Strictly average movie

Excellent but underrated film

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

On my binary scale of Yea or Nay (ie 10 or 1) I give this flick a Yea meaning I didn't have to fast forward through any of it. Of course that doesn't mean you will like it. Maybe you hate it as many other reviewers seem to. Somebody said there's no likable characters. I didn't find that at all. The kids are all really nice, ordinary student types. I've been around University life for forty years. I can see normal when I see it. In fact, unlike most of these types of movies, I felt bad when so many of them got murdered. I really did. Of course the protagonist kid is a dweeb alright but so what? Aren't we all? In the old days we all would have been cheering at the end when he came through and did his thing. The evildoers are a couple of real rat bastards. I hated them thoroughly. Christian Slater did such a good job as a slimy rat psycho that I think I'll never be able to see him as a hero type again. Good character acting. I really dug the monkey too. That was great. The other psycho is such a putrid punk I was yelling at the monitor when he was doing his disgusting rat psycho stuff.

While Rites of Passage is a low budget film, it was a lot better than I was expecting. The trailer made the movie appear to be a very cheesy scary movie. In reality, it wasn't as scary as it portrayed to be, and there also was some humor to it. The plot is creative and ambitious. It is hard to make a movie about college students getting high and killing each other seem plausible and real. I believe the writers and producers did the best they could to make the unbelievable situation seem possible in Isla Vista, Santa Barbara. Actors Wes Bently and Christian Slater did well in the acting department, but the college girls, other than Ashley, were either just starting their acting careers or need to practice more. All in all it was fun to watch at the premiere, and the Chumash community at the premiere made for an interesting night!

Rites passage is a low budget film directed by a screen writer and filmed on single camera on location in a small Californian beach town. Considering the budget and limited man power the movie depicts modern college students in the correct way, especially those from the infamous Isla Vista party scene. For having a few big and upcoming names involved in this feature the acting was a little sub-par. All in all the plot quickened quite fast and I personally hoped it would have been slightly more drawn out. I found it not as bad as many of the other reviewers described, although I took into consideration the budget and limitations etc.

While this movie is no award winning film, it does seem to get audiences attention. From beginning to end the film keeps a fast and thrilling pace, which help my attention. I was lucky enough to hear the directors speak in person, so I consider my self a little bias after really liking then men who made the film. In terms of the actual quality of the movie I think it was a fairly good movie. Definitely marketed towards a younger crowd. Includes a lot of sex, drugs, and partying so if your are into that you will find this movie entertaining. Also, the film includes a lot of blood and murder, so if you like funny thrillers it is the film for you. Would I buy a copy to own? Probably not. But it was enjoyable to watch since it was filmed in Isla Vista, where I currently live. All in all Rites of Passage is a goofy thriller good for a night in with popcorn, and a few laughs.