Customer Reviews

24 Hours on Craigslist

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I understand what director Michael Ferris Gibson is trying to do, but his free-form approach is the first and last inspiration this 2006 documentary has to offer. With the possible exception of "Basic Instinct 2", it might well be the most pointless film I have seen in the last several years. Instead of making a film about how the site works and providing an underlying context for the operation of its unique network of online urban communities, Gibson simply looks at the most eccentric users of the site and spotlights their personalities for comic effect. He has no problem finding oddball characters to fill his self-indulgent tableau, for example, an Ethel Merman impersonator looking to start a 1970's-style power band, a pony-tailed butler for hire, an anal-retentive mother who justifies having six strollers to sell, a heavy-metal chef, a baby brigade of mothers working out at the emptied-out Stonestown Mall, and a man who rents himself out as a husband but has a bigger dream of becoming a rent-a-husband pimp.

The list goes on and on, as each episode is introduced under their appropriate categories on the home page. Eight camera crews were sent out to document all these users on a single day in August 2003, but the problem is that there is neither an organizing (nor an exit) strategy behind all the unrelated, human interest stories. The only points of commonality are the stereotypical and rather unfair images that are conjured up of San Francisco as a magnet for lunatics, and to a lesser degree, the contrived device of making a mystical figure out of founder Craig Newmark, whom many in the film believe does not actually exist. The overabundance of extras on the double-disc 2006 DVD is marginally more interesting than the film itself. On the first disc, there is an intermittently interesting commentary track by Gibson, as well as four featurettes describing various aspects of the site and the cultural phenomenon it represents. The second disc offers over three hours of outtakes, which I frankly couldn't watch for more than a few minutes. For heavy Craigslist users, I'm sure this film holds some interest, but others can skip it without regret.

This seems like it would be a great concept for a film but mostly it was a boring collection of self-important nonsense. Just not very interesting - I wish I hadn't wasted my time! If you saw the trailer - that's about all you needed to watch. *yawn*

This documentary basically consists of dozens of brief interviews with people from the San Francisco Bay area who have posted on Craigslist. The ads include a "diabetic cat support group" and "seeking models who wear glasses". Of course, there are alot of eccentric characters here. But the low quality of film making makes this doc more mundane and tedious then interesting.

Part of the problem is that the film seems to have no purpose. The interviews are not especially funny, dramatic, inspiring or even informative. Also the segments are so short that you don't really develop an attachment to the people being interviewed. The camera work is shoddy and the whole project comes across as neither artistically credible or entertaining.

I bought the documentary to show in my college course about Human Communication on the Internet. The interesting scenes immediately give a sense of what Craig's List is and how it operates. I was surprised that there was no documentary-style information like I expect from a news report. The film simply shows people and what they say about their experiences as they use Craig's list. Some of the scenes are quite entertaining, and the piece is thought-provoking regarding our consumerism.

My students seemed fascinated by the type of people who use the Internet this way. We have much to learn about how people use the Internet. I would think anyone interested in understanding the Internet or who is considering developing an Internet business could gain ideas from this documentary.

It was really funny for about the first 45 minutes, but then it became a real snoozefest after that. The downfall to this documentary is that it came out too soon, given the recent attention in the news due to things happening off of Craigslist. I think if there was a 2nd doc it would be a lot better.

Holy geez! I love craigslist and I had such big expectations for this movie. Very disappointing. Too bad they don't have a "0" rating. :(
It was poorly produced and is recorded on what seems to the most crappy pixelated camera ever.
Please do yourself a huge favor and don't go through the trouble of watching this horrible film. And especially don't purchase it!!

It's a pretty interesting look at the inner workings CL before the negative press. I bought this for a b-day present for a friend who is actually in the movie...weird seeing him but still cool I suppose...I didn't pay the $20 + dollars they're no charging for it though.

An interesting idea for a documentary: What happens in 24-hours on Craigslist? Or at least this is the repeated message on the box, previews, etc. Unfortunately, it's not so much about 24-hours on Craigslist (which could have been kind of awesome) as much as what happens on Craigslist and who the hell Craig is (or isn't). I enjoyed the film enough I finished watching it and couldn't resist the temptation of visiting my local branch of Craigslist. Beyond that though - eh, a bit of a waste of time.

It was kind of fun to watch. Not awe inspiring. I bought it mostly because I like the website. But if you like people documentaries, you will like this. If you are a techie looking for more information about craigslist, this movie doesn't have it. It's about the people who use craigslist and not craiglist itself.

This film is a celebration of the tremendous value craigslist.org has brought to the lives of its users, specifically in san francisco, but surely around the world where it is now prevalent. While it starts off a bit loose and light, it evolves into an absorbing portrait of the diversity of the san francisco populace, from quirky roommates to alternative and sometimes seedy sex seekers. It captures how craigslist unites us in an almost fantastical community we are proud to be part of. Indeed, it is as much a celebration of San Francisco as it is Craigslist. Some have criticized the film for covering too many stories and not concentrating enough on a single narrative. But that wouldn't represent what craigslist is, and why it's great. And 24 Hours On Craigslist's broad spectrum of vignettes are edited with great skill, and do allow for a coherent film. It's funny, poignant, real, and refreshing.