Seth Green goes Amish in Sex Drive.
Yesterday may have marked the official first day of San Diego's Comic Con, but for me it wasn't chalked full of panels and exhibit-hall browsing. Instead, the day was plagued by two Summer School final exams, both at opposite ends of the day, making it hard to attend the convention. I had intended to go see Summit Pictures' panel--this focused the spotlight on upcoming films Twilight, Push, and Knowing--but wisely decided that the 75 minutes of time I had after myfirst final wasn't enough to get downtown, pick up my four-day Press Pass, and wander into Hall H. (Turns out I was right, too, as frequent HSX.com-forum contributor notfabio reported an overflow line of over 1,000 screaming girls trying to get in to see a glimpse of the stars of Twilight.)
So instead, all I got to see was a screening of another Summit Picture late last night. This one wasn't featured in the panel; instead, it's already in the can and being released in early October. As a special treat, co-writer/director Sean Anders and stars Josh Zuckerman, Clark Duke, and Seth Green (!) announced the film in front of two auditoriums' worth of packed audiences at 5th and G's Reading Gaslamp 15 cinemas. Green even stayed to watch.
Sex Drive is a surprise success, especially when one considers how disappointingly bland it may seem in its rather conventional first act. While it may not contain any of the complex social commentary of Superbad or as many riotous laughs as American Pie, this teen comedy about a high-schooler who finds himself on a Chicago-to-Memphis road-trip in the hopes of banging an online-girlfriend he finds with the help of a sexier, web-based alter-ego largely picks up after the half-hour mark and finds its fair share of riotous moments. But what's more surprising is how much it understands the geeky teenage mind, not only in its sense of comedy but in its nuanced exploration of its central love-story between lead Ian (Zuckerman) and his longtime girlfriend Felicia (Amanda Crew). Crew gives a particularly good performance in the latter role; in fact, given how natural her performance feels and how darn attractive she is, her work here may turn her into one of Hollywood's next go-to girls.
Whatever the Sex Drive's flaws--there are many--it largely succeeds because of the simple pleasures it offers. Plus, it provides perhaps the only opportunity we'll ever have to see Green play an Amish car-mechanic (pictured above), even if his scenes may indeed be one of said flaws... Recommended.
Look for my full review when the film opens in October.
Yesterday may have marked the official first day of San Diego's Comic Con, but for me it wasn't chalked full of panels and exhibit-hall browsing. Instead, the day was plagued by two Summer School final exams, both at opposite ends of the day, making it hard to attend the convention. I had intended to go see Summit Pictures' panel--this focused the spotlight on upcoming films Twilight, Push, and Knowing--but wisely decided that the 75 minutes of time I had after myfirst final wasn't enough to get downtown, pick up my four-day Press Pass, and wander into Hall H. (Turns out I was right, too, as frequent HSX.com-forum contributor notfabio reported an overflow line of over 1,000 screaming girls trying to get in to see a glimpse of the stars of Twilight.)
So instead, all I got to see was a screening of another Summit Picture late last night. This one wasn't featured in the panel; instead, it's already in the can and being released in early October. As a special treat, co-writer/director Sean Anders and stars Josh Zuckerman, Clark Duke, and Seth Green (!) announced the film in front of two auditoriums' worth of packed audiences at 5th and G's Reading Gaslamp 15 cinemas. Green even stayed to watch.
Sex Drive is a surprise success, especially when one considers how disappointingly bland it may seem in its rather conventional first act. While it may not contain any of the complex social commentary of Superbad or as many riotous laughs as American Pie, this teen comedy about a high-schooler who finds himself on a Chicago-to-Memphis road-trip in the hopes of banging an online-girlfriend he finds with the help of a sexier, web-based alter-ego largely picks up after the half-hour mark and finds its fair share of riotous moments. But what's more surprising is how much it understands the geeky teenage mind, not only in its sense of comedy but in its nuanced exploration of its central love-story between lead Ian (Zuckerman) and his longtime girlfriend Felicia (Amanda Crew). Crew gives a particularly good performance in the latter role; in fact, given how natural her performance feels and how darn attractive she is, her work here may turn her into one of Hollywood's next go-to girls.
Whatever the Sex Drive's flaws--there are many--it largely succeeds because of the simple pleasures it offers. Plus, it provides perhaps the only opportunity we'll ever have to see Green play an Amish car-mechanic (pictured above), even if his scenes may indeed be one of said flaws... Recommended.
Look for my full review when the film opens in October.
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