Box Elder (2008)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Todd Sklar

Writer:

Todd Sklar (writer)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

On the road to nowhere, these guys call shotgun.

Plot:

Box elder bugs are loud, scary looking, and dependent on group swarming. Yet, they're also completely harmless and extremely passive aggressive...

Plot Keywords:

Friend | College | Boyfriend Girlfriend Relationship | Haircut | College Friends

Cast

Hina Abdullah	...	Laura Glaser
Kyle Ayers	...	Phil Ryerson
Andy Cohen	...	Jason Franks
David Crespy	...	Dudley Ginsberg
Chad Haas	...	Brad Fletcher
Chris Nester	...	Frank Brouillette
James Ponsoldt	...	Robby 'Couv' McGovern
Nick Renkoski	...	Nick Becker
Alex Rennie	...	Alex Rennie
Amy Shaw	...	Sarah Sampsons
Jim Shipley	...	Annoying Guy
Jeff Sklar	...	That Guy
Todd Sklar	...	John Scott
Brian Sturgill	...	Matt Vaggey
Ross Taylor	...	Max Hennessey
Alex Trumble	...	Howie Doon
John Turk	...	Zack Bills
Lauren Zima	...	Nicole

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Filming Locations:

Columbia, Missouri, USA

Company:

Boxcar Films

Trivia:

The story is loosely based on the college experience of writer/director Todd Sklar.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the Halloween party, Zack Bills is wearing a red devil horns clip-on. The horns disappear and reappear in one shot to the next.

Movie Connections:

References Vanilla Sky (2001)

If Wes Anderson made a movie about you and your friends in college...

This would be it. Saw this flick in Austin and absolutely loved it. It was like a semblance of all my favorite memories from college, but executed a lot better than when it's you and five of your friends sitting around drinking and telling stories.

The comedy is dead on, and once it starts rolling, the laughter doesn't stop. But there's still enough story there to make you care. And the acting is sensational. I think I recognized one guy from TV, but other than that, it's all unknowns, and they are good. Especially the bit roles. Some of the funniest jokes belong to characters who are only in it for a few minutes, but that totally matches what college is like.

The first 10 minutes were a little slow, and are primarily comprised of introducing and establishing the main characters, but the film itself is better off because of that, and it kind of builds in pace in a very organic way that lends itself to the storytelling, whereas a lot of comedies (especially ones set in college) are more uneven and sort of go back and forth between the funnies and the serious stuff.

It's got the heart and the character of Bottle Rocket or Rushmore, but within the context and subject matter of Superbad or Swingers. And yet, it's completely original. And completely funny. The guys who made it were on tour with it driving around the country when we saw it, and hopefully they continue to take it around, cause this is a good little movie, and one that warrants a few watches (you'll wanna watch it at least twice).

If it comes to your town, GO SEE THIS MOVIE. I promise you'll laugh your ass off and then call all of your best friends and catch up while reminiscing some of the best years of your life.