For A Good Time, Call... has a great premise: two girls who hate each other have to move into a New York apartment together to stay afloat, and they eventually open a phone sex line to make money. It's compelling, vulgar, and heartwarming - a strange combination for a movie, but one that works very well here.

Lauren (Lauren Miller) is an uptight conservative chick who gets dumped by her mega-douche boyfriend (James Wolk), so she's stuck in New York with no place to live. Katie (Ari Graynor) is a free spirit, and one of her many jobs is a phone sex operator. In a flashback, we find that these two met on a fateful night in college that ended with spilled urine in a moving vehicle and one person stranded in a bad neighborhood. Needless to say, they aren't the best of friends. But their mutual friend, Jesse (Justin Long), sees the only solution to both their problems and hooks them up as roommates. When Lauren discovers Katie's means of extra income, she combines her business sense with Katie's, ahem, talents, and the two form a partnership that helps them overcome their checkered past.

Ari Graynor joins Elizabeth Olsen, Lizzy Caplan, and Mark Webber in the club of people with multiple films at this year's festival: she plays a lead in For A Good Time, Call... and a small "best friend" part in Celeste & Jesse Forever. (Webber has a small part here.) This film gives her the meatier role and she delivers, hitting all the right notes in both the comedy and drama required. Sundance seems to be the place where people are dubbed "rising stars," and since I think she has true screen presence, I'll go ahead and attach that label to Graynor. Lauren Miller, who co-wrote this movie, doesn't quite light up the screen the way her co-star does, but she's got an undeniable charm and her fresh-faced innocence is a perfect fit for her character. Justin Long does an impression of his friend Vince Vaughn with a gay twist, which - for me anyway - was amusing and entertaining. And on a personal note, it was great to see James Wolk, star of the ill-fated TV series Lone Star, working again since I was a big fan of the show.

The movie deals a lot with themes of friendship and stepping out of your personal boundaries, and there's a ton of comedy interspersed along the way. Most of it is extremely vulgar - after all, they do run a phone sex line, but there's a realism to the dialogue that makes it all feel sincere, and the characters are all so honest and genuine that it's easy to excuse nitpicks here and there. I don't want to ruin anything for you, but there are some really funny sequences featuring cameos by some very recognizable actors, so keep an eye out for those. I dug this movie, and since it just got picked up by Focus Features, this one should be easy to see in the coming months. It's not one of my favorites of the festival, but it's a nice little comedy that accomplishes all its goals, including the most important one - making the audience laugh.

I'll just tell you now the only thing that will disappoint you with Aaron Sim's Archetype is that it isn't longer. Things get good, then great, then it ends right as s*** hits the fan!

The basic premise of the film is a mercenary robot is convinced he was human at one point and doesn't know what to do.

Much respect for this all being done on zero budget on top of that... Although I don't know exactly how much tech he pirated to create this then. Either way, hope he gets some money for a bigger project soon.

Thanks to Immo Lang for the heads up!

Email Me: MickJoest@Geektyrant.com Twitter: @MickJoest

Earlier we shared a plot synopsis for Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man. Now our friends at ScreenRant have found what appears to be a studio-backed synopsis of the film. A number of the details we are already know, but there are some details about the link between the teenager Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) and his soon-to-be nemesis, Dr. Connors that were not previously known.

Check out the new synopsis thanks to the Times of India:

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets.

As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

What are your thoughts on this "official synopsis?"

Follow @Jim_Napier

Source: Times of India (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-17/news-interviews/30634855_1_spider-man-peter-parker-andrew-garfield)
Source: ScreenRant (http://screenrant.com/amazing-spiderman-plot-synopsis-sandy-148263/)

Here's a pretty awesome collection of anime style fantasy art from DeviantArt artist Genzoman. This is some pretty cool stuff that I thought you might enjoy seeing. A lot of the pieces are of video game characters. Check out the collection and tell us what you think!

Source: Genzoman (http://genzoman.deviantart.com/)

I said it once before but it bears repeating...SPOILER! SPOILER! If you don't want to know this news, then don't read any further for the love of all that is sacred.

Okay as for the rest of you i09 is reporting that Liam Neeson had this to say in a recent interview about The Dark Knight Rises.

"I can tell you nothing about Dark Knight Rises, seriously. I was on set for maybe an hour-and-a-half and the director didn't tell me anything of what it's about. So, I'm being very honest when I say I have no idea what's going to happen."

While this doesn't say whether or not Neeson is to be in the film...what other reason does he have for going on set for 90 minutes? That's a lot longer than a casual drop by for sure, which leaves us to assume he has a cameo in the film!

Most likely he will be Ra's Al Ghul considering (another spoiler if you've met your quota for the day) Marion Cotillard will be playing his daughter Talia Al Ghul.

I think it's legit...what about you?

Email Me: MickJoest@Geektyrant.com Twitter: @MickJoest

Source: i09 (http://io9.com/5879084/another-major-secret-in-the-dark-knight-rises-is-confirmed)

Safety Not Guaranteed was one of my most anticipated movies of this year's Sundance Film Festival, and it certainly didn't disappoint. It has nearly everything I want to see in a film: memorable characters, a great story, comedy, drama, romance, and a time travel twist. I've been waiting a few days to be blown away by a movie, and this one fit the bill. It's the quintessential geek festival movie, but it never felt like it was pandering; it kept the characters in the forefront, and that, among many other reasons, is why I loved it.

Darius (Aubrey Plaza) is an intern at a magazine in Seattle. She's dry, funny, and sarcastic - basically the Aubrey Plaza stereotype. To avoid refilling toilet paper dispensers, Darius volunteers to accompany a writer, Jeff (Jake Johnson), to a nearby city to do a profile on a guy who placed an ad on Craigslist for a time travel partner. With nerdy intern Arnau (Karan Soni) added to their motley crew, they set off to go undercover and see what this guy is all about. They discover Kenneth Calloway (Mark Duplass), an eccentric grocery store employee who is totally serious about his ad, and who eventually takes Darius under his wing as a trainee for their upcoming "mission." As she learns more about him, Darius is charmed by his simple worldview and starts to wonder if genius lies somewhere beneath Kenneth's kooky exterior. Meanwhile, Jeff spends his time trying to hook up with an old high school love interest and getting the other intern laid for the first time.

Colin Trevarrow's direction is subdued and controlled, allowing the characters of Derek Connolly's excellent script to take us through this story without any flashy distractions or unnecessary flourishes. It's restrained, but it's there - unlike some other performance-heavy films that seem like someone just turned a camera on and left it running, Trevarrow uses his style to accent important moments. (A robbery sequence was a comedic highlight, while a nighttime campfire song was beautifully shot to enhance the romantic potential in the scene.)

Plaza's performance turns from the wry stereotype into something much more hopeful and optimistic, providing audiences with the rare opportunity to watch an Aubrey Plaza character smile unironically on screen. Duplass is tremendous, making Kenneth Calloway one of the most fascinating characters I've seen on film in recent memory. He's weird, sure, but there's a sincerity to the way he talks about his mission and dispenses combat advice that is more endearing than embarrassing. In the hands of a less capable actor, this character could have been painted more like someone with a mental illness than a childlike passion. It's a fine line, and Duplass always stays on the correct side of it.

The comedy is charming, and the dramatic moments - many involving the personal reasons for Kenneth and Daruis wanting to go back to the past - are poignant and engaging. Much of the movie is spent in a back and forth regarding the legitimacy of Kenneth's time travel abilities. The entire movie builds to one singular moment, the culmination of events that will finally answer the question we've been asking the whole time: is he crazy, or is this for real? I wouldn't dare reveal the answer here, but the buildup to this scene was so effective that it gave me chills. Safety Not Guaranteed is an instant classic and a must-see for time travel junkies. 

Today's piece of Geek Art is a awesome CG image called Running Away created by CGHUB artist InTercepto. Here's what the artist had to say about the piece and what it represents,

Remember when we were young, we didn't know what's good and what's bad... how we sometimes destroyed our toys and our parents told us how wrong that was, and that we should try to imagine that that toy was a real person or an animal. Most of us develop emotional intelligence over young age, we learn that what we did to that toy was wrong and to us that toy was the only lesson we needed. But there is also a dark side of humanity, those few that actually enjoyed hurting that toy, those few that, as they grew up, left their tortured toys behind and took a wrong turn...

To all the peace loving folks around this world!

This might sound funny, but John Dies at the End was one of the most anticipated films for me at the Sundance Film Festival even though I really knew nothing about it. I had heard a few fun things surrounding it, and that was enough for me to think that this might be a movie I would really enjoy, and it was. This movie was awesomely hilarious, and completely crazily strange in every sense of the words.  

The film was written and directed by Don Coscarelli (Bubba Ho-Tep), and is an adaptation of the novel written by Cracked.com's David Wong. The story follows a couple of college dropout slackers named John and David who end up saving the world from the hostile take over of a evil being from dark dimension. Throughout the course of the film we learn about these two characters and how they come across a paranormal psychoactive drug called "soy sauce," which gives them powers to bend time and space, travel to other dimensions, read minds, and fight off demons. The introduction of this drug takes them on a journey of magnificent madness that I know the majority of you would have a hell of a great time watching.

This film was written for the internet movie geek generation, by the internet movie geek generation, which is why I know this is a film many of you will love. The dialogue these characters spit out of their mouths and the odd situations they find themselves in is joyfully comical. It's just goes so over the top that I couldn't help but laugh. The filmmakers didn't hold back at all with this movie; they committed to going all the way with it and beyond regardless of how ridiculous the ideas were. The movie went to a whole new level at the second half of the story when they ended up taking the characters to another dimension. That second half of the movie almost killed the movie for several people I talked to, but they will all tell you that the first half of the film was amazing. 

I loved that they took the film where they did, and accepted it for what it was, embracing the bizarreness of it all. I probably would have loved it just as much had they held back a bit as well. Frankly, I enjoyed the characters. It was their personalities mixed in with the supernatural element and wackiness that made this movie so fun and entertaining for me. There are so many ways this movie could have sucked ass, but it was these characters that made it what it was and made it work so well.

Paul Giamatti was the executive producer of the film, and he also starred in it along side Chase Williamson as David, Rob Meyers as John, the creepily great Doug Jones, and Clancy Brown, who plays a badass well known Russian paranormal psychic named Dr. Albert Marconi, who helps John and Dave on their dimensional journey. 

John Dies at the End is sure to end up being a cult classic, and it's not to be missed when it eventually gets released. You need to experience this movie for yourself, nothing I or anyone else says can prepare you for the absurd hysteria! 

Here's the Synopsis:

On the street, they call it “soy sauce.” It's a paranormal, psychoactive drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Its users drift across time and dimensions, but some who come back are devoid of all humanity. While most of Earth’s inhabitants remain blissfully oblivious to its threat—make no mistake—an otherworldly invasion is under way, and mankind needs to be saved. Enter John and David, a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. How can these guys possibly be expected to rescue mankind from certain destruction?

Originally erupting from the devilishly ingenious mind of David Wong, alter ego of Cracked.com’s senior editor Jason Pargin, JOHN DIES AT THE END began as a Web serial that became an Internet phenomenon. In the highly capable hands of legendary cult horror director Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep), Pargin’s wildly trippy vision is forged into big-screen eye candy. The end result will take you to places in your subconscious that you shouldn’t be allowed to visit.

I've been following this awesome looking sci-fi war film Iron Sky for quite awhile, and today we have a new trailer to show you! The movie tells the story of how Nazis retreated to a secret base on the moon where they would plan their next attack on the world, and then invade it... in flying saucers. 

Iron Sky has been though a long a tough road, but with tons of audience support and after five years the film has been completed, and it looks so cool! The film will premiere next month at the Berlin Film Festival, which I think is funny, because of the subject a matter of the film. 

Here's the Synopsis:

Towards the end of World War II the Nazi scientists made a significant breakthrough in anti-gravity. From a secret base built in the Antarctic, the first Nazi spaceships were launched in late ‘45 to found the military base Schwarze Sonne (Black Sun) on the dark side of the Moon. This base was to build a powerful invasion fleet and return to take over the Earth once the time was right.

Now it’s 2018, and it’s the time for the first American Moon landing since the 70?s. Meanwhile the Nazi invasion, that has been over 70 years in the making, is on its way, and the world is goose-stepping towards its doom. The three main characters of the story are Renate Richter (Julia Dietze), Klaus Adler (Götz Otto), and James Washington (Christopher Kirby).

The last we heard the movie would be released on April 4th, 2012. Enjoy the trailer, and tell us what you think!

Evangeline Lilly (Real Steel, Lost) is playing Tauriel in Peter Jackson's highly-anticipated The Hobbit. During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly she revealed some details about her character:

When asked if she had to learn archery and swordplay, Lilly said "Yes, she is a warrior. She’s actually the head of the Elven guard. She’s the big shot in the army. So she knows how to wield any weapon, but the primary weapons that she uses are a bow and arrow and two daggers. And she’s lethal and deadly. You definitely wouldn’t want to be caught in a dark alley next to Tauriel."

I am going to have to turn in my Geek card because I am not extremely excited for The Hobbit movies. This may change as time goes on, but for now my main interests are for The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters on December 14 and will be followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13, 2013.

She also commented on how much we'll see the character. "She’s not in the first film very much. She comes into the first film near the end, and has a very small part to play. Her role in the second film is much more involved. Although, I have to say, when I first read the scripts and took the job, she had a lot less going on in the second film. I think the role is becoming a bit more demanding that I had expected it to be. There’s a lot more for me to do now, which is a lot of fun, but it’s a little more pressure."

Lilly added that she has to go back to New Zealand for five more months of filming.

Follow @Jim_Napier

Source: EW (http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/01/25/evangeline-lilly-real-steel-hobbit/)

Thanks to Kotaku we have our first look at the LEGO Lord of the Rings Minifigs, and they are awesome. The image above was shot at the the U.K. Toy Fair this week, and we get to see the entire fellowship together at once!

What are your thoughts? Are you excited for the LEGO Lord of the Rings?

Source: Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5879052/your-first-good-look-at-the-lego-lord-of-the-rings-minifigs)

Patience is definitely a virtue for this Star Trek fan! A Eurobricks user known as Myko built this awesome 10,000 piece LEGO model of the U.S.S. Reliant - and it took him over a year to finish. Khan used the Reliant to battle Captain Kirk in The Wrath of Khan. Myko chose to replicate this vehicle because it was easier to make. Here is what he said via Blastr:

Source: Blastr (http://blastr.com/2012/01/amazing-10000-piece-lego.php)
Source: Eurobricks (http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=65163)

Here's the trailer for Nicolas Cage's new thriller Seeking Justice, which follows a man who goes out to seek justice for his wife who was beaten within an inch of her life. I'm not the biggest Cage fan, but the movie also stars Guy Pearce who's pretty damn awesome. The question is... do you hate Cage enough to avoid this movie altogether, or do you love Pearce enough to go sit though a Nic Cage movie?

Here's the Synopsis:

A happily married family man's quiet life is turned upside-down when his wife is brutally attacked one night while leaving work. The husband unwittingly pulls himself into a dangerous underground vigilante operation after agreeing to an intriguing offer for a stranger to exact vengeance on is wife's attacker. While continuing to protect his wife from the truth, he quickly discovers that his quest for justice could lead to frightening and deadly consequences.

The movie comes out March 15th, 2012. Check out the trailer below, and tell us what you think!

Source: Apple (http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/seekingjustice/)

And you thought they were done when they told you they found proof of Yeti's. Turns out that since 1982 Leonid Ksanfomaliti has been keeping it on the downsie that he has a 126 minute video proving life on Venus!

The above has been scientifically described as a "shape shifting disk scorpion" that moves for 26 minutes of the entire video.

His reason for silence all these years? According to Blastr he was afraid he would be laughed at...what a silly notion.

What do you think? Not that I don't think I can guess.

Email Me: MickJoest@Geektyrant.com Twitter: @MickJoest

Source: Blastr (http://blastr.com/2012/01/russian-scientist-says-he.php)

The CW is bringing DC Comics' Green Arrow to the small screen. Not much has been known about the show, aside from the name being shortened to simply Arrow. Today, thanks to Spinoff Online (via Blastr), we have a look at the casting announcement. The list shows some familiar faces, check it out below:

Oliver Queen: A 27-year-old reformed bad boy, who after having spent five years shipwrecked on a tiny, brutally dangerous island in the South China Sea returns to town a different man. Or to be more specific, a tortured, thoughtful master of the bow with a ferocious determination to make a difference.

Dinah "Laurel" Lance: 28 years old, smart sexy, Laurel is a legal aid attorney determined to use her life as a one-woman war against the 1% following the death of her younger sister Sara. A sister, who as luck would have it, just so happened to have died aboard Oliver's yacht.

Tommy Merlyn: 28 years old and devil-smooth, Tommy is a trustafarian like Oliver, a spectacularly rich young man whose life revolves around parties, clubs, liquor and lots of anonymous sex. Unlike Oliver, he can't seem to understand his former best friend's sudden change of lifestyle and direction.

Moira Queen: 48 years old, a beautiful woman, Oliver's mother Moira is a very wealthy woman who is not used to being shaken. Having remarried during the five years that former husband Robert and Oliver were both presumed dead, Moira has had free rein over the Queen billions. Not surprisingly, she's deeply interested in learning whether or not Robert will also return unexpectedly, to ruin her present marriage and go over the books with a fine-tooth comb.

John Diggle: 35 years old, African-American, Diggle is really, really big, a former military man who served with the Army Rangers in Afghanistan, and has been a bodyguard for hire for the last four years. Hired by Moira to be Oliver's chauffeur and protector, Diggle soon finds he is trapped in a battle of wits, as Oliver repeatedly eludes his protection. But in fact, Diggle's primary conflict is one of loyalty𔃐he has to show that he's working for Oliver, not Moira, before Oliver will give him a smidgen of trust.

Thea Queen: 17 years old (suggest 17-22 years), Oliver's Lolita-esque sister, Thea was a 12 year old girl when he went on his infamous yachting voyage—but now she's a celebutante who's testing the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Thea loved her big brother with all her heart, and is delighted to have him back in her life—but she's spreading her wings, and is unprepared for Oliver to become the Bad Cop in the family, restricting her access to boys and drugs.

I am not too thrilled with the above description. I understand that it is necessary to make the show for CW's younger audience, but I wish this show was set up at a network like FX or anywehre that was not going to turn it into a cheesefest with a great looking cast.

What are your thoughts?

Source: Blastr (http://blastr.com/2012/01/what-spoilers-are-buried.php)

Disney wants to continue the success it has had with its new show Once Upon A Time. Deadline reports that ABC has ordered a pilot for Beauty and the Beast. The drama is being written by Jericho co-creator Jonathan E. Steinberg. The project is described as "a period/fantastical reimagining of the classic fairy tale set in a mythical, dangerous world wherein a beautiful and tough Princess discovers an unlikely connection with a mysterious beast."

Source: Deadline (http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/abc-picks-up-beauty-and-the-best-to-pilot/)

Bad news for Blizzard gaming fans! Cinemablend reports that Blizzard has announced that they will not be holding a BlizzCon in 2012. The news appeared in an announcement about the 2012 Battle.net World Championship and can be seen below:

We’re excited to be showcasing Blizzard eSports on a truly global stage this year. We're also heavily focused on getting Diablo III, [World of Warcraftexpansion] Mists of Pandaria, and [Starcraft II expansion] Heart of the Swarm into players’ hands as soon as possible. In light of our jam-packed schedule, we’ve decided to hold the next BlizzCon in 2013.

In case you have never attended BlizzCon, it's a convention for fans of Diablo, StarCraft, and Warcraft. The convention usually has presentations by Blizzard employees, tournaments, contests, and hands-on time with upcoming games. Blizzard has held BlizzCon almost every year since 2005 - with the exception of 2006. 

This is unfortunate but understandable since Diablo III is expected early this year. Here is a response from community manager 'Bashiok' on theBattle.net forums:

Yeah it's a bit disappointing because we all really do enjoy being able to 'open the doors' so to speak. But, it is an enormous effort by all employees, including our game designers and artists, not to mention customer support and quality assurance, PR, our business departments, and *hot breath on fingernails & shirt rub* Community & eSports to make a BlizzCon happen. In a year when we're working to release multiple titles (knock on wood) it makes sense to focus our efforts. Also with multiple game releases we just wonder if we'd be at a point with any of them where we'd have anything really big or new or cool to talk about.

Blizzard is busy designiing a strategy game called Blizzard DOTA as well as a new MMO codenamed Titan. The studio also has a second StarCraft II expansion pack called Legacy of the Void on the way. What are your thoughts on this news?  

Two months ago we reported that Steven Spielberg had entered negotiations with Warner Bros. on the Moses biopic Gods and Kings. Deadline is now reporting that he is finally close to a deal to helm the epic film. The project is described as “a Braveheart-ish version of the Moses story." It will reportedly feature Moses "coming down the river, being adopted, leaving his home, forming an army, and getting the Ten Commandments.” Even though the Red Sea parting would look cool in 3D, filming is not currently planned in 3D.

This is not a remake of Cecile B. Demille's 1956 film, The Ten Commandments, which Paramount released in VistaVision to give moviegoers a more spectacular experience. Warner Bros wants Speilberg to direct it "with the gritty reality of Saving Private Ryan, which is considered a masterpiece redefining battle movies." ”There have been glossy versions of the Moses story but this would be a real warrior story,” an insider reports.

The studio has fought hard to get Spielberg behind the lens on this project. Warner Bros. has wanted him to direct since Spielberg first read the script in December. What they initially thought would be a longshot now seems to be close to coming to fruition. Production is slated to start in March or April of 2013.

The project was brought to Warner Bros. by Matti Lesham, and is being produced by Dan Lin and Lesham. Stuart Hazeldine (Paradise Lost) and Michael Green (Green Lantern, The River) worked on the script together. Gods and Kings marks the second religious warrior film that the studio has in the works. They are also developing Mel Gibson and Joe Eszterhas' story about Jewish warrior Judah Maccabee, who "teamed with his father and four brothers to lead the Jewish revolt against the Greek-Syrian armies that had conquered Judea in the 2nd century B.C."

Spielberg finished filming the period film Lincoln and will begin working on Robopocalypse. Ten Commandments was one of the most profitable films of its era, grossing $65 million in 1956 (close to $1 Billion today). If Spielberg wants a big film, I can not think of a film of more epic proportions for him. What are your thoughts on this news?

Follow @Jim_Napier

Follow @Jim_Napier

I am still shaking my head at the idea of a PG-13 Expendables 2. At least there are a few other films in the works that are headed into more adult territory. AICN reports that the fifth Terminator film will be rated R; at least, that is what Megan Ellison has to say about it. 

For me, the main selling-point of Goats is the fact that it stars David Duchovny, and I normally enjoy watching the stuff he does. Other than that, I knew absolutely nothing about the movie. He plays a hippy-like scientist they call "Goat Man" who goes out on these little goat-trekking travels. He's not the main focus of the film, but he has a pivotal role in the story.

The movie was good, but it wasn't great, and it didn't blow me away. I'm not even really sure if I was satisfied with it. I guess if I have to question that I must not have been. It was just a nice little coming of age story about a 15-year-old kid named Ellis trying to find himself in the world and situation he's being raised in. His decision to go to a east coast prep school changes everything. Duchovny plays a family friend that lives in the guesthouse, cleans the pool, does the gardening, and grows pot. He is the main male influence in this boy's life because he's had limited engagement with his father as a result of divorce.

The acting in the film was solidly good, Duchovny was the best part of the movie. Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) played the Ellis' mom in the film and her character annoyed the hell out of me. Maybe that's what they were trying to do, if so it worked, but it didn't help the film. Then there is Graham Phillips who played Ellis, and he actually played the role very well. The film was directed by Christopher Neil from a script written by Mark Jude Poirier, based on his novel.

This is one of those films I feel I never have to see again, and I know I won't. I also feel I didn't really have to see the film in the first place. It-s a hard film to recommend because I just don't think most of you will like it. Unfortunately, even though the film was written and directed well, the story was forgettable. 

Here's the Synopsis:

Having a self-absorbed New Age mother and an estranged father means 15-year-old Ellis Whitman has grown up relying on an unconventional guardian: a goat-trekking, marijuana-growing sage called Goat Man. So when Ellis decides to leave the alternative ways of his desert homestead for a stuffy East Coast prep school, major changes are in store. But not in the way you’d think. Though often stoned, the exceedingly smart and capable Ellis effortlessly aces school and excels at track. As the year progresses, it’s his relationships with the adults in his life that test him, challenging his beliefs about responsibility and trustworthiness.

With its expansive vision of family and passel of delicious oddball characters transposed from screenwriter Poirier’s novel with deadpan naturalism, GOATS wryly balances satire with poignancy and tenderness. Ellis’s eventual disillusionment with his various “parents” forces him to seek and find strength within and to realize the truth about love: it’s never perfect, but it is always there.