The Art of Salesmanship (1997) User Reviews

Nihilistic filmmaking youths shouldn't be subsidised by the taxpayer

[ultanog313 · 5/10 · 25 April 2002]

My son came home from his media studies course in college last week with a tape containing this film and others of it's, um. 'ilk'. This film was far too violent by far. Although it wasn't by far the most violent of the short films on the tape it was over the top.

It seemed to have a cynical attitude towards the kind of part-time work that teaches youth about responsibility and civic duty. It was like the film was encouraging teenagers not to go out and work for their living.

I didn't understand some of the dialogue either. Who were those Tom and Nicole people one guy was talking about? A film can only seem rather ill executed if characters are mentioned without us getting to meet them.

The criticism of false faiths such as some thing like that Sciencodology was the one salvation this sorry mess of a film has to offer for itself.

I'm quite concerned to see that the 'new generation' of Irish filmmakers being 'educated' in Irish colleges with taxpayers money.

What a bloody mess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ten Pin · 10/10 · 25 March 2002]

This will surely go down as one of the bloodiest short films in Irish movie history. Certainly it could come to be seen as the "Wild Bunch" of Irish cinema.

I saw another deadly Irish short movie, "The Braineater", a while ago and maybe this helped pave the way for it. They both came from the same film school. Don't they feed these guys?

It took a look at the tedium of slacker work but wasn't boring like "Clerks". I was quite relieved when the action got going, because I knew then I wouldn't be listening to the characters droning on about "Star Wars" and the plight of the working classes in the empire.

Wicked stuff!!!!!

Magnificent! Bravo!

[jambosana · 10/10 · 12 April 2002]

*** WARNING !!! SPOILERS !!! SPOILERS !!! ***

This movie has it all! Blood, laughs galore, incisive social satire and a senile dog with legs of jelly!

This ode to low paid workers the world over (stand up and fight!) has tickled ribs at film festivals in Ireland and Britain. Targets include big business, small business that wishes it were big business, Dublin's taxi drivers (prior to deregulation) and a weird religion type cult thing called "Diametric Scientifics" by some weirdo called Elron Cupboard.

This short is snappy and cuts to the chase. especially at the end when all the sharp weapons come out to play.

Until recently it held the record for the most blood spilt in an Irish short film.

Couldn't have done it better myself!