By Hook or by Crook
By Hook or by Crook chronicles the tale of two unlikely friends who commit petty crimes as they search for a path to understanding themselves and the outside world. Silas Howard plays Shy (a transgender man), who leaves his small town after the death of his father, and heads to the big city to live a life of crime. Along the way, he encounters Valentine, a quirky adoptee, in search of his birth mother. An immediate kinship is sparked between these men and they become partners in crime. Suffering money troubles, emotional problems, and physical confrontations, the duo face their issues head on and learn to trust each other and support each other in pursuit of their goals.
-
- Cast:
- Silas Howard , Harry Dodge , Joan Jett
Similar titles
Reviews
This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
Thanks for all your great comments and most of all for watching our movie, it's always nice to see that people take the time to watch indie movies. what's even more astounding is that you've taken the time to make commentary. This is the stuff that keeps us going. OK that's all i really have to say, but IMDb is making me fill this up with 10 lines of text, so i'll carry on for a bit longer. All I really wanted to say was thanks, so i'll keep saying it over and over again. if your looking for another interesting movie about butches check out the shinjuku boys. i think that's about all for now. watch the movie and tell us what you think. i didn't vote for my own movie cuz i think it's a bit tacky, kinda like this posting.
I loved this movie from the opening sequence right through to the end. I found the director/ actor's style of directly addressing me/the audience very engaging.What I found most exciting and refreshing about this movie was its ignoring -- and thus challenging -- of gender and class stereotypes. The idiosyncrasies of the characters are portrayed as strengths, and the absence of judgment -- and the characters' acceptance of themselves and each other -- enabled me to embrace them and allow myself to be drawn into their world. Without preaching, and with intelligence and gentle and loving humor, this movie has the power to open us to new possibilities, and offers hope for a world in which people see and accept each other as unique and precious individuals. I look forward to more offerings from this creative and talented director.
I find this piece amazing, one of the few portrayals of butch identity in film. It's a buddy story really, mixed a lil with road movie and a dash of coming of age story. The writer/director/actor team of Howard and Dodge prove their versatility and strength by bringing characters to life that are so marginalized out in the world. Also a great performance by Stanya Kahn as Billie: an awesome Fem character that deserves a whole movie of her own. Visually, this is one of the better digital films you will see from 2001. The soundtrack kicks. "A man's journey is but the search for the first great images that gained access to his heart."One of a kind, highly recommended.
I didn't go out of my way to see this one but I found myself surprised at how interested I was in these characters. I found them very believable.I suppose some sections may have appeared creaky or stiff. But those of us who are fans of indies, well, every now & then it's worth it to wait out the imperfect stuff.My favorite parts of the movie were times in which not too much was going on - when the characters were just hangin' out talkin' well, trash. I found at least one of Val's crazy musings fairly thought provoking.And I was really impressed with how they decided to go with Sly's attempt to hold up a convenience store toward the end of the movie. That seemed -very- believable.I dunno..I wish I could hang out with these two more. One hopes for further adventures...More than anything tho, I was just glad they found each other. They make one hell of a team.