While Hollywood's recent movie output has been disappointing, UB students can find an atypical source of entertainment with the UB-made comedy, "The Scoop."
"The Scoop" is a student production directed by senior media study major Dan Kowalski, who puts UB students in a not-so-academic adventure that takes an uncensored look into college life.
The vulgar, the random, as well as plenty of chase scenes pepper the film.
"I got a f***in' guy chasing me, people kicking me in the balls, a f***ing cowboy kicking my a** and I'm afraid of a goddamn 16-year-old girl! What the hell happened to my life!?" says Jeff, played by Bryan P. Stoyle.
As any UB resident knows, there's more to being a student than the academic side. The majority of the cast and crew is comprised of UB students who have the social experience necessary to critique college life in a humorous and highly dramatized fashion.
Despite moments that reveal the amateurish nature of the production, "The Scoop" wins laughs with a satirical storyline that avoids clich?(c) while mocking the complexities of student life.
Screenwriter Andrew Mills (who also plays Todd) and Kowalski toy with the typical concerns of most college students, nailing basics like financial problems, peer pressure and relationships.
"The Scoop" also tackles love, in all of its collegiate chaos, with the introduction of several problematic relationships. Jeff embeds himself deeper into the plot by committing statutory rape with Suzanne (Melissa Carr), a 16-year-old freshman. In the meantime, his best friend Todd (Mills), who was recently married, tries to hook up with a random girl who just fought with her boyfriend in The Commons.
Though the acting is far from flawless, the overacting works well with the plot, making it humorous and easy to watch.
Adam (Jared Vega) sinks to his knees and bawls like a little girl when Jeff threatens to take away his frat letters.
"I'm a virgin! I need DIK!" cries Adam, referring to his made-up frat. "DIK is everything to me! You, you can't do this to me!"
The unsteady camerawork could use some improvement, either that or a tripod, though it's barely noticeable when you're laughing.
One scene features Jeff getting jumped by a cowboy investigator with a thick Texas accent somewhere in Ellicott. In another, a frantic girl looking for petition signatures assaults him near the Student Union.
"The Scoop" also gives useful advice for college kids. For example, don't have one-night stands with 16-year-old blonde chicks, never forget to lock the door when jerking off to your girlfriend's picture, and don't try to kill yourself with a belt because your girlfriend blew you off to do homework with three other girls.
Advisors would shudder to think of promoting the image of an RA obtaining weed from one of his residents and would frown upon the idea that the vice president would kill a Spectrum reporter for leaking a scandalous truth. But "The Scoop" accurately mocks the many possible corruptions in any system, and does so with comical flare.
Usually, you have to lower your expectations while watching college-made movies, but the familiar places and familiar faces along with an enjoyable storyline makes "The Scoop" easier to warm up to.
Certainly, this is the last film the Office of Admission would choose to show for incoming freshmen, but it captures a more realistic depiction of college than UB 101 does.
There will be a free screening of "The Scoop" at the Student Union Theater on March 27 at 9:30 p.m. It will be followed by a Q&A session with the cast and crew. DVDs are on sale for $5.00 each. Those interested can contact PhalanxFilm@aol.com.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
