(Pt 1 – Intro at Delray Beach Film Festival)

(Pt 2 – Award Ceremony)

(Pt 3 – Interviews)

By Ramas Screen

Last week I got to interview actor/producer Paul Alessi about his new movie KNUCKLE DRAGGERS. It’s a hilarious comedy that Rama’s SCREEN has been telling all of you to go check it tout. I reviewed it a while back and the the story is about Ethan, who gets dumped because he wasn’t able to provide his fiancée with the stable life her friends were living. Desperate to get her back, he seeks help from his older brother Kyle, a tough talking sexist who seems to have a way with the ladies. Paul and I talked about the casting, production, the characters, his upcoming projects and Comic-Con. Thanks to Wendy for making this possible. Check out the full interview after the jump.. (more…)

Knuckle Draggers (2009): A

It’s amazing that someone hasn’t made a “between the sexes” comedy called “Knuckle Draggers” before- it seems like a natural given guy’s sometimes-neanderthal behavior when it comes to dating. READ MORE

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

3/4 stars

I’m usually not the person to go to for romantic comedies as I haven’t found many I like. However, the reason this ranks higher than most is it takes a common theme yet makes it completely relatable to even someone as rom/com adverse as I am.

Despite the L.A. setting, the characters are all believable. The main problem I have with most of these films is that I can never imagine myself in that kind of situation – Knuckle Draggers, however, seems like something that could be happening right now, if not to me, then to someone I could imagine. I mean, the guys do… READ MORE

Amie Barsky is one of the talented members of the ensemble cast of a film quickly gaining accolades on the film festival circuit. Knuckle Draggers is a romantic comedy movie told from a male’s perspective. Barsky plays a co-lead in the movie and is also a co-producer.

Thanks very much to Amie for taking the time to answer a few questions for our readers in this exclusive interview Q&A. Learn about her background, including a stint as a cheerleader for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, and her current and future film activities… READ MORE

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

Knuckle Draggers is a humorous but very real look at the state of modern male-female relationships. Written and directed by Alex Ranarivelo, produced by Paul J. Alessi, and co-produced by Amie Barsky and Baptiste DeRivel, the film is a relationship movie from a male perspective. The story follows Ethan, an all around nice guy who gets dumped because he wasn’t able to provide his fiancée with the plush, stable life her friends were living. Desperate to get her back, he seeks help from his older brother Kyle, a tough talking sexist who seems to have a way with the ladies. Kyle gives Ethan a crash course on women and dating much to the disgust of some of Ethan’s female friends. Just when it seems Kyle’s misogynistic theories are about to prove themselves true, things take an unexpected turn and… READ MORE

Disclaimer:  This review is about a movie that is a little off the beaten path for Screen Rant.  If you know me, you know I like explosive TV and movies with a lot of carnage.  I was invited to screen this indie movie and after watching it, I politely annoyed asked Vic if I could publish my review of the movie here.  Let’s get on with it, shall we?

Quick Take:
Despite having a standard plot that we may have seen before, Knuckle Draggers comes at us with an undertone that makes it relatable and compelling… READ MORE (and see exclusive photos and news!!)

(Interview by Bruce Simmons, Editorial Writer: ScreenRant.com | Owner / Editor: CinemaStatic.org)