California Scheming (2014) Reviews

• dumbest movie ever made

  thepinkrabbit2014-01-31

  This movie is the worst I've seen. I was mislead by the high note in IMDb but I didn't saw it was only the opinion of less than 10 people. It's all about a crazy girl that manipulates 2 guys and a girl. The scenario is empty. Nothing really happens and when it does we have no clue why the 2 guys do whatever the crazy girl tell them to. It's full of cliché and stereotypes. One scene was quite amusing though : one of the guy is buying condoms and the girl he'd like to make out with comes at that moment. But that's all. It's definitely not a "thriller" it's a "so what..?" . Besides we know right from the beginning what is going to happen and not because of "clever" deduction but just because that's the way the scenario is written.. I lost 90 minutes of my life. only good thing is that one actor is cute to watch. Avoid!

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• "Cruel Intentions"-like wanna-be falls way short

  paul-allaer2014-02-01

  "California Scheming" (2014 release; 98 min.) brings the story of Chloe Vandersteen (played by Gia Mantegna), a teenager in Malibu, and her equally bored friends. As the movie opens, Chloe find a wounded seagull on the beach. Two teenage guys, Jason and Nick, happen to walk by and they help Chloe to take care of the bird. The three of them strike up a quick friendship and are hanging out more and more. Later on, another girl, Hillary, who just moved there from Boston and is still grieving over her mom's death, befriends the three. Meanwhile we get to see Chloe starting to manipulate her friends. But is everything to be taken at face value? Or are we being set up by the script for a major plot twist? And why will the term 'creepy crawling' become a familiar one? At this point we are a good 30 minutes into the movie and to tell you more might spoil your viewing experience. Couple of comments: first, this is the directing debut of long-time producer Marco Weber. He also wrote and edited the movie. Second, the movie takes forever to get mildly interesting towards the last half four. There is literally nothing happening In the first hour that is of any interest, other than the vague character building, I suppose. Yet even there, we do not understand what makes Chloe tick, or why she does what she does. Third, I get it that this movie wants to be the next "Cruel Intentions" but I have to tell you that compared to this, "Cruel Intentions" is an instant classic and a standard bearer. Fourth, what is with this movie's poster (a naked Gia Mantegna)? Just so you know: there is no nudity in the film, none. I think it is a shameless attempt to lure the uninformed viewer into thinking this movie is something which it isn't. Fifth, the photography in the movie is eye-candy (all filmed on location in Malibu). Last but not least, there are some great indie and surf songs playing in the movie. I was eager to check out what those songs were, but imagine my surprise when in the end credits the songs are not even listed! "California Scheming" opened this weekend on a single screen for all of Greater Cincinnati. I had a private showing at the matinée screening where I saw this at today, as in: I was literally the only person in the theater. I cannot imagine that this movie will play more than 1 week in the theater. But eve if it did, I honestly cannot recommend this movie. "California Scheming" is wildly uneven, with no clear direction for most of the movie and a script that is frighteningly void of good ideas and content. VIEWER BEWARE!

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• Worst Film of the Decade

  FilmAddit2014-03-07

  I don't even want to bother to elaborate why this film is so bad, considering enough time wasted watching it. But since I have to write minimum 10 lines, this is what it is - The film has NO story. No character development. It's about a girl who uses her beauty to manipulate people around her, but no offence, the female lead's look is below average, how is this convincible? It's like a bad student film that only the creators get excited about what they're trying to show, while the audiences have no idea what they're watching. Just stay away from this film. Not even when there's a free show on TV or online. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. (Are those good reviews coming from people associated with this film by the way? Otherwise it's unbelievable that a real audience would say anything good about such a bad film.)

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• Like an old fashion suspense thriller with a modern youthful twist.

  face-819-9337262014-02-01

  The Crush meets Cruel Intentions after a bath of American Psycho. This is a stylish movie, there are a few styles very much complimenting each other. First you have the effect of keeping all adult authority figures obscured, or in complete darkness so that the story could remain focused completely on the the leads much like an adult in Peanuts has a garbled voice, and is never really shown. When all secrets come to light so do the adults, and the whole world takes on a wider focus. There is a mean girl in this movie that you will hate, at first though the acting is a bit harsh, and choppy, and needs a little time to settle in. There is an obvious direction that you can see these kids heading, and the only questions you will have will be the ones that are answered in the last five minutes. This is a movie that I Enjoyed, and at just about an hour and a half after starting on a sour note I am glad I stuck with it. This one gets a recommendation from me to any suspense thriller buffs, this is free of language, but there is a lot of drug use. Overall it was a fun story, and I am glad they told it to me.

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• Simply a waste of time.

  rjpa-120082016-07-11

  This movie goes nowhere slowly. Save your self the trouble and watch _anything_ else! It is not poignant, enlightening, engaging, suspenseful, or the "thriller" it claims to be. It has an amazingly sleepy plot trajectory. The provocative cover photo leads to nothing really provocative with the exception of implied oral sex. The trailer is actually much better than the movie (and if this movie made any money in the theaters, it was because of the trailer - Once the word got out, I'm sure this film was pulled fast). This movie is available free from many streaming services. You get what you pay for! The final scene is much too long to wait. I enjoyed the credits more than I enjoyed the movie, simply because the soporific story was over. I feel like I fell for some cruel joke.

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