388 Arletta Avenue

388 ARLETTA AVENUE Might Be 'Creepy' For All the Wrong Reasons
On first blush, 388 ARLETTA AVENUE might seem like a clever idea: the motion picture is yet another of the `found footage' flicks, a story edited together from multiple independent cameras videotaping the life and times of a young couple trapped within a curious set of circumstances. However, on closer inspection, I thought much of the decisions made by writer/director Randall Cole were slightly off-kilter to produce anything greater than a bloated vanity project, a curious failure worth watching for curiosity's sake but perhaps little else.

[NOTE: for the record, ARLETTA is one of those films that has an ending that makes it difficult to discuss the plot/premise without some modest spoilers. I've done the best I can with the material, but be warned: there will be minor spoilers contained below.]

James Deakin (played by Nick Stahl) eeks out an existence as an advertising executive. He's married to a lovely woman, Amy (Mia Kirshner), and, while they're not...

Good movie, but viewpoint is getting old.
This is a good movie but I feel it would've been much better if told like a normal movie, rather than only from a voyueristic viewpoint. The 'Blaine Witch Project'/hidden camera viewpoint is getting a little overused and seems like a lazy way to make a movie. It's very restricted and doesn't allow you to follow the storyline in depth, which can be very frustrating. Overall a good story, but the way it was filmed leaves a lot to be desired.

A Voyeuristic Thriller That Remains Far Too Distant To Be Truly Impactful
Randall Cole's "388 Arletta Avenue" is an interesting idea of a movie, but that's about all it is. Beyond the initial premise, the screenplay doesn't even attempt to provide much story and/or characterization for its audience to grasp onto. It is an unconventional choice, but one that left me completely disconnected to any potential tension or thrills in this half-baked and vague idea of a plot. Styled similarly to the "found footage" genre of filmmaking, every scene in "388 Arletta Avenue" is grainy, unfocused, and captured from a distance. As a young couple (played by Nick Stahl and Mia Kirshner) is watched by a mysterious stranger, their lives are being taped and this scrutiny starts to unnerve our pair (and rightly so). Just who is this intruder into their lives and what is his goal? And does it matter? Ultimately, Cole seems to think that motive or ANY type of back story is completely unnecessary--so you'll just have to go with the flow as the unseen villain gets closer and...

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