Jacked
- Director: William Clift
- Writer: Nathaniel Bates, William Clift
- Producer: William Clift, Paul Colichman, Steffen Gauss, David Millbern, John Mongiardo, Cheree Ramon
CGiii Comment
Not exactly a glowing advertisement for Tinsel Town!
With a runtime of only 62 minutes, William Clift has crammed too much into a short space of unrelenting misery. The story unfurls at breakneck speed, matched only by the frenetic and gimmicky editing. This story really didn't need all those bells and whistles. What it did need was more time, money and planning...thereby identifying the strengths and the many weaknesses in the script before the cameras started to roll.
Why did he not go to the police? How many times can you listen to a badly acted homophobic mother bash the bible? Why not focus on the friendship between the two 'destitutes'...easily, the best scene in the entire film.
When naïvety is presented as brashly as it is here...a character so dumb, talentless and hellbent on fame and fortune, it's almost impossible to empathise. Empathy is key in a story like this...in that, this could happen to anyone. Well...only if you are totally and utterly delusional.
Older gay men get a lascivious pounding. L.A. gets a non-tourist friendly bashing...a word of advice, when in L.A. never take your hand off of your luggage!
There was potential...sadly, unrealised.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Forced out of home by his religious mother for being gay, Ethan leaves Michigan for Hollywood to pursue his acting dreams. But he soon finds himself spiraling into drugs, prostitution, and homelessness.
Cast & Characters
Josielyn Aguilera (as Amira)
Andy Arias (as Ricky)
Cade Becker (as Ethan)
Mel England (as Raymond)
Wil J. Jackson (as Jonathan)
Andy Lauer (as Tommy)
Christopher Pearson (as Andy)
Terry Ray (as Malcolm)
Meredith Thomas