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The Art of Pain (2008) More at IMDbPro »

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The Art of Pain (2008) -- A starving artist working at a movie theater finds inspiration when an amateur ninja sets out to destroy his life. WINNER AUDIENCE AWARD-Sunscreen Film Festival, WINNER BEST FEATURE COMEDY-Route 66 Film Festival and many more!
The Art of Pain (2008) -- Nick (Greg Brookens) describes his idea for a Skunk Ape themed comic book to Jack (Anders Erickson).  Illustration by Jacob Elijah Hallinen. Animated by KlipartStudio.com

Overview

User Rating:
3.0/10   138 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Director:
Matt Brookens
Genre:
Comedy more
Tagline:
Great art comes from great pain. more
Plot:
A lazy painter learns that great art comes from pain as his life is ruined by a ninja. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
No pain - a pleasant surprise! more

Production Notes from IMDbPro

Status:
Completed | See complete list of 12,000 in-production titles »
Comments:
Still subject to some editing
Status Updated:
19 August 2008
More Info:
See more production information about The Art of Pain (2008) only on IMDbPro.
Note:
Because this project is categorized as being in production, the data is subject to change; some data could be removed completely.

Cast

 

Lloyd Kaufman ... George Romano

John Turk ... McKracken

Mike McNamara ... Swank McShiny
Lauren Bishop ... Sharon

Leena Kurishingal ... Stacey

Joyce Porter ... Mary

John LaFlamboy ... Marcus

Meiko Taylor ... Cindy McSweeny
Mindy Youroukos ... Betty the Bartender
Elliott Fredland ... Rex
Wesley Chu ... Lead ninja

Anders Erickson ... Jack

Marshall Bean ... Peppito
Jake Hames ... Charlie
Chad Wheeler ... Shopkeep
Patrick Higgs ... Brother Francis

Arvin Jalandoon ... Nobu
Greg Brookens ... Nick
Vicky Strei ... School Marm
Danielle Brothers ... Martha Russell
Kiel Frieden ... Shoved theater patron
Dale Chapman ... Nick's father
more
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Additional Details

Runtime:
USA:130 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Stereo
Filming Locations:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Company:
Art Pain Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The movie theater where The Art of Pain was shot at is the historic Landmark at the Century Mall. The director, Matt Brookens, wrote the screenplay while working there as an usher. "I always wanted to see what would happen if somebody were to fall off that ledge in the middle of the mall," states Brookens. "I finally got to throw someone off in the film!" more

FAQ

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful:-
No pain - a pleasant surprise!, 15 January 2009
7/10
Author: Derek Miner (minerwerks) from Clearwater, FL

As a fan of independent film, I have screened the work of plenty of hopeful young artists, looking for some attention and a chance to make a living at something they love. Just by sheer odds, there are going to be a good number of stinkers in the bunch, but also some genuine surprises. "The Art of Pain" happened to be one of the latter.

Jack is an aspiring illustrator and painter who bides his time in a minimum wage movie theater job with his friend Nick and girlfriend Sharon. The arrival of a new employee, Marcus, creates chaos for everyone, particularly Jack, who Marcus adopts in a twisted attempt at creating his own legacy.

"The Art of Pain" takes its inspiration straight from the world of B-movies. A lot of movies like to ape martial arts and zombie film conventions, but most of them forget to build some character and story in to keep your interest beyond cheap thrills. The story of the slacker artist is also overdone by young filmmakers, but this version brings a new thematic twist with Marcus, an antagonist who is actually seeking to leave his creative mark on the world just like the hero, Jack. The result is a movie that delivers some fun through in its winking nods to genre, but not at the expense of the characters and a building plot.

Not to say "The Art of Pain" is a perfect film. It might benefit from slight trimming and some newbie mistakes stick out for those who watch movies relentlessly. The performances are above average for this kind of low budget film, but some are broad and others are more subtle.

The film is incredibly ambitious in terms of visual design. The opening sequence is a tribute to kung-fu films made to look vintage (a la "Grindhouse"). Marcus seems to ride in out of a 50s biker film, complete with a rear-projection backdrop. There is at least one elaborate visual effects-driven montage, and also a fun little sequence featuring creature illustrations that move among people. Some might be distracted by the variety, and the work isn't always perfect, but it's encouraging to see a first feature that understands the language of film visuals.

But in the world of independent film-making, I believe it all comes back to character and story, and the makers of "The Art of Pain" already have a good understanding of how these things affect audiences. I am eagerly anticipating the follow-up to this one.

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Zombies? paultagonist
Art of Pain received 5 stars from Film Threat! findmac
The Art of Pain Wins Audience Award @ Sunscreen Film Fest zabbazabba
Watched this at AOF Festival solasta
Chicago Premiere at the Music Box beezwax
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