"Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" is a violent thriller which simply exudes energy. Its story is told at an exhilarating pace, James Cagney gives a superb high octane performance and the character he depicts is an incredibly driven psychopath who pursues his own agenda with an extraordinary sense of purpose and determination.

Ralph Cotter (Cagney) is a real force of nature and his actions have a powerful effect on everyone he encounters. He's completely oblivious to the rule of law and totally cynical in his attitude to other people. Amusingly, the fact that the other characters in the story are nearly all corrupt seems in a perverse way, to almost vindicate his attitude towards them.

Cotter is a vicious criminal who together with another convict, escapes from a prison farm. When his accomplice is injured, Cotter shoots him in the head without any hesitation or compunction to ensure that his own chance of freedom isn't jeopardised. As planned, a car is waiting for him and accompanying the driver, Jinx Raynor (Steve Brodie) is the dead man's sister Holiday Carleton (Barbara Paynton). During the exchanges of gunfire that follow, Holiday shoots a prison guard and later Cotter tells his co-conspirators that Holiday's brother was killed by one of the guards. Holiday clearly dislikes Cotter initially but after an incident where he smacks her around the head with some towels, her demeanour changes and she starts to become attracted to him and agrees to him staying at her apartment.

Cotter and Raynor carry out a robbery and are subsequently traced by two corrupt police officers who relieve them of some money and order Cotter to leave town. Cotter later records an incriminating conversation involving the two policemen and with the assistance of a shady lawyer, turns the tables on them.

Cotter then gets involved with another woman, the daughter of a wealthy businessman and after the couple get married and jealous Holiday discovers who killed her brother, Cotter's problems start to escalate alarmingly.

Holiday's relationship with Cotter has an unhealthy dimension as can be seen on a couple of occasions when she responds positively to him following violent incidents. Cotter on the other hand is able to get his way by using both brutality and cunning. When necessary he uses coercion to get Holiday to fall into line with his wishes and again uses plenty of guile in order to get the upper hand with the corrupt cops.

"Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" is a very good movie in which James Cagney is at his brilliant best and the supporting cast all contribute fine and effective performances.


I'm stunned. I just finished watching this movie, and can't believe 1) how incredible it was; 2) that I knew nothing about this film, and that it is a totally hidden forgotten overlooked minor classic. I thought I knew or had heard of every major or almost-major film from the mid 30s through the 50s, but this came as a shock. There's no point comparing it to White Heat, which is in a class all by itself, for some justifiable memorable moments, notably the finale on the oil tank. But removing that legendary scene from the equation, this film is almost as good, with many scenes that stand out. The casting is flawless, and it has its own specialness, not the least (besides an always-brilliant Cagney), are the two love-interests, both pitch-perfect - Barbara Payton as the corrupted blonde, Helene Carter is the rich spoiled debutante. Notably, the script is devoid of cliché, often surprising, witty and anachronistically violent following the pathological gangster Cagney on a lawless tear as he breaks out of prison and afterwards. Two scenes, among many, jump out from the norm for their style, as often happened in a Hitchcock film: Payton throwing coffee, sugar, etc at Cagney, during a spat; and Cagney pushing Carter's foot further on the pedal in a duel of power while she drives her sportscar. The movie was complete surprise, and quite wonderful.


Hi, It's actually a right hand drive car but alas I can't be positive with the identification of it. I too thought it was a Mercedes but now know it probably isn't. It could well be an Hispano Suiza though. If you do an image internet search on this car a very similar one comes up albeit with a spare wheel attached to the door but it wouldn't be unknown for this to be removed by the production company because it got in the way. What I can say though is that it can decelerate from 110mph to 20mph in half a second (ha!)I will watch this with interest.

I agree that it is a great film though. Film4 have just shown it for the second time to my knowledge. Hope they show Love Me Or Leave Me soon, a favourite of mine and apparently of Cagney himself. In both these films Cagney was in his early 50s, being born in 1899 but still believable as a character.


Had a chance to watch KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE and although I don't agree with the claims of some that if you must see one "crime" film, this is it, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and that James Cagney was again terrific and on top of his game for this one. I also didn't get the feeling that this film was, in reality, WHITE HEAT 2, as some have said but it was a nifty follow up to that classic JC film. Cagney was indeed brutal and off his rocker, but it was more controlled and offset with his characters smarts and sense of humor. In WHITE HEAT, JC was just downright nuts, out of control and a lot more frightening IMHO. In KTG, Cags plays Ralph Cotter who after a daring and violent daylight prison break, uses his smarts to prove that he is no small timer and formulates a grand scheme to garner lots of cash and protection which involves crooked lawyers and crooked policemen. Cotter, in the end, is his own downfall as he goes too far and his romance with a high society girl with a very wealthy and powerful father, leads to his downfall because one thing you don't do is double-cross your moll! Excellent performance by all, including Barbara Payton and a near film stealing performance by Luther Adler as JC's eccentric and very crooked lawyer. Direction is robust and swiftly paced by Gordon Douglas and in the end, makes this film fun, breezy, yet violent, but also a very good watch.


I love this genre of film because it shows many facets of life during the time in which it is depicted. The clothing, the style of filming and the cars, my absolute favorite. I have a real thing for jailbreak flicks and this one didn't let me down. How could it with James Cagney at the helm of the gang? The cast of the movie is excellent. Everyone is suited to the part they played because they were believable. I just felt comfortable with the entire production as it included all the dimensions of crime films that are needed to make it successful. Whether it was a box-office smash when it released doesn't matter today. If you enjoy a snarling, conniving crazed character played by the red-headed genius of James Cagney, you'll enjoy watching this film. P.S. Does anyone know what kind of exotic car is used in this film?


There's the great scene in "The Public Enemy" where Cagney leans against the lamppost in the rain, defining his character and persona as a force to be reckoned with. In "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye", it's the one where the oblique upward camera angle captures Ralph Cotter over the garage pit right after he dumps the body of Vic Mason (Rhys Williams). It personifies the 'stark staring nuts' quality of Cagney's character, ranking him right up there with Tom Powers and Cody Jarrett.

The film skillfully weaves together strands of various sub plots to create a masterful gangster drama, even if it isn't as well known as Jimmy Cagney's premier movies. Teaming up Ward Bond and Barton MacLane as corrupt cops comes in stark contrast to their pairing in Bogart's "The Maltese Falcon"; it never took much time for Inspector Weber (Bond) to cave in to Cotter's demands when it meant a bigger and bigger payoff. Somehow I don't think the cheesecake calendar in Weber's office would be deemed politically correct today.

I'm a bit apprehensive over the Holiday Carleton character, I actually found her to be somewhat pathetic, particularly when she trades lip locks with Cotter after he slaps her around with a towel. Then again right after she manages to miss Cotter with all that kitchen artillery. For Cotter to be attracted to her didn't require much of a stretch though, he was as much a womanizer as a maniac.

Here's a puzzler. When it was revealed that Ezra Dobson was the most powerful man in the state, and that he could get the goods on anyone within twenty four hours, how is it he didn't find out that there was no such person as Paul Murphy? As mad as he was when he first discovered Cotter/Murphy and his daughter together, I wonder what he would have done if he hadn't caught the newlyweds fully clothed in separate beds.

Even though a modern day remake of the film would find a way to eliminate those pesky plot points, I'm not sure you'll ever find a better gangster to take a powder on screen than Cagney's death scene here, in an ode to the movie's title; it was brilliant. If one didn't know better, it looks like it might have reflected a personal experience. I wonder though, if an earlier line uttered by an off screen elevator operator was meant to reference Cotter's ultimate fate when he asked - "Going down?"


I can only echo previous reviews here on the excellence of this movie. Why IS is not better known? Because, even with a major star like Cagney, it is probably just too grim for most viewers. Many "popular" films noirs have a certain degree of romantic interest (Bogart & Bacall, or Ladd and Lake)to soften the violent elements. "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" (a gem of a noir title if there ever was one, bespeaking a bleak, fatalistic vision) contains no romantic subplot, unless you count the Cagney character's involvement with the rich woman, which is more about greed and rebellion than love. This film is a great of example of pure noir: dark vision of damned characters rushing headlong into doom. The casting of Cagney in the lead could hardly be improved upon: he is relentlessly corrupt and arrogant. Ward Bond gives one of his most intimidating performances as a perhaps more corrupt law officer. Even Barbara Payton, the sole ray of light in this tale, holds her own in this truculent company. The courtroom framing device is effective for introducing the story as one long flashback (a hallmark of film noir) and the cinematography is suitably grim. This was presumably a follow-up to "White Heat" and was not as popular--again, because it is dour and violent, or perhaps for the general audience of 1950, this type of gangster film had seen its day. Yet, "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" can be seen to foreshadow violent gangster films to come:"The Godfather" series "Goodfellas" or the Al Pacino version of "Scarface."


It's hard to believe that Above The Line talent like Gordon Douglas, Harry Brown and Horace McCoy could fall so badly into the old Flashback trap; you know the one, one character begins to tell another or, in this case, a crowded courtroom of something that happened in the past and almost as soon as we're in full flashback mode the character narrating disappears leaving us to watch a series of events at which he was not present and by extension could have no knowledge of. Perhaps the fact that this film is now 59 years old and what was arguably fast-moving then now veers toward the pedestrian draws attention to this basic flaw. It's quite possible that viewers at the time were prepared to put up with sloppiness like this if they were caught up in the plot. Clearly it was a cynical ploy to cash in on the success of the previous year's White Heat which provided Cagney with one of his finest gangster roles. He has another good gangster role here but it's never going to get even close to Cody Jarret. Neither Barbara Payton nor Helena Carter have any real charisma as the two love interests competing for Cagney and stalwarts such as Barton McLane, Luther Adler, Ward Bond and Rhys Williams appear to be walking through it and/or phoning it in. It's certainly watchable as a filler on television which is where I saw it and it did keep me watching til the finale which, inevitably, ended in tears.


Several steps in quality above the average 1950s B movie, CHICAGO CALLING is yet more testimony of the talents of Dan Duryea. In the hands of a lesser actor, this could easily have slid down into sentimentalized, feel-good territory. Duryea brings so much conviction and multi-dimensionality to the role of a downtrodden victim of bad luck, that it's almost possible to forget that the movie is fiction. This is surely one of the lanky, blond actor's finest performances on film, and it must not be missed by any fan.

As the film opens in L.A. , Duryea's wife takes their young daughter and leaves for Chicago. Desperate pleas do nothing to stop them, and the unemployed husband and father is left with the family dog and his own devices. Later, when the telephone man (Ross Elliott) comes to remove the phone for unpaid bills, Duryea coincidentally receives a telegram reporting that his wife and daughter have had a serious auto accident and are hospitalized in Chicago. Someone will call him later to update their conditions. Duryea manages to convince Elliott to leave his phone connected for another day, until the bill is paid. This sets into motion a desperate attempt to raise $50.00--something not so easily done in L.A. of 1951. Circumstances lead to more troubles and, along the way, Duryea makes an unexpected new friend. Without spoiling it, let it be said that the plot continues in a few surprising ways. With Duryea, and some able supporting players, there is an emotional impact that is not easily dismissed. If this deserves to be classed as a film noir, it is because of a relentless pressure from the forces of fate on a hapless protagonist.

Austrian-born Director John Reinhardt (who died two years later) keeps the film tight, suspenseful and very well paced. There is also a music score by Heinz Roemheld that, strangely, seems to recall Tchaikovsky's "Romeo & Juliet".

This movie is also another great example of the value of location photography. Duryea actually seems to inhabit the real city. We see the blue-collar, everyday side of Los Angeles, not the glamour. It's a tough, but real place, where people work construction jobs overnight, and hot dog vendors might actually help out a desperate man. The film is titled CHICAGO CALLING, but it really lives and breathes in L.A.


You might want to have a handful of mood elevators handy when you watch this one.

Duryea is out of work, and his wife takes the kid and leaves him. They are involved in an auto accident, out of town, and Duryea must wait until they are out of surgery to receive a phone call informing him as to whether they will live or die. Because his phone bill is un-paid, his phone is disconnected, and he tries in vain to earn, borrow, and even contemplates stealing the money.

To make matters worse, his little pooch is run down in traffic.

When the Phone Company Rep comes to pick up the instrument (this was made long before we all owned our own phones!) Duryea cons the guy into hooking him up long enough to take the long distance call from Chicago concerning the condition of his wife and kid. This is where you will really need the Prozac!

Although this is downbeat throughout, Duryea gives an acting "tour-de-force" and if they ever show it again, it is well worth watching, but you've been warned!


I saw "Chicago Calling" sometime in the 1950's. I was a kid at the time. I have seen this movie only that one time; it left an indelible impression on me. I really FELT for this man who was waiting for a phone call to find out the status of his wife and child -- who were in a car accident. Whenever I hear the name of the actor, Dan Duryea, I recall his amazing, heart-wrenching performance in this film. And I remember the ANXIETY Duryea's character endured; that his telephone -- while waiting for this crucial call -- was going to be disconnected for non-payment. Since that first and only time of seeing this movie, I have had a desire to see it again -- as an adult. I'm curious to see if it will still affect me so strongly. Fifty years of living since seeing it -- no doubt -- will make it a different viewing experience. It's been a few years since I checked to see if it's available now in any format. I hope it will someday be available . . . HOLD THAT THOUGHT! I just Googled it and see that it IS now available in VHS or DVD format!!! WOW! I am going to order it as soon as I post this message! I'm very excited about this! I'm not kidding. This is a sincere post!


Desperation hangs over this story until the very end! The family's home is a Chicago tenement, and the dad is pictured as a real loser. Mother and child are leaving to stay with relatives until better times happen. Repeated phone calls are no help, and the Long Distance charges result in an order for a disconnect. When the final phone call comes through (thanks go a kind-hearted phone lineman,)the news is bad, and the Duryea character contemplates suicide. Yet the very illogical ending countermands the whole story and leaves one with a feeling of "This could never happen in real life!" A parallel plot can be found in "Night Into Morning" with Ray Milland. I would so like to find this movie on tape or DVD.


You get a lot for your money here: about an hour and three-quarters of Bonnie Raitt songs, her hits and otherwise. Just about every song is a winner because her voice fits her blues- rock material extremely well and her band is outstanding. She comments at one point about her band being the "best" their is, and she may not be far off.

There is so much music here I often break this up into a couple of viewings, but no matter where I pick this back up in the concert, it's a good starting point because it's simply one good song after another. You'd except a dud here or there, but it's just not the case.

The first part of the concert has more upbeat songs, so it you want a 45-minute fast-moving mini-concert, the first nine songs will do well. It's a good workout disc, too! Later on, Raitt goes through several slow songs in a row and the tape ends with the slow-but-dramatic "Angel From Montgomery."

Guests include Bruce Hornsby, Jackson Browne, Bryan Adams, Kim Wilson and the old blues couple Ruth and Charles Brown. All of them are excellent, as well.

The only thing missing in this DVD is more colorful camera-work. That would have really made this a spectacular concert disc. Hey, the the music is the main attraction here anyway, so I am not complaining. I used to own this on VHS but acquired the DVD because of the better sound.

Obviously, this is very highly recommended.


Bonnie Raitt is one of the greatest American musician. Her guitar and her voice are astonishing and unique. The concert 'Road Tested' is remarkable: I have the double CD, the VHS and now I have just bought the DVD. The selection of song is perfect and it is impossible to select the bests: 'Thing Called Love (with Bruce Hornsby)', 'Something to Talk About', 'Love Letter', 'Never Make Your Move Too Soon', 'Shale a Little', 'Matters of the Heart', 'Have a Heart', 'Love Me Like a Man', 'Louise', 'Dimming of the Days', 'My Opening Farewell (with Jackson Browne)', 'Longing in Their Hearts', 'Come to Me', 'Love Sneakin'Up On You' 'Burning Down the House', 'I Can't Make You Love Me', Feeling of Falling', 'I Believe, I'm In Love With You', 'Rock Steady' and 'Angel From Montgomery'. How to choose better songs among such a wonderful repertoire? However, my favorite one is the wonderful blues 'The Kokomo Medley', which I do not get tired of listening to it. I regret only that the DVD does not have the option of Lyrics On (or at least Closed Caption). Bonnie Raitt's fans did not deserve such a lack of care from the producers and distributors. But my vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Bonnie Raitt: Road Tested"


Bonnie is simply the best among all female r&b vocalists (and anything else...). During her Cincinnati concert in fall of 2004, I was blown away by the juiciness of her guitarin', vibin', and singing plus the band was superb to boot. It was a big-time head trip and certainly a good time was had by all, even among those over 50 who were groovin' in the aisles and friggin' shaking it!!! Having watched the DVD numerous times, I'm always struck by the harmonies that can be easily followed and I join in every time. "I Can't Make You Love Me" is always poignant as ever. Bruce Hornsby plays the accompaniment so well, as always. I am on the constant lookout for her next concert. Because, ...Bonnie rocks, period.


Bonnie Raitt does not mean much in England and I can never figure out why. There are fans, of course, but she never seems to achieve the profile she deserves. Maybe her music is too American (it is, of course, but thats no bad thing). I love her second only to Joni Mitchell. This DVD is knockout-she genuinely loves what she does and does it supremely well. That love of her music it comes through in this stunning live performance. She is surrounded by musicians to die for. I was on holiday this year when she appeared at a nearby venue-it broke my heart-I have yet to see her live-but this concert is a wonderful second best!!


Bonnie Raitt is one of the finest musicians from the USA. With this concert-registration "Road Tested" she proofs her qualities beyond any doubt. It's an evening full of great songs and beautiful duets with Bruce Hornsby and Jackson Browne. The performances of "come to me" and "feeling of falling" are just fantastic ! It's like she proudly says herself : "That's the band I like" !!


I've watched this video well over 10 times. The sound is great. The Lighting is amazing. The song selection is better than I could of imagined. Definitely one of my all time favourite concerts. Her special guests are a treat too. "go Bruce Hornsby/Kim Wilson"


This movie is no different from any other Oscar winning film. What I have witnessed is far beyond any Egyptian movie. This film has successfully captured all of the dysfunctional aspects of Egyptian society, squeezed taboos to the last drop, and left the audience laughing from the heart. I expected it to be good but not this good it's amazing go watch it, support decent movies for a change. 3 hours but couldn't keep my eyes off of it. I'm really hoping that this film wins an Oscar to show Egyptian film makers that hard work does pay off. Films like zay elhawa and elghawas should not be in theaters, unless products contain effort, the audience should not have to put up with it.


"They" say it's overly faithful to the bestselling novel by Alaa Al Aswany which I have not read. . For Egypt, Yacoubian Building is the most expensive film ever (quotes vary). Director Hamid was 28 when he made it and is the son of the screenwriter who did the adaptation. The film is an ambitious and promising if under-edited piece. Perhaps it ought to have been in parts like Marco Tullio Giordana's The Best of Youth/La meglio gioventù, to which it has been compared. But instead it's a somewhat sprawling 172 minutes and feels at times like a smashed-together telenovela.

Hollywood Reporter says the film may "offer a revealing window into the secular world of a modern Islamic country -- its indulgence in alcohol, sexual promiscuity, political corruption and personal betrayals. From such 'deformities, the movie argues, Islamic fundamentalism gains its most passionate adherents." But we can do better than this crude analysis. Moroccan-born ,western educated novelist Laila Lalani points out the book (and consequently the movie) is full of prejudices against gays, resembles the old "large-scale melodramas" produced by Egypt's "huge film industry," with their "young idealists, desirable ingénues, old predators, and so on," and is crudely moralistic -- with almost every character forced to make choices that "ultimately result in either their downfall or redemption." It's also full of heavy-handed emotional manipulation, cliff-hangers, and so on. Alaa Al Aswany is no Naguib Mahfouz. Aside from the prejudice against gays, we're told that mixed marriages produce confused children, that all women love sex enormously, and so on. It's important to realize that however engaging the film is and notable the actors are in the Egyptian film world, it's made out of dross, not gold.

The titular Armenian-owned, Twenties Yacoubian Building in the once elegant, restricted central zone of the city "became home to Cairo's rich and powerful when it opened," Lalani writes. After the revolution, however, "storage sheds on the rooftop were rented out to poor families--a sort of sky-high slum." This allows for a story about the building's residents that spans society. The action is set in the 1990's. And the basic panorama goes something like this:

In the foreground is Zaki Bey El Dessouki, or "Zaki Pasha" (Adel Imam), a superannuated playboy kicked out of the family apartment by his mean, half-crazy sister. He may seem seedy, but he's the house aristocrat. Fanous (Ahmed Rateb) is his faithful manservant. Dawlat (Essad Younis) is his nutty, vindictive sister, who has always resented his fun loving ways and not is out to get him. Hatem Rasheed (Khaled El Sawy) is a gay editor who takes a good-looking soldier Abd Raboh (Bassem Samra) .from the country as his lover. Rasheed isn't mincing, but he reflects an Egyptian discomfort with gayness; still, he's seen three-dimensionally. He likes dark Nubian men because they remind him an early experience with a family servant. The film's treatment of the sexual aspect of Hatem's relationship to the soldier feels like something made in the 1950's. In general sex is a burden for the people in this movie, either a risky temptation or an ordeal. It gets nasty, and then the camera shrinks away.

Haj Assam (Nour El Sheriff) is a self-made millionaire (through a chain of stores selling modestly-priced women's clothing) with political ambitious. wants to get into the People's Assembly (Majlis al Sha'ab) for access to power. He takes a penniless young widow with a young son, Soad (Somaya el Khashab), as a second wife and forces her to have an abortion. As Lalani puts it, Assam "is the nouveau riche to Zaki' Bey's aristocrat." The brothers Abaskharon and Malaak (Ahmed Bedire) are Coptic Christians who save every penny they make, by legal and illegal means, in order to finally afford a room on the roof.

On the roof are Taha (Mohamed Imam)and Buthayna (Hind Sabry). Taha is the son of a bawab. A bawab is a doorkeeper, more like a concierge or a super in New York rather than "janitor" as it's translated. With such a lowly father, Taha is turned down by the police academy as not socially adequate to become an officer, and adopts a "plan B," to major in political science, which leads him to sympathy with the university religions fanatics and he eventually becomes an Islamic fundamentalist. His girlfriend Buthayna leaves him when he becomes religious and eventually she goes to work for Zaki, who's reformed and treats her well. She's previously been sexually harassed in every job she's had -- as we're shown in a lurid scene. Perhaps she feels too defiled to be worthy of one so innocent and decent as Taha, and she seems hardened A reader has pointed out that she is much poorer in the book than here. Laila Lalani says, "Egypt's young men are easy preys to religious extremism while the country's young women are victims of sexual exploitation." Taha is imprisoned and given Abu Ghraib treatment that de-islamicizes him. To get revenge, he trains as a terrorist -- a chain of events that looks frighteningly up-to-date.

The film has little details any Cairo downtown resident will know -- like Zaki yelling angrily because another resident has left the door of the antique elevator open on their floor so no one else can use it. Though this isn't Naguib Mahfouz, like him it attempts to draw a richly representative picture of a whole society. It's a rather sad picture with its disapproval of the present and nostalgia for the past.. And again, despite the three or six million dollars spent, some exterior sound is awful, the wrong kind of lens is used to pan up and down the city buildings, and some of the Islamicists' beards look pasted on. But with all that's going on, it holds your attention.

Shown as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival 2007. Earlier in the year one of the Film Comments Selects series at Lincoln Center, New York.


January 2002. Alaa el Aswani's first novel, Omaret Yacoubian, is published. Within a few months, it has taken the Egyptian book world by Storm. And it's easy to know why. The book is almost exclusively about the 3 taboos in the Arab literature; Politics, Sex (Hetero and Homo), and Religion.

Fast forward to June 2006. Unless you've been living on another planet for the past 2 years or so, you must've heard of the movie adaptation of the book. Seriously, it was nearly impossible to escape the following headlines "Yacoubian is the biggest Egyptian film of all-time", "De Niro says the film is a masterpiece", "Yacoubian gets huge raves at Cannes", etc... In my opinion, that was one of the film's biggest problems; the filmmakers set the bar too high for themselves. So, I walked in expecting to see a breakthrough in film-making. What I got was a great, although flawed, film. So, I was somewhat disappointed.

I didn't like Wahid Hamed's adaptation of the book. The spirit of the novel is there, and the film is much more humorous, but unfortunately, that was it. Maybe because Hamed had to fit the script, so that the bigger stars get the bigger parts, all the secondary characters (Soaad, Dawlat, Malaak, etc...) ended up with almost no screen time. Therefore, these characters came off as 2 dimensional and their actions didn't make a lot of sense. For example, in the book, Soaad is almost a beggar. She constantly asks her friends and relatives for money. In the film, she's a middle class secretary. That's why I never understood why she would agree to be separated from her own son, and marry an older man just for some cash. Another example would be how someone came out of nowhere to kill off one of the main characters.

Director Marawan Hamed did a great job. Yacoubian is his first full-length feature, but he helmed it like a veteran. His camera moved smoothly, his cuts were all in the right places, and he shined in the large-scale (protest, training, and shootout) scenes. I'm really looking forward to his next picture.

Adel Emam (Zaki el Dessouky) was amazing. His turn (his best in ages) was funny yet heartfelt. Khaled Saleh (Kamal el Fouli) and Khaled el Sawy (Hatem Rashid) were also great. In fact, I think Mohamed Emam (Taha el Shazly) was the only cast member who gave a so-so performance. Anyway, he's still a newbie (this is his first film), so he'll probably give better performances in the future.

Yacoubian is one of the most expensive Egyptian films of all-time, and fortunately, the money is on the screen. The costumes, make-up and sets are all top-notch. Khaled Hammad's score was good, but I felt it was overly dramatic in some places (a full Orchsetra playing while 2 people are merely talking?)

So, I'd definitely recommend watching The Yacoubian Building. It's the best Egyptian film in quite some time, and with a better adaptation, it could have been a masterpiece.


Omaret Yakobean is my new favorite movie because well everything about it is done perfectly, as in acting, music, storyline, characters... Also, it tackles so many issues and problems in the Egyptian society from corruption, to prostitution to homosexuality to many other things, things that the Egyptian cinema has been too conservative, or "shy" to handle because they are all taboo. But no! this movie tackles all these issues in an upfront and honest, yet classy and sophisticated way. However I have to point out that Mohammad Imam's performance was somewhat shaky, but he overall gave an OK performance for his first movie. On the whole, this movie is a breakthrough for the Egyptian cinema and in my opinion the best movie ever made in the history of the Arab cinema. Hopefully, more movies of that genre will be made in the future because every second of that movie was entertaining in every aspect and i was enjoying it until the very last second, and i even didn't want it to finish.this movie is just BEAUTIFUL!!!


This excellent black drama is a must see despite its nearly three-hour running time, the movie is one of the most watchable and enjoyable pieces of art in Egyptian Cinema.

I didn't read the story before seeing that controversial movie, so I had low expectations. But despite that, got hooked as early as the quality intro that takes you smoothly through an enjoyable ride to discover the background behind that nostalgic building in central Cairo through a Sepia short clip.

The film is an artistic black drama which is full of cultural and political symbolism if you read carefully between the lines, my interpretation is that the building is a clear symbol of the country itself and how it transformed dramatically from the nostalgic early days of the 40s till the present day, shedding light on the price that the Egyptian society had to pay during that rough trip, and how the society has clear double standards that everyone is trying to ignore.

Every side story evolves in a different direction and involves controversial characters who are linked only by the same building (society) in someway or the other, the different stories are interweaves in an artistic way to dramatise different controversial issues and taboos from adultery, political corruption, homosexuality to Islamic fundamentalism.

The movie has a general sad feel around it especially for anyone who lived in Egypt as it touches on the deterioration and many negative issues that are becoming more and more the norm in most Egyptian society levels that was once a conservative and religious society. It is strong wakeup call to those who love their country to stop burying their heads in the sand when it comes to double standards that's affecting everyone in the society making everyone feel inferior to the country. The story will make you think deeply about how and why a country like Egypt could end up where it is today.

The cinematography, steady cams, crane camera movement is brilliant, the smooth cuts and soft transitions boosts the romantic dimension of the storyline. As expected, the music score by Khaled Hammad is expressive, romantic and adds a lot of depth to many scenes. The tempo of the movie is just right, giving enough time for actors to express their feelings through longer than usual shots that will never leave you bored. Action scenes are also very well done.

A must see piece of art for anyone who is living or used to live in Egypt.


I read the story of Yacoubian Building so I couldn't wait to watch it in the movie theater but I thought it will be like any other story. not as good as the book. I just loved this movie.. the Casting was so genius and every actor did his part in an amazing way. The Old Classic ones and the new generation. Even Mohamed Emam. this is his first movie and he was able to make me believe in him. This movie should be nominated for an Oscar. Even the soundtrack, the picture and the dialog just so good. this movie had me thinking all night about it and made me live it. this movie made me laugh, cry, bothered, It is a masterpiece. I just hope the movie industry in Egypt keeps on bringing those types of movies. those movies which remind us of the 70's movies where at least 2 or 3 big movies stars act together. Now I'm thinking to take the rest of my friends to it so i can be able to watch it second time. It is one of the best movies I've watched this year.


That's what I felt after watching that movie, it's really close to the society and the public's pulse, some overestimation is there but through comic frame, you'll enjoy watching that movie Marwan Hamed is not an ordinary director, he is one of the best around. i have never seen such a movie that tackles every issue in the Egyption society so honestly. it is a pure masterpiece and if i was running the Oscars then that movie will sure receive one. A movie so honest and directed, it is designed for all classes describing the social corruption in todays society - not only in Egypt but all around the world. if you miss this movie then you will spend your entire life regretting it so i advice every Arabic and non-Arabic speaker to watch the masterpiece and enjoy the art of this marvelous director whom i have a great respect for. two thumps up


man oh man. what a film; it will leave you dazzled and amazed upon it's beauty. Marwan Hamed is no ordinary director, he is one of the best around. i have never seen such a movie that tackles every issue in the Egyption society so honestly. it is a pure masterpiece and if i was running the Oscars then that movie will sure receive one. A movie so honest and directed, it is designed for all classes describing the social corruption in todays society - not only in Egypt but all around the world. if you miss this movie then you will spend your entire life regretting it so i advice every Arabic and non-Arabic speaker to watch the masterpiece and enjoy the art of this marvelous director whom i have a great respect for. two thumps up


I am still reeling from the dizzying marvel of the grand storytelling of this movie. No movie can be like a book. So I discount all who compare it to a book.

I cared so much for these people, their stories are topical yet universal. The anguishes, the struggles, the personal demons, stay with me...as reminders of the pain of all mankind.

"We are living in the age of deformity" said one of the characters... and so mankind still continues, forming, deforming, renewing itself. When will it end? These are the questions which this film asks of us all. But is the world deformed or - is it we who are deformed? While this movie will not answer such an unanswerable question out loud. We know the truth. But we seldomly face it...Some of us learn our lessons, some do not. But our pasts always come back to haunt us...

I know I've not said anything about the acting, nor the unmatched technical gifts of this movie...but they are what crown this magnificent achievement from the first delicate frame until it's bleak uncompromising ending...

The cinematography, editing, and music must be praised to the rooftops!

***** I recommend this movie to those who are not afraid to see the truth and see it told marvelously.

...


"The Yaboubian Building" reminded me of those over-heated Spanish soap operas that air nightly on Telemundo. The sweep and size of the film (not to mention its length) may fool people into thinking it's a more important picture than it actually is, when really it's not much more than one big soapy melodrama that manages to stay mostly entertaining over the course of its three hours.

There's a lot going on in this film, and you may find you have your work cut for you just following the basics of the plot. I suspect much more of the film would have made sense to me had I known more about Egyptian culture. As it is, there are a lot of terms and situations in the film that probably didn't have their full desired effect. Of course, it's tough as an American, and therefore one used to experiencing art that throws critical darts at my country's beliefs and institutions, to fully understand how controversial this film (and the book on which it is based) has been in Egypt. By all accounts, the frank candour about corrupt government, homosexuality and the prostitution of Egyptian citizens (of all types and at all levels of society) have been greeted with quite an uproar in this film's country of origin. It's a noble effort on the part of the film-makers, and I can understand them wanting to pack in as much punch as they can, but the film tries to do too much, and the plot feels like several different agendas unsuccessfully unified into a coherent whole.

Much of "The Yacoubian Building" is no less ham-fisted than your typical Hollywood film, not the least of which are the scenes that explain outright the film's central metaphor (the Yacoubian building itself as a representation of Egyptian society). But much of it works quite well too, especially the acting, which is pretty good across the board, the crisp pacing and the driving musical score.

A big bold movie that bites off more than it can chew but provides a solid few hours of entertainment nonetheless.

Grade: B+


What I like most about this movie is that it opens a window into an unknown world for me, that of relations between men an women in modern Egypt, and it does so in a style that is at the same time sumptuous an unfamiliar. People do things you wouldn't expect, despite the slightly heavy-handed handling of emotions. There are areas where the movie is not perfect: it is so highly pessimistic and denounces the greed and selfishness of Egyptian men with so much vigor that it appears somewhat simplistic. It does tend to ramble a bit. But the power and the humor of the movie (it is quite funny, despite being tragic) transcends all that and makes those minor faults. I understand the director is very young, so he will have ample time to overcome and transcend these youthful imperfections. I didn't like Slumdog Millionaire because it told me everything about India that I already knew: it feels like a package tour where you are shown the sites you expect to see, and are whisked from one location to another. For a western viewer, Omaret yakobean is like a journey where you land at the airport and are immediately carried away by the atmosphere, the culture shock, the bustling streets, the misunderstandings, from which you emerge with challenged assumptions and a wider view of the world.


The modern day Egypt is the main character of this epic. It seems to be a tumultuous place never sure if it wants to be in the West or East. The director of this interesting movie tackles quite a few controversial topics. The rise of Islamic fundamentalism, homosexuality, the poor treatment of women in contemporary Egyptian society, the rampant corruption, still powerful strict class system. Enough topics for a dozen movies, but the director somehow manages to pull it all together. Some of the story lines feel a bit rushed to its conclusion, but all in all an interesting glimpse at modern Arab world. Its people are like any other, scared and imperfect and a bit lost in the complexities of life.


Omaret Yakobean is one of the best Egyptian movies in the last decade, it's a story of the stories of the people living in the large legendary historian building of Yakobean. Yakobean building was built by Hagoub Yakobean the greatest of the Armenians in Egypt in 1937, since then, different kinds and cultures of people lived in that building, Princes and Princesses, bashas, Rich and Tycons, foreigners, Officers of revolution, Ordinary people and even Jews. The story of the movie is in the first half of the 90's of the 20th century where different kinds of people who have different cultures and sorts of life, The main characters in the movie were: - Zaki El Dessouki (Adel Emam): A desperate old man descended from a former basha and a Tycon. now in the age of 65, he's living a lonely life only to enjoy himself with women and girls of different types, finally he found the true love with Bothayna (Hend Sabry) and suffering from the annoying of his half mad sister Dawlat (Essad Youniss) ..

- Haj Azzam (Nour El Seriff): An old tycoon started from zero, wanted to play a politic role but was lost and surrendered in the middle of corruption that rules the game of politics ..

- Taha (Mohamed Emam): a low level young man failed to achieve his dream to become a police officer, instead he joined a radical cell who doesn't really understood the true meaning of the great religion of Islam and became a terrorist and finally died while trying to kill the police officer who once tortured him when he was captured and jailed ..

- Bothayna (Hend Sabry): a poor girl who was forced to become a whore serving the ugliest kinds of people to have the money to live and finally found Zaki El Dissouki who gave her the power and the true meaning of love and finally married him - Hatem Rasheed (Khaled El Sawy): A great chief editor in the journal d'Egypt magazine who is living his life as a desperate homosexual and trying to find a guy to satisfy his sick needs and tends ..

A strange mix of characters which were perfectly managed by a strong story and a great and promising director (Marawan Hamed) Really a worthy movie to be seen as it reflects a hard criticism to some corrupted situations of politics, sexual lives and terrorism *** Lo'ay


Egypt has the same problems as in any other country. The difference with this film is that these problems are laid out bare.This may be unique in Egyptian cinema.

Although the film is very good, the director tried too hard to include so much! Every subplot in this movie could have been turned into a film.

The only negative thing is the portrayal of the homosexual. Though shown to be kind and sensitive (unlike most characters in the film), it is implied that he had been forced into being gay. Why can't we just expect that some people are just naturally gay!


If I compared this movie with all Egyptian movies, i'd give it 10. What's different about this one ? Same actors. that's about it. Everything else is specially different. I've never seen such performance. Lighting, music, clothing, decor, lighting again and editing.

There is a theme given to every characters that is shown by camera positioning, specially the background. no stupid close-ups like Egyptians love. no clown makeup on every actor and actress. no exaggerations. No on-stage-like acting in real-life situations (you'll only know what i mean if you've seen enough).The screen writer who is also the director is brilliant.

However, the story itself has no obvious target. the end is something like "and so on. no comment" or "Life goes on. stay still"!! it just shows you events and people. it's OK but not what i expected.

This is my first review so... thanks for reading


I just saw "The Yacoubian Building" last night. Let me first say that it was an ambitious, well-acted film . Ultimately, though, despite the three hours running time, I walked away unsatisfied, defeated by the film's ambition. In an effort to bring all the problems facing Egypt to light, the filmmaker has stretched himself too thin. Each of the topics addressed: the plight of women, homosexuality, corruption, fundamentalism, etc., could easily have been its own full-length film. I was particularly concerned with the fundamentalism segment of the movie. The character and his motivations were too undeveloped to understand his convictions and his actions, and I feel that it is irresponsible to release such a superficial overview to the West. I am worried that this portrayal may help cement some Westerners' anti-Arab view (while I understand that the intention was completely opposite). Overall, as mentioned earlier, I thought that this has the potential to be a fabulous series of movies, but all thrown together, it leaves something to be desired.


Having read the novel almost a year ago, I was very impatient to watch the movie knowing the magnificent cast lined up to put their talent on display for that movie. I was surprised when I found out that the younger actors/actresses have matched - and sometimes- exceeded their older and more famous counterparts. Hend Sabry continues her breath-taking displays with a very natural and heart-touching impersonation of Bouthina, the poor little girl who find herself surrounded by a crucial mother asking her to bring money home regardless of how she does so and numerous men trying to use her body to satisfy their sexual desires. Adel Imam & Nour El Sheriff put the wisdom of years of acting into producing very real characters from the Egyptian society. What came as a a surprise is Adel Imam's son in real life (The bawab's son who become a terrorist) and Khaled El Sawy (The Gay). No matter what you say about gays, Khaled El Sawy faces the difficult task of making you hate him and then sympathize with him as he recalls the lack of attention he got from his parents that caused him to become a gay. Also the scene where he tries to convince the soldier that he takes back home that being gay is not 7aram and that its 7allal. I think this would be his best ever role and he proved himself as a capable actor today. I would say a 9 over 10 and a new record for Egyptian Cinema. A Must See.


I have read the book a year & a half ago, was fascinated by it, but as it goes had some very high expectation about the movie.

The cast off course was logical although some names that were nominated to take part declined, at my great astonishment the movie was simply awesome.

All characters were obviously very well written as a script , the actors ,all of them gave an outstanding performance, Adel Imam , radiant , witty & funny as ever;Nour el Sheriff made a come back..... it's been a while since I've seen him perform so well on the silver screen; Hend Sabry was lovely; Yousra just Radiant; Esaad Younes more than superb; Ahmed Bedier Wow.... he had the Egyptian Coptic genera nailed to the T; Ahmed Rateb as usual a gr8 performance although the part was too small for such a talent;Khaled Saleh a monster of acting A+ ; Soumaya el khashab a small role but with a lot of soul put into it.

The bomb or should I say bombs are Mohamed Imam a very impressive performance for a 1st timer, I was amazed by the authenticity he played his role; the 2nd is Khaled el Sawy in the role of Hatem the GAY ,I see a new star is born.

The biggest Bomb of all is (young) Marawan Hamed, if I did not know for a fact that he only had a couple of 'court met rage' I would have thought he was a veteran movie director.

In all the movie is a gr8 & a worthy addition to the Egyptian movie Industry.

I think in all fairness that this movie should go to the Osracs.


This movie has definitely changed the map of the Egyptian movie making industry.Meaning, future makings should at least level up to half of what Marwan Hamed the promising director has produced. I will not repeat words like "Masterpiece" or " an Oscar winning Movie", but I fear that Marwan has produced a piece of work that should make him produce more of the same level. And that is the real challenge.

I also feel that this daring story has opened the way or paved it for more creativity without the need to worry about censorship or limiting expressions. I am so happy to have seen so many taboos on the screen in order for the people to discuss and find solutions. Therefore, to share the problems of the Egyptians with the public through movies is also another challenge that the movie industry has to work on.

I hope we see other competing directors who will force the audience to be totally engrossed in whatever they are watching.

Eman Al Masri


The movie was great as it represent many true images from Egyptian actual life, and when I was watching the movies I felt many f the movie characters are sitting beside me. I liked the homosexual part as it was really good played by Kaled Elsawy and it's really the 1st time in Egyptian movies to show a true human analyses for this strange character, also the dialogue contained many expressive words. I liked the focus on poor student who has been hurt from Egyptian government security agent. I didn't like Yousra in this movie and I hate her voice when she was singing in French and I felt her too boring this time. Adel Imam and Nour Elsherif are not truly connected in the movie and I think it's a director mistake. Ahmed Beder has a short important character and I think he supported the movie to not be walking in confusion drama. Finally I liked the movie and I feel it's great to be seen. Traooka


It's a great movie that shows the changes that happened in the Egyptian Society from the age of the kingdom of Egypt until our age now. He shows this by a building called The Yacoubian Building in which each character in it signifies a character in the Egyptian society. I've one comment on the movie, I don't know why the author included a sex issue in each character as if sex is a main axis in our life. Also the character of Hatem and Abd Rabo I think it's a very rare case in an Islamic society although the actors role was very complicated and hard but they made it with Professionalism. the movie is really so good and the director succeeded in making the movie although its his first movie. enjoy it.


Aside from the technical issues of directing, the movie was a total failure, those who did not read the novel have seen nothing! Waheed hamed's lame adaptation ruined the whole spirit of the book, the lines are more of a "Nadia el gendy" or "nabeela edeid" film.

The whole scene is supposed to be set in the early 90s, yet nothing in the customs or the events can be of the 90s.

Special lines and scenes are added for Zaky el dessouki (Adel emam) only because he's a famous comedian and the audience would like him to throw a joke every now and then although it's totally unnecessary,Taha's (Mohamed emam) clothes are not of his social class in anyway!

The amazing spirit of neutrality that one can find in the novel has been brutally destroyed in the movie where you can take sides easily.

The soundtrack is nonsense, people in theatres were laughing most of the time specially in the Gay love scenes as the proper music for the moment is lost.

All I can think of is that those Old guys desperately tryed to seize the moment and have their share of the new Egyptian film industry cake that the young actors built over the past 8 years or so!

Guess i'm obviously biased , but that's how I see it.


I saw this one yesterday at the Stockholm Filmfestival.

Nice try, but I didn't connect to any of the characters in this movie. They tried to make stories of different life-situations all connected to the same building. Some of these stories might have been interesting if done differently but they were actually just kind of boring. They tried to make some of the characters sympathetical but they weren't perceived as such, at least not by me. Some points in the movie were over exaggerated and some were not explained at all. one of the few movies I've seen that I actually didn't care at all how it ended. and that's not a very good sign... no, nice try but this one is a stinker.

/B


A triumph You have to do the Hat trick For the three Actors Adel Imam The one and only who remain on the top for years And the outstanding performance by the superb actor Khaled El Sawy You can add also Ahmad Bedeir for his excellent role But Writer-producer Waheed Hamed (who also is the director's father) treats the novel with too much reverence. His script indulges in much minutia and repetitive action. But the acting is strong, and his son's control of story, characters and visual imagery makes this an engrossing, highly watchable old-fashioned melodrama. For the Egyptian movie industry which produces a retarded movies for retarded audience such as Bo7a I'll give this one 10 out of 10


This is the first Egyptian movie that has a very high propaganda by all advertising means as well as the first Egyptian movie that has been awarded in Tribeca Film Festival & participated in Berlinale & Cannes 2006 & still may be have a chance in the 2007 Oscars in the best foreign Film Category .

The movie shows some examples of people who have lived in the huge historical building known as (Jaocbian Building) in the city center & how the political status & changes in Egypt had influenced every person who has lived in this house.

The main two characters were Zaki El Desouky (Adel Imam)& Haj Azzam (Nour El Sheriff). The first (Zaki) was previously known as a (Basha) a very well rich man before the Egyptian revolution & now he is a normal old citizen who has his teenage fantasies with many sexual relations with hookers & no job to do except avoiding his evil sister played by (Esad Younes) who kicked him out of his house & tries to send him to a psychyatric hospital at the end to vanquish him forever.

The second character (Azzam) was a shoe polisher in the old days & turned to be a very rich man who has Car agencies & huge stores in Egypt & is searching for another wife to marry for fulfilling his sexual interest but with marriage he thinks that he is on the right track according to religion but when the story goes on it shows us how cruel he was with his new beautiful wife (Somaya El Khashab) & on the other hand he entered the Egyptian assembly with his relations with some government officials.

The third character was played by (Khaled El Sawwy) & in my opinion he was the best in role reflecting the character of the news reporter (Hazem Farid) who is very keen on his work but at night his sexual fantasies appear as being GAY & searching for poor men to sleep with him at night. He is totally ready to pay them anything & give them all his money... maybe all his life to have a nice time in bed with a man . This is a very disgusting idea but the actor excelled in acting this role specifically which made him on top of the main actors making you believe that he was a real gay .

The fourth character was for a teenager named Taha played by (Mohamed Imam)a son of the doorman who got engaged to a poor girl (Hend Sabry)who lives on the roof & he tried to enter the police academy but was refused for being a son of the door man .Entering another faculty & meeting some weird religious people made him change his view in life & leave his beard then participates in a demonostration where he is arrested & then being raped & tortured to death behind bars turns his decent character to a terrorist trying to get revenge from the police officer who caused him all his pains & the ending is a real sorrow .

The fifth & maybe final main character was for the poor girl (Hend Sabry) who was working in a shop with a disgusting owner who tried to fulfill his fantasies with the young girl in the stock . Then she leaves the rotten job to work for Zaki el Desouky & their relation changes to be friends & ends by marriage .

The whole film is a new trend which reflects the history of Egypt in 75 years but at the same time it is not a summer commercial movie like the audience expect . it is a movie for cinematic festivals & it will be highly appreciated to the people who concentrate in its symbols & metaphors .

A word to finish with is that there were some goofs i this movie because the events occur in 1995 & the director mistakenly showed some wrong signs that weren't there at this time. 1- There is a small street advertisement for Vodafone in front of Cairo university & in 1995 there were no cellular phones ! 2- The streets of Cairo show the new transport green buses & minibuses which didn't exist before 2004 . 3- The streets also show the prepaid card telephones in street known as (Menatel) which didn't exist either . 4- Finally inside the Groppi Cafe there was a Pepsi refrigerator holding the new Logo of Pepsi which was designed in 1999 while in 1995 there was another Logo !


Well , After i watch this movie i have many things to say about it , 1st of all the drama line is so flat , some of the characters if we remove it from the script they will not affect the drama like Ahmed Rateb , Tamer Abdul Moneam (son of Nour Al Sheriff ), and Yosra (her role is sooo boring), also the homosexuality takes too much from the duration of the film , it's not my business to see the gay sleeping on his face more than one time , they could make his role shorter , and also there's no connection or relations between the people who living in the building , they could even meet each other even one time to believe that they live at the same building , what will happen if Nour Al Sheriff Meet Adel Emam once ? it's not hard , and also why they focused on the sex relationship between the Islamic boy (Mohamed Imam ) and his wife at the training place , we saw them sleeping naked two times , why ?? is it a problem when a man sleeping with his wife ? what did they want to improve ? the main thing that i want to talk about it : this the first Egyptian film that scanned to make the color grading and the visual effects on non linear systems ( like Hollywood movies ) , but we didn't see any color grading or great quality like we imagined ? so why the cost themselves if they want the picture like that ?? i really don't know !! i know that many people will have the negative point of view from mine , and all the people here in Egypt saying : Wow what a great movie , what a huge budget , what a great cast that met for the first time ... but that's not the green card for the success of any film , we all watched a movie called ( Heat ) by Al Pacino & Robert De Niro and both of them are great great actors , but the movie was not as great as their names...anyway that's only my point of view ...thanks


I've read some the reviews that people made in regards to this movie and all I can say is take it easy - this movie DOES NOT deplict the average latino but it does reflect a funny view to the Casanova that is actually a nice guy who actually falls for 3 different ladies.

 If this movie was made with pure white/anglo/european actors and it was called Chasing Stud - I'm sure the anglo community wouldn't be so agitated by the flick.

 In the DVD the director mentioned that that she wanted to capture the goofy and fun-loving interaction from the movies in the 60's like What's Up Doc with Barbara Stresan and she succeeded with this movie.

 As a latino - I do not find this movie at all offensive to my latin culture (Puerto Rican/Colombian) and everyone (family/friends)I talked to about this movie found it to be cute and funny.

 So, sit back, watch, crack up and enjoy the movie!!!!1


The movie was obviously attempting to be like one of the classic screwball romantic comedies. It succeeds in the style, but not exactly the comedy. Don't get me wrong, there are laughs, but it could've been a lot funnier. I blame part of the failed comic attempts on the writing and part on the actors. They should've just filmed the movie in Spanish. Some of the Hispanic actors really seemed to struggle with the English dialogue. In comedy, it's all about timing, so the expression of the dialogue must be on target. I give the actors points for effort, but all that hard work could've been spared if they spoke in their native language.

I think what mainly makes the film work for me is the fast pace. Despite how silly each situation is, the pace is fast enough to prevent you from dwelling on the silliness. Plus, seeing three beautiful Latina women strut their stuff throughout doesn't hurt either. I saw Sofia Vergara before in "Big Trouble," but she looks different in the movie and I might not have remembered from that previous film because well...I'm trying not to remember it period. It was one of the worst comedies I've ever seen! "Chasing Papi" gives her a much better outlet for her talent. She has got to be THE most beautiful women I've ever seen! Whenever I see her on screen, I feel like Jim Carrey in "The Mask" when he was watching Cameron Diaz do that musical number. If my jaw could literally drop like his character, that would be my exact reaction. I mean, she makes Roselyn Sanchez pale in comparison, and saying a hell of a lot.

All I can say is the film is a lot of fun. I'm surprised by the extremely low rating. And by the way, Paul Rodriguez has a funny cameo, playing similar to the Michael Caine role in "Miss Congeniality."

My score: 7 (out of 10)


Ah yes, finally the long awaited `Chasing Papi' as finally came out.

The film stars Rosalyn Sanchez, Sofia Vergara and Jaci Velasquez as three feisty Latinas..one is a Cocktail waitress, Ceci, (Sofia Vergara), a lawyer for the people, Lorena,(Rosalyn Sanchez) and a rich spoiled brat who is naïve to the world, Patricia (Jaci Velasquez). They are all in love and want to marry the same man Tomas (Eduardo Verastegui), who is stressing out cause of the many relationship...

When the three women want to surprise their love with a surprise visit all hell breaks loose. Tomas starts to really stress and he takes too man tranks and falls asleep for a really long time.and the girls are trying to figure out what to do..

I found the movie to be very funny and the actresses were very beautiful. The movie is predicable and the dialog is a little lame, but it is entertaining and there are a few surprises.I smiled and found myself really enjoying it.

I am glad that this film was made. It is cool to see a Romantic Comedy have an all Latin cast and it was good to see Latinas being successful in life, rather then just being a maid or some illegal.

I recommend it! I will post some pics from the film!

Rated PG for suggestive humor!


the only redeeming thing about this movie is the background music. Not even Carlos Ponce could save this movie! It is a horrible vehicle for a couple of Latin music's up and coming, or more accurately, wanna be's, and I would strongly recommend you buy a copy of Playboy/playgirl if all you want is eye candy. This is an insult to women, particularly Latin women and the stereo types in this movie set women and Latinos back at least 20 years. Oh, Cisco, Oh Pancho! Not much better than that. Save your money - I'm grateful I got to see if for free or I would have asked for my money back. I wouldn't even rent this for my worst enemy - and if offered a free copy, I would refuse.


I had to see this movie due to my job. Wish I hadn't, because the last time I had such fun time like this one, it's when I went through two endoscopias in a row (it's when a doctor puts in you a camera by the throat to check your stomach from the inside). This movie is like any sketch extracted from Lente loco or any other TV show made by latin people in the spanish spoken networks in the USA -if you've ever had the misfortune of tuning in any, then you'll know what I mean-, but, an hour and plus long. And if you can't make those gags work in a five minutes range, then guess what happens when you stretch them way beyond their boundaries.

That is exactly the aesthetics in Chasing Papi; this total piece of crap features latin "stars" that are everything but actors, and anything but funny. It´s just a bad cast of cute people speaking in english -or trying to- just because they are supposed to live in Miami, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. I don't know why they talk to each other in a foreign language when ALL of them speak spanish. I was embarrassed by hearing this ridiculous attempt of communicate in english; really. And this is primarily what gets me confused: is it for the latin community living in the US? I don´t think so, since almost every person of it speaks none other language but spanish (and I know it, because I've lived in California). Is it for the people from the United States? I guess not either, mainly because the actors (?) may be barely known between them. Besides watching voluptuous women wearing almost nothing -and that's a more than reasonable excuse for a lot of guys to watch anything; but don't count me in-, this is a TOTAL waste of time. I'd rather follow an ant´s trail straight to their home instead of watching this crap again or any similar attempt to kill the most insignificant sense of film appreciation in a moviegoer.

I know that anybody shouldn't expect a two thumbs up experience due to the people involved, but it's just that I felt real bad for my time being stolen this way that I felt the urge to write this as a kind of warning, so, don't go see it nor even get close to it unless you're a fan of the kind of trash made in the TV show mentioned above, or any other garbage from networks like Telemundo or Univision.


Nonsingle with beautiful women a film can be done, Chasing Papi is an example. The most rotten and vulgar topics meet in this discouraging history in which it recreates most shameful of those Latin ridiculous to hills of the typical tics that presumably represent them: the machismo, the hot crotch, the rate and little more. And all decorated it, in addition and to top it all, with a strange and distant language in a depressing attempt to even degrade plus the Spanish as tribute to the master who pays. One feels defenseless before so large aggression and single they are left desire to vomit later to see resemblance clown outfit. That yes, saving the beautiful physicist of those three splendids feminines protagonists. Something is something.


I can't sit still to watch many movies. Yet, this one I could. Reason number one, three hot latina women. I love latina women. Reason number two.. ehh none. It is pretty entertaining. Each of the three women have very distinct personalities. One values beauty, the other education, and the other culture. Also each one is from a different city. The man, Tomas is dating three different women. Somehow all three women end up at his house, when he trys to explain his situation, he falls out under a tranquilizer pill he took before. Then the women see a 4th woman looking in the house, and think she is a 4th woman. She is really an FBI agent. The movie's good points are some animated cut scenes which you cant tell if they are geared for kids or adults, some Spanish words. I enjoyed that given I am almost fluent in Spanish. The end gets somewhat cartoonish... I won't spoil it. But if you like Spanish culture, or pretty latina women, you should not be bored with it, also it is kid friendly.


I wanted to like this film. Yet, even with the significant eye candy, I couldn't find anything else enjoyable about this film. It wasn't funny. It didn't have any sexuality and nothing in the film was executed properly.

For a film that features women on the run, the director of this film did not put any strain on these actresses. The lead actresses were not instructed to do anything strenuous. I was suppose to believe that they did all this running around, with their stilettos still intact.

The supporting cast was weak. Only Paul Rodriquez did his role justice. I was surprised how well Sofia Vergara did in this movie. In the preshowings I saw, she looked like the weakest of the women casted. However, it turns out she was the strongest of the women and provided a solid performance. I thought that Roselyn Sanchez would be the main focus of the film. But, she consistently ruined her lines and she didn't seem comfortable at all speaking the dialogue. Jaci Velasquez did a fair job, being this was her first film. I can't see why the "Christian Freaks" were so hard on her for taking this film. I mean, she kept her clothes on. She didn't swear. She wasn't even playing a negative role. She was playing a character. Get over it, Y'all. Overall though, I thought the three women together were mediocre. Then, to top off this unsatisfactory film. They have this whack ending about female independence. Whattttt!!!??? Most of the movie was about female dependence and they try to sell it as a tale of liberation? Please!!!

Like I said before, I wish I could say I liked it, but I can't. It was very disappointing. I hope the next time they bring three lovely latinas together on screen, they will support them with a decent plot, well rounded characters and make them perform their tails off. As well, as suppling great eye candy. Unfortunately, Chasing Papi isn't that movie.

2 out of 10.


There is a vaccum in space because of this movie. This takes pathetic to a whole new level. The acting is lame, the story line is incipid, the plot, oh yeah, what plot? The insult to Latin women - come on, the old "keep 'em barefoot and pregnant" is the only line missing. Don't bother not even from Blockbuster.


this is the most pathetic movie i've ever seen. it don't come close to being funny. i can't understand y this movie was even made in the first place. it wasn't romantic or even slightly sexy, as i expected it to be. and there no story. really a waste of time. avoid at all cost.


I admit that when I first heard of this movie starring Sofi'a , I wanted to see Sofi'a topless or in lace nightgowns..but that changed when I watched this movie.. I was familiar with Roselyn's work (Boat Trip,Rush Hour 2)and this was the 1st time I saw Jaci. Like with most of the fans of this movie,I fairly enjoyed it,as a guy -I enjoyed the eye-candy..Especially Sofi'a,even though she emulated that "cuchi-cuchi" Charo style,with her comical antics and Sofi'a over doing her hot and sexy colombian accent!! Because this movie was directed by a woman,this was a light screwball comedy..the story was simple,the comedy tame,lot of silly cliché's(especially for Sofi'a)and the acting was OK,though I was surprised at Sofi'a's comedy timing,since she never had any training at acting!!I don't know if this movie would have been better if a man directed this,his perspective.But because I enjoyed watching Sofi'a working off on the other Latina's,in all their sexiest,I could bare to watch this over again!!!


Chasing Papi is an excellent example of the mingling of the Latino-American and Anglo-American culture!

Linda Mendoza's debut movie proved to be a great success, a well made movie, hot, spicy, funny, and the 4 stars of this movie are the most beautiful people on the planet! Gorgeous, award winning Eduardo Verástegui, the emerald green eyed hero of México, known all over the world as the beautiful gipsy hero in the jennifer Lopez clip ""Ain't it Funny"" (#1 on the charts in almost 100 countries) is the fastest rising male Latino star! Eduardo is a great example for all of us, his sincerity, warmth and kindness are magnificent. Eduardo is very active helping to fund charity projects, a man always ready to help people in need. Thinking of all these wonderful aspects of Eduardo makes seeing him in action all the more wonderful!

And then, back to the storyline of the movie! Méxican superstar Eduardo plays with great fun and dedication Tomas, an executive in love with 3 woman! These 3 woman are not just woman, they are the most beautiful ladies of America Latín!!

The 3 female superstars are not only of dazzling beauty, they act superb as well, as in the movie they are all in love with Tomas without knowing this from each other. Everything explodes into a funny romantic, twisting and turning storyline when the 3 woman decide to teach their Chasing Papi a lesson..

The movie glows of enthusiasm, dedication, made by a great crew, and incredible cast, warm wonderful people. You can see the best of Hollywood here, a truelly 21th Century Hollywood, where no longer cold egocentrism and Big Money Rules, but these facts shown to be replaced by warmth, and kindness.

This new, better face of Hollywood we can be proud of, we hope this is the new trend, and more movies of such nice wonderful people will appear! The friendship among the entire Chasing Papi-crew, the great work of Fox 2000, proves there is a bright future for the new generation superstars!

My deepest appreciation for all the people that made Chasing Papi such a very special and dear project!

For all of you who missed the movie, there is the DVD/video available at Amazon.com. Type ""Chasing Papi"" in the search box and order. Watch and enjoy!

Anthonie van Vliet M.Sc.


Despite the best intentions and effort of all involved this just doesn't work.

It has energy and tries hard but farce is a difficult trick to pull off - it requires real comic timing and really good situations.

Unlike French farce this Hispanic farce relies on a single device: man dates three women all discover this then fall over each other to first get him for themselves, then a subplot involving criminals, then strong women emerge.

My problems is this: a group of women watching this with pizza on a Friday night will enjoy the first 30 minutes and the last 15 but the bit in between just ain't entertainment.

It's not the fault of script / director / actors: it just hasn't got enough steam to shine in any way.

Love to see more films aimed at the Hispanic community: but comedy needs working on to make a great cross-over movie.

Something dumb like LA rich kid goes to Puerto Rico might work, but sophisticated romantic comedy would be better.... best of all, why not try watching Almavador and see what happens? Please!


Okay I realized this movie was not made for me... I am not a woman nor a latino but for creators sake at least the writers could have done was create 3-dimensional characters.

All the dialog was overshadowed by Spanish music. Seems like they were trying to sell the latest in Latin music than sell the characters. But on the other hand I could see the reason why...

The acting was Gawd horrible...I watched this movie high on caffeine but for some reason found it extremely difficult to stay awake.

I didn't even know this movie actually went to the theaters. It should have been left on the cutting room floor... all 8,100 feet! My belief was that some studio exec got a hard-on seeing the leading latinas in the same movie and decided to cough up some dough.

I used this film as production research to see what the production did with 5 million dollars and its obvious it was totally wasted! Do yourself a favor rent this movie and keep the DVD... It makes for a nice drink coaster.


Okay so I saw this movie last week and from reading reviews and what not I was expecting it too be painful to watch. Not at all! I thought it was funny and I saw no negative stereotypes whatsoever I've read something saying the plot was all over the place...umm no. If you pay attention you'll get it. I have A.D.D. and it wasn't challenging for me.I'm a fan of Sofia Vergara and I thought she was hilarious. Roselyn Sanchez and Jaci Velasquez were also great and they really worked well together and with Eduardo. I must admit though I also watched it with commentary on and its even, their super funny and you can tell they really enjoyed each other. Its entertaining!


Obviously this movie would have been terrible without the attractive women, but it was still very entertaining. I'm surprised at people that gave this movie a score of 1, I don't know what people expected of this movie but it was exactly what I expected, and cute comedy with a somewhat very thin plot with some fun times. Nothing more.


My wife and I saw this film yesterday and I thought that it was a pretty good movie. Of course, my motivation to see it was to get a look at Roselyn Sanchez and Sofia Vergara. I figured that my wife could have equal eye candy with the main actor who played Popi. It is interesting to note that this movie was directed by a Latina, and of course featured a great many latinos in the movie, with very few other ethnic actors. While I am caucasian, it didn't really bother me that there was only a couple of Anglo people in it, and only one African American I believe. But, as it was directed by a Latin woman, I was surprised at how much the movie seemed to be geared towards the Anglo-movie watching crowd. I don't have any problem with that and I feel that the director was really centered on empowering women, which is great. I just wonder if Latinos who watch this might feel themselves betrayed a bit by the Hollywood feel of this film. I don't think that it is a vehicle for too much serious lessons or life examples, and feel that it is more along the lines of just plain popcorn fun. Which in today's crummy world, is just fine to enjoy for a couple hours out of your day. I thought that it was a fun movie and I can spend all day looking at women like Roselyn Sanchez and Sofia Vergara. Who wouldn't drink dirty bath water from the likes of those two women? I know that I would be in line for a chance!! What absolute dream women!! HOT-CHA-CHA!!


This movie is beyond bad, I thought it could be a decent enough comedy with some hot latina-chicks.

The latter there were plenty of, but the style of this movie is extremely childish so there aren't any sexiness going on, I mean just look at the rating: Rated PG for MILD sensuality.

The story is as if taken from a Spanish-SOAP-OPERA and the acting is as over-the-top as that as well, I found SOFIA VERGARA funny in SOUL PLANE and ROSELYN SANCHEZ is good in WITHOUT A TRACE but they were as bad as the rest of the bunch in this "comedy".

Comedy: Yes, but where are the jokes? Were there any? And did this movie even make me chuckle even once? No.

Not even cameo's from talents DL HUGHLEY (Stand-Up-Comedian) and FREDDY RODRIGUEZ (Harsh Times) could make me enjoy this movie, it just made me think how on earth they got into this horrible movie.

One thing that's even more confusing is the fact that FOREST WHITAKER is listed as a producer, to me he's one of Hollywood's finest and hopefully his producer-spot just meant that he financed the movie and wasn't actually a part of making this movie because that would have been a shame.

I'm bagging on a lot of people here, but the biggest bag should be on the lead guy Thomas (played by Eduardo Verástegui) whom delivers some of the worst acting I have ever seen in recent years, he is beyond bad in a way I can't even describe.

There's one good thing about it though, without the start and end-credits the movie is only about 70 minutes long.

If you want a romantic-comedy with latino-actors there is always SUENO (John Leguizamo, Elisabeth Pena) which I quite like.


This movie was stupid and boring. I noticed that whenever Sofia VERGARA comes out in a movie, it is usually not a big hit. She really needs to enroll in some acting lessons. I think she needs to improve her English because her accent makes it very difficult to understand what the heck she is saying. I think she should stick to making calendars; the only thing she knows to do best. I remember when this movie first came out, it only lasted two weeks and it was directly sent to the dollar movies like a bullet. That is so embarrassing. The main problem is that now a days, people choose an actor according to their physical beauty. Many do not keep in mind that beauty and acting skills are two totally different things that should not be confused when choosing a great actor.


This was 20th Century Fox's first attempt to make a movie targeting the Latino community. From this regard it is an important first step by Hollywood in acknowledging a growing trend in America. To be sure, the strength of the Latin community will dictate that studios figure out the right formula versus Latinos succumbing to what studios think they should watch. So in this regard, I give it 10 stars.

Some other impressive elements come from the casting. Jaci Velasquez is a Christian artist and notice that her theatrical debut is a PG movie and how she wore the one-piece bathing suit and otherwise maintained a modest demeanor alongside her co-stars. Another reason to consider Ms. Velasquez a role model for teens and to applaud Fox for not offering up an over-sexed first attempt to draw in Latino crowds.

Unfortunately the plot is somewhat vapid which is why I don't necessarily recommend the movie other than for its pivotal place in a movement that is gaining momentum.


I really didn't expect much from it. I rented it because I didn't know what other 'new' release comedies I could watch and enjoy. I'm glad I did. It was really quite entertaining. If you have the time, watch the cast commentary as well. hilarious lol. I def. thought Sofia Vergara's comedic timing was awesome too. she had me laughing every time.

another surprise was that the movie was only PG! not even PG-13. awesome. I'm glad there wasn't much over-the-top sensuality. the movie really didn't need it at all. bravo!

It's a great movie to pop in when you just want to relax and laugh. uptight arses, do not watch this movie. it's not supposed to be another one of those lame dramatic blockbuster mysteries.


I saw this film in some kind of strange language that wasn't English. The subtitles were on, but they appeared to be in the same strange language. The subtitles were also very confusing. They had upside down question marks and exclamation points. And if they're going to make a film be in a different languages, they should at least use CGI to make the mouth movements match up with the actual language.

I would give this one star, but it gains one more because the girls had HOTT breasts. Like honestly, if you could only see them without any clothes on bouncing around their God-given glory, this film would get at least a nine, despite whatever confusing, made up language it was in.

In summary, "iAy Papi!"? What the hell is that? But the boobs were nice. Therefore, on my ratings scale of red to blue, red being Shallow Hal and blue being The Sum of All Fears, this film gets a gets Puce Minus.


When I finished watching this film, I felt sucker-punched. I was hoping for some laughs from another grade D horror film. I guess the joke's on me. Little Erin Merryweather was good, not perfect but good. David Morwick is kind of the man behind the curtain as director, actor, writer. (most indies require people to wear a lot of hats which he did well) But I think it's safe to say his strength is in the acting department.

Morwick is very funny and likable in the lead role of Peter and probably brings in the strongest performance. We all know that bumbling, fidgety kid we went to school with and Morwick plays that part perfectly, to a tee. Although Vigdis Anholt (Erin) doesn't say much, her performance can be summed up by the old adage, "if looks could kill. . ." Her body language and chilling stares is what spooked me the most. I give the filmmakers two thumbs up for turning the genre on its head in a sense and letting a female villain take a whack at this. Where the film falls short is in the pacing. It's just a little slow at times, probably due to budget issues. But, this has made up for an overall style, mood and atmosphere of the film. Before you poo-poo this as just another low budget slasher, take another look. Speaking of the look of the film, it really captured those rich, depth of field shots.

What struck me the most with Little Erin Merryweather and I have seen other people comment on this is that they really achieved the throwback to the "70's". This film looks like it was made in 1976, 1977, right down to the actors. I would never have guessed this was made today. There's no morphed reflection of today's society at all. I don't know how they achieved this, but they did.


I had the pleasure of seeing this film at a festival, and frankly I cannot wait for the movie to be released in theaters. Little Erin Merryweather is about 3 boys who are 'literally' trying to survive college as a homicidal killer, Erin Merryweather (played by Vigdes Anholt), stalks her prey on campus and maniacally seeks to destroy them. The ring-leader of this hunted trio is the wise-cracking sarcastic Teddy (played by Brandon Johnson of 'One Life To Live'). Added to him is everyone's all-purpose buddy and ever too trusting Sean (played by Marcus Bonee). Rounding out the trio is the most all-American of the boys...blonde-haired Peter (played by former Talbot's model David Morwick... a dead ringer for Christopher Atkins of 'Blue Lagoon' fame). I would not call this film terrifying as much as I would say that it is tension-filled. It leaves you on the edge of your seat waiting for these three innocents to fall prey to a killer without a conscience. Whoever did the casting for this film certainly has an eye for talent, spotting upcoming star power. Watch especially for Johnson and Morwick, as well as Vigdes Anholt. I am guessing that the latter is foreign with a name like that, LOL.


A quirky paean to horror films of decades past, Little Erin Merryweather has a panache all its own, with an eerie yet elegant storyline punctuated by scares and shocks reminiscent of the classic thriller Halloween  and a back story that re-boots, of all things, Little Red Riding Hood.

But this modern-day fairy tale turns very grim and may not have a happy ending. Somewhere, lurking amidst the snowy woods of a small college town, a killer in red dispatches victims with three startling similarities: They're male, they're blond, and they have (take note) dirty hands. It's not a spoiler to say the killer is female and her motivation stems from a horrific childhood. Now she wants revenge. So beware her creepy doll of cracked porcelain, complete with a ghoulish pair of hollowed-out eyes. And just know: If there's a flash of red  trouble's ahead.

After the first murder, college student Peter Bloom (David Morwick) suspects a serial killer on the loose. His buddies on the school paper razz him. After all, they point out, Peter also believes in Bigfoot and claimed one of his professors was a werewolf. Still, like any good reporter, Peter snoops, until uncovering the scoop that may win him a byline but cost him his life.

Morwick  who also directed the film and wrote its screenplay  is charming and determined, brave enough to take on the killer in a spooky school library, yet vulnerable enough to shyly squirm and stammer during a coffee date. Vigdis Anholt somehow brings a sweet, sympathetic frailty to her role as a serial killer. True, she's a loon, but not a mindless one, and when she flirts with Morwick and looks into his handsome face, you just know there's a part of her that wants to date this guy, not decapitate him. Then she looks at his fingers  too bad, the poor boy apparently has newsprint or something on them - and her rage kicks in.

Unlike nearly all of today's horror films  including virtually every minute of the Saw franchise  Merryweather's scares don't soak you in blood. For sure, the shocks are there; be prepared to jump half-a-dozen times during the climax. But as Hitchcock proved in Psycho, and Carpenter mastered in Halloween, Morwick's use of sound, like the slash of a knife slicing a body, are actually far more terrifying than displaying bloody leftovers.

Grossing out moviegoers is easy. Jolting them is hard. Giving them a reason to care about characters in trouble  even harder. Little Erin Merryweather takes that hardest of roads and succeeds. Much more than gore, its haunted resonance offers a lingering chill. Put it this way: If Jaws kept swimmers out of the water, then Little Erin Merryweather surely will keep your fingernails clean.


I'm usually very wary of horror films that centre around a fairy tale basis but this was a brilliant movie. The cast was brilliant (bar from the cop.) The actress who plays Erin has a very Fatal Attraction Glenn Close charm about her and has the ability to go from sweet and innocent to dark and menacing in an instant. The script was remarkably well written. It was very chilling movie and kept you on the edge of your seat. The artistic direction especially the illustrations used to tell the story are breathtaking. I am really hoping that there will be a sequel to this. It also deserves more recognition than. Hats off to everyone who worked on this movie.


I've seen plenty of nanny from hell flicks but this movie is sort of the librarian from hell. I couldn't figure out if I wanted to sleep with her or take a bat and bludgeon her to death. The actress that played Erin really got under my skin. Although I would have liked to seen her naked or someone in the film take their clothes off, but it is what it is. The scene where she really freaks me out is where she's looking out a window or something, looking all insane and spaced out. The dude who played the cop was a bit over the top but the rest of the lead actors were actually pretty damn good. The other thing that I thought was freaky was the little kid's nursery rhymes and as the movie goes on, you realize that these have double meanings for all the murders which is pretty cool. I also liked how they filmed everything with the color red. Low budget and flawed but really dig the style.


Oh my god, how bizarre was this movie! We saw this at one of the screenings in New York and I'll never forget it, because I hate horror movies and my boyfriend knows this. Later that night he terrorized me jumping out at me in the house with a red blanket over his head threatening to put rocks in my stomach. Needless to say, he's a freak and this movie was right up his alley.

This movie really creeped me out. I loved that the "men" were the stupid vicitms for once. Speaking of that, there were some very cute boys in this movie. And then there's the doll. I hate dolls to begin with. This one is the mother of them all- it has no eyes.

Seriously though, this is a great film... great music, actors, scenery yadda yadda... It definitely builds because when it gets to the point where there's only the one boy left, and he's hiding from her in the library, I was literally hiding under my seat. Even if you're not a horror freak like my boyfriend, you should still check it out because it is different and very creative.


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This movie is nothing but a David Whateverhisnameis vanity project (written/acted/directed by...), and it shows in every interminable scene of this over-long and dull STV miscarriage. The film has the air and atmosphere of a swaddled cot-death baby and I fear that is due more to neglect than over-nurturing.

The opening scene is kind of promising, and sets a vaguely supernatural feeling air, but drops such allusions immediately thereafter and turns into a plodding pedestrian made-for-TV pseudo-thriller.

There is no suspense, no gore, no shocks, no horror, no surprises and nothing remotely inspiring to be seen. The film just drags and drags on and it feels much longer than it's 84min run-time.

The main "trick" of the movie will soon make you so sick of it you will wish never ever to see any "the killer" pass quickly across in front of camera ever again. Yes. That "trick". Already bored of it, well too bad, because it's done to death in Little Erin Merryweather. There she goes flashing across in the background...oh, there she goes flashing past in the foreground...yeah.

The script is a try-hard affair, but unfortunately the writer should have tried a lot harder, as it comes across very clumsily in delivery. The acting is jarring at best, and jaw-droppingly appalling in some scenes, lending an even greater air of implausibility to an already shaky script.

****SPOILERS FOLLOW******

Add into the mix such criminal plot-holes as her mysteriously being able to vanish at the end, while the person who shot her must clearly be looking directly at her, and I'm sorry but the movie becomes even more of a shambolic hack-job.

Worst movie I've seen in a long long time, so don't be drawn in by the nice box art like I was.


There is the sweet smell of success with the movie Little Erin Merryweather. This movie opened to rave reviews at the New York City Horror Film Festival. All the stars are aligned. There are good-looking young actors, a fresh story, a new character in horror and a memorable sound track. This is an ambitious film with a lot of pop culture and cult status seems assured.

The movie creates a new chapter in horror with its strong feminist theme. Add to that an eerie premise which revolves around young men in jeopardy. One might see this directly from the movie i.e. a scene where the three young men are watching our villainess, the lady in red, pass by them on a college campus. The more brash teenage boys sort of jeer at her as if to say that she has no problem picking off boys that seem to be gruff and tough whereas one of the main characters, Peter, has the virginal strength to fight her off.

It may be why Peter and our villainess Erin connect. This movie may also be about the strength of the repressed. Unlike a lot of other slashers, it is interesting how these victims are portrayed. They are typical college kids. No one is a star vying for an academy award and the performances are all the more absorbing because of that. Instead of a high body count the victims are people that the audience comes to care about partly because the script is smartly set into the normsville of everyday life. When it seems more normal and accessible to the audience, they can relate to it. Then all of a sudden you find that what is supposed to be normal college life can become very threatening and scary.

What's nice about this movie is it follows a basic rule of thumb- it's not what you see but what you don't see that is scary. It is the anticipation of knowing what's going to happen but not knowing exactly where and when. It also builds and builds and as time goes on the audience gradually gets a closer look at the villainess in a frightening immobilized doll's mask. The villainess is deftly played by Vigdis Anholt.

Anholt, Morwick, Callahan and Johnson all bring in strong performances. Morwick who plays the role of Peter (also screenwriter and director) does a wonderful job of portraying a vulnerable character with a little boy quality that the audience comes to care about. Peter's best friends Teddy and Sean are played by Brandon Johnson and Marcus Bonee who are unfortunately not so lucky and the audience waits in dread.

This movie is cleverly balanced with moments of terror and carefully chosen moments of comic relief. The movie is special because it is taking this genre and doing something fresh with it. Through stylized photography and artwork and a score that is close to a hauntingly sweet jack-in-the-box, watch out! Beyond the beautiful exterior of it all, evil lurks. This may very well become a classic. - Reviewed by Sandra Wint, Tribeca- NYC