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Summary: GREAT MOVIE- BUT HERE'S A DVD REVIEW
Review: Well, as most of you know- this is a fun flick, but I also know most dvd people browsing want to know about the extras and stuff.First of all, the sound quality and picture- no problem there. There are deleted scenes- they're all pretty cool, but understandably cut for the reason of movie length. The audio commentary is very very cool to listen to- since after watching the movie you're familiar with the cast all ready-so it's awesome to hear what they have to say, not to mention the film-makers themselves that are just as cool. Very informative and fun. The "Coven" short has some great moments and awesome shots- lotsa potty mouth though- I couldn't care, but others probably will. Also great trailers too as a bonus- some to other independant features like, "Welcome to the Dollhouse", "The Opposite of Sex" and more. I dunno, I've always liked watching trailers. Anyway, definately worth the buy. Adios!
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Summary: toy story 2
Review: i wont to now about this movie
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Summary: Best American Documentary since "Roger & Me"!
Review: I heard about this movie a while ago, and I went to see it at the historic Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee. I knew it was funny from what I read about it, but let me tell you...this movie is laugh-your-a**-off hilarious. Me and my business partner Rachel saw it at a 5:00 showing with a medium-sized crowd and everyone laughed out loud through the entire duration of the film. What's great about it is that it is funny, but touching in parts too. I'm an aspiring filmmaker like Mark Borchardt and I identified with what he did to get a movie made. I also thought it was cool that I could pick out places in Milwaukee I'd been to that appear in the movie. (For us Wisconsinites, the scenes where Mark and his friends watch the Packers in the Super Bowl is an added bonus!) Whether you're into making movies or not, whether you're from Wisconsin or not...American Movie is a hilarious romp that you will want to own. Plus, if you get the DVD, you get to hear two commentary tracks (i think they're seperate) and you'll get cut footage and the entire "Coven" short too! Kudos to Sony for another great special edition disc!
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Summary: I loved this movie ...
Review: I saw this movie when a friend of mine who runs a video store brought the preview copy around ... I loved it ... Half way through the film I felt like I knew all the people ... Right after watching it I ordered Coven, and Mike Shank's tape "The Songs That I Know" ... If you like idependent films you have to see this before you watch Coven ...
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Summary: Don't miss American Movie
Review: I saw this wonderful documentary at Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival in Champaign, IL. The theater was sold out, the documentary's filmmakers and Mark Brochardt where in attendance, and the film received a rousing standing ovation. I can't praise this film enough. It is funny, moving, raw and profoundly inspiring. It is a true joy to watch Mark's 'Coven' after experiencing the documentary. This isn't just a 'must see' film, I think it is a 'must own' film. It is that rare film treasure that you will want to share with everyone you know. An absolute treat!
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Summary: The reason why overlooked films should not be overlooked.
Review: I saw this film at Roger Ebert's Film Festival at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, on April 27, 2000, and let me say, I haven't enjoyed a movie as much as I enjoyed this one since American Beauty. "American Movie" is a funny, sometimes sad, inspiring documentary about a struggling filmaker's life, his family, friends, and films. Mark Borchardt's life involves poverty, desperation, discourgement and endless ambition to be a filmaker. I won't give away any of the movie, but I will say that it is a smart investment. There will be times, as you watch the movie, you will think that this is a fictional story, and times you will think it is true. So could this really be a documentary about someone's life? You'll be surprised. You will find feelings for each of the actors that are in this film, especially Mark, his friend Mike Schank (a carbon copy of Kevin Smith's Silent Bob, only this is not acting, its real life), and Uncle Bill. Trust me if you like a movie that is different from the rest and have a sense of humor, you will be satisfied.
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Summary: Title could be "American Family"
Review: I just saw this film last night at Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. "Americn Movie" is wonderful, hilarious and touching at the same time, and it's all true. It centers around Mark, his stoned-out friend Mike, and Mark's friends and family who buy into his dream of making a movie. In the first few minutes of the film I thought Mark was a real loser. He admits he drinks too much, parties too much, he has a broken marriage with three kids he sees once in a while, and he doesn't get along with his ex wife. He lives at home pretty much freeloading off of his mom. Even Mark's own brother says he thinks Mark is best suited for factory work. It's true Mark is not polished at all, nor are any of the people who help him finish his film. But Mark believes so hard in his dream that by the end of the film you are really pulling for him to finish his first film, "Coven," so he can get to work on his masterpiece, "Northwestern." It doesn't really matter if he's a great film maker or not. What matters is that this guy has a dream and his desire to fulfill that dream is so strong that he sort of wills all his friends and family to help him in the endeavor. Roger Ebert suggested this film could be called "American Family" and I think he's right, because this film shows Mark's relationships with all the people who help him make the film, from his Swedish mother who doubts Mark will be successful but helps him shoot scenes of the movie anyway, to his tightfisted old Uncle Bill who lives in a trailer park and reluctantly lends Mark enough money to become an "executive producer" on the film, to Mark's best friend Mike Schank who is a true-to-life combination of the guys from "Spinal Tap" and Sean Penn's character from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." No Hollywood screen writer could ever come up with better characters than the ones in this movie. The film is hilarious, especially scenes where Mark is filming his Uncle Bill to say a certain line in the film, and another where Mark is supposed to ram an actor's head through a board for a scene in "Coven" and let's just say it takes more than one take to get it right. But, like all good films, this one speaks to us on another level, showing the complexity and love in the relationships between Mark and his family. The film also speaks poignantly to all of us who have ever had a dream. Last night at the festival after the film was shown Mark came on stage and he received a standing ovation from the crowd. After you see this film, you will feel like giving Mark a standing ovation too.
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Summary: One of the funniest (and touching) films of all time
Review: There are few movies today that are worth seeking out. American Movie is one of them. With a completely true story (very loosely describal as "Ed Wood" meets "This is Spinal Tap" meets "Crumb"), filmmakers Chris Smith and Sarah Price have captured and perfectly presented a slice in the lives of some truly memorable characters. By the end of the film, the audience is not only enormously satisfied and entertained, but feels as though they truly have met new friends. The audience I saw this with went wild, particularly during Mike Shank's (you could not write a funnier or more endearing character) screaming scene. Those who want to enter filmmaking for a living should be required to view this, as it shows Mark Bochardt persisting through pitfall after pitfall to finally complete his horror opus "COVEN" (I would buy the DVD just to see this short film). We can only hope that his dream project "Northwestern" will one day see the light of day. "American Movie" has drawn comparisons to "Roger & Me", though I find the former far funnier, as Chris Smith wisely allows his subjects to do all the talking (whereas Michael Moore's film relies on his narration, while quite amusing, for much of the laughs). Indeed, we only hear Smith perhaps a half dozen times through the film, as Bochardt is never at a loss for words. It's not very surprising that "American Movie" was not even nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar, neither were the best "fiction" films of the year (in my opinion), "Being John Malkovich" and "The Straight Story". It's just further evidence in the case that the Oscar doesn't mean jack. "American Movie" is all ready a classic, however, and will continue to have a special place in film history. It's a shame that this film didn't get the kind of wide release that Adam Sandler movies get, because I truly believe that once word spread audiences would flock to see it. Anyway, I have planned well in advance to purchase the DVD, as it is a film to be cherished by all those who love movies.
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Summary: Underappreciated charmer...
Review: Where was Oscar when the Best Documentary nominations were being handed out? By far the funniest film of last year, this proves conclusively that "real life" is always more interesting, complex, and outrageous than the fantasy world of cinema. One hesitates to use fictional terms such as "supporting actors" to describe an authentic slice of life, but the fringe players in this film never fail to bring about chuckles and an unexpected warmth. The subject of this film is clearly untalented and deluded, but his passion and lack of pretension are so infectious that he cannot help but be a sympathetic figure. Even more, the DVD features "Coven," the short film that serves as the primary subject of the documentary. Only after witnessing the behind-the-scenes maneuvering and financing (not to mention the casting and actual filming) of "Coven" can one truly appreciate the final product: a slap-dash, campy, incoherent labor of love that Ed Wood would love to have fathered.
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Summary: American Movie
Review: Imagine if Spinal Tap was really an actual documentary. American movie is just that, minus the Heavy Metal subject matter, of course. By far, one of the funniest and most entertaining "movies" I've seen in a some time.
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