Wirey Spindell

Wirey's journey through the final days of bachelorhood, liberally sprinkled with flashbacks to a sexually active and diverse childhood.

It's definitely not a feel-good romance movie. It is a romance movie, but one without illusions. Everyone's an adult here, not your cup of tea if you want another Sleepless in Seattle or Notting Hill.

I, as many IMDB patrons seem to have, stumbled upon this little film when it appeared on the Canadian "Showcase Network". I was, as many of you, also sucked in and watched the entire film. I was hooked, at first, by the literate dialogue and wry sense of humour that the film is rich with. I was coasting along comfortably on a sort of "Kevin Smith meets Killer Films" wave until half way through when the movie really buckled down and explored it's themes in more detail... with a decidedly darker and more poignant edge. Far from being taken out of the experience, I was brought further in. This is not the best film of it's kind and will certainly not have universal appeal... so I do understand some of the more negative reactions to it. But I bought in... and enjoyed it immensely. The "flash back" type movement in the chronology was effective, the characters were well-realized and the issues raised were human, accessible (to my experience anyway) and interesting. I was quite impressed with the film's ability to remain sweet, funny and entertaining while not shying away from controversial subject matter and raw emotional language, dynamics and situations. This movie is a great antidote to a lot of the schlock that has permeated the witty/clever romantic genre. A kind of male Brigitte Jones for the literate sect. Take 2 hours out of your busy schedule and jump into Wirey's world... or you could go rent "You've Got Mail", 'cause if that appeals to you, you won't like this anyway! Those of us who did like it will be alright without you on our side...

... as a child growing up in the flatlands, I went through a lot of the same things the main character in the movie went through. Oversexual elementary school friends, parents who should never have had children in the first place, getting beat up in school, doing tons of drugs as a release (and to gain popularity)... that is what childhood is like. It was very poignant for me. I think a lot of people on this board who gave this movie negative reviews would have you think that this movie was pure fiction. That the things you saw in this movie could never happen. Kids cursing. Oh my goodness. 10 year olds drinking in front of their parents. Couldn't happen, right? My mom used to *buy* my smokes for me when I was a kid. Anything to keep her son from being belligerent. Anyway, I'm way off topic. I enjoyed the movie very much and like its narrative style. I found the movie very real and believable. It's definitely worth a peek. A little self-indulgent, but give it 20 minutes and you won't tune away.

I've been looking forward to watching "Wirey Spindell" since having happened across Schaffer's "Fall". Unfortunately, I found "WS" to be a wandering, unengaging, boring bunch of claptrap pieced together with, what apparently is Schaeffer's signature, a mix of story, narration, and poetry. The film recounts the sexual and other experiences of a Manhattan man about to be married through self-narrated flashbacks. Like beads on a string, Schaffer apparently has strung together every little sexual life experience, while neglecting to tend to the beauty of the necklace. The result is a disjointed rambling story about a boy growing up which fails to engender empathy and leaves the viewer disconnected, unsatisfied, and with a bad after taste which taints the mechanical feel-good ending. A mediocre indie and a step backward for Schaeffer.

I usually can tolerate twisted movies, but this one is really a sick obsessive self-absorbed movie!

Firstly, the writer/director is totally a self-absorbed guy full of sick jokes that are not funny at all. Secondly, he is also a sick pervert who manipulates and poisons children's mind! I can't believe my ears when I heard the sick and perverted monologues spoken by the kids!

I really feel sorry for Zane Adlum and Devon Matthews. They are both very talented, but fell prey to Eric Schaeffer's dirty little-known movie!

And what the hell happened to Eric Mabius' good looking face? I mean, he met this girl that he's supposed to marry, but he wasn't in the wedding! In fact there is this bald guy in his place! Did time really fly that fast?

Anyway, don't waste your time to see this movie, unless you want to be poisoned and manipulated by one sick Eric Schaeffer!