Kellen Horvath

For a hunter, and especially for a hunter in Michigan, this movie will become a cult classic. I gotta admit, when I bought this movie in the bargain box at a family video (back when they were still around) I didn’t know what to expect. Many years later, I still watch the movie with my family every night before hunting season. The film follows the story of Rueben Soady, the oldest son of a deep-rooted hunting family in the upper peninsula of Michigan. About to become the oldest member of the family to have never harvested a buck, he resorts to a plethora of ways to try to increase his luck before he ends up on the “wrong end of the record books”. As a deer hunter of the Midwest, I could not stop laughing and relating to it. In fact, I have probably seen it dozens of times, and It never ceases to put a smile on my face. A huge part of the movie is Yooper (term for people of the upper peninsula of Michigan) culture. The movie brings a part of the United States that seems so cut off into the spotlight. Leinenkugels beer, pasties, replacing “th” with “da”, sweet sap whiskey and euchre are just some of the things you’ll be introduced to in this movie! Before watching Escanaba, I had no idea that such a unique and distinct culture existed. It also shows how proud yoopers are of who they are and where they come from. The changes that Rueben brings to the deer camp spark a chain of goofy, unexplainable events that take the audience on a roller coaster ride. Hunters can be very superstitious people. Between aliens, evil spirits and Jimmer’s farts, it takes hunting superstitions to the next level. Nearly every line in the movie is a one-liner that you’ll be saying the rest of the night. The characters are both extremely comedic and relatable for Yoopers and those in the hunting community. Your stomach will ache with laughter throughout the whole thing! The movie is not only comedic, but it captures the reality of hunting traditions and what makes them so special. It shows how hunting can bring families together to not only get out in the woods and pursue deer, but to come together and create long-lasting memories. Escanaba In Da Moonlight not only makes you laugh your head off, but it gives some sense of how hunting is more than just a pastime: it can be a deep-rooted tradition that brings family and friends together every year. Escanaba is a unique movie that sparks both uncontrollable laughter and emotional relatability. One fact is, however, if you are not a deer hunter, you won’t nearly appreciate it (or understand it) as much. For hunters, it is THE movie. It is a MUST watch. Everything from beer to conflict with the DNR, you will love the film. And just remember, “if you wanna go to heaven, it’s north at a bridge”.

For a teen romcom, the movie was certainly a quintessential example of such. I believe if the audience was looking for a teen romantic comedy without thinking too much, it was the right decision to watch it. However…the movie lacked clear substance and depth, and the overall movie experience was quite bland. The principal writing the risqué novel was awkward at the beginning, and the plot bounced around between the sisters with awkward friction. I was surprised how fast Kat came back to Patrick after finding out he was being payed to be with her. On the other hand, perhaps it was because she had been restricted in the ways of love for so long. There was also no clear main character. It bounced around to Cameron, then to Kat, then to Patrick. A little confusing for the viewer. Overall, the movie experience was “not bad”. Nothing to write home about, but a decent movie experience.

What on gods green earth was this film? Was the cast on drugs? Was it a fever dream? The world may never know. I have never been more disturbed in my life by watching this. What was the plot? The characters? The moral? I don’t even know where to start. I have no words. What on earth was the first scene with meatloaf? He drove his motorcycle through the freezer, sang, then got killed. Huh….welp. I thought about writing a long, in depth review but cannot find the words. I feel like I had just survived a great wartime battle by making it through that. I did however learn a lot about transvestites so, I call that a win. I will forever be scarred by this film. Frankly put, I will never be the same. I have already registered for counseling, and hope to regain my former self. I guess Brad and Janet are still looking for that telephone.

“Mean girls was 2 much for me to handle” The movie could be described as “eh” The overall movie was extremely repetitive and repeated itself a lot. Jo would do something then Mandi would do something and it continued till the very end. The movie in all was a blur and did not feel like it had a lot of ups and downs. It felt like a straight line. For one, why on earth didn’t Abby’s parents get involved when her car was vandalized with paint ball guns? For goodness sakes it’s an expensive car that is private property. She, or her parents, could easily get law enforcement involved and get a stop to it. When mandi says “it’s so embarrassing how much they love me”, is probably the most scripted line I’ve ever heard. But, it was successful in making the audience hate the plastics even more, so you make the call. What in the actual heck went on with Jo’s neighbor Mr. winkle? What was that whole conversation about? Just some random dude across the street yelling and obsessive over security cameras? That scene left me scratching my head and tempted to turn off the movie and get a snack. Why…wasn’t…the…money footage…revealed…earlier?! The footage was revealed right at the very end. Why? It made extremely little sense. The truth could have come out way earlier. In conclusion, the movie was a good one to watch if you don’t want to think about in depth plots or messages. I probably would’ve still watched it if I could go back, but dang it had its moments when I was like I think this movie had a budget of four dollars.

IF YOURE WILLING TO LOOSE A COUPLE BRAIN CELLS AND WASTE AN HOUR AND A HALF OF YOUR TIME, THIS IS THE MOVIE FOR YOU. to start off, let’s take a look at the plot: there barely was one. The ridiculous multitude of plot lines left us confused and discombobulated. You could never tell who was with who, the weird plot twist with the mom discovering the diary entries made no sense. Was that a plot twist anyway? Was the relationship with Kyle a set up so Miley could be with Emily? What was the deal?! It jumped around so much. One relationship plot line went from another so rapidly. So many unnecessary plot lines kept going way deeper than they needed to, and it left the audience going “what the heck?!” Miley’s family was certainly way to comfortable with themselves, and the mom was way too lenient with her, especially after realizing Miley was doing drugs. The battle of the bands was also unnecessary, and acted as an awkward filler, and had nothing to contribute to the plot. The movie also probably should have been rated R, as some scenes were very risqué. The only character who made any freaking sense in this movie was the teacher who Emily had a crush on, and he set his boundaries well. There was no climax. The movie just kept trucking on into a resolution. The grandma and the dad also contributed nothing to the movie. Kyle’s dad we also never saw resolved with his relationship toward his son and his passion for music. The one thing I will say about the movie is that the ending song “I won’t let you go” was in my head and haunted me the rest of the evening. I have spent the last couple days trying to understand the theme of this movie and what the message is. I have come to the conclusion that there really wasn’t one. My favorite part of the movie was the ending credits. Well worth the watch!