Dogs in Quicksand

Got this for ten bucks in a 4 movie set called "Rural Folk" from Brentwood DVD. Even at $2.50 a movie, I felt ripped off. I was at first impressed with reviews suggesting this was a good indy flick. Note that the rave reviews here are from LOCALS to the area where this was made. If this had been made in my small town and I knew all the sites, local dudes and pudgy soccer moms that appeared as "actors" in this thing, I might have been slightly amused to see the folks, locale and living rooms of my town. Being as I DON'T live there, I was looking at my watch 10 minutes into this mess. The acting was terrible. I mean TERRIBLE! Not one actor rose a bit above someone appearing in a local stage production. Even the one cop that was trying to sound like Slim Pickens. They all played to the back row, too. Shot on video, this is the new age version of local theater. Beware... Your town could be next!

I saw this movie in my Film Appreciation class at Parkland College in Champaign, Urbana, and let me tell you, this is the kind of thing that makes film majors want to write a screenplay and buy a camera. "Dogs in Quicksand" is funny and entertaining all the whole way through. Director Mike Trippiedi delivers an awesome comedy-drama whodunit that will keep your eyes glued to the screen for its entirety. Actors Steven M. Keen (Murph), Mina Willis (Monique), and Mike Trippiedi himself (Mitch) all give Hollywood-caliber performances that make this charming murder mystery a treat to watch. I recommend this film to anyone in the Central Illinois area (or anywhere else, for that matter) who ever gets the opportunity to see it.

"Dogs In Quicksand" is a refreshing departure from the mindless machine that Hollywood has become, regurgitating the same movies again and again, like food pellets fed to hungry hamsters.

Set in a small midwestern town, "Dogs" has a unique cast of quirky characters, surprising plot twists, and an ending that will be a surprise even to the most cynical, seasoned film fanatic.

Being an independent film, "Dogs In Quicksand" is low-budget, so most of the actors are not Julliard-trained. Despite that, the performances by the main characters are honest and well-acted.

From a techincal standpoint, "Dogs In Quicksand" rises far above it's low-budget peers, with interesting camera angles, sharp editing, and a soundtrack that keeps the film moving.

Though hard to find, "Dogs In Quicksand" is worth the effort.

After reading for years the pros and cons about my movie I thought I'd respond. First of all this movie had no budget (and I mean NO budget) and yet we were able to get a distributor. It was rejected by the Sundance Film Festival, but later that year received the second place grand jury award at FilmFest New Haven, beating out several of the films that were selected to Sundance that year. I'm well aware of all of the flaws the movie has, but I've learned a lot from this film and won't make the same mistakes the next time. Yes, the cast consisted of some amateur actors, but it also had several professionals. With all of the "safe" movies that Hollywood is turning out these days I'm proud of this little film. It's far from perfect, but I have sat in the audience when this movie has played and have seen first hand people that I don't know be entertained.

Forget the fact that this movie has a low budget and no big name stars. Dogs in Quicksand is as good as anything Hollywood has to offer. It's not only funny, but a great mystery as well. The many, many plot twists will keep you guessing til the very end. Check it out. You won't regret it.