jessewillis

I just watched the short film on DVD called "Cleveland In My Dreams".

Wow! It was really, really cool.

It was adapted from Lawrence Block's classic short story "Cleveland In My Dreams". I'm very, very impressed with it. Terrific direction and crisp editing! A first time film by an obviously gifted director.

The two biggest flaws were minor: 1. The greenscreen scenes didn't work perfectly. 2. The acting was not as polished as it could have been.

I loved the integration of the music into the flow of the film one of my favorite directors, Michael Mann, is a favorite for the exact same reason - the deep integration of score with visuals.

Mark (the director) and his sister (the scriptwriter) translated a Lawrence Block tale to film and it works perfectly (unlike many other adaptations of Block's work). A feat unequaled and unrivaled. Well done!

If you get the DVD be sure to listen to the commentary track. I'd have liked to have seen the addition of English subtitles to the DVD but what extras you did have are really great! Loved the behind the scenes stuff too.

One other thing, after watching the bloopers during the credits stick around for a final easter egg (the punchline to a very funny joke told in the film).

HEY, STOP STABBING ME! has no right to be good, it has a no budget feel, its shot on videotape instead of film and uses an all amateur unpaid cast.... honestly this film sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. But not only have they managed not to suck its actually PRETTY DAMN GOOD MOVIE! This team has the chops to tackle hollywood films head-on and I'll bet you if it had something like half of the exposure of Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi it'd be doing as much business! Normally I'd point to the few weak spots (the fight sequence in the yard for example) but I won't even do that, this film pulls itself up by its own borrowed bootstraps and overcomes the mediocrity of most film and acomplishes the uberfilm dream it truly entertains. Congrats to all involved, see you on the flipside! ;-)

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) isn't perfect, but it has a lot going for it. The pairing Eastwood and Bridges is great, these aren't the same kinds of actors, and yet their on-screen relationship works well. Supporting character actors George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis round out rest of the heisters, and Gary Busey makes an early appearance in a small role. Also of note is the striking Montana scenery, quite unseen on film, this movie does an admirable job showcasing it. What I'm really surprised about is how no one else seems to have noticed a couple of things about this film.

First: The title of this film, and its two main characters are an homage to a pair of famous 19th century highwaymen who called themselves respectively `Captain Thunderbolt' and `Captain Lightfoot'. This isn't the last time Hollywood film criminals would be named after real life bandits. In the film `The Way Of The Gun' the characters are called `Mr. Parker and Mr. Longbaugh' which of course were the real names of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid! Also of interest is the fact that Geoffrey Lewis appears in The Way Of The Gun!

Second: Those interested in a companion piece to this film might consider watching `Thelma and Louise' which mirrors the on-the-road relationship of this film very closely. Though the plot is different, the relationship with the landscape and the emphasis on two characters is strikingly similar. In short a good film, worth watching!