Pretty Good

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Mr. Bricks: A Heavy Metal Murder Musical, directed by indie newcomer Travis Campbell and produced/distributed by cult hit-makers Troma Entertainment, may be deceiving on a first look. With a DVD cover that screams campy horror-comedy and a title that says just about as much, one might expect just another cheap-and-cheesy exploitation film, light on story and heavy on gore and bare breasts. Having gone into Mr. Bricks with exactly those expectations myself, I'm here to tell you that it's much more than that. That isn't to say it isn't funny--it has a sharp, witty sense of humor. That also isn't to say that it doesn't have its fair share of gore and bare breasts--it certainly does, although frankly less than one might expect. It is to say, however, that Mr. Bricks is a gritty, entertaining, surprisingly-deep revenge story that's guaranteed to take you by surprise.The story follows Mr. Bricks, a heavily-muscled tattooed madman, who wakes up with missing memories and a missing girlfriend after being shot in the head by a mysterious antagonist, and left for dead in his home. He takes it upon himself to look for Scarlet, his missing girlfriend, and to seek revenge on the man who shot him and, presumably, took her away. It may sound simple, but not everything is as it seems, and one twist after another keeps the story fresh and the pacing tight. I won't say anything more than that about the story, because it's really something worth seeing for yourself. Of course, we wouldn't have a musical without songs, and thankfully the musical numbers in Mr. Bricks are really what sets it apart from the rest of the pack. The primary style of song evokes mid-90s groove metal (eg. Pantera, Pissing Razors, Hatebreed,) although other styles are brought into the mix, including grindcore, Gothic rock, melodic hardcore and speed metal. The musical numbers are a real treat, and at times the songs lend themselves to a unique style of visual filmmaking more evocative of music videos than a typical film.The movie brings with it a gritty atmosphere and a unique visual style, which is heavily-stylized and expressionistic, making use of desaturated colors, a highly mobile and very expressive camera, some very interesting shot composition, and an interesting mix of no-frills practical effects and digital special effects (blood splatters!) put in just the right places. From the opening title sequence through to the very end, it's a film with a compelling aesthetic. The aesthetic, though, wouldn't matter without the riveting story and the great performances from Tim Dax (Mr. Bricks) and Nicola Fiore (Scarlet,) who keep the movie fresh and entertaining with their deft combinations of subtle emotion and over-the-top camp sensibilities, which are a perfect match for the film. Additionally, the film is surprisingly complex and subtle in the way it handles moral issues (murder, revenge, suicide) and questions about the human condition (sexuality, notions of justice,) which add a certain level of depth to the movie beyond what one might expect.Mr. Bricks: A Heavy Metal Murder Musical is an interesting, unique film which keeps things interesting by defying audience expectations and building a complex mystery with conflict that continues to grow throughout. It may not be a film to be taken seriously, but it's nonetheless surprisingly complex for a low-budget exploitation film that, in less-skilled hands, could have been decidedly less impressive. It's got a great look, a great deal of creative ambition, and a lot of effort put into it, and it clearly shows. It's absolutely worth a look.

This is what it sounds like when doves get crushed by bricks...It sounds terrible. Wow, this movie is a real stinker. Why would you make a musical with the most tone deaf, untalented 'singers' in the world? And this was shot in NY land of the musical, so the ass clowns that produced this could have easily scouted talented vocalists. The title character of 'Mr Bricks' has the worst vocals, he sounds like my gym teacher yuck. A second close in this suck fest is the hooker cop, her vocals are so bad they're actually funny. Hundreds of talented female vocalist and they cast someone who sings like a dying cat. The other character, creep cop was so boring and underdeveloped I cant even remember what he sounded like.Has Kaufman lost his mind? Why would Troma waste the money to release this? This mess is bad even by Troma standards. I am shocked by the positive reviews on here. They are obviously written by people who are friends with the talentless hacks who made this garbage. No one in there right mind would give this movie a 10/10 unless they feel sorry for the people who worked on this. Unbelievable! This movie is obviously made by people who are lazy, incompetent and have no clue what it takes to create anything entertaining.

The one thing that I truly love about Troma is that they support independent film unconditionally! Whether it's comedy, horror or something completely different, Troma will support and release it so we all have a chance to see it! And the something completely different is exactly what you get in their latest release, Mr. Bricks.Mr. Bricks is the story of Eugene Hicks, a big man who's on the wrong side of the law. When Hicks kidnaps a policewoman, he crosses a line that will change his life forever. First, he's shot in the head and survives, then, when he comes to, he begins his search for this woman who he loves...no matter what the cost! Mr. Bricks is a simple tale of love, betrayal and corruption, but it's told in such an unusual way that you won't be able to take your eyes off it. It's a "Heavy Metal Murder Musical"...and if those words don't make you think, then there's something wrong with you! Mr. Bricks is a strange movie, made stranger by it's topic...and then the icing on the cake is characters breaking into metal songs!!! It might sound too weird for you, but trust me, it works! I'm giving Mr. Bricks 3 out of 4 cigars, it's not going to be for everyone, but if you're experimental and want to see something wildly different, then check out Mr. Bricks!

I caught this at the Spooky Movie Film Fest and since I love both metal and Troma I thought this would be awesome. Sadly, it was neither. First off this is not a metal musical. At it's best it's hardcore and at it's worst it felt more like a feature length Insane Clown Posse video. My biggest suggestion would be to just change the name to hardcore musical now to avoid false advertising. I also don't think this movie should ever play in any theater. The amateur camera work is seizure inducing and I got very dizzy watching it. I hope in the future Troma just streams this online because the low quality showed big time on the big screen. It was a very awkward screening and I think everyone felt at least a little bad for the filmmakers during the uncomfortable Q and A. My question for them is, so you obviously spent no money making this and it shows. So why should anyone pay to watch it? The look of it reminded me of Michael Scott's ridiculous movie "Threat Level Midnight" that he made on "The Office". Except not entertaining.