tim-mcspadden

Purdah is a really interesting documentary! It has titles and my family and I followed along really well.. but what was neat was the interesting world this doc presented.., a reassuring story with a great soundtrack and showcases a world I've never seen. So basically the story about an Indian girl who is Muslim and wants to play Cricket.. but her family is very conservative and steeped in traditions. So what follows is her struggle to break the norms.. but it was graceful in also respecting her culture and at the same time revealing it to Western audiences Great doc! 4 stars!

Check out this cool little sports themed movie about a Coach who pushes with heavenly grace his team of basketball players to a national championship. The stuff the diverse kids go though is inspirational and WARRIOR PRIDE is something the whole family could watch and take away a few life lessons. What first grabbed me about this faith driven melodrama about Coach's drive to the basket of redemption was how well the production value was. Typically some of these low budget films from nowhere you have to suffer through some tough situations to focus on the story but WARRIOR PRIDE took this sports/faith themed movie to the House and made a slam dunk with me! Good job 4 stars!

Odd ball quirky little dark comedy that wants to make you think its more scary than it really is with just the amount of twist on all those phony holiday movies we get force fed this time of year. I enjoyed watching this movie for and thought "why just stop at Grandpa? I see a few more characters in this movie to ad to the list!" hahaha! And that's the point, when a movie makes it difficult to root for just one character, it's a delicate high wire process.. one that the Director Gianci navigates delicately.. some folks might get snobby about the low budget filmmaking but I always applaud these type of efforts and amazed when a film from nowhere manages to entertain in a new way.. I'm not sure how a politically incorrect movie like this got made during the MeToo crybaby era where snowflakes get their panties in a bunch over Christmas songs like "Baby its cold outside" - so kudos to the filmmakers for having the guts to get er done!!

Chasing the Win is a really engaging, good for the soul documentary. Horses are beloved and so much a part of our culture - that it was nice to see a story about such a one and the crew that comes along with making such a breed into a winner. Its kind of an underdog, kid (horse) from nowhere narrative about a horse named Kinsale King - and an Irish trainer named O'Callaghan who left his home and rolled the dice on the American dream and not to spoil it all, has his own rags to riches story in becoming who he became. Then the third about the owner was also special.. you're kind of overwhelmed with all these interesting narratives... So, the sum of all these points is that Chasing the Win is about all 3 of these creatures, striving to a goal.. and it's really informative too about the life of racing horse... I really was entertained and learned a lot too. I mean some of the stuff was funny too about horses getting to enjoy a pint or too of Guiness haha.. well, when you watch this documentary, you'll soon learn the winner was you for making such a good choice..! 5 stars!!

You know in the era of Me2, this was a great satirical film to watch. It had all the elements of a good raunchy comedy that I like - namely, raunchy irreverent humor, comeuppance for the bad guy and great tunes by Toddy Walters that you can rock n' roll all nite and party everyday to. It's a send of the music industry as it stands today and really, since I watched it on my computer - so it must be true! It reminded me a bit of the fake documentary style of the "Spinal Tap" film from decades ago, which also had good music. Very well written and slick production values make this low budget movie out of Colorado one the best small films you can watch on Amazon today. 5 stars!

Did you enjoy my reference to a joke by the Marx Bros? I did too! Well its because what a great discovery of bittersweet romance this movie was! Elephants has a diverse cast of characters you root for as they were once-separated people now reunited and seemingly back together.. and they go through all the paings of rekindle a romance from flirting to loving to arguing.. Man I saw myself a bunch in this flick. Smart dialogue, and great chemistry between the leads of some unknown stars... I like finding indie gems like this that really show how good these films from nowhere can be.. Well Elephants works because at its core it has a story that's new and familiar.. where we wish to have a failed romance succeed again.. but yet is hopelessly flawed.. Kinda reminded me a lot of "Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind" the one with Jim Carrey.. give it a watch!!!

This documentary went by so fast.. I was really interested as it weaved a colorful tapestry about the life that built, lived and ran the Hotel American.....Really, I don't get to watch documentaries very often, but I'm glad I did with this one.. I can't believe I've driven past this hotel where its part of the Downtown L.A. art scene and did not realize its colorful history. From its beginnings as a home for minorities then to Japanese around the war. .followed by what it became apart of the vibrant LA art scene, wow - you really learn a lot and find a new appreciation for the hotel.. makes you wonder about the stories of some of the older buildings in your home town... I'm glad I saw this on Amazon first.. I'd imagine it'll be on PBS .. great discovery! Nice work of filling in the details by the filmmakers.. 4 stars means I like it and I do - this American Hotel!

Karan Kendrick is the hero we all would like to be when we have to deal with the crazy mean Boss and suffer in a job we need. Not only does she have to live in her office she has this jerk... seriously someone we wish was off this planet. So her job is her entire world.. and she has to make it work, her work.. UGH! What a predicament and you root for her to outlast this tyrant of a boss and job... . I had someone like that.. A mean boss who just wanted me gone.. to make my life as miserable as possible so I would leave.. and as much as you try to rationalize with a tyrant, the worse it gets.. and the first scene really nails that down. We all would like to handle tyrants at work the way our gut tells us we should, but we are a nation of laws.. and you just can't Purge them.. So we follow our heroine Angela as she breaks through this ceiling and gets the revenge we all would want. Be advise this film has some of the limitations of indy filmmaking, some actors pull it off better than others, but I'm of the audience that enjoys finding gems like this, and I'm sure you will too. 4 stars!

Put on your dancing shoes for a good time from some plucky indy filmmakers with this dance flick! This is a dance movie with underdogs that you definitely root for.. at its heart its a family film. perfect for me and my gal pals with young ones learning tap. Sure some film snobs might pick it apart because lets face it, this a low budget movie, with no stars and definitely some small film quirks - but it has BIG dreams - just like its protagonist and that my friends is inspiring. I was impressed with the choreography and the ending with its awesome effects... really that had me by surprise... You know, its like the Cinderella story .. the kid from nowhere... at its heart, which is big - its a family film and inspiring to see the talent this indy film put together to provide my family and I a nice night of entertainment. So watch it with the family, come for the fun - Stay for the dance, baby! 4 stars!

The Hidden Light is an emotionally compelling, suspenseful and yes, faith based film. I like it when I find these unknown indy gems that take a chance on portraying the human drama that Jack Jovcic's character is pushing through. A lot of supposedly religious people could learn a lot about redemption and forgiveness as portrayed in this film. I found myself drawn in to the subject matter.. I'm a lot more patient than most so give this movie a chance to wash over you about what these men do about the lingering effects of the criminal decisions... and if yee be without sin, then cast the first stone! I give this... 4 stones! Good movie..

Wow what a good looking fun film. Okay sure it has echoes of some classics like Annie Hall. The basics of the story being here we find this down on his luck and love writer trying to rescue the quirky good looking girl who just might save his life, too. Oh, and they live in Hollywood and have a lot of first world, good looking white people problems. I mean, how far do we have to drive to IKEA? Never mind, these stories are always fun to watch.. You need to pay attention and keep up. Lots of breaking the fourth wall type stuff and engaging fantasy type things.. like when one character laments she's in the wrong dream and jumps into another, leaving our writer friend behind. Little gem scenes like this are all over in the movie.

So what would you do if (here's the cute meet film students)..a good looking homeless person jumped into your vehicle and convinced you to take her home..? Yeah, so would I. And its fun to watch along and think OMG, he didn't. He did! And see how things progress...and what follows from that getting to know you craziness to SPOILER ALERT. the baby that's on the way, is a pleasant romantic comedy and great acting from some talent you've never met before. You root for this couple and their happiness. OUTSTANDING low budget filmmaking. These are filmmakers to watch.

Read first all those 1-star reviews. Those are the people that cut you off in traffic, never say thanks, cut the line you're in, steal from you, eat your lunch you left in the community fridge at work, have no real friends anyway, probably have a ferocious yeast infection right now and if they died tomorrow, no one would cry. Look at how mean and evil they are as they take out their frustrations with their miserable lives on this fun little movie... they're jealous because they could never create something as cool as this. They are perfect fodder for the BLOOD DEMON! Good news, he's rising! Line them up Blood Demon 2! Those idiots just don't get it and our world would be a better place if you take them out! Do thy bidding!

This movie is great campy fun. The amazing special effects .. and I mean the detail to the mattes, those fake sets, extended sets.. extra smoke continuing in a follow shot, WOW... makes you think you could do it.. but how did they do it... and wow, wasn't that cool that they did? I don't judge this movie's SFX against Hollywood Millionaire Movies like the idiots that don't recognize this is low budget indy filmmaking. From the credits, it seems a lot of the work was done by a family or a married couple. So, it's a mom and pop store you 1-star morons, not Wal-Mart. The good news is all that cool, campy SFX adds to the fun of what is really a gory, violent, sexy (Boobs! YES!) spooky little film. I wasn't ever scared, I was more entertained by all the really cool characters, sets and costumes. Feet up, beer in hand, eating popcorn kind of fun.

The story goes that some horned up college kids (yay horny youths!) go to one of those Haunted Houses that pop up around Halloween. Meanwhile there's some trouble a-brewiing at the local Catholic priest shop about a demon that could be around that could only be killed by the metal that killed Judas.. or something like that. The point is, the good priest is going to carry that thing around for the next 90 minutes and I'll bet he gets to use it or it falls out of his hand at the last minute and one of the horny college kids uses it - (SPOILER ALERT: The good priest actually uses it and is bad azz in doing so). Meanwhile, the Evil Manager guy that runs the Haunted House is doing thy bidding of the Blood Demon who is chilling in a hot tub with some sexy vampire babes. The Blood Demon will give the Evil Manager guy ever lasting life IF... (side bar: Ever lasting life? I mean, I'd choose power and control over people.. I don't want to be 516 and counting).... IF the Evil Manager guy brings the Blood Demon some virgins so he can have a baby and I guess evil will continue or whatever. Well, luckily there are still college virgins around if you can believe that and by golly, then stuff starts hitting the fan! The actors that portrayed all these roles deserve major kudos for being so fearless and throwing themselves into the characters they breathed life into. Thanks for not pretending this is Shakespeare. From the cool college bros just trying to get their babes back, to the Blood Demon guy with that lispy, toothy accent.. and the handsome Priest with the Romanian accent.. to that adorably cute and demented middle school girl so proud of her dress ... to the Evil Manager guy who has the coolest way of exhaling and inhaling cigarette smoke that I have ever seen.. I wish they were all my friends. Way to go - nicely done. Your work and commitment to this project really pull it off and make it one of the best low budget indy "horror" movies I've ever seen.

That's whats fun about Amazon, you get to sample these hidden gems you'd other wise never get to see. Would've gave it 5 stars, but had to deduct a point only because of what happened to the baby. Wish there was a better solution that scene, but nevertheless, an outstanding film. Reminded me of the "Love Witch" also on Amazon. These are 70s camp films, with lots of violence, sex, blood and super saturated colors of comedy. BLOOD DEMON RISING should be on everyone's midnight movie watch list.