Black Cloud

I loved the visual beauty of the film. The Navajo country in northern Arizona where this film was made is indeed spectacular. I have never seen a photographic work presented with more drama. However, it is not just a "pretty film". It is an honest film. Even the ugliness and poverty is stunning. It is truth telling. Equally impressive is the soundtrack. The two work together to create a piece of art of which Ricky Schroeder can be justly proud. The story is a kind of "Rocky" that will appeal to young and old alike. It is not only inspirational but also rewarding insofar as the protagonist resolves personal issues and matures. I saw this film in my hometown of Payson, Arizona, where it premiered last week. I also happened to be in the theater when the cast arrived for that premier. If I had known then what I know now, I would have given them all a "thumbs up" for a terrific entertainment.

I saw Black Cloud this past weekend at the Nashville Film Festival The story was very well told, I really enjoyed the cinematography and the editing, I thought both were very well done. The actors were all good including Tim Mcgraw as the sheriff. The Script was a bit dry in places and has a few cheesy lines but overall I thought the film was very well done. Rick did a fantastic job of directing his first film and I recommend if you enjoy boxing, it does have a bit of violence in the film. You go and see it. There are some very violent scenes so anyone who does not like that I don't recommend this film. My over all experience with the film was a good one, The movie depicted the real life of these Indian reservations camps and how they are sometimes treated.

Very enjoyable

You never really know how an indie film is going to turn out. It can have great stars, a great director, a small budget or even a big budget, but you never really know how it is all going to look until it hits the big screen. Black Cloud is one of those movies that surpassed my expectation in every way. I thought it would be good, given that it had celebrity, Rick Schroder behind it, but I didn't expect it to be amazing. If you want to see a film with heart and passion, see Black Cloud. If you want to see a film that is different and inspiring, see Black Cloud. If you want to see a great film, that you can take your family to, see Black Cloud. You will be glad that you went to see this film. I want to see more films like this one.

I saw this at the Phoenix Film Festival. For a low budget of a million dollars, it was well done.

The story line and dialogue are pretty typical, that being the "overcoming the odds to triumph in the end" movie. A few clichés in dialogue like, "rules are meant to be broken" sprinkle throughout. But the cinematography was good and the fight scenes were the most impressive aspect of the movie. When I looked up IMDB to see who choreographed the boxing, I wasn't surprised to see Jimmy Gambina, who did "Snake Eyes" and was a technical advisor for "Rocky," because of how well done the scenes were. I was surprised, however, that he was on the crew for the film with such a low budget.

Another impressive consideration is that they filmed this movie in something like fourteen days!

For the first movie written and directed by Rick Schroder, it was very well done. Also, this is a good movie for the whole family, minus the violent fight scenes.

I saw Black Cloud in Phoenix and liked it very much. Although some people have said the movie contains "stereotypes," I have worked with Indian people over the years and many of them have seen this movie and like it for its fair representation of Indian people in transition from one way of life to another. I heard Russell Means, one of the older Indian actors in the movie, say that he chose to do the script (apparently for not very much money!) because he felt it was an honest depiction of Indian people and the challenges they face. If Indian people are OK with it, I don't know why anybody else should have a problem. I especially liked seeing talented young Indian actors have a chance to show their stuff. I think both Eddie Spears and Julia Jones have great potential, and I hope to see more of them in future. I was impressed with the technical values of the movie--photography and editing, plus the music. For a first-time director, I think Rick Schroder did a terrific job.