Lift (1997) User Reviews

amusing, even on the surface

[KDWms · 6/10 · 28 September 2003]

During the week after Christmas, 1999, Larry quits his job in California as a pizza delivery-boy because he wants to be near Rachel, Nevada, on New Year's Day, which is where and when he believes that aliens will save people gathered, before the aliens destroy existing humanity. Larry's trip is the basis for this movie, during which we are introduced to several interesting characters who he meets along the way. And Larry, himself, is quietly interesting, in part because he's so easily influenced. I ask myself, "Is this meant to be nothing more than entertaining? And/or, should I look for a deeper meaning here?" I can usually guess at a "cheapie's" deeper meaning, to salvage my rating of it. But less frequently do I find such films entertaining. Guess what, though? It's refreshing to say that - absent any conspicuous features which emphasize a small budget - this quirky film ranks above-average on my entertainment scale. I'm not gonna look any deeper.

The Blackmail Box

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 5 February 2018]

Think of this as a low budget "Close Encounters" without aliens. Larry (Patrick Killian) has a successful career as a pizza delivery boy. He is fascinate by alien encounters and is part of a UFO group that believe something is going to happen with the millennium only a week away. At the UFO group meeting, introverted Larry meets the highly extroverted Pam (Elyse Ashton), the babe in the group, who goes home with him.

Sure she is crazy, but she is good looking, brings her own coke, and likes making love while Larry wears a space alien gray mask. Having met what would be the love of my life, Larry tosses it all away as he is drawn to the black mail box by Area 51. He must make a pilgrimage to be there at the millennium.

Larry doesn't have many lines. His life is a sad comedy. The film holds your interest in a quirky sort of way. What is curious are the names that appear on the front of DVD cover, "Shaun Johnston, Kim Hogan, and David Everhart" as their names are not associated with any of the credits of this film at IMDB. Could someone toss me a bone on that one?

Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, no nudity.

weird&funny road movie. so crazy, it's great!

[KGB-Greece-Patras · 29 October 2002]

Not too much sophisticated context. Not many dialogs. Rather slow pace. Not much of anything other than a road movie full of random meetings with hillarious crazy "characters" and dialogs in an american desert scenery.

Okay, this film makes no sense. But who said every movie should?

This is interesting independent american filming. Satisfying end.

simply dumb

[timeaokros · 1/10 · 24 April 2009]

I bought this video only because it was ridiculously cheap and the UFO theme got me interested. But nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience...

My sister and I started watching it and after about 45 minutes we were still trying to figure out what the whole thing was about. Naively, we were expecting SOMETHING to happen. Well, it didn't. We then thought that the SOMETHING might happen towards the end so I decided to forward the scenes. But there was nothing to forward...all we saw were the credits. I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Thinking back at it, we laugh. So there IS a point in watching the film: you probably won't remember a single scene (except for the one where the girlfriend makes the guy wear a UFO mask during sex and keeps on squeezing it-pathetic but hilarious). However, you will remember it as the most pointless movie ever made. Plus you can torture your friends with it!

Can you define pointlessness?

[enemigavortexx · 1/10 · 11 November 2008]

Well, this movie can. It's like a bunch random events one after another (the script was probably thrown together on a beer drinking/weed smoking afternoon). I couldn't tell you what the story is about, even if you'd point a gun at my head. There is no point watching this, because it gives you a serious headache, or, what's worse, tons of restless hours wondering what was this all about. However, there are things I realized after the ending:

• Nevada desert is full of strange, possibly mentally handicapped people

• You should never try to find a black mailbox unless you are a taciturn, annoying Pizza guy wearing jeans and red T shirt

• Twisted goth chicks will make love to you only when you're wearing a ridiculous UFO mask

• Never try hitchhiking if you can't make a distinction between black and white

• Famous businessmen try to vitalize themselves by drilling their forehead

To cut a long story short, "Lift" is a bad, meaningless, irritating experience. Consider yourself to be warned, avoid this disaster at all costs! I told you...

:-( One scene made this film worth seeing

[alrightguy1728 · 3/10 · 31 January 2006]

Once again Block Buster's previously viewed section got me.

This time with Lift, I thought Ufo's and Alien's might be cool, right?

Wrong, the film is about a young pizza delivery driver. He is obsessed with Ufo's and Alien's. Like a not so cool Fox Molder from the X-Files. The movie seemed long and drawn out but had a few cool spots along the way. Only one scene makes it worth watching. The first sex scene had me almost spitting beer at the T.V. from across the room. The main character's coked out abducty screw buddy ask's him to put on an alien mask while they do the nasty..... Ya, you heard me right! If you like the funny then rent this movie watch it to that point and take it back.

What a turkey, Don't waste your time.

[jkoenig24-1 · 1/10 · 3 October 2005]

I picked this up in my local library. Thank God I didn't pay to rent it. It's a shame I can't get my time back. I kept hoping the story would develop and take an interesting turn. No such luck. The topic has the potential. The cast probably could have done better if they had been given something, anything to work with. I'm left wondering if this film got made because somebody lost a bet. Maybe if I was drunk or stoned it wouldn't have mattered that there is nothing of value here. Perhaps most telling, if you do a search on IMDb, you'll be hard pressed to find out anything about the cast. I guess they're all too embarrassed about being in this bomb. Spend your time more productively by say, watching paint dry.