Unbeatable Harold

I recently saw Unbeatable Harold at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan.

This film I must say blew me away. I didn't know what to expect going in because I wasn't familiar with Gordon Michaels who plays the lead role of Harold. Well let me tell you he is awesome as Harold. So funny and original talent sure to become a star. And so handsome. And he wrote the screenplay. I will never miss any of his future films. Hard to describe this film because it's so original. Performances by Dylan McDermott, Henry Winkler, Gladys Knight, and even Phyllis Diller were really great. Dylan Mcdermott has never been better. He plays a washed up 80's rocker. Didn't know he was that funny. I feel really lucky to be a part of the sell out crowd of 500 people that night. I haven't heard that many people laugh so much since I saw Wedding Crashers. This film has a lot of heart and was so much fun. I'm sure it will make it to the theaters and I've been telling everybody. If you are looking for a film that will take you out of your head for a while, touch your heart, and will make you laugh, and boy will you laugh, don't miss Unbeatable Harold.

This was the worst movie I have ever seen. I say that without exaggeration. The film failed to focus. I couldn't even tell you what it was about. It's best described as an 1 1/2 hour long montage of first draft jokes. I've never been so disappointed in a film. I went to the premiere and wanted to walk out. The main character, Harold, didn't really have an established goal in mind. Harold wandered from one thing to the next and I kept hoping that he would settle on a goal. Thirty minutes into it, I realized it wasn't going to happen. They introduced a new plot line! It was torture.

This was a SAG low budget film and the production was good, but the script wandered and the characters fell flat. Winkler and McDermott couldn't save it. Gladys Knight and Phyllis Diller didn't have a chance. The Unbeatable Harold will get his butt beat at the box office.

I had the honor of attending the premier showing of this film. It was a delightful, funny, warm, endearing, refreshing interlude---a pleasant break from some of the weird and violent films I have seen. This is a film you can take your wife or kids to and sit back and simply enjoy yourself. There are some outstanding and talented actors and singers in this film and I hope that it will be followed by a sequel movie or a TV series. I am told that Henry Winkler (The Fonz) has expressed interest in being a part of the TV series when and if it happens. What great fun that would be! I read the previous reviewer's comments in disbelief, because this wonderful and worthwhile movie has something in it for just about everyone.

Was the writer of this attempting to do something quirky and off-beat with this film? I did not catch the first part of the movie...I tuned in mid-way through..but seeing it from the beginning probably would not have made much difference really. I kept waiting for it to be funny or interesting or for goodness sake...make sense...which is barely ever did. Harold...the dork/nice guy...who was in total love with a woman who really didn't seem to like him all that much...even though she did go on a date with him. He pours his heart out to her..but nope..it doesn't work.She walks all over his heart...right there in a sleazy Vegas themed motel room. Poor guy. The underdog who never wins. His lady-love is in love with a rock and roll dude..played...badly...by Dylan McDermott. A bad-ass he is not...and is about as suited to the roll as Pee Wee Herman would have been. Despite the long rocker hair and bad attitude..he comes off as 3rd rate wanna-be idiot. What woman would swoon over that? Seeing Gladys Knight and Phillis Diller in this farce floored me. How do filmmakers get well-knowns to do low budget junk? I kept thinking this movie was attempting to copy off-beat stuff like Tarentino would do...without the blood and gore. Again...it never quite made it there. None of the characters made you believe they were real people...it was clear it was make-believe. Bad writing, bad acting...bad everything really. The girl..Wanda...never seemed like someone any guy would be heartbroken over...I guess just being pretty and blonde was all it took to turn heads though...and all she did was wait tables..wow. I couldn't decide if Harold was trying to look like Clint Eastwood or some other country swooner...someone should have told him to shave off those unappealing sideburns...it might help a little. It was a very predictable plot line...the underdog gets the girl in the end. In between is a lot of mixed up junk that made no real sense. Some low budget stuff is great...this one is not.

In all my years of watching films, I've realized that good movies hit us when we least expect it. Such is the case with Unbeatable Harold as well, which I got around to watching recently. I went in half expecting a feel good film but what I got was so much more. Directed by Ari Palitz, this is the story of an Elvis wannabe who is in love with a waitress but unfortunately for him, the waitress is in love with a washed up rocker from the 80s. Set in Reno, the film goes in some unexpected directions as the quirky comedy makes us fall in love with these characters.

Another great thing here is that the cast is jam packed with heavy hitters; Gordon Michaels, Nicole DeHuff, Henry Winkler, Gladys Knight and Dylan McDermott are all in top form here and the film benefits massively from what each is able to bring to the table. For an 80 minute film, it was surprisingly breezy and at no point does it stumble into boredom.

A light, feel good film that elevates into greatness by the very end, Unbeatable Harold is filmmaking at its finest. Be sure to give this one a watch when you feel down. 5 out of 5 stars from me.