The Poker Club (2008)

When an intruder is found in the house during the weekly poker game the buddies end up killing him. Deciding not to call the police they dump the body and swear secrecy. Unfortunately things turn deadly in the aftermath as someone starts looking for revenge and past misdeeds start to be aired. On top of that the body the thought was well hidden is discovered by the police… This is a good little thriller that moves along at a good clip. Its brief running time, its about 80 minutes assures that things keep moving. The brevity also works against the film in some ways since there are times when some of the characters get lost, I had to pause to think about who was whom since the names to faces didn't seem to really stick with me. Worth seeing as a rental or on cable. Between 6 and 7 out of 10

"The Poker Club", which I saw at a film festival, examines the bad choices we make when we take our life for granted, and shows how they can come back to haunt us. It is a thriller that, for the most part, keeps a strong momentum going, and has a lively cast of characters (although it is an unrealistically good looking group). It's a lot of fun to watch, is not going to strain anyone's braincells, but is much more emotionally involving than most films of this kind. Judy Reyes, who is from the TV show Scrubs, plays a detective. It's a much different role for her, and she gives a standout performance. Also, Lori Huering is very impressive.

Action right out of the gate on this one. The main character, Aaron, has several friends over his house for a poker game. A burglar breaks in, and they kill the guy by mistake. They decide, since they've been doing drugs and drinking, to dump the body instead of report it. If you can get past this bad move, you're in for some fast moving fun. The story shows Aaron's world falling apart, the result of jealousy, infidelity, and tensions already going on his in life boiling to the surface. There are several bloody action sequences (this film is not for kids!). Finally, Aaron realizes how all of the violence happened because of a decision he had made during a careless moment. All in all, a very good film. There's tension from start to finish, very good acting, and finally a moral point to pull it all together. Highly recommended.

Johnathon Schaech has definitely got talent, writing and acting in this although it was a mediocre film. The plot seems all too easy and done plenty of times before, but it still somewhat keeps your interest. It was obviously not a Hollywood hit with a huge budget, but for what they had, I believe it turned out OK.The story follows a lead character Aaron(Johnathon Schaech)and his response to him and his friends killing a burglar on their poker night. They make a commonly used film move and dump the body and get rid of the evidence. Things begin happening to the people involved in this murder and evidence points to our lead character as a determined and suspicious detective (Judy Reyes) investigates Johnathon's character. The plot leads us to an interesting, but non-surprising twist in the end which leaves the audience questioning elements about Aaron's wife and her actions. Johnny Messner once again plays an obnoxious character who is not too likable, for reasons explained in the film. Overall, wasn't too bad considering, but there's definitely better straight to DVD features out there to watch.Obvious why it's a DVD feature, but still have to give credit to Johnathon Schaech for his drive and determination to adapt this screenplay and get it made.