Take it outside, Jake Gyllenhaal — there was already a “Road House 2.” And it was awful.
The Og “Road House” starring Patrick Swayze came out in 1989 and made $30 million at the box office — a nice return on investment back in the day. Naturally, MGM struck while the iron was hot: a scant 17 years later, the studio released a straight-to-dvd sequel, “Road House 2: Last Call” (2006). Exactly 17 more years later, I went straight to Vudu to buy it. I did not get a good Roi on my $9.99.
Look, I knew what I was getting into. Like you, I didn’t realize there was a “Road House 2” until Doug Liman made a “Road House 3.”
Still the only “Road House” to get a theatrical release, the Swayze flick ended up doing most of its damage on home entertainment. The film isn’t well-reviewed — it has a 41 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 36 on...
The Og “Road House” starring Patrick Swayze came out in 1989 and made $30 million at the box office — a nice return on investment back in the day. Naturally, MGM struck while the iron was hot: a scant 17 years later, the studio released a straight-to-dvd sequel, “Road House 2: Last Call” (2006). Exactly 17 more years later, I went straight to Vudu to buy it. I did not get a good Roi on my $9.99.
Look, I knew what I was getting into. Like you, I didn’t realize there was a “Road House 2” until Doug Liman made a “Road House 3.”
Still the only “Road House” to get a theatrical release, the Swayze flick ended up doing most of its damage on home entertainment. The film isn’t well-reviewed — it has a 41 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 36 on...
- 3/7/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
A teenage girl's journey of passage in the vein of Allison Anders' early works, "Zoe" was hatched at a hotel poolside during the Nortel Palm Springs International Film Festival several years ago -- when first-time filmmaker Deborah Attoinese connected with co-writer Amy Dawes (a former journalist and L.A. film critic, including a short stint at The Hollywood Reporter).
Picturesque origins aside, the film is an upbeat affair about three rebellious high schoolers who run away from unhappy homes somewhere in the hinterlands and head for Hollywood. They don't get very far, and not much bad happens to them. And the movie is not so bad either, but neither is it distinguished enough to hitch its way into many theaters. The presence of Jenny Seagrove ("Local Hero") and lead Vanessa Zima ("Ulee's Gold") might help in ancillary excursions.
An affair appealing mostly to women from start to finish, "Zoe" is a meandering saga that at times awkwardly loses focus but never strays too far from its path. The subjects of spousal abuse, delinquency and Native American spiritualism are handled believably, but the central plot of Zoe's quest for roots and guidance is conveniently shouldered by a stranger whom the lead and her friends Sarah (Stephi Lineburg) and Ally (Victoria Davis) hijack at gunpoint.
This unbelievable, quickly forgotten development occurs early on when the three runaways can't quite get out of a diner without a policeman giving them a fright. The stranger in question is English shrink Cecilia (Seagrove), on a mission to scatter the ashes of her deceased mother, who lived out her life in a shack near "sacred Indian grounds." Proud of being one-eighth Native American, Zoe longs to find her roots and healthy mothering, but Cecilia keeps her at arm's distance.
With an easygoing episodic structure that works in character-driven comedy and nary a swear word or unpleasant moment, "Zoe" climaxes when the lead and Cecilia -- leaving behind Sarah and Ally -- find those sacred grounds and the nurturing friend of Cecilia's mother, Red Shirt (Gordon Tootoosis). While Cecilia comes to know what her mother was like -- and approves -- Zoe almost gets roasted in the desert when she takes a spontaneous step toward enlightenment.
The character as written and Zima's performance as Zoe are distractingly one-note after the early scenes of her bad home life. Perhaps female viewers will feel differently, but there's not enough tension or doubt about the outcome. Unfortunately, when it does conclude, there are one or two leaps meant to be taken on faith that don't make the whole scenario go down any smoother.
ZOE
Curb Entertainment
and Bill Kenwright Films
Director: Deborah Attoinese
Screenwriters: Deborah Attoinese, Amy Dawes
Producers: Bill Kenwright, Carole Curb Nemoy, Mike Curb, Ram Bergman, Dana Lustig
Director of photography: Samuel Ameen
Production designer: Charles M. Lippross
Editors: Lawrence Maddox, Richard Weis
Costume designer: Clara Ronk
Music: Dan Pinnella
Casting: Mary Margiotta, Karen Margiotta
Color/stereo
Cast:
Cecilia: Jenny Seagrove
Zoe: Vanessa Zima
Sarah: Stephi Lineburg
Ally: Victoria Davis
Red Shirt: Gordon Tootoosis
Mrs. Callahan: Kim Greist
Julian: Oliver Parker
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Picturesque origins aside, the film is an upbeat affair about three rebellious high schoolers who run away from unhappy homes somewhere in the hinterlands and head for Hollywood. They don't get very far, and not much bad happens to them. And the movie is not so bad either, but neither is it distinguished enough to hitch its way into many theaters. The presence of Jenny Seagrove ("Local Hero") and lead Vanessa Zima ("Ulee's Gold") might help in ancillary excursions.
An affair appealing mostly to women from start to finish, "Zoe" is a meandering saga that at times awkwardly loses focus but never strays too far from its path. The subjects of spousal abuse, delinquency and Native American spiritualism are handled believably, but the central plot of Zoe's quest for roots and guidance is conveniently shouldered by a stranger whom the lead and her friends Sarah (Stephi Lineburg) and Ally (Victoria Davis) hijack at gunpoint.
This unbelievable, quickly forgotten development occurs early on when the three runaways can't quite get out of a diner without a policeman giving them a fright. The stranger in question is English shrink Cecilia (Seagrove), on a mission to scatter the ashes of her deceased mother, who lived out her life in a shack near "sacred Indian grounds." Proud of being one-eighth Native American, Zoe longs to find her roots and healthy mothering, but Cecilia keeps her at arm's distance.
With an easygoing episodic structure that works in character-driven comedy and nary a swear word or unpleasant moment, "Zoe" climaxes when the lead and Cecilia -- leaving behind Sarah and Ally -- find those sacred grounds and the nurturing friend of Cecilia's mother, Red Shirt (Gordon Tootoosis). While Cecilia comes to know what her mother was like -- and approves -- Zoe almost gets roasted in the desert when she takes a spontaneous step toward enlightenment.
The character as written and Zima's performance as Zoe are distractingly one-note after the early scenes of her bad home life. Perhaps female viewers will feel differently, but there's not enough tension or doubt about the outcome. Unfortunately, when it does conclude, there are one or two leaps meant to be taken on faith that don't make the whole scenario go down any smoother.
ZOE
Curb Entertainment
and Bill Kenwright Films
Director: Deborah Attoinese
Screenwriters: Deborah Attoinese, Amy Dawes
Producers: Bill Kenwright, Carole Curb Nemoy, Mike Curb, Ram Bergman, Dana Lustig
Director of photography: Samuel Ameen
Production designer: Charles M. Lippross
Editors: Lawrence Maddox, Richard Weis
Costume designer: Clara Ronk
Music: Dan Pinnella
Casting: Mary Margiotta, Karen Margiotta
Color/stereo
Cast:
Cecilia: Jenny Seagrove
Zoe: Vanessa Zima
Sarah: Stephi Lineburg
Ally: Victoria Davis
Red Shirt: Gordon Tootoosis
Mrs. Callahan: Kim Greist
Julian: Oliver Parker
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/26/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The extreme highs and lows of contemporary teens witnessing the "end of everything" provide some of the funniest and most insightful scenes in the subversive cinema of Gregg Araki, whose new low-budget film "Nowhere" completes his "Teen Apocalypse" trilogy that includes "Totally F***cked Up" and "The Doom Generation".
With a downright surrealistic supporting cast -- from Jaason Simmons and Thyme Lewis to Beverly D'Angelo and Jeremy Jordan -- "Nowhere" is a sexy, savory cinematic cocktail for savvy moviegoers, but distributor Fine Line has its work cut out. Best theatrical results will come in major markets, but over the long haul "Nowhere" should find many appreciative fans as a video rental.
Loosely structured, even for Araki, and less biting than his previous five films, "Nowhere" again features the talented James Duval ("Independence Day") as a sensitive soul afoot in a swirling atmosphere of partying and pop culture that reflects and magnifies every emotion and physical urge.
A wild day in the life of Dark (Duval), "Nowhere" has bimbo-vaporizing aliens, drag queens, a scary televangelist, and characters called Zero, Dingbat, Handjob and Ducky, but at its romantic core the film explores the perils and pleasures of relationships, both serious and casual.
Dark's love interest Mel (Rachel True) is too wild to commit. She has a bitchy butch lover (Kathleen Robertson), and late in the game she gets down with gorgeous twins Surf and Ski (Keith and Derek Brewer).
Dark fantasizes about nice-guy Montgomery (Nathan Bexton), but the former is so confused he can't make any progress. It doesn't help when he starts to see a lizard-like alien zapping friends and strangers.
Other subplots include the downward spiral of a drugged-out musician (Jordan) who has a painful encounter with a dominatrix duo (Chiara Mastroianni, Debi Mazar); the dream-shattering encounter of sweet-girl Egg (Sarah Lassez) with the dreamy Teen Idol (Simmons); and the sexual adventures of brother-sister twins (Ryan Phillippe, Jordan Ladd) with their respective potent lovers (Heather Graham, Lewis).
The film goes nowhere Araki hasn't gone before, but the wickedly shocking finale underscores the filmmaker's go-for-broke sensibilities and piercing wit. There's even a bit of violence to balance out the film's inverted sitcom charm. Whether or not it's true for every viewer, Araki seems to maintain control of a film that's genuinely unpredictable.
NOWHERE
Fine Line Features
Why Not Prods.
Writer-director-editor:Gregg Araki
Producers:Gregg Araki, Andrea Sperling
Director of photography:Arturo Smith
Production designer:Patti Podesta
Costume designer:Sara Jane Slotnick
Casting directors:Rick Montgomery, Dan Parada, Mary Margiotta, Karen Margiotta
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dark:James Duval
Mel:Rachel True
Montgomery:Nathan Bexton
Kriss:Chiara Mastroianni
Kozy:Debi Mazar
Running time -- 85 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
With a downright surrealistic supporting cast -- from Jaason Simmons and Thyme Lewis to Beverly D'Angelo and Jeremy Jordan -- "Nowhere" is a sexy, savory cinematic cocktail for savvy moviegoers, but distributor Fine Line has its work cut out. Best theatrical results will come in major markets, but over the long haul "Nowhere" should find many appreciative fans as a video rental.
Loosely structured, even for Araki, and less biting than his previous five films, "Nowhere" again features the talented James Duval ("Independence Day") as a sensitive soul afoot in a swirling atmosphere of partying and pop culture that reflects and magnifies every emotion and physical urge.
A wild day in the life of Dark (Duval), "Nowhere" has bimbo-vaporizing aliens, drag queens, a scary televangelist, and characters called Zero, Dingbat, Handjob and Ducky, but at its romantic core the film explores the perils and pleasures of relationships, both serious and casual.
Dark's love interest Mel (Rachel True) is too wild to commit. She has a bitchy butch lover (Kathleen Robertson), and late in the game she gets down with gorgeous twins Surf and Ski (Keith and Derek Brewer).
Dark fantasizes about nice-guy Montgomery (Nathan Bexton), but the former is so confused he can't make any progress. It doesn't help when he starts to see a lizard-like alien zapping friends and strangers.
Other subplots include the downward spiral of a drugged-out musician (Jordan) who has a painful encounter with a dominatrix duo (Chiara Mastroianni, Debi Mazar); the dream-shattering encounter of sweet-girl Egg (Sarah Lassez) with the dreamy Teen Idol (Simmons); and the sexual adventures of brother-sister twins (Ryan Phillippe, Jordan Ladd) with their respective potent lovers (Heather Graham, Lewis).
The film goes nowhere Araki hasn't gone before, but the wickedly shocking finale underscores the filmmaker's go-for-broke sensibilities and piercing wit. There's even a bit of violence to balance out the film's inverted sitcom charm. Whether or not it's true for every viewer, Araki seems to maintain control of a film that's genuinely unpredictable.
NOWHERE
Fine Line Features
Why Not Prods.
Writer-director-editor:Gregg Araki
Producers:Gregg Araki, Andrea Sperling
Director of photography:Arturo Smith
Production designer:Patti Podesta
Costume designer:Sara Jane Slotnick
Casting directors:Rick Montgomery, Dan Parada, Mary Margiotta, Karen Margiotta
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dark:James Duval
Mel:Rachel True
Montgomery:Nathan Bexton
Kriss:Chiara Mastroianni
Kozy:Debi Mazar
Running time -- 85 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
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