Skills Like This (2007)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Monty Miranda

Writers:

Gabriel Tigerman (story) and
Spencer Berger (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 March 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Everybody Wants to be Somebody

Plot:

Max Solomon faces the awful truth that he will never be a writer. So, in a desperate attempt to find his true calling...

Plot Keywords:

Quitting Job | Briefcase | Security Guard | Love | Gun

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Spencer Berger	...	Max
Brian D. Phelan	...	Tommy
Gabriel Tigerman	...	Dave
Kerry Knuppe	...	Lucy
Jennifer Batter	...	Lauren
Ned Bellamy	...	Uncle Morris
Marta Martin	...	Rosa
Zach Cumer	...	Cousin Jeramiah
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Danielle Arnold	...	Onion Dance Player (as Danielle Renee)
Brett Bertholf	...	Lead Singer
Brett Billings	...	Band Member
Paige Black	...	Girl on Bridge
Tom Borrillo	...	Italian Waiter
Charlee Chiv	...	Young Japanese Badass
Tupper Cullum	...	Englehard
Donna Dewey	...	TV Reporter
Tom Doyle	...	Italian Restaurant patron
Amy Rose Drucker	...	Nurse
Chris J. Ferrante	...	Bald drunk at drive through robbery
Patty Figel	...	Max's Grandma Uta
Chelsea Frye	...	Onion Dance Player
Quintin Gamer	...	Hall Pass Kid
Spencer George	...	Businessman in Bank
Chris Grundy	...	Man with Nice Suit
William Hahn	...	Bank Security Guard
Travis Kellog	...	Clerk in 24 Hour Store
Reverend Leon Kelly	...	Leon
Amie MacKenzie	...	Housewife
Mercedes Magee	...	Elderly Woman in Bank
Jeremy Make	...	Rusty
Robert Markle	...	Onion Dance Player
David Mijares	...	Kid in 24 Hour Store
John Nance	...	Dave's Boss Mr. Levar
Suzy Nelson	...	TV Anchorwoman
Winston Ngo	...	Onion Dance Player
Ben O'Connor	...	Band Member
Ry Feder Pruett	...	Late Kid
Kent Randell	...	Male Teacher
Shawn Rickel	...	Construction Guy in Bank
Paul Rohrer	...	Grandiose Actor
Marian Rothschild	...	Max's Mom
Mark Rubald	...	Bank Manager
Greg Schochet	...	Band Member
Matthew D. Sheahan	...	Sheingold
Damon Smith	...	Band Member
Harry Sterling	...	Grandpa Abe
Scott Swaggart	...	Parking cop
Daniell Taff	...	Gonzalo
Maggie Tisdale	...	Bank Patron
Roslyn D. Washington	...	Godfearing Woman in Bank
Marcus Waterman	...	Mr. Nam
Halden Wofford	...	Band Member
Quentin Yamasaki	...	Onion Dance Player

Runtime:

Germany:86 min (European Film Market) | USA:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Norway:11 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Arvada, Colorado, USA

Company:

Dewey-Obenchain Films

Trivia:

All the crime scenes were shot with Film cameras while the rest of the movie was shot with HD cameras.

Quotes:

Tommy: It's go time!

I'm Gonna Need a Ride

Greetings again from the darkness. A festival favorite from 2007 ... one of the ridiculous things about the movie business - why do we have to wait TWO YEARS to see a well received film, but the Hollywood machine keeps sending out mass-produced junk?

While easy to watch, this debut from director Monty Miranda is hardly an instant classic. The film's main writer, Spencer Berger, also stars as Max. Max is a flop as a playwright and his friends are quick to agree, once he finally admits such. On a whim, Max discovers that he does have a knack for stealing. This new found talent opens up Max's world. With his confidence renewed, he actually hooks up with the bank teller he robbed on his first job. Lucy is cute and is played pretty well by Kerry Knoppe.

Max's two best friends, Dave and Tommy, are played by (writer) Gabriel Tigerman and Brian D. Phelan. Dave is supposedly the put together one of the three, while Tommy is a HIM-BO who just wants to connect. If this sounds a bit messy, that's also how it plays on screen. There are some moments of brilliance, but also many moments that just aren't quite there.

The star of the film is Mr. Berger's impressive afro and the theme is apparently that none of us really know what we are doing are where we are headed. Hate to call it a slacker film (ala Clerks), but at it's core, that's what it is ... with an interesting soundtrack.