Customer Reviews

Spark

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

 

 

When actors have worked as long and as hard as Terrence Howard and Nicole Ari Parker, it's inevitable that there will be some films of theirs out there that have yet to see the light of day. Now that both Howard and Parker have achieved commercial success, it's no wonder that the 1998 thriller Spark has been given a new DVD release courtesy of Warner Home Video almost a decade after its original premiere in various film festivals. While this might seem like the typical production company effort to cash in on actor's commercial success through the release of older, subpar material, Spark reveals itself to be quality work that stands on its own.

From the opening credits, when we hear a car ignition start up in the dark, and then witness urban landscapes rolling away to rural scenery to the beat of Marc Anthony Thompson's original score, we know we're in the hands of a professional. Spark, the first release on the new American Black Film Festival DVD Series for Warner Home Video, starts with Byron (Terrence Howard) driving Nina (Nicole Ari Parker) from Chicago to LA so that she can begin college classes. The trip is something of a farewell trip between the couple, but when their car hits a dog in an isolated desert town causing the car to break down, things take a turn for the worse. A young mechanic named Mooney (Brendan Sexton III) tows the couple into the only auto shop in town and tensions run high as Byron's hot temper quickly puts him out of favor with the local law enforcement, the racist mechanic overcharges for the repairs, and Nina and Byron are at each other's throats.

Byron discovers a surprising and slightly awkward kinship with Mooney as the couple waits for their car to be repaired, spending the night in a local motel. But the longer Byron and Nina stay in town, the worse things get as Mooney reveals his pent up anger and frustration to the unsuspecting Byron. The movie takes a few unexpected turns, but for the most part the audience can predict what will happen next. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, as the story still plays out in a satisfyingly clever way, only faltering at the very end, when the plot gets a little too heavy for the script to handle. Like Byron's BMW in the film, Spark is a smooth ride when it's running, offering a satisfying ride, but as it runs out of gas, it gets a little shaky and then ultimately dies.

Writer/Director Garret Williams originally filmed Spark as a black and white short in 1996. When the short garnered support (winning both 1st and Grand Prize at the USA Film Festival), he went on to recast the film and develop it as a feature. The feature version of Spark earned Williams the Jury Prize of Best Director in the Urbanworld Film Festival in 1999, a well-deserved honor. Williams' directing is a joy to watch, along with Sam Ameen's beautiful cinematography, using the desert landscapes as a backdrop to Byron and Nina's bleak situation. It's a shame that the duo only have one other shared credit: the 2001 short BB Gun.

After viewing Spark, it's abundantly clear why the ABFF DVD Series chose it as their first release. The film is taut and well-produced, the acting is superb, and the story is fairly solid. Watching Terrence Howard and Nicole Ari Parker as two unknowns in a low-budget indie film, it's already apparent where their talents will take them. Even the most difficult of dialogue, in the hands of such experts, comes out sounding realistic and emotionally honest. The movie has its hitches, but it's still better than most of the movies being released in theatres today. Anyone looking for an early peek at Terrence Howard's leading man capabilities shouldn't miss Spark.

Spark is a skillfully directed uncompromising story of bigotry and vengeance in a small town. The unhurried pace of the film and vast open space of the landscape provide a stark, quiet, yet ominous contrast to the volatile character played by Terence Howard. This is a beautifully made film from a promising new screenwriter and director, Garret Williams.

I've been privileged to see this this film before its release date, and I can't stop thinking about it. For suspense, drama and top-notch directing of an incredibly talented cast, I can't recommend Spark highly enough.

A taught, well directed, really lovely film that showcases another great performance from Terence Howard. Plus, Nicole Ari Parker is such a talent and she rarely gets this kind of role. A definite must see!

The only way i found out about Spark is i was shopping at Walmart and i looked in the movies section and i saw the movie sitting on the shelf. I didn't wanna buy the movie because i wanted to see if Blockbuster Video had it for rent. So i went to Blockbuster and they didn't have it and i didn't understand why. So since i read what the movie was about and i'm a fan of Terrence Howard, i went ahead and bought the movie from Walmart. There's no excuse why this movie shouldn't be available for rent at Blockbuster so blacks can see it. I'm sure most blacks don't even know this film is out on video. I wonder how come this movie was never released in theatres. I don't like Nicole Ari Parker's hairstyle in the movie. She had her hair the same way in Divas movie with Lisa Nicole Carson, Tammi Townsend, Clifton Powell, Khalil Kain. Anyway this was a good film and i liked Terrence's character. He had a serious temper LOL.

This is one of them late night movies you watch when coming in from a late night out on the weekend. You cant ask for much for a movie shot in the late 90's. This fits that era. Of course it would not be relevant now. But they did a good job.

Spark is about an urban couple stuck in a desert town of rednecks. I wasn't sure this was a movie I wanted to see. I was concerned about what would happen to this black couple in this small town out in the middle of nowhere, thinking they would be treated very badly by everyone. But curiosity got the best of me, and the movie stars Terrence Howard (Byron) and Nicole Ari Parker (Nina), so I watched. It turned out everyone in the town wasn't racist; there were some kind people.
Bryon's quick temper didn't help the situation. When he got in trouble at the beginning of the movie, he brought it on himself but later on, well, all I'll say is the one person who claimed he wasn't racist was the one Bryon and Nina needed to watch out for. This person appeared for a good while to be innocent and harmless but I thought he was up to something and I was right. This troubled man had a sinister plan in mind and when he carried it out some ended up dead and innocent people were hurt.
What happened in Spark was messed up and I was really bothered that Nina couldn't get where she wanted to be so she could live the life she craved. This woman wanted to better herself and Bryon was in the way. I wasn't clear on the ending. What was Nina thinking?

Spark is mediocre at best. No, it would have to upgrade to be mediocre. The main problem is that everything in this movie is based on a cliche or stereotype. Every single part.

Take the plot for instance. Nothing was original about this plot. You have a man and woman, Byron and Nina (Howard and Parker) from the city who get stuck in some desert/countryside after their car stops. Ooh original! They get the runaround from the drunken mechanic and they have to stay more than one night. What a surprise. This is like what, a million other movies made? Was the fact that the film starred black people supposed to make this seem different? Please. There should always be a reason a movie is made and there absolutely was none judging by this plot.

Let's look at the "colorful" characters! More cliches and stereotypes all over the place!

First there's Mooney (Brenden Sexton III), the poor tortured soul who suffers verbal abuse from his employer while dealing with his mother's death from his childhood. Mooney is a replica of that pathetic character you just can't seem to help but feel sorry for. In other words this is the big wimpy kid that everyone in town has been bullying. Yawn. Can anyone say, cliche?

You have Howard's character which is nothing but a big stereotype. You wonder if some filmmakers have books on how to make minority characters as two-dimensional as possible. Why does the black man have to be so hostile, rude and mean? Howard's character was so far out of context it was laughable. The man wasn't happy once and it was pathetic. You wonder why anyone, let alone a woman would've put up with this man. Ridiculous. It's insulting because this type of character spreads the myth that all black men are harsh and angry all the time. Please. We never got a reason for Byron being so hostile so all you can think to believe is he's painted this way because he's black. Insulting.

And the stereotypes don't stop there! How come every time you have a movie that takes place in a small town you have to have a mentally disabled character? This is just so stereotypical it's pitiful. The character had no point! Then we had the helpful waitress, the distrusting country-cop, the redneck bully and a couple of racist drawings thrown into the mix. Look, everyone in a small town is NOT racist! I am so sick of films like this that act like small town people are not use to people of different races. There are just as many black people living in small country areas as anyone. It's insulting for films to keep painting these narrow-minded pictures.

Even the dog was a cliche.

As for the context of the plot, there was none. This movie was slow as molasses and about as exciting as stubbing your toe. Did anyone even write a script for this movie? It seemed like the actors were making things up as they go along. The scenes were just thrown together and there was so much wasted time. Why did we have to see all that boring talking between Nina and Byron when they said the same thing all the time? Their conversations all boiled down to this:

Byron: You ain't getting on no damn bus!

Nina: I'm going to L.A.!

And that is it! They said or did nothing different from the very first time the characters are introduced.

This movie was sad. This movie was so misguided you can't pinpoint the genre! Is it supposed to be a thriller, mystery, drama, WHAT? The movie is so badly put together you don't know what the heck it's suppose to be! I gave it two stars because I'm a big Brenden Sexton III fan. I enjoy him because no matter how bad a movie is, he brings something to his character. He was the only thing in this movie with a "spark". Ironically I found the ending entertaining enough to give more than one star (barely).

I think Howard and Parker acted okay but the characters made me sick. Nina whined and squealed the entire time. She got on my nerves. Byron, well I already explained my disgust for Byron. Also the two didn't even seem like they were a couple and Byron was just too mean to even care about.

Skip this unless it comes on television and you're bored. I definitely wouldn't spend money on it. It's nothing you should even check out unless you just got time to kill.

When their car breaks down in the desert (not once, but twice), Howard and Parker are at the mercy of a racist, crooked mechanic. Add the mechanic's weird son to the mix, a boy who takes a liking to the couple, and you've got what could have been a good movie. But it isn't. Howard's character is much too hostile. He's no less menacing and racist then the mechanic. Howard is a hothead who can't keep his mouth shut, not even when the mechanic clearly has the upper hand, not even when a maniac is holding a gun on him. Howard is always angry about something, shouting, mouthing off inappropriately, while his girlfriend repeatedly tries to talk him down. Over and over. Scene after dreadful scene, it goes on and on. There are countless scenes that stagnate this movie rather than moving the plot along.

To make matters worse, SPARK has a slow-witted individual who stutters through every line. It is agonizing waiting for him to say what he wants to say.

By the time the movie neared its end, I fast forwarded though the last few chapters. I didn't care who got killed, who escaped, and I didn't know who was more stupid and racist than the next guy.

SPARK is a perfect example of why I don't pay $9 or $10 to go to the theater anymore. Trailers are deceiving.
So are the five-star ratings on Amazon.

Although I like the 2 actor/actress in the lead roles... this movie is was not good... the script was too simple... you could basically call the ending... and the beginning... and the middle... not enough "umph" for the characters to hold on too!
Grade C