Dogtown (1997)

an actor, hillbillies and some roadkill and you got Dogtown

Dogtown is about a former resident turned movie star, Trevor St. John (Payback '99 and Tv's One Life To Live), who returns to his home town inw hich he sees how it hasn't changed one bit. His former school mates havent changed and his family hasnt changed also. His mother is played by Karen Black (House Of 1000 Corpses, Airport 1975) and his sister is played by Natasha Gregson Wagner (Urban Legend, Stranger Than Fiction)...his sister is autistic. The bullies of his past, Rory Cochrane (Tv's CSI:Miami, Empire Records) and Jon Favreau (Swingers, The Big Empty), though you cant understand half of what they say threw out. Favreau and Cochrane skrap up dead animals off the side of the road..hmm. The quiet studdly actor also remembers he had a crush on the once beauty queen, Mary Stuart Masterson, now turned hairstylist who still lives with her abusive drunken dad and her sister. Trevor St. John gives a silent effective performance but the movie drones on with it's sillyness and Favreau chews up everyscene he is in with his racist slurs and his southern tobacco spitting cocky attitude and you just want someone to kill the guy. Also starring Maureen McCormick (TV's Becker).
March 3, 2005

Sucks! Recorded on a Back-lot Studio in California

After watching this movie for about 30 minutes, I knew something was wrong. There were no hills or bunches of trees. It looks like the movie was made in huge somewhat empty parking lot.
Too bad, cause Rory Cochrane is my home.(Know what I am sayin'?) Don't even waste your time. Try and check out "Southlander" instead.

Peace November 30, 2004

Should have subtitles for waterheaded folk....

I did some growing up in Missouri and I feel I don't ever have to go back to visit again. All I have to do is put this little slice of hokum in my DVD player (or try to force it into the VCR ) and golly, I'm back in a good ole show me state of mind. Where, according to this movie, most of the population has a hard time spelling "DVD". Did the filmmakers cut up the funny papers and use Lil' Abner for storyboards? Who backed this film? Skoal? The whole cast should have been ab-duckted and given an anal probing because this group is exactly the type aliens love to visit. Maybe these same little green fellers can reverse time and get me my two hours back. July 7, 2004

Don't Waste Your Time

Another reviewer stated this is "a midwesterner's view of the midwest...". That's crap.... As someone from Missouri and who's been to Cuba this movie is about as real (and insulting) if they had done Boyz in the Hood with middle aged white guys in blackface.

I don't know if this is "Hollywood's View of the midwest," or if the director and writer just happen to have head injuries. May 15, 2004

George Hickenlooper is FROM MISSOURI....

The movie is not spectacular, but not bad either...
but THE DIRECTOR IS FROM MISSOURI. This is not "Hollywood's View of the midwest," rather a midwesterner's view of the midwest...

By the way, Hickenlooper has apologized numerous times for not filming this in Missouri. He, as many do many viewers, feels that it hurt the film to be shot in California. February 11, 2003

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