User Reviews

Being engaged to an Aussie may jade my opinion of this movie, since I have been exposed to some of the little inside jokes and such over the past few years. However, any movie that keeps you talking about it and wanting your friends to see it so that you can chat about your favorite scenes is a movie worth watching.

Yes, it is an old plot, but aren't they ALL?!?! Boy meets girl...boy can't have girl (Groundhog Day fell into this one in one aspect). The underdog(s) fighting all hope to live the dream (a la 8 Mile). We've learned to accept that there are a few plots that work, yet it is the nuances that happen to make them unique. This little movie has some great nuances, so forget the similarities and enjoy the uniquities. Grab a bag of chips and enjoy the ride.

By the way, without spoiling anything, anyone out there who loved seeing the Stanford Tree mascot and the Cal Bear mascot throwing punches during a basketball game will howl out loud at one small scene. I know that I did.

I liked this movie. The plot is as old as the hills, only it didn't end the way I guessed (and I like that). Also there is a twist that I didn't see coming. The movie tells the story of a band that starts before their first gig. There are the usual inner-band romances going on and the kooky over weight manager/roadie tossed in for fun (see "Rock Star" or "Still Crazy"). The have to raise $1200 at one point (insert usual odd ways they do that here). There is the usual big concert at the end. Blah Blah Blah. BUT I liked this movie. Why? The ending was real, the sound track is great (I'm 41 what can I say), there were some twists to the plot I didn't see coming and the even though it's a tired old plot, it's a tired old plot for a reason: It's a good one. 7/10

This movie is just plain fun that takes a pretty average, well-known look at the music industry and the hike that bands take to get to where they want to be. But Alex Proyas adds some CGI effects (pretty funny ones, I might add...like Mellie the "baby") to make up where this average movie was headed. ALl of the actors are pretty unknown in the States (where I am), but it all doesn't matter because they were all vivacious enough (and good-looking enough) to make you believe that they encountered this past themselves.

This movie tries to take you on an emotional roller-coaster of relationships between band members and their girl/boyfriends, but where that comes up short, the movie just throws more fun at you. My favorite parts are the melon-baby and the hallucination scene where the band's bassist tries to get money from her parents and finds herself tripping out. I hated the where-are-they-now ending and cutesy-poo looks back on life and love and careers and whatever else, but the movie as a whole was OK. I gave it a 6/10.

I don't need to say that i only rented the movie because i saw Alex Proyas name on it. Ofcourse i had read some reviews and seen some pretty slick pics on the net, so i knew what i was getting into. Although i was quite sure that it was a hot potato i expected some style from Proyas, some darkness despite the original premise. What i got wasn't from what i expected, style-wise. Quality-wise though...

The movie started off, more or less like "Snatch" or "Lock Stock..." choose your preference, anyways, quick cuts, some rather silly jokes, freeze frames et la. I though of just stopping the flick and go see a real movie on the nearby theatre. But naw, i just could not, i 've never done that, so why now? I MEAN it didn't suck THAT MUCH. This had all the trademarks of an Alex Proyas movie, i mean it ain't no "Planet of the Apes"(in this one you can tell who directed it), the rock music is here, as a matter of fact The CURE are here as well, the stylish dark kind of MTV shots are here, slow motion clear and present, a pinch darkness? Here as well. But despite having all these elements, i just couldn't stop wondering, what attracted Proyas to the project, it's fairly average if not total garbage of a script. Although not cliched, it has its fair share of wickedness, some funny moments, some chilling moments and some slapstick, but overall it is a mess. What it needed was wit but It lacked wit, it could have worked if there were some Woody Allen or Kevin Smith one-liners--their movies lack srtucture too anyway!--. The music now: as i said it's quite cool, not The Crow kind of cool but still it was a pretty nice little collection of songs, these were used nicely through out the movie, sometimes effectively, most of the times just to provoke feelings that the actors are unable to communicate.

What made the movie worthwhile though, was the fact that it had a few set-pieces which were cool, like a certain bloody bath tub or that slow-mo(bullet time you say?) rain, which looked obviously phony but still that is what makes them attractive. Acting is fairly average, Haley Joel Osment could act the feminine parts better than these gals...not to mention the guys parts the governor of California could kick some serious acting but here! The cinematography is moody at times, there are some new hotties coming out of this flick(no not that leading lady! But surely the other two ladies are certainly going to Hollywood...although they shouldn't really act..if you know what i mean)but other than that... A Final notice i hope I, ROBOT is a return to form, cause this gives Alex a bad name. I mean man! Get a hold of yourself! You've seen it before, it's tv-movie quality, it wanted to be ALMOST FAMOUS--but it's just shite.

4/10 Choose life, Choose another movie...

'Garage Days' may be lightweight but it is successfully lightweight. The laughs were out-loud belly laughs, the cinematography was way cool, the visual interest unflagging and the acting good. Kick Gurry continues his electric relationship with the camera. See it if you are looking for a fun teenflick!

Not as bad as I've been led to believe, but it left me wanting more. The jokes were there (and great at times), the script wasn't bad, the plot has some twists you don't see coming, and the music's excellent. But I found it really hard to get into the characters. I'm not sure whether it was that the characters were poorly developed, or if it was just the actors (whose performance seemed under par at a number of points throughout the film). Lucy in particular seemed to need a lot more work. Worth watching to make up you're own mind, but if you're ever in the position where you have to choose between watching the movie and listening to the soundtrack; I say go for the soundtrack.

Or just watch Looking for Alibrandi. Same kind of feel, but a better movie in my opinion (and again with a pretty good soundtrack).

Unfortunately, the rest of the movie sucks on ice.

The "characters" are either overblown clichés (death-obsessed goth girl? Check. Drugged-out drummer with mod haircut? Check check. Ubiquitous use of eyeliner? Check check check!) or ridiculously annoying people who you'd never spend six seconds with in real life.

Script-wise, this is a soggy mess. There are three people credited with the story, which makes sense as there are at least three movies stitched together. My guess is that Dave Warner wrote a comedy, Alex Proyas penned a tragedy, and Michael Udesky scribbled in a notebook while tripping on liquid acid. Then each of them tore out every fourth page of his script, threw the remaining pages up in the air, and stapled the resulting mess together.

The, um, cinematography is aggravating. Tarantino is not hip, MTV is not edgy and that disjointed text-on-screen technique went out of vogue around the 1890's. As for the trip/rave/ingestion scenes, they're as effective as PSAs: Don't do drugs! Why? They're boring as all get-out.

Overall this is a sickeningly inauthentic movie. The acting is laughable, the comedy is unfunny, the pathos makes you hate these people even more than you previously did. All the tattoos look like they were drawn on with Magic Marker. And the band's total playing time is less than two minutes. 90 seconds of that is a fantasy scene.

The ONLY reason to acknowledge the existence of this celluloid horror is its soundtrack. Featuring the Jam, the Femmes, the Cure, Roxy Music and Tom Jones - that's entertainment. Just buy the record and skip this movie entirely.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, it is a good fun comedy and doesn't try to be something it's not. I would highly recommend this film, it has some great laughs in it and is a feel good movie. Not another cheesy comedy, but something a bit different. Nor is it another Hollywood cliché where everything always works out in the end. The end feature during the credits is a good finish to the film. One of those movies that you will probably enjoy more the second time around because of its light hearted nature, much like Zoolander in some ways the jokes although they aren't always the best written out there are delivered particularly well by the characters. So what are you waiting for?

This film is a disappointment. It tries too hard to be cool and too little to be interesting. The love triangle is never compelling and the "will they/won't they make it" story would work only if we cared. As it is we have a bunch of annoying musicians doing not much in not much of a movie.

Filmed in location in Newtown - where I live - it was interesting to see my haunting ground on the big screen. Also many of my friends were extras in the film, but all ended up on the cutting room floor. A shame cause for me having them in it would have been the highlight, nothing else was.

On a positive note, Australian Actor Russell Dykestra does a great job as the manger/roadie of this unsuccessful garage band. The rest of them however seem terribly miscast.

Maya Stange looks reasonably vacant throughout, like she really would prefer to be somewhere else - and who could blame her. Pia Miaranda and Kick Curry - both so good in "Looking for Alibrandi" a few years back, fail to light any sparks here.

The style of the film is so erratic as to be positively frustrating, never more so than when we get the slow motion "let's get inside their heads" scenes where the characters voice over tells us unnecessary and frankly not very enlightening exposition. And as for the drug scenes - well terrible drug cliche doesn't even begin to cover it.

The final song and dance scene played during the credits is the best bit of the film, trouble is you have to sit through the rest of it to get there.

Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City) works best when he deals with dark, broody, mystery subject matters. Light quirky Australian comedy clearly isn't his forte.

I've watched the DVD twice this weekend and I think it is an excellent, light comedy. There's a dark subplot to act as counterpoint, and most actors have dark as well as light. Bruno, the manager and Luce, the drummer produce brilliant characterisations; high energy. Garage days shows nicely how, for most people, life doesn't turn out the way they hoped. It also shows, equally nicely, that most people learn to accept the way their life turns out. The director was brave to portray drugs in the way he does. He is also fleetingly and subtly negative about gambling. The commentary on the DVD is tantalising about the possible treatments. It also indicates the lengths the director has gone to for emotional appeal relating to the various actors. The plot is simple, but that's not the point of the film. It doesn't have overt gimmicks or special effects. There's no heart stopping shocks or car chases. It's a subtle, nicely portrayed love story. I'm sure this film will be enjoyed by many of the baby boomers, the people who (vaguely) remember the sixties.

GARAGE DAYS (2 outta 5 stars) I suppose every rock music fan who doesn't actually join a band wants to write about how cool it *would* be to join one. Thankfully, not all of them succumb to the temptation. Unfortunately, all too many of these paeans to this imagined "coolness" are foisted off on unsuspecting movie-goers (or book readers). Practically every one of these "tributes to the spirit of rock and roll" is exactly the same story. The hero is a nice guy who devotes his whole life to the band (most likely the alter ego of the author). There is a wild and crazy drummer (most likely patterned after "Animal" from "The Muppet Show") who likes to drink and/or take drugs. There is the band's second-in-command who gets jealous, thinking that the hero is taking advantage of him (though of course the hero would *never* be that despicable). There is a chick in the band, too... every fictional rock band has to have a token chick in it... who sleeps with at least one male member before the story ends. Then there has to be the slightly inept manager who keeps making funny mistakes (like sending the band to the wrong gig) and gets the major blame for the band's lack of success... but, when all is said and done, gosh darn it, he was there from the beginning and he's as much a part of the band as anyone so they can't just boot him out. Find all these clichés and MORE in this by-the-numbers effort by talented director Alex ("The Crow", "Dark City")Proyas. About the only thing this movie has going for it is a nice selection of songs on the soundtrack. There are lots of wild, flashy camera tricks and needless SFX... but all they signify is that Proyas saw "Trainspotting", too. The most annoying thing about this movie is that it's big punchline (when the band finally does get its big break we find out that the band really *does* suck) is given away in the advertising taglines on the posters and the DVD covers: "What if you finally got your big break and you just plain sucked?" The one original moment in the movie and they give it away in the advertising. No wonder this movie never got a theatrical release to speak of.

Do yourself a favour and see "The Wannabees" (about a gang of foul-mouthed thugs who become the country's most successful children's show), "Razzle Dazzle" (about a failing dance instructor and a bunch of fellow losers trying to coach a bunch of pre-teen girls to victory) and "Garage Days" about... as best as I can summarize... a rock'n'roll soap opera that plays out like a Hunter S. Thompson nightmare (Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas).

"Garage Days" is exactly what a quirky, offbeat, rock'n'roll Aussie comedy should be: quirky, offbeat & full of rock'n'roll. Before I even get to my review, I'll mention some of the tunes on the soundtrack: AC/DC "It's a Long Way to the Top" & "High Voltage", The Cure "Boys Don't Cry", Violent Femmes "Blister in the Sun", Roxy Music "Love Is the Drug", and a particularly hilarious choreographed psychedelic scene set to Rick James "Superfreak". As in Proyas's masterpiece "The Crow", the music really sets the stage for the whole experience.

"Garage Days" follows a month in the life of a struggling punk-metal-grunge-pop band trying to get their one big shot. Along the way we get roped into the common themes of sex, drugs, love & friendship... and the not-so-common themes of creepy goth girlfriends, soul-sucking slot machines and talking cantaloupes. The whole movie comes at you hard & fast, like "Amelie" on crack.

Quite surprising for director Alex Proyas, master of the cinematic shadows ("The Crow", "Dark City")--it's very bright and lively. If you're a fan of Proyas, you must see this side of him. Much like Tim Buton who did "Batman" as well as "Peewee's Big Adventure", Proyas proves that there's a fine line between darkness & light, and he's able to cross it seamlessly.

A note for us Yanks, it helps to watch it with the subtitles because the Aussie accent can run over you like a rabid kangaroo. And some of the quips are priceless, you don't want to miss a beat. I found the script to be hilarious, the acting charming, the story suspenseful and the presentation memorable.

Tastes may vary, but I found each character to be instantly likable, from "Freddie" (an odd mix of Peewee Herman and a young Christopher Walken) to "Tanya" (a punk rich girl who sports the perfect blend of hot, cute & badass), "Lucy" (Henry Rollins meets Billy Idol meets Mongo from Blazing Saddles), "Joe" (a puzzler who is best left for you to decipher), "Joe's dad" (an aging rocker who himself is more childish & clueless than his son), all the peripheral characters who did a stellar job, and then there's the guy who steals the show "Bruno" their loser manager (played by Russell Dykstra from the aforementioned "Wannabees").

There aren't many well-known movies I can compare this to because it's so unusual, but if you've seen the hilarious Japanese flicks "Kamikaze Girls", "Swing Girls" or "Otakus in Love" I'd say this fits right alongside them. It also reminded me a bit of the funny Rainn Wilson flick "The Rocker", only pumped up with twice the adrenaline and totally Aussified. If you like rock'n'roll comedies, do not miss this!

I saw a free pre-screening of Garage Days months ago in Santa Monica. I was really excited and went with a friend. The theater was packed, as should be expected. It soon became apparent (about 10 minutes into the film), that something terrible was happening.

This was easily one of the worst movies I've ever seen and I can't even comment on how lame the plot was. It looked and felt more like a mid 70's TV movie, than the 3rd major film from director Alex Proyas.

One thing I remember is that not one of the actors could play their instruments. You'd have thought the actors would have gotten coached on the rudiments of playing each of their respective instruments. They're in a struggling rock band after all, and that is the crux of the story. But it was fairly plain, that they had not a clue, and strummed nary a chord. Even when one of the band members sat alone on his bed, in his room, feeling dejected, he merely held his guitar.

This movie is a total loss, and I'd be shocked if it were ever released in the US.

"Garage Days" seems like an attempt to capitalize on a bunch of different genres by re-hashing them into a confused mess of film failure. Offering nothing new or fresh to the table, the film is un-entertaining and plods along at a predictable, ultra-flashy pace. The jubilent, carefree tone of the film is compromised here by weighty subject matter such as abortion and drug use. These "dramatic" elements of the film keep it from having a distinctive tone that engages the viewer when contrasted with the hyper active camera work, pointless interludes and predictable comedy. When all is said and done this is nothing more than a vanity piece trying to showcase cool clothing and little else. All of these combine to deliver an un-entertaining film experience. Pass on this one.

come on people you have to give this movie a shot. and for all the little babies judging it so seriously are doing that, being too serious. its a lovable silly film set in sydney of a band trying to get there name out and live there fantasies of rockin hard. sure its Shakespeare and its not supposed to be. the cinematography fun not really unique but still it has not been done in a while and was not over done. the acting was not excellent and neither was the humor its one of those movies that keeps you smilling but never to often laughing out loud. most of the humor is in the native Aussie format so you have to pay attention to what they say and try to just understand their lingo to get a lot of the jokes. great sound track , good beginning middle and end . what more could you ask for .

I saw this film last year and give you this advice: in the name of all cinematic things good and holy, do NOT see this film. It's one giant horrible cliche about the 'young kids of today' their 'crazy rock n roll - or are they calling it grunge still?' and 'their exciting modern boho inner city lifestyle'. sure, Kick Gurry can act (in any other film, and the camera loves him, but he's wasted here, as is other young Austrlaian talent. Let's hope this film doesn't ruin their careers before they start (though they should sack their agents for getting them this gig). The worst thing was that this movie got moderate to good reviews in Australia. I'm all for supporting the local industry but don't think credit should be given where it's not due, ie. to this kind of badly planned, badly scripted, no plot, unreal kind of nothingness fluff. Makes the time everyone was talking about the hype of up'n'coming talent Alex Proyas seem a long, long way away.

I caught this movie on HBO. I was intrigued because I kept thinking the movie would find it's footing and somehow entertain me other than with it's "clever dialogue ". It was completely awful with a predictable ending , pointless hots, horrible directing, sub-par acting, and hideous sets. I can't believe they were given money to make this movie. The movie centers around a group of friends trying to make it. It dabbles in trying to show the same stereotypes of bands trying to make it and the struggle of it as well as the friendships that are made and change throughout the experience. The movie tries to evolve beyond the one trick pony of "are they going to make it?" and it fails...terribly.

I saw this movie as part of the AFI screenings. The movie is very upbeat and you walk out feeling very satisfied with the experience. The direction is excellent with some nice special effects esp. slow motion which is used for character thought pieces.

There is great use of music, including the Cure but we don't really see them play much at all. Why there are probably many reasons probably because we know they are actors and that would be a little indulgent to have long mimed pieces. I don't think the band has a name.

The plot starts off by being obvious. I was thinking, another "band wants to hit the big time" movie. Yes it is but it works due to this being only the starting point. Although the usual cliches are found here they aren't as laboured.

Drugs and sex will means it will not suit the munchkins.

Loved it!!!

I watched "Garage Days" by Alex Proyas for the first time on cable last night.

I didn't see it when it had it's cinema release in Australia.

It's all shot around Newtown and Enmore in Sydney, Australia and as grungy as it looked it made me miss home for the first time since I moved to NY.

Recognizing all of the scenes where things were shot and thinking about different times in my life made me think of good friends.

Happy to be here in NY but I've been missing home and good friends for the last half an hour.

If you're an Aussie watch it for the memories, If you're from overseas watch it to enjoy the warm feeling you get from spending time with good friends.

Highly recommended as a good example of Aussie friendship movies.

Cheers, Dean

I loved this film, and completely disagree with others who have denigrated it.

My boyfriend and I went to a screening, and the two of us laughed so hard, it was great. Maybe they recut the film since an earlier round of screenings in late 2002. Dunno, but it worked for us.

This was a film that managed to be GUT-WRENCHINGLY funny, and at the same time presented a group of people who were real, going through experiences that were absolutely true to life.

Here was a look at the life, the dreams, and the bizarre way that everything can go wrong at the same time as getting on track.

Also, it was great to see Sydney as portrayed in this film. I've never gotten such a real sense of what life there might really be like.

Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll. This was a timeless story, and the flawed characters (several) carry the story forward in a completely balls-to-the-wall fashion.

We were also struck with the brilliant special effects and a sensitive, wonderful, engaging soundtrack. Some of my favorite songs of all time made the grade - such as David Bowie's KOOKS (from the early 70's).

You have to GET Rock and Roll to GET this picture. The older characters who used to be hip playing out the rest of their lives in contrast to the young band on the verge of possible success, it was poignant and powerful, and all at the same time very very hysterically funny.

Very intelligent film. Too bad some posting here didn't get it.

This film taught me an important lesson. Don't choose a movie based on the past works of the people who made it (which works both ways, actually).

I was expecting a film directed by Alex Proyas to be at least half-decent, but was unpleasantly surprised.

This film has a storyline so lame it's funny, mediocre dialogue, truly appalling acting (with one or two exceptions) and superfluous special effects. Don't waste your time with it. I watched it with my girlfriend and we were ready to switch it off after 10 minutes. We gave it another 10 minutes to see if it improved - nope. Back to the Loch with you, Nessie!

GARAGE DAYS (dir. Alex Proyas) A strange film because it's a rock'n'roll movie that does not embrace the clichéd rock'n'roll fairy tale, but aims for just the opposite. GARAGE DAYS is about learning to accept your limitations and struggling with something that is really important regardless of your degree of success. Set in Australia the film has a 'local' feel, although Alex Proyas, the director, makes the film as big in scope as a classic of the rock genre. The perennial romance of rock'n'roll is the belief that a small but influential voice can overcome overwhelming odds and attain massive popularity and success. But the message of GARAGE DAYS is that after all of their struggle, the band members don't come close to fulfilling their rock'n'roll fantasy, but are still satisfied with their lives.

A quirky story line and some exceptional music right throughout the movie.

Fresh new Aussie actors with a great performance by Russell Dykstra.