[.ca] Bang Bang You're Dead

Feelings provoked that no other movie has done.....:
A few years ago (2001) I played the title role of Josh in 'Bang Bang You're Dead' the play in Massachusetts at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts High School, and it was the most challenging role I have ever played and the most rewarding experience of my life, no joke. The play was so amazing and brought out my emotions, that are normally kept hidden, in ways I've never known before. I feel in the very short time that I did the show, I tapped into so many emotions that I didn't know I had. It was so utterly real, that it was frightening for me to play Josh and to become (even for a few performances) the person that he was. I never shared his feelings before or had been through what he has in high school (thank god) and I feel so fortunate for my life. The screenplay is so exciting, thought-provoking, slap-in-face realistic etc. It spoke to me and impressed me more than any other play I have ever read or played in. The very same goes for the movie. I have seen many movies in my life (some pretty amazing ones are out there, ie. Donnie Darko, my favorite) but when I saw the movie two years after my portayal of Josh, the same emotions were brought out of me like the play. The play and the film are both amazing, and though may not stand out in special-effects or cinematography, it is a mind-boggler and not in a stupid- Vanilla Sky what-the-hell-is-going-on way but in a realistic, this is really life for thousands of people out there way. I highly suggest this movie and I highly suggest that every high school should either show this movie for the student body or, more importantly, put on the play for the community. It speaks out to everyone and you'd have to be heartless to scoff at this movie. It may feel like an exaggeration of realism to people who can't relate with this character, but you have to understand from his point of view because there are so many people out there that feel just like Josh and nothing being done about it. Maybe I am being biased because I was Josh in the play and really got into who he was and how he felt, nevertheless this movie is a must-see. Truly.

brought back things I'd hoped would stay forgotten:
great movie, real scenarios. In responce to the yawning critic, I also saw this film under no prior expectations. It came on Showtime right after another movie that I was watching, I'd never hear of it before. As I write this now I have just watched "Elephant." Also a great movie, but at times painfully slow in the name of art. These movies are made for totally different audiences, totally different intentions. As a film, Elephant was better, as an instrument to stimulate discussion, BBYD was better.

YAWN. . .Oh Wait. . .Nope. . .Nevermind. . .YAWN:
I came to view this film without any prior knowledge that "Bang Bang You're Dread" was a well known play. The fact that it's based on school violence drove my curiosity to see it. Unfortunatly, I was left with the same kind of feeling I'm left when watching an afternoon talk show. To be quite frank with you, I thought the play being acted out in the film was pretty corny. I kept thinking to myself that they should have cut it out but the film wouldn't have be able to survive without it. With that said, the film only raised my eyebrows once and that's at it's big anti climax ending. I also thought that the explainations given to me in the film were unnessary. Anyone whose been to high school doesn't need anyone to tell them that those particular years sucked. I also thought they should have done away with the main charcter's tendency to film everything he sees with a video camera. I've seen it before. It's done. Next. Although I've pretty much ripped this film, I'm not putting the film entirely down, I must say there were some scenes that were actually pretty compelling but that's nothing compared the rest of it that should have been re-writen/thrown onto the cutting floor. Instead of this little truffle, I suggest each and eveyone one of you who probably wants to cut my head off to watch Gus Van Sant's "Elephant". Then, maybe you'll see where I'm coming from.

Words cannot describe or explain how this movie made me feel:
I had never heard of this movie, or the play, until yesterday when I happened to be channel surfing. I stopped, and I watched it. I am so glad I did. I'm going to be a junior in high school next year, and about five or six years back my school had an anthrax threat. Which was scary... we also had a lot of people with "hit lists" that were caught after that. Sometimes I can feel the tension within my school... there are people when I see the way they act that I just think they would be the ones to fly off the handle one day. Columbine made me sad beyond words; I was younger when that happened, and as I get older it just pains me more and more to think of the violence going on in schools. When I was in elementary school I was picked on and teased, although not to the extent that Trevor (Ben Foster's character) was picked on. My school isn't that big and they always had a strict non-violence code. It would be so easy for someone to plan a shooting at my school, and that is why next year I am going to not only show this DVD to the board of education and tell them to show the students, but also talk to the drama club president and see if we could put on the play "Bang Bang You're Dead." This movie moved myself and all of my friends to tears - being in high school, we can directly relate and feel empathy toward the characters in this movie. This movie shocked my parents and opened their eyes to what really goes on in high school - now, instead of saying, "Ignore them," when I tell them about somebody bothering me, they actually care and talk about it. There is some real violence and pain in schools today, and I think that if this was a required viewing, many of those students would feel different about what they fantasize about doing.

One of My Favorites:
For a movie that was made for Showtime, a friend and i watched this and found it to be absolutely outstanding. A movie about how teen violence and it how Trevor is affected by his surroundings. I recommend this movie to everyone.