Bindlestiffs (2012) User Reviews

Crude but not all that funny

[KineticSeoul · 3/10 · 1 February 2013]

I can kinda guess why Kevin Smith would highly recommend this movie from his company Smodcast Pictures. But this is just a immature movie with 3 virgin kids that act brash and immature without being all that funny. Kevin Smith calls this movie a comedic genius but it's far from it. Some people might compare this movie to "Superbad" but it reminded me more of the movie "The Virginity Hit" which is another crappy movie that is just crude. Being crude is fine if it's funny in movies in my book but that doesn't apply to this movie. I am impressed when a movie tends to entertain with just literally a shoe string budget but this didn't impress me at all. I guess I didn't get angry at how bad this movie is, but was pretty much bored watching this movie. It's just a crude movie that tries really really hard to be funny with pretty bad actors. In fact I highly doubt these guys will make it to the big screen as one of the main character in other project they might end up in. And that is if they end up in another project and if so it's probably going to be another very very low budget indie movie.

3.6/10

I still don't know if I like it or not

[anthonygiancola24 · 5/10 · 19 August 2015]

I watched this movie because Kevin Smith's production company Smodcast Pictures distributed the film. As such, I went in with low expectations. Not because Smith's body of work is bad (I actually think 'Cop Out' is the only genuinely bad movie he's made), but because Smith likes nearly EVERY movie, he is the easiest customer to please. However, let's judge the film on it's own merits. AND...I don't know what to say about it. I have seen this film several times and I still have not summed up my feelings for this film. It is not incredibly funny. It's mostly just gross-out humor which I am not a fan of, and a lot of meandering with our three main characters who... I don't know if I like them or not. I don't really feel the comradery between them and they are despicable human beings, and yet they are compelling performances by young actors I want to see go places and get better. This film is destined to infamy for it's aesthetic, a sort of mumblecore tone and feel, and most "film critics" will dislike the film on that basis. For a first film out, it looks good. Sound is good, the camera is focused, and the guerrilla style of film-making at public facilities works well for the tone and characters. So, I'm torn, on the one hand there are aspects of the movie I thoroughly enjoy and on the other there are parts I don't enjoy. It's a film that's not for everyone, and I'm not really sure it's for me, but I've seen it many times, and I may still see it again one day. If you're into the raunchier comedies you'll enjoy it fine. As for me, I still can't say if this is a good movie or bad movie. It honestly isn't even a just OK movie.

After being suspended from their Texas high school, three virgins travel to the city to live out the plot of "The Catcher in the Rye," which they haven't fully read.

[The-Plague · 5/10 · 14 June 2014]

This movie first came to my attention when I watched "Losers Take All" and I was looking for other movies distributed by the same company. I eventually came across "Bindlestiffs," which is distributed by Kevin Smith's SModcast Pictures Presents label in association with Phase Four Films, the company that distributed "Losers Take All." After some research I found that "Bindlestiffs" premiered at The Slamdance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature; my interest peaked. "Bindlestiffs" follows three high school friends, who inspired by the novel The Catcher in the Rye, decide to travel to the city looking for sex and life experience after being expelled for drawing graffiti in the bathroom. Following in Holden Caulfiend's footsteps, John, Luke, and Andrew rent a motel room; that's where the fun begins.

"Bindlestiffs" is an amateur production made by students that were still in high school on a twenty thousand dollar budget, so it does fail in the acting and filming categories. To their credit, writers/ Editors Andrew Edison and Luke Loftin resourcefully film part of this movie in their high school using drama teachers as actors and students as extras. While entertaining, "Bindlestiffs" does not have any notable performances, only a second rate Michael Cera doppelganger and a pseudo Will Sasso security guard. Although it was shot in HD, the camera work left much to be desired following the characters as they move rather than shooting from one angle overlooking everything.

The strength of this movie undoubtedly lies in the humor of the story and the dialogue of the characters. Andrew, who is most interested in The Catcher in the Rye, wears a red hunting cap and smokes cigarettes emulating Holden Caulfield. Throughout the movie he tries to pass parts of the novel off as events from his own life with hilarious results. Luke, who claims to know the most about sex is a virgin, and even when presented with a prostitute he only pretends to have sex. John (the second rate Michael Cera) is a religious Caucasian being raised by an Asian family. Although John is the least rebellious of the group, he ends up trying to have sex with his drama teacher and bedding an elderly homeless woman. Say what you will about this movie, but it certainly never gets boring.

"Bindlestiffs" is another movie that can be found on my list of movies to watch when drinking. The crude dialogue that can only come out of the mouths of high school boys and outrageous plot make this a movie perfect for drunken viewing. What the movie lacks in acting and filming it certainly makes up for in laughs and re-watch value. I have seen this movie a few times and I am not tired of watching, mainly because of the crude and outrageous humor. If you want a movie depicting high school rent a John Hughes film, if you want a raunchy comedy about high school made by highschoolers, "Bindlestiffs" might just be what the witch doctor ordered.

A waste of time

[jesse-497-647021 · 1/10 · 8 October 2012]

I'm a Kevin Smith fan. I grew up watching Mall Rats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and the like. So when I saw Kevin mention this on his AMA on Reddit and then later that same day saw it at a Redbox, I thought, "What great luck!"

I was extremely disappointed. It's honestly one of the worst movies I've seen. It ranks right up there with Boondock Saints II. I actually watched 30 minutes or so of the movie on fast forward because I wanted to know what happened in the end without having to watch more of the terrible acting, listening to the disgusting and contrived dialogue, and getting dizzy from the shaky camera work.

The movie is poorly shot and made. It looks, sounds, and feels like a C level movie. I used a promo code at the Redbox and still feel like I paid too much for this movie aka an hour or so of my life. I'm writing this because it was so awful that I feel the need to dissuade others from seeing it. I mean, I typed this whole thing out on an iPod because this movie is that bad. Don't see for yourself.

Home made kid movie

[thepinkrabbit · 2/10 · 21 August 2012]

This movie is funny somehow. But it's exactly like those movies we made with friends on VHS when we were 16. The writer/producer/director is one of the 3 kids. the one that has a strange face ( he speaks with the mouth on the left). Now about the story it's very dumb . I mean if you want a situation to be funny you have to make the spectator believe the situation is real and then there's a twist and it's funny. In this movie nothing can be understand as real. For instance kids of 16-17 who actually believe a girl can be pregnant because she throws up 1 hour after sex is just dumb not funny. It's the kind of thing you think is funny when you do it with friends but when others watch it you understand it's not. So I wish you good luck for real movies later ( yeah I know you'r reading this ).

Just plain awful

[nwsts · 1/10 · 3 March 2013]

If you are thinking about watching this movie you should know: there is no script, every scene is just set up for the actors to ad lib their parts; there are no actors, just 3 young kids who apparently have their parents handy cam to play with; there are no production values, everyone just wears their own everyday clothes and the sets are just things that are lying around the area where the filming takes place; finally, the people making this film are not comedians, they are not interesting and they are not funny - some people are naturally funny, like Chelsea Handler, these people are not. Finally I should mention this movie has no plot; i.e. it just meanders around the idea of 3 boys wanting to have sex, which, by itself, is dull as dishwater. In summary, nothing to see here, nothing new, just move along and give this one a pass.

Worth seeing - hysterical characters and amazing dialogue

[copper-cromwell · 7/10 · 27 September 2012]

The actors casted for the 3 virgins are literally perfect. Their portrayal is so convincingly real and hysterical it gives you a feeling that the producers went out and found real nerds. The trio consists of Andrew Edwards, a book-loving, spastic weirdo, John Woo, an overly obedient dork adopted by traditionally strict Asian parents, and Luke Locktin, a lying geek that's in denial about being a nerd. The movie's plot centers on the triad's hysterical adventures in attempting to lose their virginity after being expelled from school for a display of graffiti created in revolt toward the banning of the "Catcher in the Rye." Although the film doesn't have many actors in it, two others should be highlighted - the security guard and John Woo's step-father. The security guard that gets the kids in trouble takes his job way too seriously and is so hilariously self- absorbed that he's guaranteed to get some laughs. John Woo's Asian step-father, on the other hand, provides the greatest 45 seconds ever recorded of Asian male acting, minus maybe only Bruce Lee or Jet Li; John Woo's dialogue with his father after being expelled is simply amazing. To see the rest of the review go to unbirthdayparty.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/bindlestiffs/.

If not for Kevin Smith many less people would know of this film and we'd be all the better for that

[movieman_kev · 2/10 · 30 August 2012]

Three high-school students after getting expelled decide to stage a weekend of debauchery that includes, but not limited to, homeless sex, losing virginity, and drinking. It's surprisingly awful in how mindblowingly bad it is.

Well if this was Kevin Smith's Smodcast's first film to come out on the label, he should just pack it up now as this movie was 50 shades of awful. It felt like a rejected very long "Whitest Kids You Know" sketch, minus the humor, wit, and good acting of that aforementioned show of course. Don't believe the glowing reviews as they're likely from rabid KS fans, of which, truth be tod,, I used to be one of.

Hilarious.

[gregphipps · 7/10 · 3 August 2012]

And I can say that with confidence. Bindlestiffs is the funniest movie I've seen in a long time. I don't often laugh out loud at movies by myself, but I did during the first screening. I've since seen it 6 more times. The pure nucleus of the movie is a group of teenagers making a movie with hand-held cameras for very very cheap. And they do it brilliantly. The plot itself is original, three teenagers heading out into the city to experience life, doing crazy stuff along the way. Comparing this movie to Superbad or The Hangover is just wrong, because they are SO different. If anything, the film shows elements from Clerks, Kevin Smith's first independent movie, who later picked up the movie for distribution. The fact that this is an award-winning independent movie just makes me love it more. When I set out to make films, this is essentially the film I'd want to make, Andrew Edison and his buddies just put it all together. The flick is hilarious, in the most literal sense of the word, and deserves at least a theatrical release that's not part of a tour or something. Rent this movie if you can, because it's definitely worth it.

Funniest movie I've seen in a while

[ScottKiddx · 9/10 · 16 March 2020]

Ok, so maybe not some story line movie, but It was great. Funny, Reminded me of being young and my crazy high school friends. Not a movie to be analyzed, The fact that it's kind of home made I think probably makes it even better. i wonder why Kevin Smith helped this out, It's probably because it has a "Clerks" style of freedom and rawness, and its just soo crazy. This was a gem that I found on Amazon, I read the description and thought this is something I might like.. so I watched it twice ....."In a row"......

I read they had a million hours of recording, 7 terabytes. I think it takes good taste to chop that down to the best consistent parts to make it flow right. That's where I think a lot of films go wrong. These guys have a good sense of what is funny and what works. I loved it.

About as Funny and Annoying as Being Around Teenage Boys

[Droark-40-905010 · 6/10 · 29 June 2014]

A cousin recommended that I watch this and so I gave it a chance. I found it difficult to get through the first twenty or so minutes. The characters just truly come off like a bunch of teenage boys. At times funny, sometimes painfully awkward but more often than not they're just annoying. By the time they had started their adventure I realized that I literally disliked every character and they got on my nerves. I stuck it out and kept watching and I'm glad I did.

I had some pretty good laughs throughout. While some of the banter really rubbed me the wrong way some of it was hilarious. Andrew's obsession with becoming Holden Claufield is just so ridiculous and intensity so over the top that it made me laugh every time.

All in all the film feels very unconventional and I can see a lot of people disliking it because of it. The feel is very light-hearted with some of the aspects (especially involving John) being so weird that it gives a who-cares-whatever vibe to the whole thing. It was as-if they just threw some of it in because they could.

Much smarter than it looks

[Broskidude · 8/10 · 1 March 2020]

This movie is really smart and funny. It's like Superbad but made by the Duplass Brothers. The camera is documentary style. The acting is really naturalistic. The old DV style camerawork works because that's the style that they are making. I can't recommenf the film enough. It reminds me a lot of Dazed and Confused where Dazed and Confused on the surface is a fun movie but actually has a lot to say. This film has a lot to say about ignorance of teenage boys. It's awesome

Um....

[reggie668 · 8/10 · 18 September 2020]

Do you like to gag? These guys have done a great job encapsulating the source, and they made it funny. I am currently watching one of the most disgusting things I can imagine and I can't stop.

A mix of The Hangover and Superbad and really funny

[asiroka · 8/10 · 25 June 2012]

This Movie is about three teenagers who go on a wacky adventure with sex and other wacky junk. The idea has been done before but in most movies they feel really scripted, here the vibe is a lot more real. Like it has that feeling that videos you made in high school with your friends have.

It works because the kids are really funny. They have a lot of Jokes based in being too young to understand things, sex jokes, quick jokes, and a lot of dry wit. There are not any corny jokes. The situations fall into that 'woah look how crazy this is' sort of hangover style Junk. But even if a thing they are doing feels unrealistic or edgy just to be edgy, it works because the dialogue is so funny.

The movie kinda looks bad visually. It looks like it was made by amateurs (it was) So If you need your movies to have great cinematography to enjoy them, you wont like this. The editing for a few parts is a little sloppy or loose which can make it drag here and there. I never stopped being aware of the look, it didn't keep me from enjoying it but it might bug other people.

There's a subplot about the school security guard. There is supposed to be a tension with his character that he might harm the main characters, they were getting at that but I never really thought they were in danger, also these subplot parts with the guard are just kinda fine. They are not really funny they are just OK. I thought it was funny that the movie doesn't tell us what happens to the guard at the end, like who cares movies over.

Overall I enjoyed the hell out of the movie. It's pretty clear that if the guys who made this get a real production crew and some money they'll make some amazing stuff. It's a very funny, energetic movie with jokes and scenarios you've probably not seen before and in the end nothings really taken too serious. If you love Superbad you'll love this. See it.

crude yet cute: a coming of age story for our modern age

[imthyra · 9/10 · 31 May 2016]

Bindlestiffs is one of my favorite movies. I found out about it through Kevin Smith, as many did, and, from the very first scene, was enraptured. It was probably one of the funniest and most original movies I had ever seen. During the first 20 minutes the film, I out a mass email to all my friends instructing them to watch this movie. A little farther into the movie, I sent another email saying never mind. By the end of the movie, I had sent a third and final email saying it was the best movie I'd ever seen, but to watch at one's own risk. This film is not one for those who are into the squeaky clean studio pictures of old. It is brilliant, innovative, hilarious, however can be seen as disgusting at times by people who aren't used to that sort of thing. All in all, Bindlestiffs is a film I have felt the need to watch again and again, because I just can't seem to get enough of it's wit and zany charm. I hope no one will be dissuaded by the plethora of bad reviews by boring people who just don't get it, because this film is a treasure.