Rating: 
Summary: An excellent movie
Review: Not only is this a great movie, but on this forthcoming dvd, you also have the chance to see Vincent pereira's directors cut, along with intro's by Kevin Smith. The movie itself is fantastic - it follows the unfortunate Barrett Michaelson, who is having a bad first day at his new high school - he is badgered, ridiculed, and nearly beaten up. He finds an unlikely ally in local loner, Ryan Walker, an intelligent but misanthropic youth with a dark family past. A friendship quickly develops, but Barrett begins to worry as Ryan's philosophical ranting turns increasingly violent. When Barrett does the unthinkable and makes peace with the local teenagers Ryan so despises, Ryan loses all control and attempts to drag Barrett down into his world of hatred and destruction - and Barrett must find a way to escape. I highly recommend this film.
Rating: 
Summary: Raw Talent
Review: Pereira's take on teen psyche in the 20th century was well ahead of it's time. Set along the Jersey shore, the film takes on an almost dream-like state, making great use of natural light and settings. Hats off to new-comer Robert DiPatri in what can only be described as a stunning debut!
Rating:
Summary: Robert Dipatri Shines
Review: The movie is good, but not half as good as newcomer Robert Dipatri. He burns up the screen in his role as a nice guy teenager. I hope to see more of this extremely gifted talent in the future. I was also engrossed by the lavish camera work of the beautiful Jersey shore. The music was real spooky.
Rating:
Summary: A DISTURBING TRIUMPH!!
Review: This film is one of the best low-budget flicks I've seen in the last decade. Like many others before him, the writer, director and editor Vincent Pereira has excelled himself: proving that you don't need millions to create a cinematic landmark (albeit a small one). 'A BETTER PLACE' primarily deals with teen aggression. But do not fear!! This is by no means a John Hughes movie. Never before have I seen this subject matter displayed in such a controversial, uncompromising and honest manner. Occasionally the acting seems to go rather slack and a few technical blips are apparent but this is easily overlooked. In my opinion, this flick is an accomplished piece of film-making that consistently delivers its message like a deliberate smack in the face - right up to its brutal finale. It's great to see distributors like 'SYNAPSE FILMS' out there preventing little gems like 'A BETTER PLACE' from fading into the abyss. Synapse have done an excellent job in making this film's production value seem more than $40,000. I'm unsure as to whether or not it was shot on standard 16mm or super 16 but the footage sometimes looks extremely crisp and the sound quality is top-notch (considering the source material they probably had to work with). Also, the DVD extras are a worthwhile asset: interesting and informative and not pointless like some discs I could mention. At its best, 'A BETTER PLACE' is raw, intense, gripping and a truly disturbing film. It's a great pity that many other film-makers don't take a leaf out of Mr Pereira's book and put more thought into their work. Highly recommended!!!
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars for the DVD
Review: This was a good movie but after seeing it I think it was overrated. BUT, there is a hidden drunkin commentary on the dvd and this is cool. If you like your beer and watch movies with friends while drinking, this commentary is for you. There is also many other extra features on this dvd that make it worth having but I'm drinking right now and can't get into that.
Rating:
Summary: A different "teenage" movie
Review: Thoughtful and harrowing story about teenage alienation and its consequences. In pre-Columbine days, this story might have seemed a bit overblown, but now it rings with a truth that can't be denied. The actors put their best foot forward and the director handles the proceedings with assurance and style, despite the budget shortcomings. This disc did not play at all on my Toshiba player model SD-1200 (kept telling me "disc error" and failed to load), but my Apex AD-600A handled it perfectly.
A highly recommended independent gem.
Rating:
Summary: Easter Eggs AKA Hidden Features
Review: To acces these easter eggs, first watch the movie all the way through once (or just access the last chapter and watch the end credits), then go to the "special thanks" screen. On the second special thanks screen, you are now able to highlight a few of the names in the special thanks. Highlight "The Pizza Guy" and you will be taken to a hidden menu called "Loopholes" where you can access the trailer for the hysterical movie "Big Helium Dog" and a second audio commentary for A Better Place, this time with the members of the pervious commentary drunk out of their gords...fun stuff.
--- Click on the color bars. Let them play for about 15-20 seconds and you will view a hidden montage of outtakes and deleted scenes.
Rating:
Summary: Hoping for more
Review: When I bought this movie I had really heard little about it besides that it was independent and had something to do with Kevin Smith. I decided to buy the movie; although, I am not a very ethusiastic fan of Kevin Smith. The characterization in this movie is overall good. The director tries to show the relationships in a way that avoids too much cheesiness. This is generally accomplished with the careful crafting of what would be included in the movie. It was clear that the deleted scenes were good choices to be deleted. The actors in the movie are pretty good. Most of them were fairly new to acting but this did not stop them from showing glimpses of wonderful acting. It did not take to long to start to really empathize with the characters in the film. However, I think there could have done more with the film. The story had some rough spots that seem as though could have been fixed with a little more time and paying attention to details. Regardless, it still is a wonderful movie to own and fun to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Piece of Work
Review: When I first heard Vincent was releasing his first feature film. I asked when and where. When I first saw it at Vulgarthon I was a pleasant young person. As it was a wonderful piece of film. So I can not wait for his first DVD release. I can not wait to see some of the deleted scenes also.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting...
Review: Wow what a great movie...it has such a gritty feel throughout, even the camera mistakes and ghosting help you realize what a great movie you can make with a measly 40 grand. And i especially loved the last scene, how ironic and truthful...
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