Another one that Zach pulled up from off the Netflix Watch Instantly queue. Hadn't heard of this one before (Zach had added it to the queue), but here you go: 11:14.
Plot: Crazy things happening in small-town America late one night. The movie tells the story of about a dozen people involved in separate story lines that all coincide with disastrous results at (you guessed it) 11:14.
Another dark comedy. We seem to be on a roll :)
Like in many dark comedies, you have people in serious situations making the most awkward or incomprehensible decisions in response to their serious surroundings. My favorite comment from one of the IMDB user reviews is "Bad Decisions Make for Great Entertainment." That really sums up this movie. These people are making the most bizarre choices as these things happen to them, and you just sit back and watch how it all plays out.
Not a classic, but definitely worth a watch. The cast is great, just a very, very strong ensemble. The teenagers are all very real characters. The three guys joy-riding (Ben Foster, Colin Hanks and Stark Sands) are hysterical, watching their simple pranks go so horribly, painfully awry. Hilary Swank is nicely cast, in a part originally written for a male until she expressed interest. She's the epitome of the characters choosing the worst possible option instead of using a little common sense. Patrick Swayze, so often overly dramatic in parts, is perfect as an overly dramatic, overly protective father, while Rachael Leigh Cook's character, his daughter Cheri, is a nice blend of malice, manipulation, and naivete, who sets in motion all the night's events.
The direction is very well-handled, too. Movies like this, with multiple intersecting story lines, can be so good if handled well, and so bad if not (yes, I am still quite bitter about Magnolia, a rant for another time). The direction here was great. The storylines intersected nicely, and you were allowed to see the puzzle pieces start fitting together, as you got shots of the other storylines as you were watching another one happen.
Like in many dark comedies, you have people in serious situations making the most awkward or incomprehensible decisions in response to their serious surroundings. My favorite comment from one of the IMDB user reviews is "Bad Decisions Make for Great Entertainment." That really sums up this movie. These people are making the most bizarre choices as these things happen to them, and you just sit back and watch how it all plays out.
Not a classic, but definitely worth a watch. The cast is great, just a very, very strong ensemble. The teenagers are all very real characters. The three guys joy-riding (Ben Foster, Colin Hanks and Stark Sands) are hysterical, watching their simple pranks go so horribly, painfully awry. Hilary Swank is nicely cast, in a part originally written for a male until she expressed interest. She's the epitome of the characters choosing the worst possible option instead of using a little common sense. Patrick Swayze, so often overly dramatic in parts, is perfect as an overly dramatic, overly protective father, while Rachael Leigh Cook's character, his daughter Cheri, is a nice blend of malice, manipulation, and naivete, who sets in motion all the night's events.
The direction is very well-handled, too. Movies like this, with multiple intersecting story lines, can be so good if handled well, and so bad if not (yes, I am still quite bitter about Magnolia, a rant for another time). The direction here was great. The storylines intersected nicely, and you were allowed to see the puzzle pieces start fitting together, as you got shots of the other storylines as you were watching another one happen.
Overall: 4 of 5. Very fun. Don't think it's one I'd watch over and over, not really a classic, so probably not one for the shelf, but certainly one to check out on Netflix Instant :)
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