Black Cloud

I just returned home after seeing this movie at the Boston Film Festival. I really like movies from Independent to blockbusters. I like all types of genres. I really wanted to like this before I saw it, but it really fell short in my mind.

This movie is about a young Native American from the Navajo tribe who fights in and out of the ring. He has a short fuse and struggles with the fact that he has "white" man blood in him. He really hated the white man for what they did to his people and felt like he had tainted blood. He is on a road of destruction if he lets these fears engulf his life. The question is will he build on the good of his life and grow or let these fears destroy him? I guess you will have to check it out if you really want to know.

I didn't mind the movie, but it really wasn't something I was interested in.

There was plenty of pour acting. There were parts of the film that received laughs from the audience even when laughs weren't what they were going for. You see Wayne Knight (Seinfeld's Newman) as a scumbag. I was like, "It's Newman! Man did he loose weight."

Like I stated it's a low budget movie and with that comes many problems. I have a lot of low budget movies in my DVD collection. I just couldn't connect to this one. There were some funny parts. Black Cloud's father and friend (Jimmy) were funny at times. I just think the movie fell short. It was written by, directed by, and starred Ricky Schroder. I hope he does better the next time. This is not a knock to the people who liked the film; I personally did not find it a good one. The small crowd that attended tonight's showing didn't seem to like it much either.

I saw Black Cloud in Phoenix and liked it very much. Although some people have said the movie contains "stereotypes," I have worked with Indian people over the years and many of them have seen this movie and like it for its fair representation of Indian people in transition from one way of life to another. I heard Russell Means, one of the older Indian actors in the movie, say that he chose to do the script (apparently for not very much money!) because he felt it was an honest depiction of Indian people and the challenges they face. If Indian people are OK with it, I don't know why anybody else should have a problem. I especially liked seeing talented young Indian actors have a chance to show their stuff. I think both Eddie Spears and Julia Jones have great potential, and I hope to see more of them in future. I was impressed with the technical values of the movie--photography and editing, plus the music. For a first-time director, I think Rick Schroder did a terrific job.

You never really know how an indie film is going to turn out. It can have great stars, a great director, a small budget or even a big budget, but you never really know how it is all going to look until it hits the big screen. Black Cloud is one of those movies that surpassed my expectation in every way. I thought it would be good, given that it had celebrity, Rick Schroder behind it, but I didn't expect it to be amazing. If you want to see a film with heart and passion, see Black Cloud. If you want to see a film that is different and inspiring, see Black Cloud. If you want to see a great film, that you can take your family to, see Black Cloud. You will be glad that you went to see this film. I want to see more films like this one.

I loved the visual beauty of the film. The Navajo country in northern Arizona where this film was made is indeed spectacular. I have never seen a photographic work presented with more drama. However, it is not just a "pretty film". It is an honest film. Even the ugliness and poverty is stunning. It is truth telling. Equally impressive is the soundtrack. The two work together to create a piece of art of which Ricky Schroeder can be justly proud. The story is a kind of "Rocky" that will appeal to young and old alike. It is not only inspirational but also rewarding insofar as the protagonist resolves personal issues and matures. I saw this film in my hometown of Payson, Arizona, where it premiered last week. I also happened to be in the theater when the cast arrived for that premier. If I had known then what I know now, I would have given them all a "thumbs up" for a terrific entertainment.

I saw this at the Phoenix Film Festival. For a low budget of a million dollars, it was well done.

The story line and dialogue are pretty typical, that being the "overcoming the odds to triumph in the end" movie. A few clichés in dialogue like, "rules are meant to be broken" sprinkle throughout. But the cinematography was good and the fight scenes were the most impressive aspect of the movie. When I looked up IMDB to see who choreographed the boxing, I wasn't surprised to see Jimmy Gambina, who did "Snake Eyes" and was a technical advisor for "Rocky," because of how well done the scenes were. I was surprised, however, that he was on the crew for the film with such a low budget.

Another impressive consideration is that they filmed this movie in something like fourteen days!

For the first movie written and directed by Rick Schroder, it was very well done. Also, this is a good movie for the whole family, minus the violent fight scenes.