2015 May Baits & Reviews & Contenders

"Canvass" written by Kevin
I like this bait and it's beautifully written, but the real star here is Miller who would give a tremendous performance in this role, as would Aubrey Plaza and Michelle Hendley. I think the bait is good, albeit not that THAT interesting in terms of plot, but the casting, especially of the 3 I mentioned above, is top notch. While not quite to the level of some of your other projects, this is a good bait and a return to form for you with a bait that reminds me a lot of some of your great ones. B

"The Countrymen" written by Adam
Hmmm this is a tough one for me. I've always been a bit weary of the stereotypical "patriot who hates muslims" character because I think their existence is widely exaggerated. As shows like "Little Mosque On The Prairie" and movies like "Amreeka" have shown, of course there are some assholes but the vast majority of said assholes are casually racist. As someone who has grown up in NYC and was there for 9/11 (and the building of a mosque a block from the Trade Center memorial) these types of characters tend to leave a bad taste in my mouth. But, I haven't lived everywhere so who knows? ANYWAY this is a very effective bait and your cast (that I know) is very good especially Gerald McRaney and Ahman Razvi (although Sam Elliot is miscast to me). Your director choice is safe but very well done, and overall this is a bait I can respect for it's intentions, but not loved. B-

"Witches, Salem, History" written by Marci
This was another fun bait from you. I don't think it's quite at the level of quality that we've come to expect, though. I found a lot of the bait hard to understand and a lot of words weren't quite right (understandably you are not a native english speaker but your baits are usually very eloquently written). I liked Collins a lot as well as Thwaites and Camp who all seem like contenders. This for me is a fun, different kind of bait for you and it's awesome to see you taking a risk and a breather here and doing something new, I just wish the overall execution of the writing had been stronger, and the story a bit more deteiled. C+

"Death Or Glory" written by Matthew
This is pretty classic material for you, I just don't think it quite stands up there with some of your better baits in this vein. I found the cast to be a little bit all over the place and Cranston and Tveit and Stonestreet especially didn't work for me. I thought the story you laid out was a little bit too obvious and there wasn't the type of shock that you expect in these gangster type films. I also couldn't get the image of "A Most Violent Year" out of my head as there were quite a lot of parallels (and I really didn't like that film). As usual your writing is perfection and I enjoyed reading this because the pacing was so crisp. Not your best, but a good effort. B-

"Pieces Of The Rainbow" written by Chris P.
First off, WELCOME BACK! It's awesome to have you back submitting, your voice and creativity were missed! So this is obviously a very personal collection for you, and I'm honored you were able to share this semi-autobiographical tale with us (well, pieces of it). I was not a fan of "Dear White People" but I can see Justin doing a good job here. My biggest issue, though, is consistency. I found myself longing for more of "Inches," not thinking of "Faggot" as a film, and being utterly perplexed by "GROWLr." I think that this actually could have been a much more effective bait if it had been a singular story and not the four disjointed shorts because in the end I was left feeling like I had just been thrown in blender with how many different themes and messages were conveyed. It's nor your best, but the heart is there, and that means a lot. Again, welcome back! C+

"The Adventures Of Granny Tulip" written by Marci
I don't know how to say this... but this might be the best bait you've ever written, Marci. I was engrossed from start to finish by your wonderful assortment of crazy and funny characters and a plot so weird and magical, it worked like clockwork. It reminded me of a take on "Mary Poppins" with some "Summer Desire" mixed in with a dash of my own bait "Open Your Eyes." Yet somehow, it managed to feel utterly original. This is such a fun bait, I loved your entire cast but you can start writing acceptance speeches now for Alfre and Tessa, they were PERFECTLY CAST. I'm in awe that you're still able to surprise me, Marci. This is a fantastic bait, a true masterpiece, and the best bait you've ever done. A+

"Lost In The Supermarket" written by Matthew
I'm not sure about this one. I really liked how it started out but as it went on it became more and more unreal. I didn't understand the whole "faking his own death" scenario or it's relevance and on a personal level I've never found JLC to be that funny so I'm not sure how that would go. I like Bill Murray though and think this would be an interesting role for him right now. It's not your best, but as usual your writing is great and the heart really shows through. I just wish I had liked the plot more. C+

"Glass Jaw" written by Adam
I love, love, love Idris Alba here. I think this would be a fantastic role for him. The issues for me are that this bait has sooo many similarities both to the father-son plot in Netflix's "Daredevil" and the actual Mayweather vs Pacquio fight from earlier this month. I also didn't love Daniel Day Lewis, Devlin was such a typical antagonist that i couldn't see him doing it. However. despite those qualms, I really did enjoy this bait and I applaud anyone who can pull off an engaging sports bait. B+

"Long Walk Home" written by Matthew
God this is an unrelentingly depressing bait. I's also a very good one. I love MAggie Smith in everything and would watch her in a cheerios ad if she was in one, and this is a good role for her. I think that where I may have my comfort space in coming of age stories, you have yours in these small, character-driven dramas. I don't really think of this one as a best-picture contender, it's just so small and sad, but Maggie is a lock for me. Good work. B

"Thirteen Cents" written by Matthew
While there re a lot of similarities here to my bait last month "Snow Owl" (at least in the character of Azure), I absolutely loved this bait! I think Griffin Gluck and Cara Delevingne and Alan Cumming are all perfectly cast and the story was heartbreakingly real. I didn't love the third act but it was incredibly original and well written. That's a minor quibble with a deeply affecting bait that I can see doing very, very well this month. Excellent work, Matt, one of your very best! A

"Night Owl" written by Adam
This is an engaging story and I really enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of Jesse Plemons (I'm obsessed with "Friday Night Lights" and "Breaking Bad") and thought this could be a wonderful breakout role for him. I think the title isn't great though as I did a bait last month called "Snow Owl" and the underground, nighttime crime thing is similar (slightly) to "Nightcrawler" but that's a small complaint. Overall I'm not sure this will be your big player this month I enjoyed "Glass Jaw" more) but it was a well written and well paced story with a good cast and a perfect directors choice. B