FISH'N CHICKS REVIEWS
Nice work with Fish 'n Chicks. I think you made good use of your primary location--always important when most of the action happens in one spot--although I found there were some sound issues in the on location fishing scenes.
I enjoyed the building tension between the two guys and really liked the ending. Didn't see it coming, and also enjoyed that there is no follow-up after you see the two heads in the cooler. Boom. The movie just ends and leaves the viewer with a shock.
Best of luck with the film.
Richard Crouse Host of Reel To Real on Rogers Television.
I enjoyed the building tension between the two guys and really liked the ending. Didn't see it coming, and also enjoyed that there is no follow-up after you see the two heads in the cooler. Boom. The movie just ends and leaves the viewer with a shock.
Best of luck with the film.
Richard Crouse Host of Reel To Real on Rogers Television.
SEX & GUTS MAGAZINE ONLINE
Funny As Fuck
FISH AND CHICKS
Dir: Joseph E. DeLeo
Reviewed by Gene Gregorits
My face hurts from smiling too much, and I am also very horny.
Fish and Chicks lies somewhere in between Clerks and Your Friends & Neighbors, showing more than enough promise to put DeLeo’s name on the map. It’s incredibly raunchy and vulgar, but with far more maturity than Kevin Smith has ever been able to muster. I laughed harder, louder, and more often during this deranged video short than I have throughout the entire "New Jersey Trilogy" combined.
Arnold (Mark Tyler) and George (Mike Dufays) are old chums spinning yarns about their sexual exploits while fishing from a small boat with a case of beer. Their conversation runs the entire gamut: pick up lines, dating philosophies, friends who might be gay, threesomes, blowjobs, broken hearts, jealousy, heterosexual politics in general. The entire fishing/dating-analogy works well without calling too much attention to itself, and flashback scenes are both sexy and laugh out loud funny.
Fish and Chips is, above all, a memorably honest meditation on the war of the sexes, with a sense of humor filthy enough to rival Richard Pryor and George Carlin. It’s got hot chicks, a killer script, competent acting (especially from Dufays), and a genuinely sick finale. See it.
(de_leo_productions@sympatico.ca)
Comments or questions about this web site? Click HERE.
This web site and all contents/information presented within, © Gene Gregorits / Sex And Guts Magazine
Site designed by Tracy
Page last modified: 12/14/02
By. Tracy Qualls
I absolutely loved the copy you sent me - thank you again! I had forgotten that Gene mentioned the ending so I cackled like a french whore at the final scene, caught by surprise. The entire thing was incredibly well written, and the actors did a very believable job - not stiff at all like some of the stuff we get. I thought it would be a kind of "Patti Rocks" type bonding scenario, and that's a film I like but thought the hype was overkill, it was not so "shocking" but your film really made me get into the dynamic between the 2 guys and it was foreboding as hell. I'm really happy I didn't re-read Gene's review before I watched it, you started with a clean slate and ended with a new fan. We're all rooting for you!!!
FISH AND CHICKS
Dir: Joseph E. DeLeo
Reviewed by Gene Gregorits
My face hurts from smiling too much, and I am also very horny.
Fish and Chicks lies somewhere in between Clerks and Your Friends & Neighbors, showing more than enough promise to put DeLeo’s name on the map. It’s incredibly raunchy and vulgar, but with far more maturity than Kevin Smith has ever been able to muster. I laughed harder, louder, and more often during this deranged video short than I have throughout the entire "New Jersey Trilogy" combined.
Arnold (Mark Tyler) and George (Mike Dufays) are old chums spinning yarns about their sexual exploits while fishing from a small boat with a case of beer. Their conversation runs the entire gamut: pick up lines, dating philosophies, friends who might be gay, threesomes, blowjobs, broken hearts, jealousy, heterosexual politics in general. The entire fishing/dating-analogy works well without calling too much attention to itself, and flashback scenes are both sexy and laugh out loud funny.
Fish and Chips is, above all, a memorably honest meditation on the war of the sexes, with a sense of humor filthy enough to rival Richard Pryor and George Carlin. It’s got hot chicks, a killer script, competent acting (especially from Dufays), and a genuinely sick finale. See it.
(de_leo_productions@sympatico.ca)
Comments or questions about this web site? Click HERE.
This web site and all contents/information presented within, © Gene Gregorits / Sex And Guts Magazine
Site designed by Tracy
Page last modified: 12/14/02
By. Tracy Qualls
I absolutely loved the copy you sent me - thank you again! I had forgotten that Gene mentioned the ending so I cackled like a french whore at the final scene, caught by surprise. The entire thing was incredibly well written, and the actors did a very believable job - not stiff at all like some of the stuff we get. I thought it would be a kind of "Patti Rocks" type bonding scenario, and that's a film I like but thought the hype was overkill, it was not so "shocking" but your film really made me get into the dynamic between the 2 guys and it was foreboding as hell. I'm really happy I didn't re-read Gene's review before I watched it, you started with a clean slate and ended with a new fan. We're all rooting for you!!!
VHS REVIEW
by Glenn Andreiev FISH'N CHICKS Produced, Written and Directed by Joseph E. DeLeo
Cast: Simone Mendes, Mike Dufays, Mark Tyler, Nicola Basile
2002. Due to it's "home-grown" look, a digital feature or short needs to grab its audience in the first seconds. A strong visual is usually best. Canadian film-maker Joseph E. DeLeo wisely sticks to this rule with the opening scene of his digital video short FISH'N CHICKS. We see a beautiful young brunette begin to unhook her bra. Okay, this plays to the lowest common denominator, but he has our attention.
Two lifelong friends, George (Mike Dufays) and Arnold (Mark Tyler), both twenty-something and girl hungry, go on a fishing trip in a canoe on a secluded Canadian lake. As they wait for some big-mouthed bass to come for the bait, they compare stories of recent sexual conquests. Often we flashback to bars and bedrooms (two easy-to-obtain locations for the low budget film-maker) where these guys "reel in the line" catching the hot chick for the night.
The tensions on the little boat build. As these guys let these stories heat up anger, we wonder, are we going to see a re-enactment of A PLACE IN THE SUN? There's a twist. For its 30 minutes running time, FISH'N CHICKS kept me amused. Some of the dialog is crisp ("For 12 hours what these girls did to me, I wouldn't do to a farm animal.") I often wish low-budget film-makers (especially when working in Digital) would shy away from the notion that they have to use only one key setting, but DeLeo lets his almost single set (the rowboat) work.
Having worked in the digital field myself, the biggest technical problem in this type of film-making is the sound. FISH N'CHICKS, with its changes in background noise, proves a lake is a nightmare location for a sound man.
www.filmsinreview.com
by Glenn Andreiev FISH'N CHICKS Produced, Written and Directed by Joseph E. DeLeo
Cast: Simone Mendes, Mike Dufays, Mark Tyler, Nicola Basile
2002. Due to it's "home-grown" look, a digital feature or short needs to grab its audience in the first seconds. A strong visual is usually best. Canadian film-maker Joseph E. DeLeo wisely sticks to this rule with the opening scene of his digital video short FISH'N CHICKS. We see a beautiful young brunette begin to unhook her bra. Okay, this plays to the lowest common denominator, but he has our attention.
Two lifelong friends, George (Mike Dufays) and Arnold (Mark Tyler), both twenty-something and girl hungry, go on a fishing trip in a canoe on a secluded Canadian lake. As they wait for some big-mouthed bass to come for the bait, they compare stories of recent sexual conquests. Often we flashback to bars and bedrooms (two easy-to-obtain locations for the low budget film-maker) where these guys "reel in the line" catching the hot chick for the night.
The tensions on the little boat build. As these guys let these stories heat up anger, we wonder, are we going to see a re-enactment of A PLACE IN THE SUN? There's a twist. For its 30 minutes running time, FISH'N CHICKS kept me amused. Some of the dialog is crisp ("For 12 hours what these girls did to me, I wouldn't do to a farm animal.") I often wish low-budget film-makers (especially when working in Digital) would shy away from the notion that they have to use only one key setting, but DeLeo lets his almost single set (the rowboat) work.
Having worked in the digital field myself, the biggest technical problem in this type of film-making is the sound. FISH N'CHICKS, with its changes in background noise, proves a lake is a nightmare location for a sound man.
www.filmsinreview.com
Posted In: Movies
Authored By: T
Tuesday, Jun 3, 2003, 3:19:40 pm Fish n' Chicks
Produced, Written and Directed by Joseph E. DeLeo Cast: Simone Mendes, Mike Dufays, Mark Tyler, Nicola Basile 2002
It's difficult to review a film of this length (appx 30 mins) and not have any spoilers. Essentially 2 long time friends go out fishing and exchanging tales of the ones
that didn't get away. So, we get to see their sexual conquests in the form of flashbacks to bars and bedrooms. There are some great lines, and the pace is comfortable. There is a nice twist at the end, maybe even shocking to some. I'm a big fan of horror, so I don't count. Overall a well done film - some sound issues- probably inherent to the boat on a lake setting. It tells the story(ies) without getting tedious and drawn out.
Authored By: T
Tuesday, Jun 3, 2003, 3:19:40 pm Fish n' Chicks
Produced, Written and Directed by Joseph E. DeLeo Cast: Simone Mendes, Mike Dufays, Mark Tyler, Nicola Basile 2002
It's difficult to review a film of this length (appx 30 mins) and not have any spoilers. Essentially 2 long time friends go out fishing and exchanging tales of the ones
that didn't get away. So, we get to see their sexual conquests in the form of flashbacks to bars and bedrooms. There are some great lines, and the pace is comfortable. There is a nice twist at the end, maybe even shocking to some. I'm a big fan of horror, so I don't count. Overall a well done film - some sound issues- probably inherent to the boat on a lake setting. It tells the story(ies) without getting tedious and drawn out.
FISH 'N CHICKS
A DeLeo Productions, Inc. film
2002, Digital Video, Color, 28 minutes
Directed, produced, and written by Joseph E. DeLeo
Starring Mike Dufays, Mark Tyler, Shelly Sereda, Justin Chatwin, Simone Mendes
Reviewed on VHS
Two longtime friends, George (Mike Dufays) and Arnold (Mark Tyler) spend the day on a fishing expedition and pursuing the male art of bragging about their sexual exploits. But amidst the braggadocio and hooking of fish, there’s a hidden agenda being pursued by one of the men, which could have dire consequences. This dark comedy from Canadian filmmaker Joseph DeLeo treads over the same ground that Neil LaBute has claimed as his own – namely, the psychological battleground defined as male/female relationships, and the savagery that lurks behind the most innocuous and civilized human behavior. But it’s more than just “LaBute Lite.” DeLeo’s script is pretty sharp; there’s a lot of mileage gotten out of both definitions of “fish,” and he handles the humorous and the darker aspects adroitly. As a director, he gets good performances from both his male leads. Shelly Sereda also makes an impression as one of Arnold’s “catches” that he relates to George. FISH ‘N CHICKS is a poisonous little gem of a short that makes you squirm in your seat, even as you’re laughing. And there is a twist ending, of a kind. Let’s just say that in this case, cooler heads don’t necessarily win every disagreement. –
Robert Hubbard
MICRO-FILM #6
October 2003
A DeLeo Productions, Inc. film
2002, Digital Video, Color, 28 minutes
Directed, produced, and written by Joseph E. DeLeo
Starring Mike Dufays, Mark Tyler, Shelly Sereda, Justin Chatwin, Simone Mendes
Reviewed on VHS
Two longtime friends, George (Mike Dufays) and Arnold (Mark Tyler) spend the day on a fishing expedition and pursuing the male art of bragging about their sexual exploits. But amidst the braggadocio and hooking of fish, there’s a hidden agenda being pursued by one of the men, which could have dire consequences. This dark comedy from Canadian filmmaker Joseph DeLeo treads over the same ground that Neil LaBute has claimed as his own – namely, the psychological battleground defined as male/female relationships, and the savagery that lurks behind the most innocuous and civilized human behavior. But it’s more than just “LaBute Lite.” DeLeo’s script is pretty sharp; there’s a lot of mileage gotten out of both definitions of “fish,” and he handles the humorous and the darker aspects adroitly. As a director, he gets good performances from both his male leads. Shelly Sereda also makes an impression as one of Arnold’s “catches” that he relates to George. FISH ‘N CHICKS is a poisonous little gem of a short that makes you squirm in your seat, even as you’re laughing. And there is a twist ending, of a kind. Let’s just say that in this case, cooler heads don’t necessarily win every disagreement. –
Robert Hubbard
MICRO-FILM #6
October 2003
Fish'n Chicks (2002)
director: joseph e. de leo
cast: simone mendes, mike dufays, mark tyler, nicola basile, michelle carvalheiro, justin chatwin, shelly sereda, erin marian, solange soli bitar, christina dudley, chris carvalho
Fish'n Chicks is low ball, talky, homoerotic, student-film-grade schlock about a couple of drama queens who male-bond while fishing and trading "chick" stories on a Canadian lake. Some of the dialogue is funny but seems unintentionally so. Missing is a knowing sense of irony that could have been achieved with a little breathing room between hissy fits delivered by George (Mike Dufays) and Arnold (Mark Tyler). The ending has a twist that does nothing to salvage the preceding 29 minutes (30 minutes total running time). Most of this short takes place in a row boat which has the effect of completely paralyzing the action. Unfortunately, as it turns out, a sense of foreboding or suspense could have been drawn upon but was passed up by misplacing a revelation, think F.W. Murnau's Sunrise for how to create suspense in a confined space like a row boat. As Alfred Hitchcock said, 30 minutes of suspense is better than 3 seconds of surprise, he said something like that, at any rate. Like an early Kevin Smith or Spike Lee film (who are thanked as "true teachers" in the end credits of Fish'n Chicks), the setting is merely a backdrop for the characters' chatter, and the results are more like a filmed play than a movie. There are a few sex scenes sprinkled in between the chin-music but even the sex is awkward and unimaginative. Following is an example of some of that funny dialogue that is actually funnier in ways that were not intended:
Arnold—"For 12 hours these girls did shit to me, I wouldn't do to a farm animal."
George—"Jesus, bro, are you going to see them again?"
Arnold—"Nah, girls like that come and go faster than a garbage truck."
George—"Can I get their number?"
Arnold—"Only you would be taking sloppy seconds."
The funny dialogue doesn't stop there. It just keeps on coming:
George—"This isn't about her, is it? This is about our friendship, right?... Arnold, we are fuckin' men... man, we are men! We should never let a piece of pussy fuck our shit."
Arnold—"You're right. You're right."
George—"We've got to look out for each other, the way they do among themselves."
Fish'n Chicks is a rookie effort, but that doesn't mean that the filmmaker and cast haven't gone through considerable trouble to get this project together. Like any movie of any size or budget, the foundation is the story. A shit-load of bad movies have sprung directly from weak scenarios (including my own stinky movies, I might add). Making a bad movie can be just as difficult as making a good one. Filmmaker Joseph E. De Leo needs to go back to the source of his inspiration—all those filmmakers thanked in his credits; Martin Scorsese; Francois Truffaut; Federico Fellini; Spike Lee; Tobe Hooper; Kevin Smith; John Cassavetes; and Russ Meyer. A careful examination of those filmmakers' early work shows that they all touched on themes that were close to their hearts (or penises as the case may be). Also, they made effective use of the rawness of their limited production values. In other words, if you've got lemons, make lemonade! Handheld camera work is the independent filmmaker's best friend. Experiment with extreme close-ups and establishing shots. Try to mix up the lighting schemes, play with the lights, their sources, and with shadow. Use foreground elements and background elements to break the story out of the claustrophobia of its frame (unless that is the point of a particular scene). THINK AND TELL A STORY VISUALLY! Most important, tell a story you care about but remain objective enough to control your audience's experience.
Another give-away rookie mistake is Joseph E. De Leo's overabundant appearance in the end credits. Next time he should consider just simply saying that his film is a "Joseph E. De Leo joint!" He isn't the first, and I'm sure he won't be the last to trip up on the art of authorship in the closing credits. Dude, let the editor, cinematographer (or director of photography, or cameraman, it's basically the same thing), and production manager (or production coordinator, or production supervisor, again, basically the same thing on a small shoot) have their own credits! It's a given that the director has his finger in all the pies, so to speak, of production. Let the other technicians have their own share of credit. Hopefully, Mr. De Leo will take his experience on Fish'n Chicks and bring it to his next project.--Edgar Allan Balzac
$1.11
To find out more visit:
www.deleoproductions.com
© 2003 HOLLYWOOD Outsider
director: joseph e. de leo
cast: simone mendes, mike dufays, mark tyler, nicola basile, michelle carvalheiro, justin chatwin, shelly sereda, erin marian, solange soli bitar, christina dudley, chris carvalho
Fish'n Chicks is low ball, talky, homoerotic, student-film-grade schlock about a couple of drama queens who male-bond while fishing and trading "chick" stories on a Canadian lake. Some of the dialogue is funny but seems unintentionally so. Missing is a knowing sense of irony that could have been achieved with a little breathing room between hissy fits delivered by George (Mike Dufays) and Arnold (Mark Tyler). The ending has a twist that does nothing to salvage the preceding 29 minutes (30 minutes total running time). Most of this short takes place in a row boat which has the effect of completely paralyzing the action. Unfortunately, as it turns out, a sense of foreboding or suspense could have been drawn upon but was passed up by misplacing a revelation, think F.W. Murnau's Sunrise for how to create suspense in a confined space like a row boat. As Alfred Hitchcock said, 30 minutes of suspense is better than 3 seconds of surprise, he said something like that, at any rate. Like an early Kevin Smith or Spike Lee film (who are thanked as "true teachers" in the end credits of Fish'n Chicks), the setting is merely a backdrop for the characters' chatter, and the results are more like a filmed play than a movie. There are a few sex scenes sprinkled in between the chin-music but even the sex is awkward and unimaginative. Following is an example of some of that funny dialogue that is actually funnier in ways that were not intended:
Arnold—"For 12 hours these girls did shit to me, I wouldn't do to a farm animal."
George—"Jesus, bro, are you going to see them again?"
Arnold—"Nah, girls like that come and go faster than a garbage truck."
George—"Can I get their number?"
Arnold—"Only you would be taking sloppy seconds."
The funny dialogue doesn't stop there. It just keeps on coming:
George—"This isn't about her, is it? This is about our friendship, right?... Arnold, we are fuckin' men... man, we are men! We should never let a piece of pussy fuck our shit."
Arnold—"You're right. You're right."
George—"We've got to look out for each other, the way they do among themselves."
Fish'n Chicks is a rookie effort, but that doesn't mean that the filmmaker and cast haven't gone through considerable trouble to get this project together. Like any movie of any size or budget, the foundation is the story. A shit-load of bad movies have sprung directly from weak scenarios (including my own stinky movies, I might add). Making a bad movie can be just as difficult as making a good one. Filmmaker Joseph E. De Leo needs to go back to the source of his inspiration—all those filmmakers thanked in his credits; Martin Scorsese; Francois Truffaut; Federico Fellini; Spike Lee; Tobe Hooper; Kevin Smith; John Cassavetes; and Russ Meyer. A careful examination of those filmmakers' early work shows that they all touched on themes that were close to their hearts (or penises as the case may be). Also, they made effective use of the rawness of their limited production values. In other words, if you've got lemons, make lemonade! Handheld camera work is the independent filmmaker's best friend. Experiment with extreme close-ups and establishing shots. Try to mix up the lighting schemes, play with the lights, their sources, and with shadow. Use foreground elements and background elements to break the story out of the claustrophobia of its frame (unless that is the point of a particular scene). THINK AND TELL A STORY VISUALLY! Most important, tell a story you care about but remain objective enough to control your audience's experience.
Another give-away rookie mistake is Joseph E. De Leo's overabundant appearance in the end credits. Next time he should consider just simply saying that his film is a "Joseph E. De Leo joint!" He isn't the first, and I'm sure he won't be the last to trip up on the art of authorship in the closing credits. Dude, let the editor, cinematographer (or director of photography, or cameraman, it's basically the same thing), and production manager (or production coordinator, or production supervisor, again, basically the same thing on a small shoot) have their own credits! It's a given that the director has his finger in all the pies, so to speak, of production. Let the other technicians have their own share of credit. Hopefully, Mr. De Leo will take his experience on Fish'n Chicks and bring it to his next project.--Edgar Allan Balzac
$1.11
To find out more visit:
www.deleoproductions.com
© 2003 HOLLYWOOD Outsider