Slackers Review
by Robin Clifford (robin AT reelingreviews DOT com)January 31st, 2002
"Slackers"
Dave (Devon Sawa), Jeff (Michael C. Maronna) and Sam (Jason Segel) are three roommates at Holden University that have proudly lied, cheated and scammed their way through their entire college careers. Now, just weeks away from graduation, their shady dealings are uncovered by an ambitious nerd who calls himself Cool Elliot (Jason Schwartzman) and threatens to blow the whistle on trio unless they use their wiles to hook him up with a brainy babe named Angela (James King) in "Slackers."
With years of scamming the system under their belts the triumvirate of cheaters figures, with the experience they have mustered, that giving Ethan what he wants and saving their butts should be child's play. They don't count on two facts: Ethan lacks any social grace and may be a stalker-in-training; and, Dave, himself, falls for the very pretty Angela. It becomes a battle of wills as Dave, Sam and Jeff pit their deceitful minds against the conniving, maybe crazy Ethan.
Commercial and music video director Dewey Nicks makes his feature film debut with "Slackers" and, truth be told, he should not give up his day job just yet. This tyro effort is a mishmash of styles and techniques that range from music vids and fantasy sequences to slapstick to sexually titillation and gross out - long-ago sex kitten Mamie Van Dorn plays a cameo role as a hospital patient who exposes her ample breasts to Cool Ethan in the film's scariest scene. This one bit, alone, should be a good gauge to judge the film as a waste of time. A musical duet of "She'll be Comin' 'Round the Mountain When She Comes" between Jeff and his sock puppet clad penis put fear in my heart, too. At times, and frequently, the term "bottom of the barrel" came to mind. Place blame, also, on the confused and senseless script by first timer David H. Steinberg (although his second accepted screenplay of "American Pie 2" made it to the screen first.)
Acting is little more than perfunctory through most of "Slackers." Devon Sawa, as the head of the title slackers, is rather plastic in his portrayal of sneaky, yet likable, Dave. Michael C. Maronna, whom you will recognize as Stuart in the Ameritrade TV adverts, is the comic relief of the trio. Jason Segel, as Sam, is the more serious heart of the merry band and actually gives some dimension to his perf - far more than this film deserves. I'd like to see more of the newcomer. I don't know what Jason Schwartzman is supposed to be as Elliot Dulles. He is pathetic, somewhat sinister but then again not, clumsy, nuts and little more than a poorly devised plot device that has to be thwarted by our heroes. James King is very pretty as Angela but merely a desirable object of affection. I try not to think about Mamie Van Doren's appearance and fear her return to the screen.
Techs are mostly on a par with the rest of the film, which isn't saying much. This is not the kind of movie that anyone will use as a calling card for future employment. Shoot the director and scribe and leave the rest of the cast and crew in peace.
If you're the kind of person that finds politically incorrect themes of smoking cigs and pot, drinking beer, unprotected sex and guilt fantasies about Ethan having a dalliance with Dave's mom to be funny then "Slackers" is the flick for you. For everyone else, forget about it. Don't waste your money. I give it a D-.
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