meaninglessbark Pot smoking is seen all through the film Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas and based on the generally pointless, rambling, and dull quality of the film it would seem that all the bongs and pot weren't set props but were equipment used to make the film.The storyline had to be conceived while stoned, that's if it was actually fully conceived before the film began shooting. It seems just as likely that shooting began and the story was made up one bong hit at a time.The gist of the story is that Bickford Shmeckler wrote a "book" which is so full of astounding concepts about life, the universe, and everything that it changes the lives of almost anyone who reads it. (Only the barest hint of these "cool ideas" are ever actually revealed to the audience.) Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas isn't really sure of what sort of film it's supposed to be. At times it seems it's a moronic party comedy, at times it tries to be serious. But whatever it tries it fails on all accounts.The characters are flat and lifeless, which doesn't seem to be the fault of the actors, it definitely feels like bad writing and direction.The attempts at humor (which include a scene where a handful of gay slurs are shared, one sight gag with a person in a wheelchair, and a mentally ill character included for the sake of zaniness) also fail. That includes the terrible idea to name the title character Bickford Shmeckler. (I laughed once during the film, 34 minutes into it. Shortly after that the only thing visually interesting in the film happens when...SPOILER ALERT...Bickford suddenly stabs a meat fork into a cantaloupe. It was also the film's only genuine moment.) What makes this film worth disliking is that there was a chance to explore some interesting ideas here such as people embracing pop theology/ideology in a manner that's just as mindless as their lives before exposure to the new ideas. Or people wanting to embrace trinkets such as hats and t-shirts as an expression of their beliefs. Or the discovery of a writer who doesn't want to be discovered and who definitely doesn't want to be the leader of some new quasi-religion based on his writing. In fact Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas so completely misses making a point (or even telling an interesting story) that this "story" could be turned into an entirely different, much better film.

lewiskendell "You killed her? No! How?! With a butcher's knife?!"Disaffected college student Bickford Shmeckler (Patrick Fugit) has filled a book with his cool and revolutionary ideas about reality. One night at a party, beautiful kleptomaniac Sarah (Olivia Wilde) stumbles into his room, and makes off with his book of ideas. Over the next few days, Bickford frantically tries to track the book back down, while reading it has a huge affect on the lives of Sarah, an entire Dungeons and Dragons club, a horny cosmology professor, and a group of homeless nuts led by a man named Spaceman. Yes, the movie really is that random. The most random and peculiar indie comedy that I've seen in a while.   As you can tell from the description, this is a pretty weird movie. It's low-budget, for sure. Lots of obscure tunes from college radio on the soundtrack, and lots of "alternative" humor. I found the attempts at humor to be more bemusing, than anything else. I only recall laughing out loud once (thanks to a few cameos from Reno 911! and a rape joke that came out of nowhere). If the idea of a book giving women brain orgasms sounds funny to you, then you'll be right at home, here. I don't really think I can recommend that anyone who's not a massive Olivia Wilde or Patrick Fugit fan go out of their way to catch this one. The movie takes a turn for the dramatic at the end that doesn't fit well with anything that came before, and the entire script just seems like it could have used a lot more development.

erin s. The problem with "Bickford Schmeckler's Cool Ideas" is that it has no potential. It has good actors, who give good-enough performances, but they are wasted on dialogue and characters that are unrealistic, sparsely funny, and never connecting with the audience.There is just no reason to tell this story. Bickford Schmeckler loses the notebook he keeps his great ideas in, and he goes on an urgent quest to get it back. He meets new people and, surprise!, has an epiphany not generated from solitary deep-thinking. But the whole time, we know Bickford will get his notebook back, and we know he will learn something, and so we, the audience, learn nothing.*** The rest of this comment may contain spoilers ***The little details of this movie (people will orgasm from great ideas?), the supporting characters (some of whom irritatingly disappear with no concluding remarks), their problems (being a kleptomaniac, being gay, having schizophrenia, etc.), their heart-wrenching back-stories (playing D&D...) -- they don't matter because they are supporting something that isn't there. They will admit to some secret they have told no one else, but doing this does not affect the movie in the long run. Bickford will still find his notebook. Bickford will still get his girl and realize that great thoughts don't make for great fun. The frosting doesn't exactly matter if you forgot to add eggs to the batter in the first place.Bickford is supposed to be an anguished genius, but he never seems to have any truly great thoughts, nor feel any truly great despair. He does not exactly fit any pre-existing archetypes (unlike most of the other characters -- the nymphomaniac, pot-addicted artist; the deep-down egocentric, materialistic musician; the gay frat boy; the easily-swayed role-playing gamer), but still feels 2-D. Bickford Schmeckler supposedly has some cool ideas, but this movie was definitely not one of them. Time and talent were squandered (and oddly advocating of promiscuous sex, but not doing drugs, even if you are schizophrenic because apparently there really are aliens living in your brain?).But props to John Swihart for an awesome soundtrack. And look out for the song "I Don't Know" by Mushman, Patrick Fugit's (and David Fetzer's) band.See this movie only if you like the actors enough to get excited whenever they have screen time... even if it's severely wasted screen time.

Kally I loved this movie. Although my opinion is biased on the fact that I adore Patrick Fugit and would be pleased with anything he was cast in. I was greatly impressed by Olivia Wilde's performance on the big screen, as I had only seen her on a few episodes of The O.C. I found the theories in 'The Book' itself to be 'brain-gasmic' and quite thoughtful. Surly something I, myself, would have wanted to read if there were such a book published.I gave the movie and overall 8 because, although I was excited to see Patrick, the plot was slow and I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending of the film.