If you're looking for a movie with a buttload of genuinely cool hot-rod custom cars, with dozens of very nice-looking fan-service shots of desireable 3x2 bbl carburetor set-ups, and guide headlights, a drilled, dropped, nickel-plated front axels. And a bunch of 30yos playing teen-agers, dressed like an early-2000's set-dresser's image of the ULTIMATE cool-kids from the mid-late 50s, then 'Duece of Spades' is a 10/10.
...but for a general audience, just looking for a decent movie, well... This ain't it, chief; Honestly (despite being a hot rodder, genuinely imprerssed with the beautiful custom cars in 'DoS', and the fun cameos from Winfield and Hines), I feel like I'm being generous, giving 'Deuce of Spades' a 2/10.
For a low-budget first movie from an unknown director, running what seems to be basically a one-woman passion project, 'Deuce' isn't bad- The production looks slick and more proffessional than 99% of first-timers' efforts (tbh, it's pretty OVER-produced, in parts; It looks like a cheesy, soft-filtered ad for greeting cards. Or for insurance, pitched at senior citizens pining for 1963. Or a Celine Dione music video from the 90s. But over-production in your first movie is almost impressive, in a wierd way).
But despite having it's strengths (primarily cool cars, and slick production) the writing and dialogue are reeeally bad, even by "first movie" standards. The amateur actors are well... amateur. The fight-scenes are even worse. And probasbly most important- the story is just way too schmaltzy and over-dramatic, without the screenwriting skills to pull it off. The pacing is awful. And it's AT LEAST 30 minutes too long; Honestly, I think it would have worked best trimmed right down to maybe 45 to 65 minutes, condensed into a quick, punchy, fast-paced story, where the cars and slickness would be enough to carry a movie of that length, without dragging on long enough for it's short-comings to become evident.
Overall, 'Deuce' is pretty impressive for a low-budget first movie.... People who share Grainger's obvious love for hot rods, 50s nostalgia, and the retro Car Club scene may find the endless parade of dropped, channelled roadsters with Duvall windshields and pie-crust slicks, and the cameos from (custom car legends) Gene Winfield and Bill Hines are enough to carry the movie... But the general viewer (or anyone watching the movie-making, rather than the cars and/or vantiy-shots of the actors) won't...
...but for a general audience, just looking for a decent movie, well... This ain't it, chief; Honestly (despite being a hot rodder, genuinely imprerssed with the beautiful custom cars in 'DoS', and the fun cameos from Winfield and Hines), I feel like I'm being generous, giving 'Deuce of Spades' a 2/10.
For a low-budget first movie from an unknown director, running what seems to be basically a one-woman passion project, 'Deuce' isn't bad- The production looks slick and more proffessional than 99% of first-timers' efforts (tbh, it's pretty OVER-produced, in parts; It looks like a cheesy, soft-filtered ad for greeting cards. Or for insurance, pitched at senior citizens pining for 1963. Or a Celine Dione music video from the 90s. But over-production in your first movie is almost impressive, in a wierd way).
But despite having it's strengths (primarily cool cars, and slick production) the writing and dialogue are reeeally bad, even by "first movie" standards. The amateur actors are well... amateur. The fight-scenes are even worse. And probasbly most important- the story is just way too schmaltzy and over-dramatic, without the screenwriting skills to pull it off. The pacing is awful. And it's AT LEAST 30 minutes too long; Honestly, I think it would have worked best trimmed right down to maybe 45 to 65 minutes, condensed into a quick, punchy, fast-paced story, where the cars and slickness would be enough to carry a movie of that length, without dragging on long enough for it's short-comings to become evident.
Overall, 'Deuce' is pretty impressive for a low-budget first movie.... People who share Grainger's obvious love for hot rods, 50s nostalgia, and the retro Car Club scene may find the endless parade of dropped, channelled roadsters with Duvall windshields and pie-crust slicks, and the cameos from (custom car legends) Gene Winfield and Bill Hines are enough to carry the movie... But the general viewer (or anyone watching the movie-making, rather than the cars and/or vantiy-shots of the actors) won't...