How to Go Out on a Date in Queens (2006)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Admirable film.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

This is a wonderful movie to watch on a date! Directed and produced by Michelle Danner (the renowned acting coach at Edgemar who also stars in this as a sex-crazed eccentric), How to Go out on a Date in Queens perfectly blends comedy, romance, drama and features an interesting ensemble of character actors. Interestingly, Jason Alexander has the least comedic role out of the cast as a gambler in trouble for owing money. He is always great though in everything he does. Christine Dunford is hilarious as his lover who will do anything to help him out and be with him. Ron Perlman has a small role as the gambler hunting down Jason Alexander's character. Stan (played by Brian Drillinger) narrates the beginning of the film and sets the tone with his New Yorker accent as the dating expert with very specific rules. Right after the narration, he is seen advising his widowed friend, Artie (played by the handsome Rob Estes), on what to do on a date since he hasn't dated for many years. Artie is a nice blue collar worker who is broken-hearted over his dead wife. He isn't familiar with the game playing and bullshitting of the dating world that Stan encourages. Stan sets him up on a date with Laura (Michelle Danner) while on a double-date with his girlfriend (played by the adorable Kimberly Williams-Paisley). Hilarity then ensues on this "worst date ever" while other side stories are interspersed throughout. Michelle Danner is a riot in this! I couldn't stop laughing when she hits on Artie! I loved the music, the story and the acting. How to Go out on a Date in Queens is quite a charming little film.

I just rented How to Go Out on a Date in Queens and was not at all disappointed. If you are looking for a good movie that succeeds in combining humor and drama, this is the perfect film for you. Although the undertones were funny, that did not at all take away from the poignant ending. One aspect of this movie that I enjoyed was how it forced you to really think about the relationships humans have. The message is delivered smoothly and effortlessly by Michelle Danner, who directed in, starred in, and produced How to Go Out on a Date in Queens. Renting this movie is a definite must; everyone who does not is missing out on a satisfying piece of entertainment.

Fantastic! Amazing! Hilarious! Funny! I could watch it over and over. It's a MUST see! I'm taking scene study classes with Michelle Danner at The Edgemar Center. She brings a wealth of knowledge and well rounded experience to the class. I have learned SO much from her. Because she has a great directorial eye. Her attention to detail is very supportive. Michelles' feedback is excellent. I always feel like her criticism is constructive and I never feel like she is talking to down to me. I recently got a callback for a feature film that I went in for. I wouldn't have gotten it without her. I've studied with a lot of teachers in Los Angeles and she at the top of my list. She genuinely cares about actors.

**SPOILERS** (not that it really matters) The film starts off with hints that it could be an original, interesting piece with less-than-great acting (except for Mr. Alexander, who made the film, if the film was made at all) alongside a well-thought out plot line. But, after a mere five minutes into this monstrosity, the main character sees a dove, a move the writer/director seems to have thought was inconspicuous yet clever, but is literally the most cliché set-up in film, and maybe even storytelling history. Midway through, the main character literally has a nervous breakdown masked as passion and torment in the middle of the date, the focal point of the film (one date in Queens, New York), and comes off as a whiny, weak, insecure, confused and depressed sociopath. Of course, none of this prevents the same character from falling in love with the waitress of the restaurant where the date occurred, followed by both of their sightings of doves at the end of the movie. Jesus.The character's shadow, a greasy little weasel who is supposed to be some sort of dating expert, comes off as nothing more than a greasy little weasel. Perhaps this was the intention of the writer, since such an obvious move hopes to teach viewers how great the main character is supposed to be (an innocent and simple blue collar worker who yearns for love) by comparison. Unfortunately he is nothing more than a confused moron who can't get over his wife for the life of him (his words, not mine) but somehow manages to fall in love with a random waitress who overhears his whiny rant about loss.I give this movie a 2 point because both Jason Alexander and Ron Perlman were in it (probably as a favor to one of the producers) and raised the bar as far as character development and acting go (even through Ron Perlman did not have a large role). I give it another 1 for effort. See this film for any of the following reasons: boredom, you were paid to, to learn how to make a bad film, or because you think something of what I described truly appeals to you. Cheers!