Harockerce What a beautiful movie!

Greenes Please don't spend money on this.

JinRoz For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

ThrillMessage There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

mfnmbessert-224-279128 I was pretty unaware of this movie for a long time, and probably didn't see it until a good decade after it was made, and it seemed to me at the time, when I caught it on television, that it came off as kind of like how a made for TV movie should, so that's what I was under the impression I was watching. A few years later, and I've just gotten around to seeing it again, and it was basically just as I had remembered really, the thing that attracts most people to want to watch this is probably the drugs, and I can certainly say that it reminds me of my own time at certain music festivals, which I also wouldn't experience until a good decade after this film was made.Devon Sawa is one of those 90's actors that all young people will remember because of his slew of teenager flicks, which is what usually draws a crowd it seems to me, so I wonder why this film is so unknown? The acting is hammy, but if you're in the mood for some mindless, at times wholesome, at times not-so-wholesome entertainment, then this will fit in nicely, but if you're looking for this to be 'SLC Punk' or 'Requiem For A Dream' then I wouldn't bother with this, because the movie's message really isn't the same. It displays both sides of the argument pretty well, the drugs are bad thing is displayed when he ends up in rehab. Whatever, this one earns a solid 7.AROUND THE FIRE---- 7/10

devreser This movie was not done very well at all. Tara Reid and Devon Sawa are in this which is a big indication it isn't going to be a good movie. That's just my biased opinion. I'm an Eric Mabius fan and bought this movie thinking he'd be in it quite a bit. A little in the beginning, a little in the end. It was a disappointment. There are lots of points to this movie to show a downward spiral into drug abuse. Very campy film about the subject at hand. They could've done a better job. I do like Eric Mabius' character because he seemed most real, along with the character "Trace". For good films revolving around drugs, steer clear of this one. Not good at all.

James_Mulder The characters were one dimensional, the plot was meandering and devoid of intelligence, meaning, or originality. It both amazes and disgusts me that this film even got past the cutting room. For a good drug culture film, see Half-Baked. It's not realistic either, but at least it's funny as hell, which is its own validation. Validation is something this film lacks completely. Don't waste your time. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being superb (see Wonderful Life, or any Thin Man film, or Heinlen's Puppet Masters) and 1 being Mariah Carey's Glitter, I give this film -5 which ties it with any production Roseann has ever been even remotely involved in.

CombatShock "Around the Fire", a feauture length Anti-Drug commercial (watch any of them on TV as a hint to the globs of cheesiness in this film), is about an average white-boy from a rich family who gets sucked into the alluring world of psychedelic drugs, music, and the lot scene, ending up in rehab (wow, now that is an original concept, NOT).If this film were made in the style of a docudrama and the re-creation of the lot scene had been somewhat realistic, and by someone who, heaven forbid, has ever toured or even seen the Grateful Dead before, it could have been quite good. But instead, we get a low budget, poorly directed, horribly acted, and absolutely phony adaptation of a lot scene, which is laughable to anyone who has ever been to a show before. The film makers try to be cool and realistic by offering as many cliches about the lot scene as possible, from ganja gooballs to tye dye vendors, but it doesn't work. The problem is the actors are obvious phonies, wearing brand new tye dyes and looking way too clean. If these phonies were on a dead lot they would be instantly considered tourists, if not cops by the tour-heads. No deadheads on tour even remotely resembled the "hippies" in this film. If you don't believe me then go rent "Tye-Dyed", which is an actual documentary of life on the road with the Dead, and see for yourself. Also, the films set that is supposed to resemble a deadlot is pathetically unrealistic and cheesy.I saw this film a month ago on late night and figured I would give it a chance, but was highly disappointed. For people that have never experienced the lot-scene of the Grateful Dead, or on a lesser note, Phish, go and rent "Tye-Dyed", at least it does some justice and you see real dead heads on a real lot. For those who are experienced, watch "Around the Fire" just so you can get a good laugh out of your system. Otherwise, stay far and away, because this film is an absolute stinker.