Customer Reviews

Charlie Ahearn: Fear of Fiction

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
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I bought this film from Amazon, because it had Sam Trammell from HBO's True Blood. Being a huge fan of the show, I know I had to check this film out, I mean this is Sam Trammell's first starring feature film role, and it finally got released on DVD! I was also surprised to learn that the film also stars Oscar Nominated Melissa Leo from Frozen River. Wow two great actors! The movie is about a woman(Leo) who answers an ad in a newspaper placed by Red(Sam Trammell) to go across the country to try to clear her mind of writer's block. While it sounds like a worn out story-- an odd couple making a road trip, it comes off as very original, and unforgettable. This film is a true indie film classic, and with a shocker of an ending this is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. Penn Jillette from Penn and Teller makes an unforgettable appearance as a speed out junkie who listens and loves 60's garage music, and I was just loving every minute of it. There is also some great Penn Jillette outtakes in the special features that are funny and amusing. It also has music from Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, and Evan Lurie from the Lounge Lizards. This was also directed by cult New York filmmaker Charle Ahearn who directed Wild Style. My recommendation is to check out this film! You won't be disappointed. Take a ride around writer's block!

I'd never heard of this movie. Just bought it because Amazon offered it cheap when I bought Frozen River on DVD (both movies have Melissa Leo). I'm really glad I decided to go for the extra movie! While Frozen River turned out to be so-so with a great performance from Leo, Fear of Fiction completely blew me away! It's a weird hybridization of genres, from psychadelic infused road trip movies to awkward relationship movies. I love the transformation that the characters all go through over the course of the movie. Leo meets Sam Trammell's character (of True Blood fame), and they form a tight bond.
The movie features a ton of comical moments, and a lot of VERY weird moments. They kinda threw me off, but the movie was really engaging. It was one of those movies where you don't realize time has passed until it's over. Always a good sign. Apparently it had been trying to be released for some time, and just recently came out on DVD, which is why most people haven't heard of it, even though it has a good cast (including the funnier one from the magic duo Penn and Teller). Pretty good underground movie that you have to (and want to) watch a few times in order to understand it all.