On-Demand: MADE IN CHINA --Judi Krant & Dan Sumpter's shaggy dog tale

If you've ever been particularly taken with the idea of novelty items -- from the Slinky to the Pet Rock -- and how these are created and marketed, then MADE IN CHINA may be the film for you. Even if you don't give a rat's ass, there's still some odd fun to be had from this very DIY-looking piece of low-definition video from co-writer/
director (her first film) Judi Krant (shown below) and newcomer co-writer/co-star Dan Sumpter (who is indeed sumpin!). What the movie lacks in star quality (a rather one-note performance from lead actor Jackson Kuehn, although that note is not without its occasional charm) and glamor (DIY has rarely looked cruddier), it somewhat makes up via the goofy and bizarre.

Mr. Kuehn, below, plays a young man named Johnson, who has invented a "humorous domestic hygiene product" (let your imaginations race!) that he dearly wants to take to market.  But how?  As many such items are made in China (a title lurks there, don't you think?), off he goes eastward, over the objections of his mom and sis, with his young-life savings in tow.

As is clear from the first frame, this fellow does everything wrong; so away from the USA, it only gets worse. He has arranged for a marketer in China to help him out, but the fellow appears to have taken the money and run. With a little suspect luck he happens upon a rather dapper man who knows the Chinese marketing ropes and agrees to get Johnson's foot in the door.  Adventures ensue.

These include being fitted for a quite unnecessary suit....

Meeting a pretty young girl on a train...

Getting the poop kicked out of him by two young ladies whose apartment he has unknowingly invaded...

and getting deeper and deeper into the world of that marketing maven, played by Mr. Sumpter, above, with leg, and below, with turban, reciting Hamlet's "To Be or Not to Be" soliloquy in Man-
darin. (Yes, but you will have to see and hear it to believe it).

Sumpter, whose first film this is, seems a natural actor and pretty damn versatile, too. He goes from an utterly dapper man-of-the-world to sad-sack creep and back again, stopping at several short sharp characterizations along the way.  Somebody grab this guy and put him to work!  As he also co-wrote the script, it would appear there's talent aplenty here.

I wish Made in China were better. Even at 87 minutes it seems too long, relying on lazy charm and situation to do the work that better plotting, dialog and craftsmanship might have managed more smartly.  But it's still fun and different.  And yes, as you'll suspect as the movie meanders along, you're going to have to wait until almost the end to discover what that humorous-domestic-hygiene-product entails.

Made in China (that's one of the prettier, less grungy shots, above) has begun its run via IFC-On-Demand, where it will screen for another three months. To check its availability in your area,
simply click here.

We're getting a jones for Derrick Borte's THE JONESES, a marketing maven's dream

One hot, high-
concept lark of a movie, THE JONESES (as in "keeping up with") has hands-
down the best premise we're likely to see of any movie this year. If its follow-through becomes a mash-up of genres -- from a new kind of marketing-themed science-fiction/social satire to black come-
dy & rom-com-drama -- against all odds, the movie manages to hang tough. And, despite one funny, shocking and altogether bleak underwater image that occurs near the finale, you'll probably leave the theater in a genuine feel-good state. After all, how often are you forced to consider the way we (almost) live now, even as you are being royally entertained?

Is what we see pictured in The Joneses already going on? If so, this would not surprise me, though the movie -- written and directed by Derrick Borte (shown right) -- initially may hit you as the next big, wretched step in viral marketing. As the film begins, a father happily drives down the highway, his family in tow, toward their new home. And what a bunch of lookers they are: Dad (David Duchovny, below left), Mom (Demi Moore, below right), Sis (Amber Heard (at left, two photos down) and Bro (Ben Hollingsworth (at right, two photos down). Their new "digs" ain't bad, either: a McMansion to die for. "We're gonna do some damage in this town!" says Dad with a grin.
He has no idea.

Who are these people and what are they up to? The answers provide the meat of the movie, so no more plot points shall be forthcoming here.  TrustMovies will say that writer/director Borte (working from a story by Randy T. Dinzler) gets very good per-
formances from his entire cast, with Ms Moore doing her best work in well over a decade (or two).  Duchovny is full of his usual charm and hesitation, Heard & Hollingsworth are just fine, while Gary Cole (bottom left), Glenne Headly (bottom right) & Lauren Hutton fill the major supporting roles with better-than-necessary skill.

All told, The Joneses is a model mainstream/independent: glossy as hell, brightly colored and whip-smart about the upscale American consumer. You'd do well to "keep up."

The movie opens nationwide in a limited run on Friday, April 16.
(I'll hope to have cities & theaters posted soon -- whenever the film's distributor Roadside Attractions announces same.  Note: It's now a few days later and Roadside's announcement consists of a single word: nationwide.  So you'll have to check your local listings regarding where to view this very enjoyable movie.)