SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Jack Smedsson I gave October Road a two because, even though it is really really awful, it taught me something.If you came across this show, like I did, by way of the excellent 1996 film Beautiful Girls, written by Rosenberg, then you will suddenly realise what a difference good acting, casting and direction make! I thought Beautiful Girls was a very well put together film and had a great cast that gelled together really well (apparently Ted Demme, the director, made the entire cast live together for three weeks so they could bond and convey a sense of lifelong buddies). So I liked Beautiful Girls and figured that was down to Scott Rosenberg's writing. No such luck. Even though the script is basically by the same guy, following a very similar premise, and written since he's had the experience of writing for a Hollywood production, October Road sucks. It is so bad I don't know where to begin criticising it.I would say the camera work is bad, for example, but it wouldn't be fair on the cameramen as they probably went blind from watching such bad acting! Bryan Greenberg is, as the lead, the worst offender. You've got to wonder whether he slept with the casting director to get the part or if maybe the casting director was off learning how to be bad at his/her job the day god was handing out brains. Clearly, though, Greenberg was cast for his male-eye-candy skills rather than his ability to deliver lines or show any emotion beyond, "do I look good in this shot?" The direction is also palpably bad. Beautiful Girls is, in hindsight, also full of Rosenberg's idiotic verbose dialogue but the actors were made to deliver it so well that it fits the mood of the movie. In October Road its as though the director said, "Great, you delivered that randomly verbose line (which is so out of keeping with the fact that your character is a small town construction worker) without showing even the slightest sign of human emotion or natural intonation."Even though October Road is basically unwatchable, I recommend you watch it to compare it to Beautiful Girls. The comparison should be a textbook example of what a difference good acting and direction can make to an unexceptional (or, in the case of October Road, completely inept) script.

marcolorenzoflute This show began with so much promise. A fresh cast, a beautiful small town setting and a story with a lot of potential for growth. What was missing? Decent lines for the actors to read.I feel sorry for the actors and actresses in this show because this show was doomed before they even walked onto the set. Before they even opened their mouths. And that's because no one will ever believe a single word they are going to say. No one, not even the best in the business, would be able to make these lines sound believable. The dialogue in this show reeks of amateur writing. It's a very elementary mistake to make when you start writing a script without imagining what they would actually sound like coming out of someone's mouth. Much of the dialogue sounds like something straight out of a text book instead of actual conversation. Not to mention, the writers often like to demonstrate their inflated egos when they constantly indulge in using long, twisted and complex sentences for every single character (including the friend with a most likely below average IQ). You could almost hear them congratulating themselves on their own literary genius as they finish constructing each sentence. The result is that either every one of these country town characters (including the little boy) had some kind of an Arts degree from a tertiary institution, or they are merely the result of a failed imagination.The characters themselves are actually quite believable, due to the decent acting done by most of the cast, but the awkward lines written for them made everything an uphill battle. How any of these actors were able to get away with muttering a single line from this script without someone flinching is beyond me. I could only pray that this is a result of the writers strike, and whoever wrote the scripts is now shoveling snow for a living.

meuyj_04 This show is sooooo boring! There's no chemistry and the interaction between the cast is very awkward. The pace is slower than a turtle riding on a snail. I only wanted to watch this show because of Laura(she was so funny on that 70's show), but this show disappoints me. Nothing flows and the acting's all-scripted. show some emotions!!!! Need better writers! It seems like the person who did the casting did a very poor job in picking the cast. there's no flow. plus, the storyline is so predictable. there's nothing in this show that makes you want to continue watching it. it drags and there's no laugh even though it's suppose to be a drama. but some dramas still need to have some funny scenes in it. everything just seems so forced.

AMovieFreak7-1 The Pilot episode wasn't as strong as it could have been I only tuned in the next week because I was a fan of Bryan Greenburg from his performance on One Tree Hill, and of course Laura Prepon from That 70s Show. Thankfully the show has picked up since then and has built up in storyline (such as the developing relationship between Eddie and Janet which I am hoping will work out). I find the relationship between Nick and his student Aubrey to be quite annoying and hope it will soon end. The appeal of the show is not so much on the main characters but on its subplots; Phil, the man who never leaves the house (which I'm curious if we will find out exactly why), the aforementioned Eddie/Janet goings-on, and Ikey's secret love affair which his best friends wife. I am looking forward to seeing this show a lot more. Hopefully it will be an ABC show that will stick around, lets see if it can withstand the Thursday night slot alongside Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy.