Reverb is about the competitors in the Naional Karaoke Championship in Iopa, Iowa, and exposes the delusions of grandeur of the characters who take karaoke just a little too seriously. This is a hilarious movie! I recommend this to anyone who liked Waiting for Guffman or Spinal Tap. There is also a more serious subtext relating o the characters' motivations and aspirations that makes the humor all the more biting. Among the funniest bits are the Boy Band of karaoke, Sir 5, (there are only four of them); the Eichenbachs, a couple who is heavy into angel worship; and Lizz Carter (of the Bad News Bears remake), who disastrously tries to combine her jobs as a dog walker and a singing telegram. Brian Habicht as Marty Eichenbach gives one of the truly funniest performances of the year in any movie.
4 Reviews
A Real Mockumentary...
yamaha7729 September 2005
Well, I've seen them all...nearly. Chris Guests' Rob Reiner's and others. None compare to this. If you love comedy and mockumentaries, this is the movie for you...not to mention if you love Karaoke. Canadian or American, this movie brings the unexpected laughs and gives us a great look at ourselves as a race and says "we're not all that bad." I love it.
The reasons this mock differs from others is mainly due to the fact that the performances are so fantastic, and the way it was edited made so much sense. Normally, I'm bored with mocks before 50 minutes. This one kept myself and the entire theaters I was in (2 to be exact) laughing the whole time.
I for one hope they find distribution soon. I saw it both in Toronto, and in Calgary. Was glad to see sold out audiences...
The reasons this mock differs from others is mainly due to the fact that the performances are so fantastic, and the way it was edited made so much sense. Normally, I'm bored with mocks before 50 minutes. This one kept myself and the entire theaters I was in (2 to be exact) laughing the whole time.
I for one hope they find distribution soon. I saw it both in Toronto, and in Calgary. Was glad to see sold out audiences...
Solid Movie, with great performances.
gicalgary24 September 2005
I saw this movie at the Calgary Film Festival, and quite enjoyed it. Who would have thought that the world of Karaoke could be so Cut Throat! I thought for a first feature, Mark Edward Lewis did a great job. The cast, both credited and uncredited, brought in solid performances. The script was funny and had you laughing almost through the entire movie. Sure, there weren't any surprises plot-wise, but it didn't matter. Well, OK.. there is ONE unexpected part, but you have to see it to find out what it is.
This is one of those movies that is flying under the radar, and could be easily overlooked. It's presently playing the festival circuit, and is coming up as the fan favourite.
The film is trying to find a distributor.. Hopefully they can find one.
This is one of those movies that is flying under the radar, and could be easily overlooked. It's presently playing the festival circuit, and is coming up as the fan favourite.
The film is trying to find a distributor.. Hopefully they can find one.
Karaoke Character Farce
jonnyjones7225 March 2006
If some one managed to combine the best of Napoleon Dynamite with the best of A Mighty Wind, the result would be something like Reverb. Unfortuntately that result would also include the worst of karaoke. Reverb is a karaoke comedy following the lives of half a dozen "kroaker" friends who train and enter a national competition.
The film was presented as part of the Worldbridger Film Series in Nanaimo, BC. But not everyone was prepared for the heavy handed character farce filled with wild and funny moments and sometimes stereo-typical and embarrassing characters.
I nearly fell in love with some of the performances, particularly by Lizz Carter who played a 30 year old tween pop star and Brian Habicht, an ambiguously gay nerd with a nutty church wife who sings cheesy spiritual songs. These performances, combined with some decent writing, if there was a script for this, managed to infuse some depth and charm to a few of the characters, whereas others fell flat under mountains of clichés. Reverb is meant to be watched for the same reasons as Napoleon Dynamite, not for story or plot, but for the sheer fun of the characters.
Reverb was shot mockumentary style and is still considered to be under construction, or so I've heard. The filmmakers seem to want to take advantage of the tacky, karaoke music trend made popular by the American Idol generation. There were so many embarrassing pop culture references the movie should have opened with a disclaimer. However, apart from some unresolved story lines at the end and the god awful music, the many memorable performances make the experience fun and not as regrettable as it could have been.
The film was presented as part of the Worldbridger Film Series in Nanaimo, BC. But not everyone was prepared for the heavy handed character farce filled with wild and funny moments and sometimes stereo-typical and embarrassing characters.
I nearly fell in love with some of the performances, particularly by Lizz Carter who played a 30 year old tween pop star and Brian Habicht, an ambiguously gay nerd with a nutty church wife who sings cheesy spiritual songs. These performances, combined with some decent writing, if there was a script for this, managed to infuse some depth and charm to a few of the characters, whereas others fell flat under mountains of clichés. Reverb is meant to be watched for the same reasons as Napoleon Dynamite, not for story or plot, but for the sheer fun of the characters.
Reverb was shot mockumentary style and is still considered to be under construction, or so I've heard. The filmmakers seem to want to take advantage of the tacky, karaoke music trend made popular by the American Idol generation. There were so many embarrassing pop culture references the movie should have opened with a disclaimer. However, apart from some unresolved story lines at the end and the god awful music, the many memorable performances make the experience fun and not as regrettable as it could have been.
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