Monsters, Marriage and Murder in Manchvegas

This was a fun production that seemed to be made by filmmakers that have a love for the silly qualities of small horror films. They used those qualities to create their own small town horror setting with their own fun and bizarre antics thrown in.

This is an independent film made on a smaller budget so keep that in mind, the filmmakers didn't have a bottomless pit of a budget at their disposal. Manchvegas centered around three characters named Marshall, Jenny, and All-Star Pete who formed the MOS (Manchvegas Outlaw Society). The MOS wear their own jerseys while they earn small dollars by using a little red wagon to deliver good around the neighborhood, such as newspapers, hot dogs, lemonade, used books, their own music CDs (The opening theme to the movie was a fun song of theirs called "Summer Fun"), etc. The MOS might sound like a bunch of children but they are actually older which makes it fun, Marshall and Jenny have a possible unspoken romance brewing and they talk to each other in bed through tin cans connected to a string!

When a local girl vanishes while swimming in a river, her boyfriend (Vince) is blamed for the murder. But was it murder and if so was Vince in fact responsible? As more girls in the neighborhood go missing, the MOS take it upon themselves to solve the crimes.

The other main plot in the movie is whether or not Marshall can finally admit to himself he has feelings for Jenny and if he can act on them. Manchvegas was unique in it's own right and the filmmakers seemed to have fun with it. You should have fun with it as well.

Monsters, Marriage & Murder in Manchvegas is the best independent film of all time and easily one of the top three movies I've ever seen!

The unpredictable story and casual acting style of M&M in M is so unique and endearing that nothing any reviewer could write will prepare you for how original and wonderful this movie experience is. I saw it twice and each time after viewing it, I was compelled to contact the creators and say, "Thank you for making such an amazing movie and for breaking the mold of what a movie can be!"

Even my wife, a tough critic herself, loved this movie both times. Three of the main characters wear a uniform shirt with the initials "M.O.S." on the front. While I won't give away what that stands for, I was surprised to hear my wife say, "I want a M.O.S. T-shirt!" Coming from her, that's a high compliment.

If you have even a shred of hope, humor or small-town honor left in your soul, you will fall in love with this truly inspired and odd American masterpiece.

Single-handedly, Manchvegas breathes a monstrously cute breath of fresh air into mystery films, romance classics, and even creature features!

I came to know about "Manchvegas" through a magazine review. I'm always willing to try something new, esp. something not too self-important or sanctimonious (most indie films, you know?), so this seemed up my alley.

And I enjoyed the heck out of it. The story really moves, which is the key to the experience. It appears that the filmmakers had a very tiny budget, and the actors are hobbyists, but there's a core romantic story here that makes it worth watching.

If you don't like lighthearted movie, this isn't for you. But for a quick, fun, and unique experience, check it out! The filmmakers seem to be doing their own thing and having fun with it, which I appreciate.

OK, I know this is low-budget, but I still had a really good time with it. Here's the thing: it's low-budget and doesn't pretend to be high budget. Just a fun time...a movie that's hard to compare to others, and that's good! The girls (characters of Melinda and Jenny) were cute and the lead actor Matt Farley was funny in throw-himself-into-the-character way.

It has a mystery and romantic entanglements, but the main reason to watch is the FEEL. It's not all about plot all the time...the feel can be something great in a movie, as it is in this one.

Got it on netflix on a whim and it made me happy! It's fast and fun.

I'm really unsure exactly what to make of this project, and while I understand that this is obviously the lowest of low-budget projects (and does deserve respect as such), let's face the simple facts – the actors are not, well, actors. And the script is absolutely atrocious. Is it a drama? Is it a comedy? Who can tell...

The basic plot revolves around our three young heroes – Marshall, Jenny, and 'All-Star Pete' (and, yes, in dialog he is always referred to as 'All-Star Pete') – all three of which are the Manchvegas Outlaw Society (MOS). The three 20-somethings pull a red wagon around town delivering newspapers and selling hotdogs, pulling pranks on each other, and saving the day as necessary. It's, quite simply, bizarre.

The technical aspects of the project deserve little comment. From the synthesizer-based score, to the poor editing and camera-work (focus is always nice), there's not much here. And I'll not even comment on MOS's "pop music."

As I understand the challenges small projects face I'm always willing to forgive flaws when obvious talent is present. After all, money can easily fix technical problems in small projects (i.e. bad lighting, sound, etc.), however if the mega-hits teach us anything it is that money cannot fix poor scripts or poor acting. However, with Manchvegas, there is no talent present – the script is ridiculous and the acting poor – so throwing money at the project would not fix its glaring flaws. Unfortunately, this is just a poor low-budget project.

Pass on this one. 1/10.