Customer Reviews

Lightning Bug

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Lightning Bug is a movie that is painful to watch, but only in a good way. The semi-autobiographical story of Robert Hall himself, this movie follows one young man's journey to find himself and perfect his art as everything around him is in a constant state of flux. However, life is rarely like Hollywood, and Hall makes no attempt to make this story a pat Hollywood `boy saves everyone and himself' story. Still, the characters themselves are very real, and the story is too compelling to rip yourself away from.

Both Bret Harrison and Laura Prepon give remarkable performances that show their range as actors. The directing and editing make the film fast paced and consuming.

Still, this isn't a feel good movie. It's someone's like told in naked and brutal detail and that's where the magic of this film lies.

Recommended.

A hopeful future often travels together with the notion of dreams and aspirations. This is often depicted out of the perspective of youth seeking a direction on their journey through life. Often it is a difficult journey, which can even be harder to commence while parents, friends, and other people of various significance begin to affect the decisions of those who are coming of age. Lightening Bug touches on this very theme in a remarkably clever manner, as it deals with a young man's desire to leave his small Alabama home for a better life elsewhere.

A criminal suggestive opening leads the audience into think of why and who are the people involved in the scene. The identity and motive of the people involved in the wrongdoings are not revealed, but it leaves the audience wondering and thinking. These notions will leave audience's with an ominous sense of forthcoming trouble, but when and where remains unknown until the appropriate moment when the audience least expects it. The audience might have the ability to guess why and who is behind the suggestive opening. However, the director and writer Robert Hall delivers several situations in the film that continue to cloud the audience's judgment and logic to get a clear idea of who and why. This displays that Hall has thoughtfully put together an intriguing story for the audience.

Shortly after the troubling opening, the audience gets to witness Jenny Graves (Ashley Laurence), who many will recognize from Hellraiser (1987), arrive to Alabama from Detroit with her two sons. Jenny seems to have fled something, which is never revealed, as they arrive to their new home in rural Alabama. In addition, her older son Green wonders if they can go trick or treating, but Jenny informs her son that they have missed Halloween. This might suggest why Green later in his late teens has such a fond attachment to this frightful holiday and to horror.

The film quickly moves forward into the late adolescence of Green (Bret Harrison), as he turns 18 and has discovered that he has an artistic talent that he uses to create frightful creatures and other horrific creations. However, most people in his small town seem to be in complete disconnection with the world while Green has to face this ignorance on a daily basis. Oppression by an abusive stepfather and Christian persecution are some of the difficulties that Green has to struggle with while also thinking of his little brother and mother's well being. There are many chains that keep Green from beginning to bloom artistically while the greatest of them is misconception and ignorance of people in his environment.

In the woods outside Green's trailer home, he can find small lightening bugs that give him a chance to separate himself from the ignorance of the small town. It also allows him to play and have fun, which provides a chance for hopes and dreams. Green desires nothing else than to work in the film industry creating monsters and other horrific beasts to create a fright, or scare within the audience. However, can he break the chains that keep him in the small Alabamian town in which he grew up?

Lightening Bug is a small film that completely missed the theaters, but now is released on DVD. It is fortunate that some of these independent films get an opportunity to be seen, as this one delivers an amusing and intelligent story that deals with coming of age and the social pressures of being a teen. It also has a mild dose of existentialism, as it addresses the issue of choosing a direction in life. In one of the opening shots the audience can see a car chose a direction while approaching a fork in the road. This very scene could symbolize the importance of choosing the right path for oneself, as the individual will only have the opportunity to live the life of oneself. Thus, it is essential to seize the day, and live a life to the fullest while staying true to oneself. Lastly, the ill-omened opening continues to linger throughout the film, which adds another intriguing ingredient to the film.

Truth doesn't necessarily make for a good movie. This movie has a lot of champions. I'm not one of them.

Here's the scoop. Green Graves is moving, with his mom and younger brother, from Detroit to Alabama. Mom wants to start a new life and Green wants to become a special effects artist in Hollywood. That road is more difficult than he would have imagined.

I found this a very mean spirited movie. Most of the characters are nasty in any number of ways. And they are written in many of the cliches bandied around about the Southern U.S. They are incestuous, drunk, self righteous, bible thumping, ignorant trailer trash. Mom wants to start a new life, but the first male she hooks up with is a woman beating drunk who holds a mean, iron fist over the household. Green is learning his craft but is considered evil by the local religious folk because of it and it causes him great harm. He falls for a local girl (Laura Prepon) who has her own problems and has a mother who is such a good Christian she'll lie to the authorities to get Green thrown in jail. She is so religious shell bust up his haunted house display with a sledge hammer. This is ugly through and through. There are a couple of good souls in this movie, but not enough to balance out the nastiness.

This is a low budget film and it should get some commendation that they even got it made but it hurt for me to watch. Some of the acting was good. Some of it was awful. The music was generally pretty awful and the camerawork was pretty bad as well. The lightning bug metaphor was OK I suppose but not enough to help this mess out.

This is based on the true story of the writer director. Maybe he should have let someone else handle it. Someone who would have had enough distance from it to know how to shape it into a good story.

I just saw this movie and I am still sitting here stunned. I loved this movie. It really brings together who really are the "demons" in one's life. Being raised with this mentality myself, and spending many hours in therapy to rationalize what had happened to my childhood, I can sympathize with anyone that goes through this kinda "torment" and celebrate thier freedom when they are out of it. This movie is very like real life and very believable to the last second. I recommend this movie to anyone that has had hopes and dreams to achieve with minimal support and finally gets what the person wanted. Achievement!!!!!

this movie was excellent i found it in the horror section,but it's not really a horror flick it's about a kid who's trying to get to hollywood to do effects for horror flicks,and shows all the troubles he has to endure before he trek's off to hollywood,it has the mood of a horror movie,but shows the real life horror's people have to go through,very engrossing i would watch over and over destined to be a cult classic for sure.

I just saw this movie .WOW I really liked it, cast they done great job, acting & cast was SUPER!!!!!!!!!

Love the rock sound track, great music in this movie, Really got me, Because any youth have dream to become someone or having a talent to make it big one day in this crazy world. Well is true!! This guy, have talent for Halloween mask , special effects & makeup he makes, with the real "disturbing" scary life drama he has, really got me in edge my seat and didn't let me go till end with a little twist I never thought going to gets like that...Really liked it!!

I gives this movie with great scrip and cast a B+
Don't miss this movie for sure ,rent or buy whatever just see it at least once!

This movie is an excellent drama/thriller/horror. Meet Green Graves, eighteen year old, uneducated poor child that lives with his mother and brother in a trailer. He has dreams of becoming a makeup artist in Hollywood. He struggles with a nasty step father, a troubled girlfriend, nice but stupid mother, zealots, and other obstacles. Its quite a touching movie with a strong message never give up. I would highly reccomend it.

"Lightning Bug" is a surprisingly good character drama that exposes domestic violence and the struggle of a loveable gang of Southern rejects against their personal demons. Green Graves family is poor but, it doesn't stop him from practicing his talent. Angevine Devit's family is rich but the grass isn't so green in her yard either. It goes to show you that real friends can transend egos and social class. Green also represents the "normal" horror movie viewers. Jenny Graves, played by Ashley Laurence, really is trying to understand her son. Funny how she picks up a Fangoria magazine with Hellraiser II on the cover. Her character broke my heart it was played so well. Ashley's acting goes far beyond that of Kirsty Cotten of the Hellraiser series. Her character and acting were very genuine. It broke my heart to see get her life in order only to have it destroyed. It's all too real. All the characters were genuine. That is what makes this film so good. The actors were very well chosen and the story was very honest. Who knew Laura Prepon would look so hot dressed all gothy... grrrrr. Ashley laurence is still the hottest. The film goes beyond a good looking cast of good actors. It's one of the best independant drama's I've seen in a long time.

The forshadowing and backtracking sequences could have been edited in better but the films simple story and filming don't take away from the emotions.

I have to say if you like emotional dramas, not to unrealistic and stupid like your teen sisters bitchfests, try this film. Horror fans will find a kin to Green Graves and his desire to work in horror movies and adore Asheley laurence and see her in a new light.

8 out of 10.

Loosely based on first time writer/director Robert Hall's own life,this film centers on a young wannabe horror movie makeup artist(Brett Harrison) and his dream to escape life in his small southern town.Complicating matters are an abusive stepdad and a town full of folk who see him pretty much as the devil himself.Laura Prepon(Donna,"That '70s Show")plays a pretty video store clerk who falls for the young man,but who has a secret or two of her own.Hal Sparks(soon to be ex-Michael,"Queer as Folk")plays the local town deputy and is quite good....and very funny.I had the pleasure to see this,at a gathering of fellow Hal Sparks fans,back in September 2004 and have been waiting for the DVD.This is a definite must have in your DVD collection.

I have an obsession with Hal Sparks. That is what drew me to this film. It's a sweet story and I actually found myself drawn in. Much better than I thought it would be