Very Cool!!!

Thanks for the memories!

Simply A Masterpiece

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Imagine a friend who gives you some money to pay a bill, but the next day they demand it back again and say that you forced them into giving you the money. When you pay it back, they apologise and say they were just a bit angry about something else and didn't really need the money back actually, and later they lie about the whole incident to other people. That is the sort of attitude the characters have in this movie. All of them appear unable make a decision without yelling, screaming and crying. The bare bones of the plot had vague potential, but they should have thrown the script back and tried again.

This is a pretty cool movie. It has two things going for itself - the romantic New Zealand locale and the college student characters. The movie drew me in when I accidentally started watching it - the idea of students moving into an abandoned house (the wonderful stereotype of the broke college student). I was a bit disappointed that after a while the story adopts a popular Western 90's plotline, but the movie was entertaining enough.

"Scarfies" is currently #2 at the box office in New Zealand, behind "Eyes Wide Shut". It's a clever, dark comedy/thriller that only occasionally jars. (Torture scenes make me squirm, especially if they're meant to be funny.) The film has some wonderful moments of surprise, moments of humour, moments of recognition, and, indeed, moments of horror, but the overall piece is a delight that certainly never bores. There's some good ensemble acting, too, from the young flatmates. Although an "inexpensive" first film, it does not look cheap or amateur in any way. This film is as good as any Kiwi film in the genre, and better than the classic "Goodbye Pork Pie" in my opinion. Well done, Duncan and Robert Sarkies.

Filed in "Tropical Dunedin" on New Zealand's South Island.A bunch of hapless students get themselves into the mire when they appropriate a crop of "weed".We were part of the "test audience" on a warm summer evening here in Wellington. Although the film was still in post production, it showed some brilliance in parts. Well worth a look.