Hollywood Reviews and Movie Trivia

Speaking directly to those of us who have collected comics at some point in our lives, this is one of the darker comedies I've seen in recent memory. The story centers around two rival comic shop owners, played cleverly against each other when a rumor surfaces about the "ultimate collection" residing in the home of an eccentric old woman. Each shop owner has their reasons for wanting to get their hands on the collection; Norman (Michael Rappaport) and his wife Judy (Natasha Lyonne) want it for the money, the other, Raymond, (played by Donal Logue) for the prestige of making such a rare discovery. Stuck in the middle is Archie (DJ Qualls), who sincerely wants to help his friend Raymond acquire the collection, but doesn't agree with the methods either shop owner is employing to persuade the old woman. Things turn thoroughly dark as the woman refuses to sell. Much of the humor will be lost on anyone not aware of the comic book world. The characters are gross exaggerations of stereotypical types circulating on both side of the retail counter. Although, if you've ever been a serious collector of anything, I'm sure you could relate to this story on some level. The DVD lacks special features, but considering the limited theatrical release, being able to have access to this movie at all is something of a treat.