How to Go Out on a Date in Queens

Wow! I'm kicking myself for just now seeing this film. It was delightful! I just watched it with my boyfriend. We couldn't stop laughing. The acting was superb! I ADORE Jason Alexander and all of the characters he brings to life on screen. This film is another great credit to add to him resume.

It is a breath of fresh air to see a movie of this caliber. It is well written and dynamically directed. Kudos to Michelle Dannon for being a triple threat. As a producer, directer, and actor she proves that women can take over Hollywood. I tip my to her. This is sure to be a classic. I highly recommend you see it.

Queens, a borough of NYC, has an intriguing sub-culture, if this movie is accurate. It aspires to being as "hip" as Manhattan but doesn't quite get there. In this tale, Artie (Rob Estes) is a top tier auto mechanic and body repairman, still in rather deep depression after losing his wife two years ago. The front office man at the shop, Stan (Brian Dillinger) is a know-it-all who has been dating, as he says, for 16 years and wants to set Artie up with a blind date. Artie resists until he sees a dove land on a car. Believing it to be a sign from heaven, Art agrees to meet a friend of Stan's current girlfriend, Amy (Kimberly Paisley-Williams). Before the big event, Stan overloads Artie on how to make the date a success. But, when the foursome actually meet, things don't go very smoothly. Artie does have eyes for the bartender, Karen (Alison Eastwood), as the night moves along. Meanwhile, the restaurant manager, who longs to plan a wedding, is upset that her fiancé, Frankie (Esai Morales) is going to bet their wedding money on the Superbowl. Finally, a two bit gambler, Johnny (Jason Alexander) is in deep debt to the Russian mafia and may have only one hope of repaying them before they make him suffer the "ultimate interest rate". This terrifies his lady, Ann Marie (Christine Dunford) who wants to marry him. Henchman Vito (Ron Perlman) may be on his way to find Johnny. How will romance thrive in Queens? This interesting film has a good cast, a unique locale, fun accents, well-chosen costumes, a competent script and so on. No, its not a light-hearted romantic comedy, as one might suppose. However, there are amusing moments, amid some very touching and very scary ones. Those viewers who like the offbeat flicks will most likely want to make a date with Queens.

I too, went out and rented this movie because of Jason Alexander and was woefully disappointed. The movie is a character driven piece with great actors---among Esai Morales and Ron Perlman, however, it's just boring. The back notes---"Love and Laughter Reign in Queens" of the DVD must be about another movie because even after a couple of beers watching this picture, I never laughed once. I also like the way they shot some of the movie in southern California to make it seem like they're in New York, but last time I checked, there weren't many palm trees in Queens. Unfortunately I am a stickler to watching a movie, no matter how awful it is, to the end. I couldn't wait for the thing to end. Alexander was 1,000 times funnier on Senfeild and if you are a Jason Alexander fan, do not watch this movie, it will ruin his following.

Here is a classified 'Indie' movie, that nearly stars Jason Alexander amidst a dozen other acting classified ads that have the cohesion of dogs meeting at a park. However, some manage to sustain interest in their performance for a certain melodramatic harpsichord and despite being leashed around through piles of right doo. Too clustered to be considered a B-movie (or realistic D-movie if you will), there is an eccentric, inebriated sway to the nature of seriousness to the plot, which consists of horribly stereotyped themes from 80's cop-movie paced action, single-lady romance novels, and a stab at the 90's harmony of Friends. Also Jason Alexander's acting is in it, and his performance, and occasionally those of others are only the efforts of the man trying to push the boulder up the hill. It is such that will stimulate you to punch through the tacky icons, and the instability that wavers throughout every act of this brooding play.

Ultimately, it becomes its own self-fulfilling storyline, leaving you wishing that the phony Russian mobster just whacked Jason at the beginning, putting him out of the miserable mistake he made with this movie in good valor. Cinematically distressing enough to make me register to write this review, as it is just not fair that movies like this have to be made. The only consideration it deserves as "Indie" is by means of fiscally-latrined pictures that are the conglomerate. Not worth it, unless you are in the producer's classroom vying for a gold star by your comments.

Fantastic! Amazing! Hilarious! Funny! I could watch it over and over. It's a MUST see! I'm taking scene study classes with Michelle Danner at The Edgemar Center. She brings a wealth of knowledge and well rounded experience to the class. I have learned SO much from her. Because she has a great directorial eye. Her attention to detail is very supportive. Michelles' feedback is excellent. I always feel like her criticism is constructive and I never feel like she is talking to down to me. I recently got a callback for a feature film that I went in for. I wouldn't have gotten it without her. I've studied with a lot of teachers in Los Angeles and she at the top of my list. She genuinely cares about actors.