Artie

No, really.

I thought a movie about man's favorite form of short-term disruption would be a little better than this. But it isn't even a 'movie'-its a long form video that KINDA looks like film, except for the bad choppy edits to disguise flubbed lines, etc.

Its that bad.

The 'college students' are played by men who are balder than the tires on my old Ford Tempo. That's a sign that something's wrong.

Basically this is a really bad college movie that attempts to use fart jokes to staple everything together. It doesn't work. The 'bad cop' who harasses our 'heroes' never gets any come-upance. The scenes of Artie's whacked out 70's parents (Hair that long in '76? Come on) are there for no reason. And the ability to pass wind at will doesn't fix any problems for our characters, nor is it cured by finding love. Its like someone threw a bunch of ideas into the air and filmed the ones that landed in the circle on the floor.

On top of that, its a cheap-o DVD too, with no title menu or even chapters. There are 'bloopers', but in a movie full of mistakes, who'd notice a blooper?

Man I'm glad I only paid $4.80 for this. I think I'll save it as a present for whichever of my loved ones ends up getting a lobotomy in the future. I can't fathom who else would actually like this thing.

Not often enough does there come a film that can make you laugh hysterically and than one minute later put tears in your eyes, but that's exactly what this romantic comedy does. No matter how zany and crazy the antics of Artie and his college buddies get, you never lose sight of the love story that lies beneath. "Artie" is a perfect blend of contrasts, from its ability to have a really funny fart sequence share the same scene with some very touching dialog to having some very talented new-comers work seamlessly along side some very seasoned actors. The combination of rising star Seth Walther(Artie) and veteran actor Rance Howard (Grandpa) make for one of the funniest scenes in the film, for which I defy anyone not to crack up with laughter. This is a film that will make you walk away happy.

I laughed, I cried. I laughed and cried at the same time. Sophomoric humor for sure, but the situations and timing make everything in this movie work. The grandfather in this movie had me rolling on the floor. And the bathroom scene was exxplosive!

This is a truly wonderful film, with consistently good performances. It evokes the mood of a Bergman chamber drama, which is always a good thing. And speaking of Bergman, he actually ripped this film off and retitled it "Shame". When Jean-Luc Werner Bergman rips a movie off, you know it must be good.

In closing, this is one of the greatest films in history, and is an essential building block in any film aficionado's collection. Recommended without a doubt!

11/10

• Dr. Jonathan Wellington, Jr., MMD Winner of the Golden Web Award

If there was ever a tasteful movie about a young man's struggle with love and overall gastrointestinal distress, Artie is it! And talk about multi-generational appeal! It's innocent, but completely twisted at the same time. Ya gotta see this film.