Luke's Father and the Sled

I saw this underwhelming and gratingly pretentious no-budget indie comedy at a screening at Butler University in 2006.

Why it doesn't work: the bargain basement Kevin Smith dialogue continually fails at being witty ("Bruce Willis' character is really dead!"), the cast is a zoo of amateur desperate-to-impress actors, and production values are almost zero (works for Smith sometimes, few others).

Judging by the decidedly lukewarm audience reaction at the Butler, I wasn't the only one who felt this way. Go rent Clerks or something resembling a "real" movie instead.

Anyone who has been to the local cinema as of late, having made the tragic mistake of wasting some thirty-plus dollars on another mindless comedy, would do well to repent, and save a life, by tracking down the manifest play, turned film, "Luke's Father and The Sled" penned by Danial Barden and directed by Zacahry Dehm.

As an avid film-goer, I can tell you I've seen a number of tired comedies trying to squeeze laughs out new, "unexplored" genres (i.e. kids in bio-domes, kids becoming their dogs, etc.) but not once have I seen a genuinely entertaining film that got it right, taking us somewhere new and different we actually wanted to go. "Luke's Father" is that bold, new film.

Following the exploits of a group of over-worked, militant theatre workers (...just typing those words makes me laugh), "Luke's Father and The Sled" is a wild romp of film-lover angst, turned capitalist revolt, with a healthy dose of Palahnuikian guerrilla mischief. Filmed entirely on-location inside a real movie theatre, during actual business hours (or, so it seemed) this goes to tremendous lengths to craft its laughs, and succeeds on all fronts.

"Luke's Father and The Sled" is an original, laugh-out-loud comedy for any cinephile who knows quality when it sees it. Find this film. Buy it! Rent it! Sell your grandma to get it! -- But, by all means, Watch it! - It's just fabulous.