Three Holes, Two Brads, and a Smoking Gun (2014) Reviews

• A Taut Low Budget Thriller

  thrillerreviews2015-03-31

  I saw this movie On Demand and really enjoyed it. For the budget of this film, the writer, director, and producers did a great job putting it together. It's shot very well, which makes it look like a much higher budget. It's got a great tone, and has some really comedic moments, as well as some good action scenes, that really balance out some of the slower dialogue-driven apartment scenes. This helps keep the pace without boring the audience. The performances are stellar, especially from James Wilder who perfectly portrays the flawed Bobby Blue Day. The script is very tight, and, though dialogue driven at times, stays smart, witty, and ahead of the viewer until the very last frame. The impeccable direction pulls the script and acting together in a very nuanced way that makes for a really enjoyable movie experience. This film is a must see if you like smart thrillers.

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• An Old Hollywood Homage

  thefilmgod132015-03-31

  3 Holes and a Smoking Gun is an homage (in the satirical sense) to Hollywood and in the vein of anti-Hollywood films like Robert Altman's masterpiece, The Player. It shows at what lengths people will go to make it in "the business" and land the perfect script (the MacGuffin of the film). It's contrived in some ways, but only to further advance the story and hammer home the strong themes. The performances are nothing short of believable, especially from breakout star James Wilder who portrays the ex-Hollywood player, Bobby Blue Day. The intelligent script weaves in emphatic twists and turns seamlessly and eventually leaves us stunned after the second act climax with no idea about what's going to happen next. This film is an accomplishment for independent cinema. 3 Holes and a Smoking Gun can be seen on demand on many outlets like iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, or the Playstation and Xbox Stores, among others, as well as in theaters in limited release around the US. It is worth the price of admission.

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• Outstanding unexpected thriller

  kbasketball182015-03-31

  3 Holes and a Smoking Gun was outstanding. Not only did all of the actors give a strong performance but the cinematic techniques used in this film were done really well. This film could easily pass as a high budget film. I applaud the crew and actors for their time and dedication into making this film so great. The storyline was spectacular. There are a lot of films out there that are similar to one another but, I can honestly say I have never seen anything quite like this. The writer carefully thought out each event, leading to the next. The creativity put into this film is above and beyond. I highly recommend seeing this film, whether you are in the mood to feel inspired or if you are a filmmaker yourself.

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• Strong Indie With Several Twists and Turns

  filmphanatic72015-03-31

  I saw 3 Holes and a Smoking Gun (formerly 3 Holes, 2 Brads, and a Smoking Gun) at the Laemmle Music Hall in Los Angeles last night. The film is a very well crafted neo-noir thriller with overall strong performances from the cast, including James Wilder, Joaquin de Almeida, and Rebecca Mae Palmer. The film follows the story of a washed up Hollywood screenwriter, Bobby Blue Day (masterfully played by James Wilder) who's now teaching a night screen writing class in New York. One of Boddy's students, Jack "J.F.K." Ariamehr (Zuher Khan) writes a masterpiece script, and Bobby wants to partner with him on it and take it to a friend and Hollywood director / producer, Steven Worthy. As the story unfolds, we find out Jack didn't actually write the script, but that he stole it. We see what Jack went through to get the script: a chance encounter with the script's actual writer (Howard McNair) that results in Jack murdering him, a showdown with a homeless crackhead (Rudolf Martin), and then he's ultimately saved by an ex-mobster hiding out as an antiques salesman (Joaquim de Almeida as "Joey the Junkman") who sells Jack the coveted typewriter he needs to finish stealing the script he just killed for. Along the way, several people die including, as I mentioned, the original scriptwriter, the hemophiliac crackhead who tries to steal Jack's typewriter and script, Steven Worthy's personal assistant, and Jack's girlfriend (Rebecca Mae Palmer as "Sailor"). There are several other twists and turns along the way, including that Jack's current girlfriend was Bobby's ex and that Bobby had killed before. This all makes for an entertaining film. The moral of the story is that people will do whatever it takes to make it in Hollywood and this film, through sharp and witty dialogue, seamless action, strong performances, a subtle score, and impeccable directing tells that story in a very dark and satirical way. Definitely check this film out in theaters or on demand. It won't disappoint!

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• I HAVE HIM IN MY PHONE

  nogodnomasters2018-09-25

  Bobby Blue Day (James Wilder) is a former Hollywood script writer with director Steven Worthy in his cell phone. He teaches script writing. John F. Kennedy Ariamehr (Zuher Khan) hands Bobby a script that is clearly not his. The story of the script appears to be reflected on the screen. The film used unrealistic characters that were well portrayed by the actors. We never had a protagonist to cheer on. The main plot takes place in a small apartment as our two guys negotiate over the script. The action comes in flashbacks until the end when things continue on the path of improbability. Rebecca Mae Palmer supplies us with limited eye candy as the air headed girl friend. The film starts out with a soundtrack that makes you think it is a thriller while it shows you a picture of a train, bridge and a guy twirling a sign. The action is light and the film moves slow like an indie drama. Not a bad film, but not one I would pay to watch. Guide F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

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