Coons! Night of the Bandits of the Night

If you like low budget, genre mocking, self deprecating movies, I think you'll enjoy Coons! We saw it at a local screening and spent the rest of the day quoting it and laughing about favorite moments. For a group of people hanging out on a rainy afternoon, it was a great conversation starter. If you missed it, and this type of movie strikes your fancy, I encourage you to rent the DVD, pick up some beer and pizza, and have some friends over for a movie.

If the above does not apply to you, you will think the movie is terrible. But then, I thought Titanic was terrible some people saw it 10 times in the theater, so personal preference matters a lot. Enjoy!

I should add the preview for the director's next movie, about running for mayor of his home town, looks pretty entertaining.

Coons! was probably the best thing about the 2006 Tartan Road Film Festival in Boca Raton. I just walked into the screening of this thinking it was going to be another annoying high school short film. While realizing that the high school films were an hour later, I decided to sit this one out. Every single person in this small screening was laughing at every other line in the movie, and the ridiculous raccoons just added to it. Hopefully this movie finds an audience with some good word of mouth, as it was hilarious, shot well, and acted perfectly for the type of movie it was. I didn't stay around for the awards, but it would be a huge mistake if this movie didn't win. Keep submitting this to more festivals guys.

This movie is one of those surefire flicks to strike the humor cord amongst the generation X crowd. Extremely well done for the budget it was given, the screenplay and directing I thought was well above average. A select few characters make the film, such as the "Shane" character, whom acts as a gay park ranger, steals the show. I thought some of the development of the characters could have been better, though the film did not lack substance and kept the viewer wondering what kind of crazy, wild antics would happen next. A perfect rent for those who crave the "Scary Movie" type of genre- I hope these guys get together again in the near future to follow up Coons!

The "filmmakers" have produced an awful film, but that's precisely the point. The high school actors seem to be winking at us,as if to say, "Yes, me in bad movie, and me proud of it."

This is a comedy in the tradition of "Date Move," "Epic Movie," and "Sleepover." Unfortunately, the director, Travis Irvine, fails to understand that true comedy works when it is taken seriously. That's why classic spoofs like "Airplane!" and "Cannibal! The Musical" work: because the actors act as if they are in a serious drama.

"Coons" was featured at the 2006 TromaDance. It was the worst film of the night. Perhaps the cast and crew had set low standards for themselves. One would guess, by the obvious lack of production value, that the only goal Irvine and his team had in mind was "Let's make a horrible movie!"

They certainly have succeeded. "Coons" is unfunny, and not only that, it lacks skill and professionalism. Even terrible comedies like "Epic Movie" at least aim for quality in cinematography and acting.

Take for instance the poor casting. Rather than casting professional, talented comedians, Irvine cast young men who look like high school students, dressed them up in wigs and costumes, and then made them recite raccoon jokes. It looks like the worst high school play you've ever seen.

But again, that was the point. "Coons" fails as a comedy but succeeds as one of the worst independent "films" ever produced. I'm sure Travis Irvine and his crew are out there somewhere, smiling as they read this, convinced that they have made the best bad film ever. Yes, indeed, they have.

And if you like sophomoric and tasteless parodies as much as I do... then you will love this movie. The comedic timing is spot on, the majority of satire is stable, and some jokes are down right hilarious... the title is a laugh standing on its own! I can see how some people might not like the film, but they are people that you don't want to hang out with anyway. On the other hand, people who can have a good time and laugh with their friends will add their new, bi-monthly catch phrase "Sh*t Snakes" to their vernacular in no time. Coons is an amateur's armature: a low budget attempt at a feature length film, and I give the young filmmakers a lot of credit. We aren't talking Oscar winning here; we're talking about a well put together spoof on a horror film. This one kept me laughing throughout... do yourself the favor and get this one... you won't regret it. Chin chin!