Ben & Arthur

This movie was laughably bad. A friend rented it from Netflix and made me watch it. There are so many gaffes and goofs that it's impossible to even bother getting to know the characters and the plot. How about these for example...

The "Vermont Airport" surrounded by palm trees

Ben's miraculously appearing shirt during a phone conversation

The priest's palatial office... complete with a folding card table desk

There is a decent story hidden behind a very bad movie. But even if you look past the technical flaws, you'll find horrid acting and casting. I was most tickled by the casting of a flamboyantly gay actor to play the right-wing religious zealot brother. His opening scene, sitting in his immaculate apartment, stroking his kitty cat, was hilarious.

I applaud the writer/director/producer/editor/star/caterer/cast dentist/composer (and whatever else he did on this move) for actually getting a movie like this distributed. If you have nothing better to do, it could be a fun group movie or even the basis of a drinking game but don't rent it for a powerful story about homophobia and gay marriage.

This film was the worst film I have ever viewed. It was like a "homework assignment" for a film class. It totally misses the mark when it comes to the "message" it is TRYING to relay. Characters are over exaggerated, poor acting and as for a plot...well it is utterly ridiculous. The cover shot is what made me think it may be a decent film, the co-actor is handsome and that's about it. Moral of this movie: NEVER JUDGE A MOVIE BY IT'S COVER! Save your time, money and energy and make your own home movie and you will be far better off than I. It was painful to watch and quite frankly I am surprised that anyone would spend money to make and distribute it!

A blank videotape these days can be had for 99 cents. This film was shot on videotape, and believe me, it was 99 cents wasted. The film is ineptly written, ineptly directed, ineptly acted, and ineptly designed. The same folding table shows up in several of the interiors, indicating that the Mraovich family (whose names are all over this venture) must not own much furniture. The priest's inner sanctum set looks like painted cardboard, and features the ever present folding table.

With a story that wants to be earnest, the director created a slow-moving, poorly acted melodrama. Plot "twists" make no sense (why murder the never-before-or-after-seen secretary?) And if someone takes a bullet in the shoulder, shouldn't there be a wound or some blood at least?

I found myself thinking that someone said, "Hey, I got this video camera at the Goodwill store. Let's make a movie!" How did this make it to the DVD market?

Like many young writers who believe passionately in their cause, Sam Mraovich clearly hasn't a clue about what motivates those he sees as "the enemy". Therefore he writes his villains as irrational monsters acting out of sheer evil, not as human beings with their own concerns, wrong as they might be. Ben and Arthur are two gay guys being menaced by one's religious zealot brother, who plots with his priest to murder his brother in order to "free his soul". Meanwhile the other guy is being stalked by an ex-wife who would rather see him dead than lose him to another man. In more skillful hands, this could be the stuff of a wickedly funny black comedy, but Mraovich apparently believes he's writing serious drama. I don't think he even sees the humor in a credit list in which "Sam Mraovich" is practically the only name that appears anywhere, except for the occasional "Chris Mraovich". Sam wrote, produced, directed, stars, photographed, edited, and undoubtedly swept the floors when he was finished. Unfortunately he doesn't do any of the tasks which are visible on the screen very professionally (I don't know how he was at sweeping up). And in one final lapse of judgement, the plain and slightly dumpy Mraovich, sandwiched between two extremely attractive actors, gives HIMSELF the film's only nude scene! Bad choice, Sam!

THE. WORST. FILM. EVER. MADE.

After watching this supposedly gay made film, I suspect someone rounded up a brain damaged half blind neo-nazi and had him make the worst gay film ever, all in some deluded attempt to attack gay culture. I had to stop the movie and call a friend to come over just so I had someone to scoff at when I paused the movie out of shock, disbelief and outrage at such sheer stupidity.

On top of all the horrible writing and acting and illogical and stupid plot, its just a poorly made film. A dog with a handycam tied to its tail could have churned out better.

Seriously, after reading the few positive reviews this movie has here, I suspect the writer must have a half a dozen IMDb accounts. Anyone who says this film is even watchable as anything other than a joke, is a liar or being paid heavily to say so.