Little Athens (2005)

Tom Zuber's promising debut depicts the suburban anomie and violence that afflicts a host of young people in a small town with an ensemble cast made up of hot young stars. Infidelity aimlessness abuse drug dealing and poverty are a few of the problems the characters face as the four storylines move toward a huge house party where many are forced to face the issues they've been running from. Starring are DJ Qualls (HUSTLE & FLOW) John Patrick Amedori (THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT) Jorge Garcia (LOST) Rachel Miner (BULLY) Michael Pena (CRASH) and Jill Ritchie (D.E.B.S.). The soundtrack features Radiohead the Walkmen and Poets and Pornstars.System Requirements:Run Time: 105 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLERS UPC: 821575548953 Manufacturer No: TF-54895 Product Description

Seen it before, yet still find it compelling

I won't reiterate the other reviews, they are pretty much on target. We have seen a lot of the style of this film, which take several seemingly at first disparate storylines and manage to tie them together as the story continues to its conclusion. Most effectively done in Quentin Tarantino's films as well as Greg Marcks' "11:14". As far as teen/young adult boredom and angst comes into play the film "Over The Edge" also comes to mind. While many of the characters are unsympathetic and make bad choices, I still find the overall trials and tribulations of the characters somewhat compelling. A good film, not great, but worth viewing. December 27, 2007

star review

This movie was not to bad , but lacked a meaningful plot .was ok for a rental. March 11, 2007

For a low budget film with such a big cast, Little Athens pays off

Little Athens is a circuitous look at post-high school life in the small town of Athens, Arizona (although, as the opening scene states: "it could have taken place anywhere"), using a series of loosely interwoven characters to develop more of an apathetic tone rather than a typical plotline. It succeeds in communicating this sense of boredom with its audience, although it does so at the risk of actually being a bit boring at times. But, the characters and their stories are very believable and realistically portrayed, even if they go over the top a few times.

The entire film eventually centers around a party that all the characters happen to attend, in which we see how their various lives are intertwined, and ultimately see how the lifestyles of the bored and lost can result in irreversible damage to multiple lives.

The cinematography is often stunning, although occasionally the low budget filmmaking stands out when the digital camera can't keep up with the action, and this does detract from the film, but only enough to remind you that this movie was made on an extremely low budget, which is more reason to be impressed by the rich colors and scene arrangements.

There is a behind the scens featurette on the DVD, but it's only about five minutes long and doesn't offer much insight you can't gather from watching the film itself. January 28, 2007

The Dynamics of Small Town Boredom: A Metaphor?

Tom Zuber has great credentials in Law but seems to prefer to dabble in the territory of cinema. Having not seen his debut film LANSDOWN (2001) it is difficult to judge from LITTLE ATHENS (2005) if he is improving with age, but looking at LITTLE ATHENS on its own merits it seems a bit sparse in idea and in production.

Athens, Arizona is the bleak setting of this day in the lives of some fairly bored (and boring) youngsters, ne're-do-wells attempting to infuse sparkle into an otherwise glitterless place. Zuber creates four story lines, spottily interweaves them, and finally connects the dots in the last reel. The main problem is that comedy is funny because we care about the facilitators and here there really aren't any folks in which to invest. The cast tries hard and succeeds in giving us a taste of life in the flatlands of nothingville. D.J. Qualls (a character type who is very good, as in 'Hustle and Flow'), Michael Pena, John Patrick Amedori, Shawn Hatosi, Tory Kittles, Eric Szmanda, Jorge Garcia, Erica Leerhsen, and Michelle Horn are particularly fine and do their best with the material they are given.

Tom Zuber has a style, a sense of non-scripted spontaneity incorporating the gross with the sadsack, and given time he may make a fine little film. This one just misses. Grady Harp, January 07 January 3, 2007

NEED NAME OF MUSIC please

I ask if anyone knows what music is playing at the house of the asian guy when jimmy finds him dead siting in the sofa??
Thanks
The movie is ok. December 24, 2006

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