I saw Colin Fitz at the Long Island Film Festival in 1997, and have been waiting ever since to see it again. This film is a perfect example of all that is wrong with the film business -- not because there's anything wrong with the movie. The problem is that this film should have been a big hit, but was never even released. I understand there was a legal battle involving the film that hampered efforts to get distribution, but I don't think that was the only problem. I believe that no distributor was willing to sign on because they didn't know how to sell a film about two guys spending the night in a cemetery. How about this: "This is a great, intelligent, well-acted, hilarious movie. You'll love it!" But unfortunately, it had no big stars, and no explosions, and you couldn't sum up the story in three words, so it was left to die alone. How sad. If you ever have the chance to see this movie, by all means do so. You will not be disappointed.
7 Reviews
Not quite sure why this is labeled as the "Best Film Never Released"
zippolight20021 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I'm normally pretty good about analyzing movies and reading-between-the- lines, but there are way too many pieces of this movie that are totally unnecessary. The dog, the wife of Colin Fitz, the kid with the gun, . Each of them were very VERY small pieces but none of them were complete pieces to contribute ANYTHING to the story. The 'comedy' was meh. Unless you get laughs out of socially awkward people, you'll only get a chuckle once or twice.
I seriously don't understand how people could think of this movie as "The Best Film Never Released". I can see why it wasn't released, it's slow, incomplete in ideas, and ultimately the big climactic scene is essentially a 4 minute "life isn't that bad" speech. Absolutely no suspense like you should have when you first portray a character as a shady guy with a gun hiding in the shadows.
I seriously don't understand how people could think of this movie as "The Best Film Never Released". I can see why it wasn't released, it's slow, incomplete in ideas, and ultimately the big climactic scene is essentially a 4 minute "life isn't that bad" speech. Absolutely no suspense like you should have when you first portray a character as a shady guy with a gun hiding in the shadows.
Funny spoof and comedy...
dwpollar12 January 2012
1st watched 1/8/2012 – 7 out of 10(Dir-Robert Bella): Funny spoof and comedy about a couple of security guards who get the job of watching the grave of a dead rock star on the 5th anniversary of his demise. The movie is kind of two movies in one – a spoof of the dead rock star named Colin Fitz(and in general our idolization of these folk) and a good buddy comedy with the two security guards butting heads because of their differences in their personalities. The movie is written well from start to finish and very funny with it's only real downside being the ending. Despite most of the movie being intelligent,funny and well-thought out – the ending was just downright goofy and didn't make much sense. Matt McGrath and Andy Fowle play the mis-matched guards with one being an artsy kind of touchy-feely person and the other kind of a macho, story-telling emotionally closed person. Their banter is hilarious because of their differences. They supposedly have this job because the year before a clone of the rock star killed some cult followers with tainted grape juice on the site, and the ex-wife doesn't want anything like this to happen again. Well this doesn't – but a lot of other things do. I like the fact that the movie doesn't resort to crude humor and doesn't have to have big-time stars carrying the lines. The lines just work as they are written. There are many unique characters and strange things that happen during the night that make the movie move very fast and is very watcheable. Apparently, the movie didn't get a distributor on it's initial run at the Sundance film festival but was picked up by the channel 10 years later and then got some distribution, finally around 2010. This is another example why Hollywood doesn't know what their doing, but thankfully the movie survives and can be seen – if you see it playing where you're at, don't miss it.
Complete Waste of Time!
Mandlebaum13 August 2010
I have never felt the need to write a review on IMDb until I saw this movie. It may be the "best movie never released", but it was never released for a reason. IT SUCKS! It wasn't funny in any sort of dark comedy, stoner comedy, British humor or stupid funny way. Aside from the three or four minutes of the mildly entertaining role played by William H. Macy the movie was a totally bore. I kept waiting for something funny to happen, hoping that some great moment at the end would make it all worth while... but no. This isn't even a movie to "half-watch" while you are working or tending to your laundry or dishes. Don't waste your time, money or someone else's money on this picture.
Very odd, and it's among the strangest movies I have seen
bellino-angelo201418 July 2023
Considering that I arrived to 800 reviews with the one before this you might have noticed my tastes very well. In fact, there are lots of reviews for odd movies that nobody has seeked out in years because I have some sort of odd tastes and I think that I can enjoy them very much. While COLIN FITZ didn't won me over, it was decent entertainment nonetheless.
The film is set on the anniversary of the death of Colin Fitz (a singer compared to Elvis Presley to the point that his die-hard fans don't think he's dead) when bumbling security guards Paul and Grady have to protect his grave because the previous year some fanatics killed there. Paul and Grady spend the night in the graveyard and encounter various characters but at least they'll succedd to avoid a mass suicide by some fanatics.
That was the best way for explaining the plot because the movie doesn't even have a normal plot. When it begins there are some interviews by fans of Colin Fitz (including one played by super-gorgeous Kristen Johnston) and then we cut to Mr O'Day (William Macy) that gives the assignment to the two guards, then we cut to a wise-cracking groundskeeper (John McGinley) that gives a very brief speech and then bursts laughing, and as Paul and Grady go in the graveyard all crazy things starts to happen such as a gangster that has to bury a dead body, a bum that is chasen by a German Shepherd that happened to be there, but I can't spoil more for not ruining the movie for you.
Overall, a movie that I would recommend especially to fans of the weird, and I'd also recommend to simply turn off your brain because if you reflect too much on what happens you'd feel like your head becomes full of smoke. It's actually on YouTube if you want to give it a try.
The film is set on the anniversary of the death of Colin Fitz (a singer compared to Elvis Presley to the point that his die-hard fans don't think he's dead) when bumbling security guards Paul and Grady have to protect his grave because the previous year some fanatics killed there. Paul and Grady spend the night in the graveyard and encounter various characters but at least they'll succedd to avoid a mass suicide by some fanatics.
That was the best way for explaining the plot because the movie doesn't even have a normal plot. When it begins there are some interviews by fans of Colin Fitz (including one played by super-gorgeous Kristen Johnston) and then we cut to Mr O'Day (William Macy) that gives the assignment to the two guards, then we cut to a wise-cracking groundskeeper (John McGinley) that gives a very brief speech and then bursts laughing, and as Paul and Grady go in the graveyard all crazy things starts to happen such as a gangster that has to bury a dead body, a bum that is chasen by a German Shepherd that happened to be there, but I can't spoil more for not ruining the movie for you.
Overall, a movie that I would recommend especially to fans of the weird, and I'd also recommend to simply turn off your brain because if you reflect too much on what happens you'd feel like your head becomes full of smoke. It's actually on YouTube if you want to give it a try.
This movie is fun ride.
moritzvon8714 September 2006
I saw the new version of this movie last month at a sneak preview in New York. I also saw the original film in 1997. I remember thinking the film was sweet and funny but I felt as though it was missing something, but I couldn't put my finger on what. I heard that the director had re- released the film from a friend of mine and we went to see the 'sneak sneak preview' of the new film. The director put in the music from Colin Fitz. It made a big difference. It blends together all of the elements, the fan interviews and the film footage. Aside from the music, he added some new interview footage from the fans, never seen before. They are really funny. It is hard to pick which fan is my favorite! I really like this film. It is not a big blockbuster, with lot's of special effects or gimmicks. It is just a really good script with some really good actors. There is something to be said for that. It is just a really nice ride, cruising along with the top down and the radio on. If it ever comes your way, you should try and see it.
The most enjoyable American film of the Seattle International Film Festival 1997
fenix-319 September 1998
William Macy (Fargo) is the head of a rent-a-cop agency who puts his two men (comedian Andy Fowle and Matt McGrath) on duty guarding the grave of a famous rock star on the eve of the 5th anniversary of his death. Colin Fitz plays like Clerks except the dialogue is far less crude but just as hilarious, and the acting is loads better. Fowle's line "smells wicked beefy," his theories on Buddy Holly dropping acid, and the die-hard Swedish Fitz fans are worth the price of admission alone. The best American film of SIFF.
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