Paradise: A Town of Sinners and Saints

There is nothing like this out there right now! It reminds me of the old school films that didn't care about being PC. But yet, under all the jokes are characters you come to love and realize they are just not educated and all learn to appreciate each other and grow into loving characters. The woman playing the lead has the most beautiful voice, she could be a country star! There aren't any big names, but I recognize some of the cast, and they are so talented, singing and dancing. It was a fun and crazy ride, I really enjoyed it. I hope more people get to see it, since it isn't a big studio movie. Go watch it and kick back, tap your knee to the blue grass tunes then watch it again and sing along! Two thumbs up!

With a spectacular & melodic, foot-tappin' country-bluegrass soundtrack of original music by CLIFF WAGNER, the new musical comedy 'PARADISE: A Town of Sinners & Saints' (2024) written by National Lampoon alumni, BILL ROBERTSON & TOM SAGE, is a small town celebration of all things right, wrong & a little bit of everything in-between. In a refreshing twist, we finally have a current & hilarious non-PC script poking fun at blind obedience to authoritarians and religious cult leaders. JON ROOT is absolutely fabulous as 'John Cyrus Mountain' who spellbounds the townfolk with his used-car salesman razzmatazz. Filmed as a live performance sans audience, viewers get to fill-in the unforced bawdy laughs from beginning to end. Even if you're not particularly a fan of musicals, THIS is the type of show you can share with your dry, curmudgeonly family & friends. And believe me, as one who rarely writes-up these types of reviews, you really WILL be singing half of these head-bobbin' tunes for days afterwards. BRAVO to the entire cast & crew for this lighthearted, feel-good affair for ANYONE looking for a temporary escape...to PARADISE, that is!

This film is so fun, unpredictable, and the music's terrific! I mean really phenomenal. I want the album! I have never heard of a Blue Grass Musical, so it has to be some kind of first (but don't quote me on that! It certainly was my first, and I LOVED IT). I adored the small town set, the lighting is colorful and vibrant and the incessant cicadas and immersive sound took me straight down to the South. This movie is like a play, mixed with a reality show and a beautiful rom-com all in one, with a lovely romance (and some weird cave action that will blow your mind, creep you out, and is really cinematic). It's clearly a low budget, but feels like a million bucks! The stellar cast brings these unique and bizarre characters to life, and none of them are as they seem. I was rooting for LouAnne the whole time. Mary Sarah's voice is incredible! I recognize Raquel Castro from "Jersey Girl" and "Empire" which was fun and she can dance!, The woman who plays Cyndi is in everything from Disney to Netflix, and her show-stopper song, "Light a bag of $h*t" on fire is FIRE! This movie, play, musical, reality show, film, or whatever genre or medium it is, is so strange that it's intoxicating! Also, I may or may not have a crush on the preacher...

I watched this movie with my girlfriend last night. She loves musicals. I don't. So we compromise, we watch movies I like then what she likes, but I digress. This was such a pleaseent surprise. We were crying with laughter, then she was actually, really crying by the end. Some great one-liners, witty banter, cringe romance followed by meta moments and then it hits you hard when you least expect it with actual romance, and you realize there is a Rom-Com within this bizarre, visually insane, musical, madhatter movie! We were singing the damn songs this morning. Exceptional bluegrass music, fun premise, irreverent jokes, wacky visuals and stellar lighting. We can't recommend it enough. It breaks the stereotypical movie traditional structure and leaves you humming bluegrass!

If you want a good laugh and love good music, this is the movie for you! I don't want to do a plot summary, (BORING!) because it won't do this satirical masterpiece justice (I am being sarcastic, I don't think it's really a masterpiece, but it sure is 2 hours of fun, with great bluegrass music, hilarious lyrics, witty and offbeat jokes, wacky characters that you come to love, a romance with heart and a strange meet-cute, and a devil and a stripper trying to convince a town to do a reality show and fail miserably)! If you don't want formula, like out of the box indie films (not your dark and brooding, moody kind, but the ones that break the rules, for real), than this just might be your blue grass musical comedy poison.