Genres

Visitors Review

charlytully 2013-05-19 23:46:19

This film's title is downright misleading

In the U.S., at least, everybody knows that the so-called "Bridge toNowhere" is in the wild boondocks of Alaska, not downtown Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. Perhaps the latter state could have qualified as "thesticks" when its namesake William Penn still was alive and kicking.However, that has NOT been the case at least since the time they builta 50-story city hall topped off by the Colossus of Penn in the SteelCity's eastern neighbor of brotherly love decades ago. When Alaskantransplant Sarah Palin ran in the second spot on the national ticket ofAmerica's wealthy party in its last presidential election, this moviewas in production. Since Palin vociferously (and somewhatdisingenuously) campaigned against boondoggles such as the "bridge tonowhere" recently built in her backyard (it partially blocked her viewof Russia), these filmmakers would have had to be living under rocksNOT to know where the REAL bridge to nowhere was.A fair-minded reviewer might want to give director Blair Underwood andwhoever else had a hand in naming this movie the "benefit of thedoubt," and wonder if perhaps they named this flick in some sort ofmisguided figurative or allegorical sense. However, an examination ofthe facts suggests they simply don't have a leg to stand on. Theconcept of a "bridge to nowhere" involves the Wealthy Party's credo ofstealing from the poor, to give to the rich. Projects such as bridgesto nowhere epitomize the sort of flagrant misuse of public funds inorder to divert them from being used to monitor the safety and qualityof food, water, air, consumer products, and our environment as they areconstantly "privatized" and diminished by the minions of multi-nationalcorporations. Conversely, the movie marketed under this inapt titlemerely follows a handful of small-time pimps and drug dealers as theyrise, fall and kill each other in a quite take-it-or-leave-itun-involving fashion.

2013-05-19 13:26:27

Great Movie

This review is from: Bridge to Nowhere (Amazon Instant Video) I really liked this movie. The plot was good and the ending is a lesson to be learned.

Phillyslugga2 2013-05-19 06:42:26

Good Flick...

Sometimes you have to be from the streets to actually enjoy a movieabout the streets so since I am not a movie critic I'll give it to youstraight with no chaser. I enjoyed this movie because of the story.This is the story of five friends who live in Pittsburgh, Pa. They havebeen friends since childhood and growing up and going nowhere which istypical in the hood, any hood, with any race especially when povertyand ignorance are involved. They had no way of making any money andneeded a grind which is a hustle/grift to make some easy money and thatis where the movie really takes off. These young guys came up with a brilliant idea, that is if you're fromthe hood, to make money. And even though the idea for their hustle wasa bit far fetched they made it work. The movie involves drugs and acrooked cop which is usually typical in a B movie like this. The cop,played by Ving Rhames, was one grimy, I mean seriously grimy dude. Rhames played that role very well which made the movie work. And as Isaid, if you're from the streets you probably know or have known copslike the one played by Rhames. If you're not from the streets and areof the WASP culture who looks at people from the hood as lower lifeforms and believe that all police officers are outstanding citizensthen this movie truly isn't for you.I've known of cops in Philly that were so low they could rattle aroundin a gnats navel and if anyone who reads this review knows of thecorruption that is running rampant inside the Philly PD then you have agood idea of exactly what I'm talking about. I am not going to spoilthe flick for those of you who haven't seen it, but in my humbleopinion it was pretty damn good. What is really comical is that theidea could work, that is if you're willing to take the risk of spendinga long time in jail, it really could. Enjoy.

2013-05-18 17:33:09

Ghetto fabulous

This review is from: Bridge to Nowhere (Amazon Instant Video) Another typical sell your way out of the blue collar life but way of drugs and prostitution.

2013-05-03 14:56:22

Bridge to Nowhere

Four young 20-something men from the rough Upper North Side of Pittsburgh. They are stuck in dead-end jobs and struggle with dysfunctional family lives. The guys, inspired by the images of pop culture and the desire to break away from the neighborhood, regularly scheme to make extra money by running minor underground activities, including: sports booking, poker tournaments and house parties. One night during an evening out the four young men stumble across the "new neighbors", two independent prostitutes, Jasper and Candice, who end up inspiring a new business idea. Trapped in her own existence, Jasper, agrees to join forces with the young men to create, quite accidentally, what turns out to be an empire that launches each of them into financial riches. Along the way each character battles their own demons regarding the choices they have made In the end, however, their world comes crashing down on them in grandiose fashion. It's the city of bridges, where water separates the haves and have-nots, the bridge they sought so desperately to cross ultimately ends up being The Bridge To Nowhere. This isn't a bad movie but it is often a very silly one. Give it points for trying to be more than a typical exploitation movie. At the same time its hard not to take points away for it not hitting the mark. But at the same time the various bits of the movie does not mesh and you're left with disappointment at the movie not being better. Worth a rental.

dbborroughs 2013-05-03 10:40:23

The literary mix with the exploitive with the result its often silly and not as good as it should have been

Four friends in Pittsburgh are always trying to make some big moneyfast. Stumbling into running a prostitution ring the guys soon realizethat they are in way over their heads and they will have to fight tokeep what they have made. With narration that seems to have been lifted from a very literarynovel and a sense of reality that seems to have been influenced byHollywood this is an odd little film that seems to be neither fish norfowl. The pieces don't really seem to fit together. Its kind of likethe four friends who are the main characters, three seem like theybelong together, but the fourth guy, the one who looks like an oldHarpo Marx in a baseball cap and hoodie doesn't. The literary narrationdoesn't belong with the exploitation plot nor does the perfect setsseem to belong with the gritty nature of the story. Watch the openingparty scene and try not to feel that this film little connection toreality (or how about the guys discovery of hookers on the streetcorner-priceless). My reservations aside, this isn't a bad movie but it is often a verysilly one. Give it points for trying to be more than a typicalexploitation film. At the same time its hard not to take points awayfor it not hitting the mark. Its not fair I know but at the same timethe various bits of the film don't mesh and the over whelming feelingyou're left with is a disappointment at the film not being better. Itsworth a try, but I'd wait for cable or a means of seeing it that isn'tgoing to cost you money- or too much money.

equazcion 2013-05-02 10:15:48

If Goodfellas and Scarface had an illegitimate son

Four close friends from Pittsburgh (Danny Masterson, Ben Crowley,Daniel London, Sean Derry) meet a couple of prostitutes (Bijou Phillipsand Alexandra Breckenridge), and decide to hire them to start their ownprostitution service. Well, the ringleader (Brian, played by BenCrowley) decides, and the three others seem to reluctantly go alongwith it. A fifth member of the gang (Thomas Ian Nicholas) stays outciting moral objections.The business plan quickly expands to involve drug dealing, which iswhere Ving Rhames enters the picture as the drug source. Incidentally,Rhames' part is not nearly as big as the movie poster would have youbelieve, amounting to a total of perhaps 20 minutes interspersedthroughout the movie. Since the plot description already says thismovie is about "the rise and fall" of a prostitution ring, I'm notspoiling anything by telling you that this business does indeed comecrashing down in the end.This movie starts out pretty slow. Things get more enjoyable once VingRhames makes his first appearance, which is fairly early on, butreminds you how much you don't really care about the other characters.I was looking forward to seeing what Danny Masterson could do (you knowhim as Hyde on "That '70s Show"), but he was just sort of "there",playing it real cool as the level-headed one, and perhaps a little toounderstated to be interesting. I didn't find Ben Crowley all thatconvincing as the ringleader/mastermind or the junkie bad boy hetransformed into, and I thought his part was too big.This movie is certainly no Hollywood blockbuster, but the effort isapparent. Many obvious cues were taken from Scarface and especiallyGoodfellas, eg. the ever-present voice-over narration. In the end I cansay I enjoyed this movie, but only barely. The best thing I can sayabout it is that it's a pretty believable story, and does succeed inshowing how easy it might be to make it big, as long as you're willingto sacrifice your morals and your future. Oh and Alexandra Breckenridgeis very hot and fun to watch.

2013-05-01 19:33:39

The DVD did not play

This review is from: Bridge to Nowhere (DVD) The DVD will play for five minutes and then stop playing. I had to advance the DVD to get it to play again for another five minutes. Then it will stop playing and I advance it again. Then over and over I had to repeat this in order to play the DVD.

Mary Pennington 2013-04-27 14:01:59

Can't wait to see this movie

Can not begin to describe the anticipation of seeing this movie hopefully it will be in theatres soon and I will definately be there to see it perhaps even more than once. Along with the movie it's self there's some great music by a person whom I know very well that I can't wait to hear he's a local West Mifflin native that is one of the most amazing guitar players that I've ever had the pleasure of hearing play. He's a wonderful person and an extremely gifted musician. I will be staying after the movie to see his name in the credits under music performed and written by I'm sooooooooo excited for the movie and for my dear friend.

2013-04-27 03:11:44

Great film!

This review is from: Bridge to Nowhere (DVD) I was thrilled with this movie. The title got me to watch it and when I did, I loved it.