... Sounds like a good plan eh? Well when George finds out about the plan he tells Marty and friends exactly what he thinks of them leading to a terrible accident…
Mean Creek, not to be confused with Wolf Creek is one of those underrated dramas that manages to slip under the radar because it ... Read review
Fed up with being preyed upon at school by loudmouth bully George, friends Sam, Clyde and ... more
Millie decide to teach their tormentor a lesson. Inviting him out on a boat trip to celebrate Sam's birthday and joined by Sam's older brother and his friend, the...
Beneath the surface everyone has a secret... Sam (Culkin) can't seem to forget the day ... more
he was beaten at school by the class bully George. His teenage brother Rocky (Morgan) won't let him forget either. Together with his best friends Rocky plans a l...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
Advantages: Compelling, good story Disadvantages: Slow at times
...terrible accident…
Mean Creek, not to be confused with Wolf Creek is one of those underrated dramas that manages to slip under the radar because it isn’t a big budget movie with an A-List cast but it doesn’t mean that this isn’t an extremely powerful piece of film making that will have you pondering way after it’s over.
The only recognisable member of the cast for me was Rory Culkin, Macaulay Culkin’s younger brother ... ...excellent though and for a bunch of unknowns and for such young actors and actresses it’s a big achievement. The character that stood out for me the most was the character of Marty. He’s had deep personal trauma and when George brings that into the conversation, accidentally at first it sends him over the edge. The rest of the group back out of the plan as soon as they get to the river but Marty is adamant that they should still do it. His acting ... more
George Tooney (Josh Peck) is the overweight school bully, he picks on younger boy Sam (Rory Culkin) who can’t defend himself against the coward. When Sam gets smacked around the head by George one day, Sam’s older brother Rocky (Trevor Morgan) notices bruising on his face and Sam admits to Rocky that George is bullying him.
After confiding in his friend Marty (Scott Mechlowicz) about his little brother’s bullying, Marty and Rocky hatch a plan to pay George back for what he’s done. They decide that they’ll invite him out on a trip down the river with them along with Sam, their friend Clyde and Millie, the girl that Sam likes. While heading down the river they’ll strip George before throwing him in the river, leaving him to run home naked. Sounds like a good plan eh? Well when George finds out about the plan he tells Marty and friends exactly what he thinks of them leading to a terrible accident…
Mean Creek, not to be confused with Wolf Creek is one of those underrated dramas that manages to slip under the radar because it isn’t a big budget movie with an A-List cast but it doesn’t mean that this isn’t an extremely powerful piece of film making that will have you pondering way after it’s over.
The only recognisable member of the cast for me was Rory Culkin, Macaulay Culkin’s younger brother who is uncannily similar to his brother. The cast is excellent though and for a bunch of unknowns and for such young actors and actresses it’s a big achievement. The character that stood out for me the most was the character of Marty. He’s had deep personal trauma and when George brings that into the conversation, accidentally at first it sends him over the edge. The rest of the group back out of the plan as soon as they get to the river but Marty is adamant that they should still do it. His acting was probably the strongest of the bunch as he’s the one that takes control of the group and tells them exactly what to do when things go horribly wrong.
Rory Culkin was very good too, he would have been about 14 when this film came out and he did a really good job along with the other young actress. It must have been an extremely challenging role for two such young people being in such a hard hitting film but they played their parts brilliantly.
Josh Peck who plays the school bully also did very well, he had another tough role playing such a diverse character, I also slightly recognised him from a kids show although I can’t remember what it is. Even though he’s only in around half of the film for reasons which will become apparent if you watch or have watched this but his performance leaves a lasting impression and is probably the most relatable. Everyone will know someone who was the school bully who although you hate them a part of you feels sorry for them because they were probably picked on as a child which made them turn out that way. This is exactly what Josh Peck’s character is and although you think he may deserve a bit of a reality check you also start to see another side of him as the trip progresses which enables you to sympathise with him on some level.
The story is extremely thought provoking and harrowing. It’s something that any bully victim would have fantasised about doing and I can’t blame them. This story of course goes terribly wrong and leaves the kids with a moral dilemma about what’s right and what’s wrong. For such a tough subject I think it was handled very well as the kids become torn on what to do. It really makes you think about what you would do in that situation, of course everybody thinks that they would do the right thing but if in the real situation panic starts to set in and your mind works differently that it would under normal circumstances.
For such a low budget film I think this was really well made, you can tell straight away that the director didn’t have millions of dollars to work with as it’s set in a typical run-down American town. Some of the film was shot on a handheld camera that George has with him throughout the film and captures most of the action. Don’t go thinking that this is another Cloverfield disaster though because the majority of the film is shot with a normal camera but it’s a nice touch using the handheld to shoot things and it’s obvious that the camera will come into play later on in the movie.
I was a little disappointed by the ending as it didn’t completely wrap things up, I think it was the right ending for the subject matter however I would have liked it to have gone into a bit more detail about what happened to each individual character because you definitely feel for them all in different ways. It does however leave the ending to the viewers imagination which can sometimes work in it’s favour.
There are some very compelling parts of the film but a lot of it does drag, it doesn’t last too long but I think it can be a bit too slow at times and it would have been better if this was condensed a bit.
I would highly recommend this to any fan of drama films, this is very thought provoking and involves moral dilemmas which will keep you thinking about them way after the film ends. If you do watch this don’t go expecting anything amazing but for a low budget film with mainly unknown actors then this is a real diamond in the rough.
The DVD is unfortunately very overpriced, it’s available from play.com for £11.99.
Special features include: Audio commentary from director Jacob Aaron Estes, cinematographer Sharon Meir, editor Madeleine Gavin and actors Josh Peck, Trevor Morgan, Ryan Kelley & Carly Schroeder Storyboard Film notes Original theatrical trailer
Advantages: Something to watch Disadvantages: Boring & Predictable
So what does the box say first of all:
"Fed up with being preyed upon at school by loudmouth bully George, friends Sam, Clyde and Millie decide to teach their tormentor a lesson. Inviting him out on a boat trip to celebrate Sam's birthday and joined by Sam's older brother and his friend, the group plans a prank that will put George in his place. By the end of the day, however, this close knit group of friends will have been tested and torn apart ... ...good so far I hear you say, well it should be but it isn't.
Now, if you've got any sense to you at all your probably thinking prank on a river, goes wrong, I wonder if he drowns? Well there in lies the first problem with the film. Before it even starts you think you know what is going to happen - and you are right.
Trying to put that aside how do the other elements of the film stand up?
When the film starts the first thing you notice is that neither ...
DragonflyWales 13.03.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mean Creek (DVD)
I saw the movie Meen Creek advertised a few weeks ago, and I really wanted to see it.
I finally got too see it this week, and really liked it.
The story is about a high school bully, much larger of the boys he intimadates. When Rock (played by Trevor Morgan) learns his younger brother is getting bullied by this kid at school, him and his friends decide to hatch a plan to teach him a lesson. What starts out as a nasty but harmless prank turns into ... ...a boat trip down a river. Without giving too much of the plot away, they end up with a dead body on their hands, and fall out between themselves on whats the best action to take. Trust amongst the group of youngsters soon relinquish's, as their conscience gets the better of them. Will they do the right thing?
I thought this was a great story, with a great young cast. I become very involved in the story from the get-go. The only dissapointment I ...
dempsey_review 06.10.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mean Creek (DVD)
Advantages: captures your attention Disadvantages: bad ending, bit vulgar
This DVD I picked as it seemed to be a horror/thriller tale.
It stars one of the culkin brothers, and is basically about a group of friends.
An overweight lad beats up culkin because he touched his camera. Culkin tells his older brother, who then tells his mates, and who then decide to plot a revenge.
The older boys have their own issues. One has 2 dads, and one has no dad and doesnt get on well with his brother. They decide to pretend its culkins ... ...then plan to make the bully strip, push him in the water, and walk home naked.
Anyway, they pick up the bully, and he has bought a present for culkin. On the way there we learn the bully has a learning disorder, and it starts to make you see some reason for why he is how he is. We also know he videos everything ( hence the big reaction when culkin touched his vamera).
A girl culkin knows also goes with, but she originally doesnt know anything, ...
macteykith 01.03.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mean Creek (DVD)
Advantages: a good film about teenagers, gripping story line, interesting characters Disadvantages: front cover of the dvd makes it look like a horror film which it's really not
"Mean Creek" is one of those grounding films.
The kind where after watching, you realise how sometimes you take life for granted, and it desizes your own problems.
It contains a lot of themes which are all connected, and twisted to give a moralistic ending.
I don't want to give the story away really but;
The basic outline of the plot, is how an older brother and his friends, want to get revenge on a boy that beat up his younger brother. Only ... ...fairly harmless prank-like plan into a disaster.
All the characters have a story to tell, a background to take note of, most notably the "bully" who suffers from a disability, and the film is sometime from his viewpoint within his video camera, and the video camera is the source that tells the truth about everything.
It covers all the basic issues teenagers can go through, and is a film all teenagers should see really as it could easily be very ...
musebaby90 09.02.2008 (11.02.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mean Creek (DVD)
Advantages: Atmospheric, memorable Disadvantages: Bit thin on extra's
...a victim. The beauty of Mean Creek is the characters, you cannot help but empathise with and may change some views on how we relate to bullies. There are some moments that really tug at the heart strings, not least the video diary of George trying to come to terms with his learning difficulty. This is challenging, clever and thought provoking. The DVD extra's are well worth a look, particularly the cast comentary. Cast:
Sam - Rory Culkin.
Rocky ...
hotspur_blue 07.03.2006 (15.03.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Mean Creek (DVD)
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Advantages: Interesting premise Disadvantages: Lack of resolve at the end
torn between doing the right thing but not being responsible enough to make that choice. He does a great job of creating sympathy's that shift between each of the characters. Where you at once sympathise with George, the next moment you are willing them to extract the cruel revenge that they seem so keen to give to him. Its well enough acted by most of the lead actors, and the direction is gorgeous. But at the end of it all, the film seems a tad empty, and nobody seems to have learned anything from the experience.
The DVD is wasted, as there are very few extra's, but the film itself is worth a watch. ...
Advantages: Decent Horror Flick with Independent Charm Disadvantages: 45 minutes to Arrive at the Horror
thing you have read on the Wolf CreekDVD box or promotional material because it is largely wrong.
Wolf Creek was by no means the scariest film of 2005, to be honest I don't think any film from 2005 stood out as being REALLY scary in 2005. I guess House of Wax, Creep, Saw II, Open Water, Wolf Creek and The Descent could all make different cases for being the scariest of 2005. (Saw II would probably be my pick for the best film of that bunch but I'd hardly say it was scary, just very clever).
So if it wasn't the scariest film of 2005 then surely it would have been one of the goriest? No, not by a long shot. Each film I named above (barring Open Water) were gorier than Wolf Creek.
But this by no means that Wolf Creek isn't worth seeing. My girlfriend actually described this film as 'creepy rather than scary' so I'd take that as ...
xerofailure 13.02.2006 (18.02.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Wolf Creek (DVD)
Commentary By The Cast And Crew, Storyboard, Original Theatrical Trailers, Film Notes
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
DTS 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Dubbing Sound
DTS 5.1 Surround English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English
Professional reviews
Review
Exceptional. (Empire, )
A gripping edge-of-your-seat thriller... see it. (The Mirror, )
This is a film that everybody should see. (The Times, )
DVD Description
Director Jacob Estes's feature film debut is a remarkably accomplished coming of age drama about death and consequences. When overweight, emotionally troubled George (Josh Peck) beats up a smaller kid named Sam (Rory Culkin) one time too many, his older brother Rocky (Trevor Morgan) and Rocky's wrong-side-of-the-tracks pal (Scott Mechlowicz) decide to teach George a lesson. Along with their friend Clyde (Ryan Kelley) who was once the brunt of George's violence himself they bring George on a boat trip with a cruel prank in mind. Sam brings his love interest, Milly (Carly Schroeder), who tries to stop the plan when she decides George is a nice guy after all. Tragic things happen nonetheless with the slow, languid rhythm of life in a small Oregon town. Along the way, Estes manages to capture many fine moments of poetic realism like the stillness of the forest around the river, the swirling eddies along the shore, a snail crawling along a leaf, and a drowning video camera. Cinematographer Sharone Meir uses colour filters and washed-out film stock to make everything glow with faded colours like old family photographs. The dialogue feels natural and the acting is precise; Estes obviously loves his cast and allows plenty of time and space for their characters to breathe, think, and be the confused kids they're meant to be.
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