zebulontbearclaw Saturday night live used to have a sketch called bad theater. usually some imitation of ibsen with a guy pushing a big stone wheel around and around while screaming. this movie is like that. all kinds of gimmics. some scenes are in black and white, some in color. probably for the dream world/reality thing. karen black, who looks older than dirt, plays a crazy mother and a mutilated singer. again some duality bull manure. one son is mean and over acts. the other son is shy and overacts. mean son gives it to shy son up the rear end for some reason. shy son kills mean son. the whole thing is a confused art house mish mash that is kind of cool to look at, meaning the photography is sometimes pretty but is a big fat waste of your life to watch as a movie.

wesd-5 Encountered this one tonight (11/5/06) for the first time. Wow! This isn't easy material. It appears the filmmakers try to help by developing characters beyond what's necessary, but even at that, many won't think they can relate. The in-your-face result is interesting. It could well mimic how it feels in real life, where the action doesn't relent just because you've gotten the point.The cinematography is gripping, but can't possibly exceed the story(s). The film's value is in the validation it provides those who are aware they've lived through it. Not literally, necessarily: just being around these characters, you pick it up.In reality, fate isn't easy on anyone. For those who know it, this is a must see.

Ryan Miller This film had an enormous amount of potential as a drama/murder mystery, but the two ends do not meet. Firecraker would easily leave any viewer asking what the point of this film was, and I don't blame them. It asks far too much of the viewer for interpretation, and quite frankly it doesn't seem intentional.I really enjoyed some parts of Firecracker. There were moments that were truly gripping and sent chills down my spine. But most of that was counteracted by incredibly poor acting. Don't get me wrong - Jak Kendall was brilliant, and Mike Patton was as vibrant as his music (perhaps too much). Yet others like Karen Black and Amy Kelly are almost laughable at points. I can only blame it on amateurish direction, and it's a shame, because these people can do better.Despite that, there's a lot to appreciate here. The editing, cinematography and colors of the film are brilliant and beautiful. Yet the story, while gripping at its core, is presented in such a hollow form that the whole package really falls flat.I would regretfully not recommend this film to anyone. It is at more time painful to watch than captivating. And that is truly unfortunate. This story should definitely be re-visited with better direction. The art of this film and good storytelling could co-exist to create something truly brilliant - but this is not it.And upon further review, I think it is worth noting that almost all 10/10 reviews on this film are from accounts that were made solely to put a positive face on this movie and were probably done by those involved with the movie. If you don't believe me, click on their accounts and you will see that this is the only film they've reviewed.

bkynion I don't ever do comments but this movie was so bad I had to. It annoyed me from the beginning with a horrible slow-mo long shot of a guy running and then never got better. I can't believe so many people made high remarks about this movie. I guess if you like incest gay rape or female castration or enjoy watching a midget strip you might like it and that wasn't even the worst part. Mike Patton and Karen Black play duel roles, I believe to save money, but the key to playing duel roles is that you have to be different characters and I don't think they got the memo. Patton is awful, Black is a little better, but it's like you're watching two crappy stories play out at the same time with the same characters. The edits seemed to be made by college students, the symbolism was poor, the character development was awful and every person in the film was one dimensional. The kicker was that the police couldn't follow the obvious in your face clues that a 4th grader could pick up on, they had to turn to a crazy lady that lived in a field next to a tree that she hung bottles on. My vote for the worst movie of the year, close to all time. There is so much more I could dissect but I don't have enough space.