Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Dotsthavesp I wanted to but couldn't!

annecwatters As we shift through the dark space of their world that is at once claustrophobic and cavernous, we see the mundane rituals of ordinary life play out: cooking, raising pets, cleaning, showering. The men (and one woman) of this film speak of a life lived autonomous from societal intervention. One senses that the filmmaker, and more adamantly the homeless themselves are trying to convince us that here in the subterranean garbage disposal of life, their needs are being met by the trash of the world that is chewed up and spit out. In the film, these leftovers become a metaphor for the people themselves - as they revel in finding a treasure of discarded donuts, or show their opportunist nature by collecting cans for cash to buy heroin. So our waste becomes their livelihood. We see them cook cornbread, they've got TV and radio and a space heater. "We're not homeless," one man tells us, "homeless is when you don't have a home." But then his friend corrects him. "Nah, you're still homeless. You just ain't helpless." But as the film progresses, we start to perceive something in the darkness, something invisible around the edges that keeps them buried underground; it's their addiction to drugs, and the memories of past lives that are fraught with anguish and suffering. They are lost souls - shadow people moving through an ethereal, timeless landscape.

Raina-9 Extremely interesting and very well done! Very sad that in this country of extreme wealth and over consumerism, we can't help others. Story seems to have a happy ending, but not at the hands of our inattentive government. How about some social programs so no one has to live with rats, underground! Marc Singer has taken a delicate subject and shed some real light on it. It is a film that should be required watching, especially for students of social reform. My only question is "What happened to the animals these people keep as pets?" Where are they? Have they too, been thrown by the wayside by a non caring government? Isn't it time we stop spending on an oil war and take care of those at home?

robert-e-barber This is what documentary is all about. After seeing this film, an attentive audience will have more empathy for homeless and less fortunate people. "Done changed my way of seeing." Don't miss the "making of.." sequence on the DVD, it is fascinating. This film raises important issues about affluence, security, people helping people. I have huge respect for Marc Singer -- Long may he run! Ten lines of text is a lot! I thought that brevity was the soul of wit. Anyway, I wholeheartedly recommend this film, although the language is too rough for young audiences. I teach video production in a high school, and I would not show this film without getting permission slips signed by parents first, because of the language, shots of drug use, and general scariness of some of the scenes. But the swearing is so poetically great! It is a big part of the appeal of the movie--the music and rhythms of gutterspeak.

BoSoxMick I thought the movie was outstanding. It's currently On Demand for free, so it's right there to check out. Personally, the pets relations got me the most. The guy who showed pictures of his pets, describing what they meant to him. Just pure stuff right there, and the other guy with the dogs in a pen. The ultimate transition of these folks talking in darkness, to talking near windows of their new apartments was outstanding. The fellow who was cooking underground, and then cooking in his apartment.. I digress, if you've seen this movie you know what i'm talking about.Rent this movie, watch it, buy it, whatever you have to do. It's worth the 97 minutes of your life.