A Midsummer Night's Rave (2002)

i was actually upset when i saw a midsummer night's rave. i expected it to be funnier and maybe a bit more provocative. i wouldn't recommend it. you would think that something along the lines of the name 'a midsummer night's rave' would be better, but no. it only so briefly goes past a few shakespearian lines and adds a whole lot of drugs and crap. i want to watch something that entertains me, something that makes me think about it all day when i'm supposed to be paying attention in school, and something that makes me imagine myself in that situation. something that at least teaches me a lesson of some sort. i'm sorry, but my thumbs are down.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S RAVE, by the estimable Gil Cates, Jr., is an interesting, original, provocative take on Shakespeare's timeless A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM-all the more so because Cates (who is a director to watch for in the future) has the effrontery to keep but the barest skeleton of the original plot--i.e.,two sets of mismatched couples-Oberon and Titania-Bottom and the "players"----all the while deciding to take it in more daring, unexpected directions than the Immortal Bard ever intended. While previous versions---(Brook's, Branagh's, etc.) stressed the pastoral, dark aspects of the play--along with keeping the fates of the characters exactly as Shakespeare wrote it--Cates decides to add homosexuality and a scary-yet-funny drug dealer to the mix! Plus, Elena--("Helena" in the play)--ends up doing something totally different than the play! (No equivalents of Theseus and Hyppolita, for that matter).Truly, this movie is not for purists. Yet the cinematography is great, the decor and setting are funky-love the van Nick and his friends drive!-the music fits the spirit and setting (a rave) the actors are good-looking and fresh--I especially enjoyed Chad Lindberg as the "Bottom" character-(goofy Nick, who goes comically, spectacularly off-the-wall after ingesting some of Puck's "love potion") and Nichole Hiltz as the "Titania" character, Britt---their "fate" is charmingly quite different than the play and is particularly satisfying to those of us who think they make a great romantic "couple." I also enjoyed Jason Carter as the devious, poetry-spouting O.B. John, and Lauren German as the quirky, pixie-like Elena.Andrew Keegan and Sunny Mawbrey are also interesting as well, and make a great couple, the rough equivalent of "Lysander and Hermia" in the play. The "Puck" character (a witty Glen Badyna), though, to be honest, is barely there and is not really involved that much in the action like he was in the play. Some of the other actors in the movie are little more than filler, as well. Not everybody will quite take to the casual drug use---but if one is willing to stick with the movie one will realize that the drug subplot helps make one of the points of the movie---these young people have been trying to drown their concerns and desires in drugs and hedonistic partying--instead of confronting these concerns and desires head on and be themselves. They realize that one does not need to use drugs to feel happiness and love. Ultimately honesty and love are the greatest drugs of all. The dialogue between Andrew Keegan (Xander) and Sunny Mawbrey (Mia) perfectly illustrates this. Not a lot of plot---and ultimately, not for all tastes---but if one is in "vibe" with the spirit of the movie--and is interested in the phenomenon of raves---this is a must see!

If you've seen Human Traffic and GO then this a little of both. It has the Americanism aspect you get in GO and almost the rave feeling and music from Human Traffic. I watched, sometimes I wanted to fast-forward, but something that makes a movie watchable is that I identified with a couple of the characters, even if it was only for something they said or a thought/feeling they were going through. The problem with this movie was it needed to grow up, it needed to be more written around someones experience rather than experiences being shaped in to Shakespeare's play. Playing with the greats is not easy. Most if not all films based around Shakespeare have failed. If you take the idea and then use that to help you make a movie, using personal experience, maybe something like Point Break (which sort of takes off Romeo and Juliet) that is far more successful.But then again what do I know I'm only the paying public!Probably would have gone to the Cinema but tried to blag a student discount. Would not pay full price.

I just finished watching this movie at SXSW. I believe this was a final cut. The movie is very loosely based on the book. This is a movie in which you should read the book (A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM) in order to get the subtle jokes. However, as it's own entity, the movie does stand on it's own. The movie has good Rave shots which won't require stoping and rewinding. There are some very good moments especially Puck and Devon. This was a good film with a killer sound track. I would recommend watching this movie with a very light heart.