhere near as bad as its rep would suggest if you take it for what it is: a trashy B-movie which you should watch when you feel like laughing instead of thinking. In its cool pretty boy chic fashions, the movie is just so totally 80s and the various scenes where Estevez beats the cops on his trail, such as the dummy scene, are downright side splitting. I actually liked the "cop out" ending because I thought it was original for a movie of this sort and did not see it coming. Furthermore, this movie, for its low ambitions, has some surprisingly good camera work . My main reason, though, for liking this movie is the beautiful catchy soundtrack by Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo. Now, the bad ? Well, let´s just say that "Wisdom" never quite rises above the level of a lesser "Sledge Hammer" episode.

Ever have one of those days where things just kind of get out of control and REALLY go from bad to worse? John Wisdom seems like a normal-enough guy who did the same stupid things we all did at that age, except he went a little further. He "borrowed" a car and got caught. Now, forever branded a convicted felon, he sees his future as a series of minimum wage jobs and boredom. One day that all changes, and it goes out of control. Watch the movie for the rest of the story. You won't be dissappointed. Hint: Watch ALL of the movie.

It's a great story, very believable with some action and excellent chemistry between its' stars, Demi Moore and Estevez. Tom Skirret plays his father, who doesn't know how to help his son. Actually, he hasn't a clue what to do. It's part fantasy and real Americana. This movie is a sleeper.