Ronnie Scheib from Variety thinks this is 'Highly Impressive'? Assuming that's in context,
Ronnie must be easily impressed...
In the pantheon of movies filmed in Woodland, CA, Wasted is definitely the latest addition. Directed by first time director Matt Oates and starring American Pie’s Eddie Kaye Thomas,Wasted follows a group of college aged buddies who reunite when one of their own passes away. That’s pretty much it. Other than drinking, drugging and hanging out, these friends don’t really do much of interest. I’m guessing they were so enamored of their concept that they forgot to actually have something happen in the movie. The film takes place over the weekend of their buddy’s funeral, but you’ll seriously feel like weeks have gone by when the film is through.
The only fun I received from this movie was spotting the Woodland shooting locations. The defunct Al’s Drive In is prominently featured as a big nighttime hangout. (It’s even featured on the DVD box.) Other Woodland landmarks include the Woodhaven Lanes bowling alley and the Woodland Swim Center. Unlike the other Woodland film “Ruckus”, however, there’s nothing really interesting to hold your attention when you’re not trying to spot the shooting locations. (Which must explain why the film had no theatrical release.) To someone from Woodland, there’s novelty value. For everyone else, the film must have been a crashing bore.
The coolest thing about this film for me is that I actually worked in the area the filming took place in at the time. The shooting wasn’t too disruptive and I never saw the actors around town. It’s too bad the film went straight to DVD, but that is to be expected from a film in which nothing happens.
