Genres

Visitors Review

Michael O'Keefe 2012-05-18 01:02:39

A family with shocking secrets.

Clay Hewitt(Vince Vaughn)is a drifter from Missouri stopping in 1960sKansas in hope to earn some money. He only has seven bucks in hispocket. He meets some locals, including Joel(Daniel Meyer), Earl(PaulRudd), Patsy(Jessica Capshaw) and Kitty(Ashley Judd). Earl suggests helook for employment at Delilah Ashford Potts'(Kate Capshaw) feed ranch.Delilah's reputation of sleeping with her hired hands is common place.She demeans her son 'Flyboy', who is traumatized from his father'sdeath. Clay finally fits in with the other workers and of course is asexual target of his boss lady. Before Clay talks Kitty into moving onto California; he discovers two big Potts family secrets. The strongsexuality earns THE LOCUSTS the R rating. I really like the diversecharacters. The photography catches the moodiness of the story.

2012-05-17 16:10:21

interesting story

this was different, i really enjoyed it. the story hada good twist to it. vince really looked great, he stilldoes for that matter

2012-05-16 20:07:04

Vince Vaughn HOT & BOTHERED! ......Rogers KId

The Locusts, is a fascinating psychological look at an abused woman as a child, has now become a master of abuse to her own son and oddly the young ranch hands that work for her. Kate Capshaw gives a haunting performance of a woman who loves,hates and needs her life to be a place where she can be the BOSS and the one who humiliates whoevever she wants to. She doesn't just castrate bulls. Vince Vaughn is not just another sexy ranch hand.He is a sensitive, caring human being who befriends her emotionally depressed and disturbed son. She learns that Vince Vaughn has a secret after he refuses her advances. Vaughn is vulnerable and strong. He gives an outstanding portrayal of a young man who finds love and friendship in an unlikely place. Well done!!!

2012-05-16 11:20:53

Excellent Film That Grows On You

I decided to watch this one night on Showtime 2 because, hey, it was late and I like Vince Vaughn's acting alot. I watched it and liked it alot. A good movie that sneaks up on you and surprises. Then I watched it again. Even better. I began to like the characters, notice the fine cinmetography and score. Then another time. Let me just say this, The Locusts grows on you. Im not saying its a masterpiece, but its an excellent film that has alot going for it. Vaughn and Jeremy Davies are excellent. Im very interested in what this first-time writer/director John Patrick Kelly does next. This film grows on you. I find myself watchin this movie two or three times a month. Its a really good film that deserves to be seen.

moviemaster 2012-05-07 02:40:45

Locust or Praying mantis?

I have to wonder if the cohesion that might have held this movietogether is lying on the cutting room floor. There are so many subplotsthat are never properly developed and not tied up at the end. Istumbled into this movie thinking it was some Sci-Fi work (as describedby the on screen analysis of "on demand.") I just wanted a movie to putme to sleep. This wasn't that movie. Locusts did not take over theplanet. But I was immediately struck by the brooding nature of thedirection and how it drew me into the movie. However, sometimes I feltlike it was some mini-series I had missed the first episode of. Some ofthe performances were good, but the plot meandered along until itsuddenly became hurried. In the last 10 minutes the "mother" tells ofher rape by her father, her son drowns himself, somehow, in the geldingshed and the mother finally did the world a favor and shot herself.Fortunately our hero and heroine ride off into the sunset in theirmaroon pick up truck and we're marooned, wondering if this is a happyending or not... that is if you can consider a man who raped andmurdered a woman a "hero." In the end, it didn't put me to sleep, butmade me wonder why I had stayed up so late.

2012-05-06 09:57:11

Originality, harmonious mix of actors, rural America

THE LOCUSTS is an extraordinary movie, what willplease the viewers, from the originality of thestory, and from the harmonious mix of actors chosen. It'sthe story of how everyone is unique, each person has their ownstrengths and weaknesses, life experiences, socialpressures and too often, people have only a limited road on which they can walk, on the path of Life and Work.Clearly, Vince Vaughn is at his best in this movie,feeling at ease and natural in the role of an "olderbrother" to another individual, who is stigmatized,psychologically impaired, and physically disabled, named Flyboy.The character is played convincingly by Jeremy Davies, whoperhaps some may underestimate, considering the later valuable role inSpielberg's Saving Private Ryan. Kate Capshaw, does a fine job.Some have noted the manic, omnipresent "smoking" of thismovie, which defies explanation. Perhaps it's just adevice that was seen as having worked well in theearlier movie, with Judd too, SMOKE, perhaps the director decidedto employ it in LOCUSTS as well. The most difficult to believe part, is when Vaughn, atotal stranger to a small town, hooks up, and gets hiredon the basis of one beer, in the local tavern. However,for the remainder of the movie, all the scenes areextremely believable and the story unfolds convincingly, thuscaptivating the viewers' attentions.Overall, what makes this movie succeed, is the charm and"utopia" of another time and space, perhaps 200 years ago,of a small town, in rural America, aside from thetragic, and insidious story underpinning how Flyboy'shumanity was destroyed as a child, for example. Other aspectsthat many will find interesting, is the libido betweenVaughn and the girls on the farm, including Ashley Judd,the unease felt by the other men feel in face of all of this, thetension of a new hired hand joining the group, learningan entirely new, and unappetizing profession, and more.LOCUSTS simply takes the viewer on a trip for 90 minutes,and as such is a valuable addition to a collection. Judd'spresence simply makes the movie even more appealing.

2012-05-05 05:32:56

The box art may be the highlight,

OR so little story, so much (125mins) time.That this film has a running time OVER 2 hours, and has had little or no theatrical recognition, immediately activates my senses. This length will complicate scheduling on pay-cable, and meant pressing an additional disk for the laser package. Why?. One possibility (rare) is that it is truly an auteur's masterpiece, not for the masses, maybe, but important enough, as is, to be kept intact. The more likely scenario is that this movie is such a waste of time that everyone involved could really care less what gets released. By now they've all changed their names, left town, and moved onto the next..Predictably, The Locusts falls into category 2. Vince Vaughan in a muscle shirt and Ashley Judd with her cotton dress flying in the wind are about all this film has on the plus side. Dragging and nagging situations, disconnected dialogue, and uncertain motivation tend to make most every frame tortuous to endure.First time-writer-directors (John Patrick Kelley here) tend to script a very personal project, one based on material with which they are intimately familiar-they draw on their strength. Subsequent efforts can wane, as the writer ventures into more unfamiliar territory. With this in mind, I leave you with 2 questions: (1) Where in the world did this story come from? And (2) What can we expect from John Patrick Kelly when he starts writing from an unfamiliar point of view ?The answers may scare you.

2012-05-04 05:57:52

Rated three stars

Plot is good, but to me, it still needs more. I felt it is somehow shallow, though I liked many simbolic scenes.

2012-05-02 08:15:15

Southern Goth at its best

Stellar acting from a great ensemble and a plot that could have been written by Flannery O'Connor, Truman Capote and Erskine Caldwell during an all night drinking session. Only disappointment was the last 30 seconds of the film -- a Hollywood ending to a Southern Goth only leaves one wanting more.

jimbo-93 2012-05-01 22:23:08

No southern cliche unused

I agree with bjb completely on this one. Skip this and rent Cat on a Hot TinRoof or Hud. I can actually think of a couple southern movie cliches thatweren't used: the cattle did not develop brucelosis; the protagonist did notfight racism at any point in the movie;and (Specific to Texas)thoughlongneck beers were constantly being imbibed, I could not surmise that theywere Lonestar brand and nobody was drinking Dr Pepper.Still, Ashley Judd looks great. Theplot is preposterous and somebody needs to explain to me why Kate Capshaw'scharacter did not want her son to leave?

david-47 2012-04-28 22:58:42

Ode to Cigarette Smoking

I'll lay odds that the autuer of this movie started smoking at age 14. LikeEd Burns, he seems to be getting his financing from the Tobacco Industry.Why bother with acting when the actors can just light up and "enjoy"cigarettes in nearly every shot of every scene? A full five minutes couldhave been cut out of this overlong movie by simply eliminating "lighting up"shots, but then, that wouldn't serve the auteur's vision.This movie is nothing more than an endless string of cliches, tied togetherby the glorification of cigarette smoking. May the auteur choke to death onhis own conceit.

2012-04-28 12:02:37

Nauseatingly depressing

Don't get me wrong; I can appreciate depressing stuff, and sick and twisted isn't always such a bad thing either, but I literally felt ill after watching this. Maybe it's a credit to the cast, the director, the writer, etc. that they were able to provoke such a strong reaction, but it felt like they just threw in as many horrific ideas as they could think of to make it all as tragic as possible. I could barely stomach watching the repulsive, tortuous abuse heaped on poor Flyboy by his domineering monster of a mother. I wanted to strangle Kate Capshaw myself when this was over with.

2012-04-23 00:09:49

Excellent!!!!

You will be surprised and wonder where the critics were hiding in not recommending this when it was released at the theaters. Vince Vaughn is spectacular,and the story is riveting. It is now released at the video store and worth renting or buying it. It has everything in it for an enjoyable movie at home.

Daniel 2012-04-22 10:22:59

Not to be missed

Suspenseful and surprising plot twists with a setting that will draw you in and keep you glued to your seat!

all560 2012-04-22 12:51:19

Awful!

Ever lie awake at night, watch something on some obscure cable channel,and end up wondering why you didn't drink yourself into a stuporseveral hours earlier? I just did. I'd probably feel better tomorrow,had I chosen the booze.THE LOCUSTS is a truly awful film. It's one of those that always makesme ask the questions "WHY was it done and WHERE did the money comefrom?" Forget the attempts, so en vogue today, of trying to date andsentimentalize a film by mindless overlays of classic music! Genuineinability is timeless.Here is the one good thing I can say about this film: Ms. Judd'smake-up artist, Ben Nye, Jr, had the sense to leave her alone. She'sradiant...from the safe distance she was photographed. But, everythingelse is likewise-photographed. I guess the photographer didn't feelcomfortable any closer to the storyline.The acting is laughable, especially the three leads. The kid spends twohours trying to do a James Dean and succeeds only in setting back thecause of the speech-impaired a couple decades. He is in rarefiedatmosphere here. Only Jennifer Jason Leigh in KANSAS CITY and RichardGere in BREATHLESS have given comparable performances. Capshaw is,well, Capshaw. Vince who? Doesn't he do novelty records? But the plot takes the cake. To think that human beings would allowthemselves to dwell in or near this attempt of some swaggering pump-upto inflict his "values" or "Code of the Cool" on a defenseless kid isludicrous. The mindset of the executive(s) responsible for theallocation of funds and the filming itself, who must have found SOMEpotential in the story, is unfathomable. There is none. GIANT and DUELIN THE SUN and LONG HOT SUMMER have been done before. With taste,opulence, style or length to cover gaps in meaning or worth. This filmhas none of any of that.Fortunately, the family off themselves at the end, preventing a sequel.I think I now understand why Orion bankrupted.

2012-04-22 08:18:46

Very good film

A drifter (Vince Vaughn) befriends the son of a sultry widow's emotionally crippled twenty-one-year-old son, defying her efforts to keep the boy submissive.I do not know most of the actors in this drama, they being of a different generation than I and therefore new to me, but the parts were well played and the story told held my attention, although there was little actual action involved. This is a psychological story, heavy with allegory and emotional undertones.Well worth viewing.Joseph (Joe) Pierreauthor of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenanceand other books

skin-and-bones 2012-04-21 10:12:09

If You're Into Slow Depressing Shots Of Desolate Mid-western Country Landscapes And Little Else, Then This Is Your Movie!

Set in the late 1950's a not yet famous and fairly toned-down VinceVaughn plays a twenty-something drifter with a shady past who gets workas one of a number of farmhands on a sultry middle-aged widow'smid-western farm. While working on the farm Vaughn's character attemptsto befriend the shy and emotionally disturbed son of the widow withdisastrous results. "The Locusts" was meant to be I believe a sumptuousand very dark character study somewhere up there with the likes ofTennessee Williams for instance, but instead it comes across more as aconfusing, unfocused, and very long mess that suffers from poor writingand hokey left-of-center directing! Vince Vaughn as the lead proves histrue inability to handle multi-layered and heavily dramatic roles here,but does however create the quirky anti-hero archetype that would earnhim a huge profit towards the end of the 1990's...his roles in "ClayPigeons" and "Swingers" are examples, Jeremy Davies as the disturbedyoung man and son of Kate Capshaw's femme-fatale widow probably givesthe worst performance here, not because I think he's a bad actor, butbecause his character is written in such a manner as to be annoying,far too crazed, and overtly-melodramatic all at once, and the agingKate Capshaw as his mother is thankfully given little screen-time asshe is basically a cigarette-addicted drag-queen channeling a number ofold Joan Crawford roles in one cringe-worthy scene after another.Altogether, had the director understood how to create a coherentcharacter study with just the right amount of drama and eroticundertones, and tried to be a little less derivative when it comes tohis directing style this film might have gotten more attention andoutright praise instead of ending up as one of many forgettable wastesof time that you often come upon in the dollar bin of your localvideo-rental store. (Turkey-Zero Stars)

2012-04-20 22:11:24

good performances, but Kate Capshaw was a (beep)

Vince Vaughn (Swingers, Made) strolls into a small Kansas town looking for a job and he finds one while he shacks up with super bitch Kate Capshaw (The Alarmist, Indiana Jones and The Temple Of Doom). Vaughn gets to work on the feedlot and get to know more about Capshaw and her son, Jeremy Davies (29 Palms, Spanking The Monkey), who doesnt speak for some stranger reason but Vaughn becomes friends with Davies. Vaughn also falls in love with Ashley Judd (Twisted, Normal Life) who happens to be married but her husband is sleeping with Kate Capshaw and ya-da, ya-da...conclusion Capshaw loves the young'un's. Deep dark secrets resurface as Vaughn spews some mayhem. All in all The Locusts is a movie with good performances by Vaughn, Davies and Judd and a bitchy Capshaw that you want to reach into the televison and strangle her neck. It's too perdictable and bland but the performances hold up their end of the bargain. Also starring Kate Capshaw's daughter Jessica Capshaw (Minority Report, Tv's The Practice) and Paul Rudd (Anchorman, The Shape Of Things).

cutey 2012-04-17 06:25:13

memorable...disturbing at times...

Vince Vaughn when he wasnt a tiny bit famous...we get to see plenty pointless top-off shots of Vince :Dthe story itself is pretty disturbing, when it unfolds towards the end...nothing xtremely special but the fact that its set in 50-60something times gives this film a certain nice mood.

2012-04-16 17:43:44

Simple and to the Touchingly Bizarre Point

A big screen take on literary themes common to Steinbeck novels, this film will surely appeal to those with intense cravings for realist tradgedy. Jeremy Davies delivers a haunting performance as flyboy, a traumatized boy in a man's body, whose emaciated frame and reticence creates beautiful tension around which Vince Vaughn and Kate Capshaw's characters fight a strange moral battle. I found the setting conducive to the exposition of the mysterious inner worlds of all three main characters; each world is revealed in such a way as to maintain an exciting level of suspense. Simple and to the bizarre point, I don't think anything could have moved me more.