Review: ‘Stuck Like Chuck’

Let me first state my disclaimer… This review is my honest opinion of ‘Stuck Like Chuck’ and not in any way shape or form influenced by the fact that the filmmaker, Jerry Cavallero, writes occasionally for WeAreMovieGeeks.com, nor is it influenced one bit by the fact that he is one helluva cool guy and a total ladies man. This review is entirely impartial and is based solely on the fact the his movie totally rocks!

‘Stuck Like Chuck’ is a movie geek’s movie. It pulls it’s influence from various sourced, but primarily pays it’s own personal homage to the films of Kevin Smith. Aside from the obvious references to said indie filmmaker, the movie is filled with inside jokes and repeatedly drops bits of dialogue that any self-respecting movie geek will catch and bust out laughing, even if the non-geek watching it with them continues to sit on the couch with that “what the Hell is so funny” look on their face.

Admittedly, the production value of ‘Stuck Like Chuck’ isn’t perfect, but when you consider that this is the closest thing to a movie made by a one-man show as one could realistically get, it looks pretty damn good. Jerry Cavallero wrote, directed, shot and edited this little slice of romantic comedy for the movie geek. The area of the film that shines the most is it’s dialogue. The writing is sharp, funny and the comedic timing is almost perfect. ‘Stuck Like Chuck’ has plenty of laughs, even if some of them are lost on those not privy to a vast knowledge of film.

‘Stuck Like Chuck’ follows Charlie (Joe Moran), a film student in college, as he stumbles through his inexperienced attempts to get the attention of fellow film student and very attractive geek girl Juliet (Jocelyn DeBoer). Lacking the confidence he desires and the experience that would help him in this quest, he reluctantly accepts the assistance offered to him by his sexually-obsessed, pot-smoking roommate Rob (Patrick McColley). One thing leads to another, and Charlie (aka Chuck) is stuck in a locked down classroom overnight with Juliet. Will they hook up, or will they end up killing each other before the night is through?

For the movie geeks, Jerry has embellished the sets with plenty of eye candy, from movie posters in his dorm room to filmmaker quotes in the classroom. The best embellishments of all, however, are Lloyd Kaufman’s cameo as a filmmaker’s video classroom lesson teacher expounding on the incredibly fascinating topic of the 180 degree rule (aka “crossing the line”). There is one other very special surprise cameo, but you’ll have to watch the movie to learn that little secret!

Overall, ‘Stuck Like Chuck’ has something to offer most viewers. The movie has romance, comedy, a little drama, sexual tension, heartbreak, hash brownies, and even a dab of suspense as Juliet tries to squeeze some dirt out of Charlie, it’s all in there, like Prego. Give ‘Stuck Like Chuck’ a try and I think you’ll like it. Check out the Official Website while you’re at it!

[Overall: 4 stars out of 5]