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The Curiosity of Chance | 
 enlarge | Director: Russell P. Marleau
Actors: Chris Mulkey, Brett Chukerman, Tad Hilgenbrinck, Aldevina Da Silva, Pieter Van Nieuwenhuyze
Studio: TLA
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $11.08
You Save: $8.91 (45%)
New (31) Used (7) from $11.08
Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 6961
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Ntsc, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 99 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: BFE2083
UPC: 807839003581
EAN: 0807839003581
ASIN: B0017WI5TS
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: July 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW Factory Sealed - Ready to be shipped within 24 hrs from California - Average 5 workdays delivery time - Excellent customer service - Buy with confidence!
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Product Description
It's the 80s once again and the John Hughes-styled high school comedy gets a fresh twist in this touching coming-of-age tale. New wave angst and gender-bending fashion are all the rage but the new kid at school Chance Marquis (Tad Hilgenbrinck of American Pie Presents: Band Camp) is trying to find new ways to stand out. Being an odd and somewhat awkward teenager makes him the target of the school bully. To deal with this dilemma Chance turns to the opposite ends of the high school spectrum for help. On one side is the flamboyant drag queen and on the other the varsity jock Levi Sparks (Brett Chukerman of Eating Out 2) with whom Chance develops a unique friendship. Chock-full of the comic conventions of the high school genre the idiot faculty the good-hearted but delusional parents the fairy tale reversal of popularity The Curiosity of Chance is a frothy bit of nostalgic filmmaking. But knowing the genre doesn t mean its story won t also touch your heart as Chance battles the bigots to make high school the diverse utopia it should have always been.System Requirements:Running Time: 99 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/GAY & LESBIAN UPC: 807839003581 Manufacturer No: BFE2083
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 limps along with little style or class August 14, 2008
John Frame (Brisbane, Queensland Australia)
Easily the best thing about "The Curiosity Of Chance" is that the Devo song "That's Good" accomnpanies the opening credits.
The rest of the film is really quite lame, barely entertaining, and highly forgettable.
The screenplay is far too apparently contrived and self-consciously striving to appear witty - and it is delivered with a distinct lack of passion or conviction.
I don't like that the main protaganist is a cruel smart-arsed vile little body fascistand yet he's presented as someone whom we ought to feel empathy for as he struggles for non-judgmental acceptance.
Chock full of tired gay movie cliches, there is particularly unforgivable opportunistic and abusive stereotyping in the portrayal of the school principal - who is targetted relentlessly for our supposed amusement as an overweight woman with no self-awareness of her body odour problem.
Noticeably placed eye candy in the form of actor Brett Chukermen is diminished by the fact that Brett doesn't move outside of the range of facial expressions which are almost trademarked "Jake Gyllenhaal".
I really can't see any reason to recommend this film to anyone - not even the Devo intro saves it.
HUGELY disappointing July 23, 2008
bert1761 (Washington, DC United States)
2 out of 9 found this review helpful
With all the awrds this movie won, I expected it to be quite good, but it simply was not. Bad acting, bad dialogue, and completely unoriginal and banal plot and characters. Perhaps the dialogue was intended to be arch, but the actors just didn't have the talent to pull it off. Instead, everything seemed stilted and fake. Moreover, their lack of talent and/or charimsa diminshed any sympathy that a viewer might feel for them. While the characters are in "sympathetic" situations, we seen them all before -- and depicted in much more effective ways. In short, I was bored and unmoved. For a film that deals with many of the same themes, but does it in a more interesting, entertaining and accomplished manner, watch "Camp" instead.
 Delightfully funny "coming of age" story set in the 1980's July 17, 2008
Bob Lind (Phoenix, AZ United States)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Chance Marquis (played by Tad Hilgenbrink, whom some may remember from the "American Pie ... Band Camp" movie) is 16 year old Army brat, living with his stern widower military father and his precocious younger sister in Belgium, where he starts his sophomore year at an "international" school. The school seems to have the typical US high school cliques, rendered a bit more ludicrous by the various accents of the students from various countries. Chance has a definite flair for the dramatic, coming to school his first day wearing a cape, top hat and walking with a cane, which immediately makes him the target of the bullying captain of the football team. Also on the football team, as well as living next door to Chance and his family, is the hunky Levi (Brett Chukerman from "Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds), who quickly becomes the focus of Chance's fantasies, and actually is open-minded enough to befriend Chance, until his buddies on the team tell him it is soooooo not cool to be "friends with a f**." Chance hangs out mostly with two other misfits, the tough and sarcastic Twyla and the nerdy school photographer Hank, who conspire with him to get even with the bully. A night out at a gay club leads to Chance's performing in drag, a fact that becomes widely known at the school, much to Chance's chagrin.
Spot-on writing, a great cast and attention to detail makes "The Curiosity of Chance" (2006) a delightful "coming of age" film about standing up for yourself and your dreams. The setting in the 1980's, complete with clothes, hair and lots of music from that era, can lead to a conclusion that this is really a gay version of a John Hughes-like high school comedy from that era, but with a current sense of activism and self-respect, a la "Napoleon Dynamite." It may have been low budget, but they made the most of every dollar on screen.
Winner of several "best ..." awards at recent stateside gay film festivals, this US production was filmed in Belgium. DVD includes trailer and brief "making of" featurette. Definitely a keeper. I give it five "dramatic pause" stars out of five!
 Wonderfull July 4, 2008
Amos Lassen (Little Rock, Arkansas)
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
"The Curiosity of Chance"
Wonderful
Amos Lassen
"The Curiosity of Chance" is one of those movies we have been hearing about for quite a while and it has taken a long time to make it to DVD. It has been quite a hit on the festival circuit and now all of us will get a chance to see it.
Written and directed by Russell P. Marteau gives us a high school comedy that is a coming-of-age story which takes place in the 1980's-- a period of angst, uncertainty and gender-bending fashion. Chance Marquis is the new kid at school and he is taunted by the school bully because of his awkwardness. Looking for a way to deal with this, Chance looks to the opposite ends of the school spectrum. On one side is a flamboyant drag queen while a varsity jock is on the other. Naturally comedy ensues which involves the school, the faculty and Chance's misguided parents. Yet the movie is also very touching so it is a hard one to classify.
This is an independent and low budget film but that does not deter from the fact that all of us should be able to identify with aspects of the plot. The cast is made up of outcasts who spring to life and act their behinds off. This is both a teen comedy and a gay movie but the gay aspect is not shoved into the viewer's face. "The Curiosity of Chance" deals with tolerance and how we come to accept.
To say anymore about the film would ruin your viewing experience. Take my word and see it and enjoy.
 OH, and, yes........there is a kiss----but it's....... July 2, 2008
JUST A REVIEWER2
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
.......gratuitous (although it is a good lip-lock).
((Here is my approach to obtaining/viewing/reviewing Gay tales in film form. Simply, it's seeking the holy grail of that genre, or looking for the "Addictive Film"---that movie one returns to time and again). Selection/purchase is based mainly on finding new releases by favorite directors/screenwriters and/or your comments/reviews at major online film sales or review sites. Sometimes I feel correctly steered by you (the "Keepers" filling my DVD shelves), other times mislead, occasionally badly (the "Throwaways"----and I do toss 'em). Rarely, I come across the "Addictive," those watchable every couple of months or so (see below starred *** area for a list......and some of the "near-Addictive" as well). For some movies, I'll share even a short review with you, as follows below. Thanks for sticking with me so far.))
While this film doesn't merit a lot of comment, here're just a few observations---
- It's cute, it's innocuous and it's in no way innovative. What it does do is reinforce---in a fun way---the principles of standing up for oneself, appreciating the friends one does have and, most importantly, keeping hope (re: that last 2-person scene).
- This definitely will appeal to the high school crowd (what's really goin' on here---is this just a little different take on the "High School Musical" theme?).
- Just a thought or two about our leads---Hilgenbrink: a little "one-note" in his come-across (but at only age 23 or so when shooting, and with not much in past filmed performances, he has the greater potential of the two male leads) // Chuckerman: just because you're cute doesn't mean you can act (gonna get in trouble for that one---from girls, maybe boys) and gave a rather wooden performance (he was much better at "dragging us into the picture" with his performance in the year 2000 Short: "Crush"). Do have to allow him this, though---the facial expression he gives us, while walking away after "the kiss," was a priceless moment // Aldevina Da Silva's work here was tippy-top above the rest. If there's an award for this sort of thing, it belongs to her.
***If you want something better in the gay teenager mode, try one of these: "C.R.A.Z.Y" C.R.A.Z.Y. // "Summer Storm" Summer Storm // "The Mudge Boy" The Mudge Boy // "The Last Day" The Last Day
****
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