Moxie User Rating

9.0 stars out of 10 (3 votes)  -  login or register to rate this film

Synopsis

Martin responds to an ad in the paper for a company called Great World of Sound that's setting up shop in a generic office park. After his interview, he's invited to attend a Saturday seminar, explaining what the job entails. There he meets larger-than-life Clarence, and the two hit it off right away. At the seminar, an articulate but somewhat slimy man named Shank explains that the seminar participants have been selected out of a field of 80 applicants to be A&R executives for GWS, seeking out new, untapped musical talent. GWS will put out a record for these artists--all it asks for is a financial commitment from them upfront to show that they're serious, in addition to allaying the costs of studio recording time and marketing. After all, GWS is an independent record company working on a budget. Shank and his cohort go on to talk about how much money the producers stand to make. Then, as if to prove it, Shank dials into his bank account to let the room hear his $13,000-plus balance. Martin is suspicious, but Clarence believes that this is a whole new way of looking at the world, and if they sign someone that hits it big, they'll hit it big with them. Martin, who likes the idea of helping new artists, agrees to sign on with GWS. Clarence and Martin soon prove to be among the best of the GWS crew. But as the veneer falls away from GWS, Clarence and Martin have no choice but to reconcile the excitement and escape that their new jobs have provided them with reality. Have they become scam artists? Or are they victims of the scam themselves?

Film Information

• Genre: Comedy / Drama
• Director: Craig Zobel
• Written By: Craig Zobel, George Smith
• Starring: John Baker, Pat Healy, Kene Holliday, Michael Harding, and Barlow Jacobs
• Running Time: 106 minutes, approx.
• MPAA Rating: R for language
• Language: English
• Official Site

Reviews

"The result is a beguiling and often poignant pageant of outsider musicians, but the broken heart of this extraordinary film comes directly from Zobel's own personal experience."

   - Ken Fox, TV Guide

"A terrific, small, funny, sad movie."

   - Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

"Great World Of Sound is painfully specific about the music-scouting grind."

   - Noel Murray, The Onion (A.V. Club)

"The laughs flow, but Zobel isn't content to rely solely on them. To his credit, he allows Martin and Clarence - and the film - to develop consciences."

   - V.A. Musetto, New York Post

"Once the story moves up north to Indianapolis, things become pat and predictable. But for its first 80 minutes, Great World of Sound hits all the right notes."

   - Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Showtimes

• Friday, November 23rd
  9:30 pm
• Saturday, November 24th
  2:00 pm, 9:30 pm
• Sunday, November 25th
  7:00 pm