charvakan

This tightly focused study in a failed relationship needs no distractions to keep you interested. I don't remember any characters in this excellent film other than the former lovers. Their affection for each other is clear, but we're not sure whether there will be a reconnection until the very end (no spoilers). The dialogue is crucial in this sort of movie, and it's spot on. The direction, acting, and cinematography is so good that you don't notice it until after the film ends and you realize they nailed it without a false note. Watch this film so you can tell friends that you've been following the work of these creatives since before they got famous. I'll be very surprised if these actors and director don't have long, solid careers in film.

Okay, the writing wasn't great, and the acting was what you'd expect from middle-schoolers. But the story lines did resonate with kids. The production values were poor and the cast tiny because the show obviously had a very small budget. One or two other reviewers mentioned that the cast were playing people their own age, which I thought was fantastic. (I can't even watch "high schoolers" who are pushing 30; how lame is that?) One thing I did not see mentioned is that I don't believe the show ever had an adult in any scene. (Budget? Not wanting to show up the kid actors? Or brilliant effort to make the show unique?) That was a stroke of genius, and I think it helped the show a great deal. Just as in real life, these kids were working out their problems themselves in their own half-baked way. The comparison with dopey sitcoms like "Saved by the Bell" and overproduced crapola like "Glee" miss the point. This was an attempt to do something on the edge, something that spoke to real people on a level deeper than entertainment. It was a success, and that's why people remember it.

I saw a couple episodes of this in the 1980s and always wondered why it didn't catch on. The theme song (with a silly backstory about how Dr. Science got his degree) was cool, and I can still sing it, especially the last line: "I know more than you do, call me Dr. Science!" The supporting cast was fine, but the star of the show was Dan Coffey as the bombastic, self-important Dr. Science, who came up with absolutely insane answers for the questions sent in by "viewers". In one, for instance, temporal dislocations were explained by reference to "time flies", which were supposedly insects that had to be eradicated before things could go back to normal. At the end of each show, they'd all stand around and make nutty conversation holding coffee mugs with their names on them: "Judy", "Dr. Science", etc. Lots of fun. I've never seen any clips of the show anywhere, but I'll keep looking.