Publish or Perish

As a former professor of English, I can attest that there is nothing more petty than university politics. It's a topic worthy of satire, and this film delivers it. But there are some major flaws.

A dark comedy about an English professor trying to get tenure, Publish or Perish has some amusing moments, but somevof the dialogue sounds awkward and fake. There are also some inexcusable factual errors. The professor refers to his classes as "English Literature," but in a early scene, he's teaching Kurt Vonnegut. Later, he goes to a junkyard to get a wheel, but it's actually a tire. Any screenwriter worth his or her salt would spot these mistakes and correct them.

In addition, the lack of character development undermines any kind of emotional investment in the players. The protagonist professor is distinctly rude and unlikable, but we're given no idea why. The college dean is a stereotypical pompous ass, bereft of any nuance. The professor's wife is little more than an appendage of her husband. What's missing here is any kind of insight into these people's personalities.

To its credit, the film's plot gets fairly suspenseful, and its absurdist approach is consistent.

This is not a bad movie, just one that needs more depth in its characters and some work on the script.

This is a very entertaining movie. They did great work with Cinematography and their story, I was intrigued the whole time. They kept me waiting to see what happens next. Acting was phenominal and theres a goofiness to the horror which makes it more of a unique film. The intensity plus casualness to the whole plot makes it worth wild. I was constantly wondering where this story was going, which is great for me because I can usually figure out what is going to happen when I watch a movie. If you have not seen it, I recommend this movie! Watched it twice in a day! Definitley a good find. Great work on all cast and crew.

I had the pleasure to see "Publish or Perish" theatrically for the first time at the Oceanside Intenational Film Festival.

What you notice is that the film is complelling from the very beginning to the last scene. Seeing it with a live audience has an impact as they react to some of the most shocking events that unfold is dark suspense comedy. If you like the Coen Brothers style and substance then David Liban's feature will entertain and draw you deep into the main characters dilemma.

This is a polished gem, in which every character has a reason to antagonize our hero in his quest for the academic gold ring of tenure at any cost.

This funny dark comedy will keep you riveted to your seats throughout! The storyline centers around an English professor obsessed by securing a tenured position in a college but a number of unusual events in his life places unexpected and unusual obstacles in his path. Some scary moments but they are largely balanced by really funny scenes and sometimes subtle humor. This movie will make you wonder throughout, how it possibly could end, in light of all improbable situations encountered by the main character.

The actors did a wonderful job overall, by providing the audience with many opportunities to laugh wholeheartedly in spite of some scary situations.

With so many formulaic films, it's rare to find one that can surprise me. Publish or Perish is a breath of fresh air. Superbly acted by Timothy McCracken, deftly directed by David Liban and intricately edited by Justin Lewis. Cast and crew from Colorado, creates a celebration of local artists and dark comedy at its best! My husband and teenage son and I enjoyed seeing this on the big screen at the Denver film festival. Looking forward to sharing it with friends and family and watching it again where it's streaming on Apple TV. Do yourselves a favor and check it out. I imagine teachers and professors will find this especially satisfying and cathartic!