Dog Days of Summer (2007)

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

It should be clear that 'Dog Days of Summer' is not a formulaic film crafted for box office success. It is an independently produced film often compared to 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' -- whose screenplay Paramount bought but then allowed to lapse and Disney bought, reworked, filmed, and reworked more before its release, earning $8.4 million on a $19 million budget.But the comparison is based on two young boys having significant leading roles and the use of mysticism in the screenplay. Whereas 'Something Wicked' maintained a level of mysticism throughout, 'Dog Days' begins in total realism and ends in total mysticism without revealing whether its central character, Eli Cottonmouth, has mystic powers. It also eliminates any family-friendly audience draw by eliminating one of its young leads.To producer/director Mark Freiburger, it's the story of a man going back to rediscover the faith of childhood before it's too late – not faith in God, but faith in humanity, that people are good and just. Jaded viewers will be unable to see this quest, convinced that, to a child, ignorance is bliss that the filmmakers mistook for faith.

A stranger drives into a small sleepy town (flashback mode) promising to build a model of the town for its upcoming 250th year celebration. He uses two boys to help him take photographs, one Devon Gearhart, who was excellent in another little known art-house film, "Canvas". What begins somewhat like a sweet family film, turns out to have a darker side, and like other reviewers have mentioned, a fantasy element not unlike a Twilight Zone episode, or even more like Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes". This is the directors first full length film, and while it is quite good, it ambles along and seems to lack focus as to what the story is trying to say. When it finally comes clearer in the final 15 or 20 minutes, it has some interesting revelations, some Christian elements of retribution for sinful behaviors, and a very touching scene just before the end in a soda fountain about the loss of innocence, which for me made the earlier shortcomings almost irrelevant. There is a folksy quality to the flashback scenes, which comprise the majority of the movie, while the today scenes with the now grownup Philip, are darker in mood and showing virtual total devastation of the town. The movie is filmed in Edenton, North Carolina, a beautiful small historic town on the Albemarle Bay, which adds to the excellent cinematography. This is not a movie for the action crowd, but if you are a fan of Ray Bradbury, as I am, I think you will find this film well worth your time. Just keep in mind that it is the director's first full length effort and cut him a little slack.

I felt this film was very special, as I am an aspiring kid out of college and going on to do film/video production at university, it was a great inspiration to me, and definitely an encouragement during my gap year to work hard at my own ideas. Mark has everything that makes a good director, Determination, a good cinematic eye, and kindness. Which i think clearly shows through each scene during the film. It had a warm, yet sinister atmosphere. With a very down-to-earth approach, therefore holding the brutal truth for some characters. He matched the soundtrack well with the scenes (especially the opening scene), which I picked up on a lot as I am looking to first go into music video production. Overall, I think mark and his crew made a first film to be very proud of, and I can sympathise with how much effort and patience it must have taken to get the film to where it is today. I can't wait to see what else Mr. Freiburger has up his sleeve!

This was a good coming of age/growing up and life changing type film but more in depth about what and how the changes came about. The odd stranger that comes to the small town gives the boys a new way to look at people and things. He guides them. The way the boys perceive the town and how the stranger does also changes the town. It comes full circle for one of the boys as he loses part of his childlike hope and youthfulness in a way but is able to get it back when he comes to understand the things that occurred during that time about that particular summer and small town life.The time period was transcendent but it worked.The story was great and could have happened in any time period.The Cinematography was great and it was shot in 35mm film.The look was marvelous. It was nice that it was not all digital like so many movies. The area they filmed in had a great look and feel. It was a very interesting movie and a bit twilight zone like but not overly.I hope this breaks out of the Indie roll as it was an outstanding movie.