pfate12 After being so impressed with "It Follows" I decided to have a look at David Robert Mitchell's first full-length feature. Basically what we have here is an attempted update on "Dazed and Confused" + "American Graffiti" (particularly the subplot of one male teen glimpsing a gorgeous blonde early in the movie and then spending the remainder of the runtime trying to find her) infused with a drop of 80s John Hughes sentimentality. Unfortunately "The Myth of the American Sleepover" falls well short in quality by comparison to those classics.For a movie like this to succeed it needs interesting, thoughtful characters that have interesting, thoughtful things to say. We also need the director to effectively capture dreamy nostalgia and youthful vigor. None of that is here. We're stuck with dull cookie-cutter teens and trite dialogue that is delivered by every character with a surprising level of boredom and absence of passion. The character Maggie comes closest to providing a spark but she shares screen time with too many others and is still restricted by the script.We know from "It Follows" that Mitchell is an excellent cinematographer, skillful in pacing, mood, and creating tension. We also know he is capable of portraying the human condition, traumas, and sufferings with insightful depth. He needs to improve his ability to write good dialogue, particularly when a movie is strongly dependent on it.

brandinfennessy-77531 THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER ~ 2010 ~ Directed by: David Robert Mitchell ~ Starring: Claire Sloma, Marlon Morton, Amy Seimetz~10 *s out of 10 Dear David Robert Mitchell, You are a god, sir .. and, although you may never get the truest recognition you deserve for, perhaps, some time, it's obvious to me that your films are brilliant. as well as absolutely, utterly drenched to the core with a heartbreaking, idiosyncratic style personal to you and you only .. you are a special filmmaker Mr. Mitchell, and this here is one of my all-time favorite pictures; it is, in fact, the greatest coming-of-age that has ever been made .. before seeing this in 2015, a few months after the equally brilliant IT FOLLOWS was released widely, I had dreamt of a film just like it for years and years; I'd dreamt of making one like it one day .. and seeing the film was basically seeing these own dreamscapes of my head realized .. and, of course, realized with more elegance and brilliance than I ever could have dreamt of. ~~~ I'm not going to be naive and pretentious enough to start trying to break down, on a technical level, why this film is a full-fledged (American) masterpiece, but I will say this: the fact that its production budget was a truly borderline micro one (according to basic sources) only goes to strongly exemplify a conviction that this film is a godsend of the heavens, and that it'll eventually go down in history as one of the great (cult) debuts of all time .. this film really feels like living inside of a dream for an hour and forty minutes - a dream from when one is seventeen or eighteen years old .. it explores, with a powerful synthesis of style and substance, the majesty of innocence and the theme of demystification .. I do really hope that it gains full-fledged cult-status one day, b/c this magnificently gloomy, low-budget masterwork damn well deserves it ~~~ If I were to try and break things down technically, I'd start by saying that the cinematography is off-the-effing-hook; the guy that 'DPed' this also did "Moonlight", and the magnificence of his work speaks for itself - along with his oscar nomination, of course!; Mitchell, however, is the visionary here, and, the way I see it is, he essentially looks aesthetics RIGHT in the damn eye, and successfully captures these essences of beauty like a photojournalist in the jungle that manages to photograph rare animals; the way it's shot is Mitchell searching for heaven here on earth, and, through his own unique sense of style and mise-en-scene, he finds it ... furthermore, the unique, divinely peculiar way music is used is perfect and poignant, always enhancing the film throughout; the score-work, sound-design and soundtrack are, seemingly, all blended into a single 'sound' for the film, and everything that's heard truly does seem destined for, and integral to, their respective images ... moreover, Mitchell's casting seems to be heaven-sent, as if these mostly no-name actors (Amy Seimetz not being a no-namer, but just as perfect for this film as the others) were born for this picture, and are as integral to it as anything; they really, truly seem like regular kids and young-adults, almost as if they were just real kids living there in those Detroit suburbs during filming; still, they ARE performances - hyper-realistic ones, and very much unlike the documentary-type performances from young actors and actresses in films like those of Larry Clark ~~~ basically, though, this film is definitely an example of the 'whole being greater than the sum of its parts' .. it's hard to try and put into words why it is honestly as good a picture as "The Godfather" (lol I'm serious) and/or "Citizen Kane", but it most certainly is - by at least any and all standards I can think of .. it is magic, and truly is the pinnacle of the 'coming-of-age' genre .. it really does simply just work, and is as stylish as a picture can get before being avant-garde. 10 *s out of 10

TheFilmGuy1 I call this a "modern John Hughes" movie because, just like the John Hughes films of the 80's, they tell stories of teenagers that can hit home with many people. This film tackles some of the not only more modern issues with teenagers, but the deeper issues. I think where it misses its mark is with some of the characters themselves. The story surrounding them may be interesting, but the characters...not so much. For example, I thought the "twins" story line was interesting, but the guy who played the character which this plot surrounds wasn't very likable (perhaps due to his terrible haircut). I think a better casting could have improved this film. The movie looks at teenage life through a slightly nostalgic point of view, but I think it benefits from this. It also shows high school from different points of view, such as a freshman, a senior, or even someone who has already graduated from high school. This film had potential and some good moments, but overall didn't quite hit the mark.

gregking4 a poignant and fresh take on this iconic, typically American experience. This low budget independent coming of age comedy from writer/director David Robert Mitchell explores the usual themes of teen angst, friendship, sex, and the search for love. Set in Detroit on the last weekend of the summer holidays before the kids return to school, the film draws upon Mitchell's own memories of his adolescence. There are a number of sleepovers, slumber parties and pool parties happening. The film follows four teens – Rob, Scott, Maggie and Claudia - as they hang out, talk about their fears and insecurities, crushes, and look for that elusive first kiss. However, unlike most comedies aimed at an adolescent audience this low-key film eschews the usual cheap scatological and puerile humour, opting for a more in depth exploration of their concerns. Mitchell demonstrates a strong understanding of adolescent emotions and desires that brings credibility to the material, and it reeks with a strong sense of nostalgia. Mitchell maintains a deceptively meandering pace as he juggles the multiple narrative strands and moves seamlessly between the various characters. The dialogue rings true, and Mitchell teases natural performances from his unknown ensemble cast. The Myth Of The American Sleepover is an honest and affirmative coming of age film that resonates.