Reviews

After watching this, I know that Nick opened a dispensary, Nick has lower prices, and Nick is a nice guy. Somehow these three things make him a pioneer I'm supposed to be grateful for.

The director was at my screening and he said that we should be grateful for all Nick's efforts in legislation, but I don't know why because they didn't think it was worth including. I don't know how he participated in the legalization efforts. I feel like I SHOULD know this after watching a documentary specifically about him, but I don't. Opening one of the first dispensaries because you won a lottery doesn't quite qualify for pioneer status.

What was opening one of the first dispensaries like? What were his challenges? Surely the legal hurdles were extraordinary, but I know nothing about what he went through. But I know he sells $10 grams. Apparently that's the only important part of his business.

I also don't know why there was so much gratuitous footage of Tommy Chong. He apparently did a signing at their dispensary once with Cheech Marin. Somehow this warranted a guesstimated total of 5 minutes of footage of him (actually it's only about 30 seconds of footage, just inserted every few minutes as a reminder of....what, I have no idea. Nick should be trusted because Tommy likes him? Your guess is as good as mine). If Tommy Chong contributed more than a signing event, again, somehow those details weren't important in this "documentary".

Even the discussions regarding how beneficial MMJ is were afterthoughts to repeatedly telling me how nice Nick is. Included is one really long story of a woman's tragically extensive medical issues, which after detailing thoroughly, ended with "so yeah I can't take opioids, so MMJ is a lifesaver". Nothing about how it helps her, her regimen, or any details at all.

One person briefly mentions working with addicts and how MMJ helps them. Again, no details on how, why, etc.

This "documentary" has zero focus and absolutely no information worthy of devoting viewing time. I was really excited about seeing a documentary on this topic and I was so disappointed that it amounted to an Infomercial for his dispensary instead of an actual documentary.

This screened at the International Horror and Sci Fi Film Festival portion of the Phoenix Film Festival in April. It was a completely sold out show, and as far as I know, everyone left raving about this film.

I admit, reading the plot I was really reluctant to see this movie. I tend not to enjoy horror comedies and I had no idea how a living room cardboard fort was going to capture my attention. Within the first 5 minutes, I was proved completely wrong. This movie was not only hilarious, it was also one of the more creative movies I've ever seen.

Don't watch the trailer, just go in and experience this movie and enjoy the ride. You will not regret it.

I saw this at the Phoenix Film Festival. I'd say this is tied for my favourite horror movie from that festival (with Eyes of my Mother...also amazing).

Ghost movies are really the only horror films that stand of chance of scaring me these days. There were a few times during this film that I was completely tense, and a few times, absolutely on the verge of terror as to what was going to happen next. The film was just so well done in terms of pacing.

Unfortunately, ghost movies also suffer from poor endings, quite frequently. This ending was better than most, but something about it didn't sit right with me, and that's all I'll say to prevent spoilers. You may disagree entirely. I'm a tough one on endings.

I really hope this gets a wide distribution, because if you're at all a fan of ghost movies, this movie is just fantastic. A definite must see!

This was my overall favourite (non-horror) film from the Phoenix Film Festival, hands down. It was just so well done! I can't even find a bad thing to say about it. A truly perfect film!

This is a coming of age story at it's core, but it's also the (mostly) true story of the writer/director's quest to meet the notoriously private JD Salinger.

I had the opportunity to hear the director discuss this film and his respect for Salinger was obvious. He also stated that the conversations with Salinger were actually verbatim because he wrote them down immediately, and then used these notes to write the film. So you're truly getting a bit of insight into the real Salinger with this film.

The movie is so much more than that, though. In my opinion, this is truly an Oscar worthy film.

I'm going spoiler free on this review, so you'll have to forgive me for being vague. The only joy you'll get from this movie is watching it without knowing where it is going. If you know too much, there's nothing worth watching.

I think there is some merit in seeing this film. My biggest issues with it were the direction it took, which isn't my preferred genre. I really can't say more than that without spoiling it, and I'm sure you're going to rate my review as "not helpful" for saying that, but everyone I said that to at the Phoenix Film Festival (where I saw this film) immediately understood.

What that means for you, dear viewer, is you're going to have to take a gamble. Do you like non-mainstream horror? How open-minded are you? If you like formulaic horror, move along. The movie is bizarre in many ways.

My rating reflects that I was not at all happy with the direction it took (as a personal preference...you might think it was the best ending ever), but I'm actually glad I saw it. If nothing else, it's interesting. The soundtrack is also a nice bonus. Loved the music!

***Minor Non-Plot Specific Spoilers***

I watched this movie a lot as a child. I loved it and thought it was a really good movie back then. I'm sure I saw it at least a few dozen times. Over the years, I honestly forgot about it, but I was delighted when I saw it appear on Netflix a few years ago and I watched it again for the first time in at least 20 years.

Watching this movie as an adult, I was absolutely amazed at how horrifying this movie actually is and there was a good long stretch where I just sat there sobbing. It's really, really tragic. I sat there for a while wondering how on earth this was a kids movie, until I remembered that I never really picked up on all of that as a child. I had a vague understanding of the stress the mother was under, because I saw my mother behave the same way, but to truly grasp the reality of this movie is not something most children will do.

I still think this movie is great, and definitely worth watching. It's got all the great elements for a holiday film - magic, love, pulled heartstrings, tears, and that warm fuzzy feeling. You're not getting a typical sugar-coated holiday film here, but you'll get a film you won't soon forget.

Thankfully, I saw this at a free pre-screening. I would have been livid if I had paid money for this joke of a movie.

Note: I am a huge fan of horror, so please do not think my review comes from a lack of knowledge of the genre.

Now, as for this film directly - it was more than clear that the target audience was males 15 - 25 due to the ridiculous amount of boobs, and the ridiculous amount of men around that age behaving like idiots. This movie made all men out to be drunken, sex obsessed buffoons. The first story was probably the worst of this, with the characters being so annoying I could barely stand it. This story should just flat out be removed from the movie. It's AWFUL.

Moving beyond that stupidity, you have some stories with excellent potential, but none of them panned out. There were a few genuinely tense moments, all of which were ruined by one thing or another (leaving out details to avoid spoilers). Worst of all were the plot holes the size of the Grand Canyon, particularly in the last story, and the tie-in story.

Overall, the whole thing is an insult to a thinking horror fan. And a word to the directors - plot twists do not make you clever if they don't make the story better.