Man About Town (1997) User Reviews

Hilarious & entertaining because we've all been there

[camachoborracho · 8/10 · 10 July 2005]

POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERS Man About Town is an amusing little short film which works mainly because of its style: the humorous narration, the fresh jazz undertones and black and white style all set the mood for a film noir type movie which is anything but.

I found myself laughing especially towards the end as the man about town gets progressively drunk and stupid and makes a fool of himself. My only wish is that we knew what he really was saying to others to upset them instead of only hearing what he thought he said - not that it wasn't amusing.

But what's great about this is not only is it funny and universal in that we can all relate to it (guys anyway) but it is poignant in the end in that it has a message about the downside of drinking so it actually has some substance. I would watch this again and this is a very well made film.

8/10 great job!

Well-Written

[teddyryan · 7 April 2004]

MAN ABOUT TOWN is a well-written short, gracefully narrated by scribe-actor Matt Gunn. I enjoyed it thoroughly, especially the sequences with the girls and the angry bartender. If anyone has ever attended college or lived in New York City or gone on a heavy drinking binge, MAN ABOUT TOWN will make plenty of sense. The black and white film, jazz soundtrack, and beat-like camerawork adds a perfect sense to the piece. Gunn is good at what he does. An older (perhaps more evil) Holden Caulfield that indulges himself in a world of fantasy, trying to find love through the misguided world of alcohol and society, he grabs the viewer and sucks him in. Still, I think the short got a bit long winded at times and could have used a few minutes trimmed off here and there.

I've seen this film on some obscure channel late at night

[jjols3 · 9/10 · 14 August 2014]

I actually googled it today to see if i could find it. i had to download it long ago on some video player that no longer exists.

The reason I like it is that it actually has correlated with times in my life. it illustrates a modern 20 something year old in the midsts of a drinking binge with high intentions and ambition yet is faltered by the temporary confidence of booze. there is the promise that tomorrow will be different when getting rejected, yet tomorrow never comes.

the rejection not only is in women but work, women, happiness and life itself.

there is tremendous realization in the last few lines:(paraphrased), 'how did i go from being some cute kid to laying on some dirty apartment floor?' where he wonders "where was the crossroads in life which i went left when i should of went right?"

My Favorite Short.....Ever!!!!

[geriksen · 9/10 · 30 May 2001]

***** Five Stars (out of five)!!!!

"Man About Town" is a must see short illustrating and describing the descent of an individual into the depths of alcoholism. It is especially engaging because of the juxtaposition of the alcoholic's view of himself against those of everyone else he has contact with. The film is extremely well written and is amazingly perceptive, witty, funny; and at the same time pathetic and "sobering". Also has a Great sound track. Overdub of first person narrative over the video is especially effective too! Loved this. I strongly encourage anyone reading these comments to rent this movie. Although I am a film buff, I seldom buy a DVD, as I figure I can always rent a movie again (and I almost never repeat a viewing of a film often enough to warrant buying the DVD). This one is an exception. I bought the DVD.

It is available on the DVD entitled "Park City" released in 1999. There are 4 other shorts included on the DVD, and 3 of the 4 are pathetic, with one other short being "just OK". Despite this, the DVD is worth owning for "Man About Town" alone, truly high praise since the running time for the short is about 20 minutes.

Better when you're sober

[deadkerouac · 9/10 · 5 November 2000]

Excellent short film detailing a final drinking binge for a college student. Kris Isaacson's use of black and white, a jazz soundtrack, and voiceover narration by the film's writer, Matt Gunn (who also stars), help present the film in a way that is both sad, amusing, and downright interesting. The narrator reacquaints himself with an old drinking "buddy" he doesn't really know well, except that this buddy loves to drink. A LOT. This begins the story, and we are drawn deeper into the narrator's world, as he attempts, WHILE DRUNK, to understand why he drinks. We laugh at seeing the narrator sitting in front of the television with several empty beer cans around him. We laugh at seeing him unsuccessfully coax two girls into a threesome. We laugh at his daydream about romancing a Jersey guy's cute girlfriend while the guy's in the restroom.

But we find his life pathetic as he walks around dazed, still collapsing into that little alleyway or corner. Should we feel sorry for him because he longs to be back with an old girlfriend? Or that he doesn't like waking up in a cold sweat, naked on his apartment floor? He longs to be sober, and hopefully he'll succeed. What I enjoyed about this film was its honesty. It cut through all the unnecessary nonsense and gave us a real account of a drinking binge. While it works well on a small level, the voiceover narration (even without any true dialogue) could carry a much longer picture.

If you ever get a copy of this short film, watch it sober. That way you'll remember it.

One of the better short films floating around

[LMRusso-1 · 24 September 2005]

As I work with short films I've seen quite a few, and this one is a true gem. I saw it years ago at some festival and remember thinking to myself that the people who put it together clearly exhibited some real talent.

Stylistically it's almost perfect in recreating the perspective of a young man, drunk, horny and out on the town (if you live in NYC, it's even more identifiable). There's no real message, not much meaning- but a beautifully carved expression of something we've all experienced at some point in our lives.

It's perfect as a short film in this regard and, in my opinion, captures its mood so well that it borders on a cinematic work of art.

Terrific short film!

[orangegcg · 18 January 2000]

"Man About Town" is easily one of the best short films I have seen. It is funny, knowing and touching. The film captures a night of drunken debauchery perfectly. It is amusing, gritty, poignant and soul-searching all at the same time. I highly recommend it.

A few words on Man About Town

[silntbob-3 · 23 August 1999]

Kris Issacson has made a very funny and original movie about a mans last night of getting wasted. Although it is very funny, it is also sad at times. It reflects the characters pathetic life, and how he is trying to rise above it. But for one last night he will accomplish what he has lived most his adult life: alcoholism. Man About Town is one of the best shorts I have seen.

Funny and sobering

[porqchop · 23 August 1999]

Personally, I loved it. Might not be for everyone. Brutal honesty of how a drunk acts and how he views himself. Very funny, not very pretty. Explores some typical college experiences, at least I sympathized with many (not all) situations. Great sound track (if you like jazz). Filmed in New York C