Smells Like Screen Spirit – Knuckle Draggers Review

Knuckle Draggers follows the story of a down on his luck emerging director named Ethan (Ross McCall). Even though Ethan’s a great guy, his fiancée Heather (Jennifer Alden) leaves him because he is unable to provide her a swanky lifestyle similar to those of her friends. Set on winning Heather back, Ethan reaches out to his sexist older brother Kyle (Paul J. Alessi), a macho New Yorker who has his own unique philosophy on the dynamic of men and women. Disgusted by Kyle’s chauvinist view on women, Ethan’s female friends Patricia (Amie Barsky) and Renee (Danielle Nicolet) chime in to provide advice from the other side. As the story progresses Ethan is not the only one who is faced with questioning their relationships, and what it is they need from them.

Though the stars of the film are not household names, there are many familiar faces – Ross McCall was in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and the Starz TV series Crash. Paul J. Alessi who is also the producer of the film was in Ten til Noon and the TV series Desire. Omar Gooding (Cuba Gooding Jr.’s little brother) was in… READ MORE

Festival Movie Review – ‘Knuckle Draggers’ – Get The Big Picture

As long as there have been movies, there have been movies about relationships. One of the very first films to play for an paying audience was The Kiss, which was a 47-second smooch made in 1896. It was quite controversial at the time.

Obviously, the form handles love in broader terms now, with romantic comedies and dramas of every stripe, and even the majority of action films have some love interest.

It does make the world go ’round, they say.

Working outside the mainstream, the adult romantic comedy Knuckle Draggers examines men and women, but mostly men. In particular, how men work in and out of relationships, how they deal with women, and how their attitudes can be shaped by their male friends.

Ethan (Ross McCall) has just been dumped. His beautiful girfriend (Jennifer Alden) is tired of waiting for the life she wants, even though Ethan is working towards a dream she should have long since understood. He’s devastated but his brother Kyle (Paul J. Alessi) sees this as an opportunity to … READ MORE

Award-winning indie comedy Knuckle Draggers to screen at Toronto’s ReelHeART Film Festival

The indie comedy Knuckle Draggers will be screening at the ReelHeART Film Festival as an official closing night film this Saturday, June 27th, at 7:15pm.

The indie comedy – which has already nabbed two “Rising Star” awards at the DelRay Beach Film Festival – stars Ross McCall, Jillian Murray, Omar Gooding, Jennifer Alden, Melissa Ordway, Justin Baldoni, Sarah Laine, Danielle Nicolet, Lisa Waltz, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Katrina Law, Tom Kiesche, Sara Sanderson, Amie Barsky and Karrie MacLaine.

Knuckle Draggers was writer and directed by Alex Ranarivelo, and produced by Paul J. Alessi, who plays the main character’s misogynist brother Kyle in the film.

Here’s the synopsis for Knuckle Draggers:… READ MORE