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Hav Plenty
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment // R // February 12, 2002
List Price: $29.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
Christopher Scott Cherot's 1997 low-budget comedy has bright moments and enjoyable stretches, but there's several flaws that, while somewhat more acceptable given the film's ultra-low budget, keep the film from being as enjoyable as it could be. Cherot not only wrote the screenplay, he also produced, directed, edited and starred in the picture. Speaking of starring, he plays Lee Plenty, a homeless writer who lost his apartment when he didn't resign the lease after finding out he got a book deal that fell through.
He's given a last-minute invite to a holiday party by friend Havilland Savage (Chenoa Maxwell). Once there, he's approached by her friend, Caroline (Tammi Jones) and her sister, Leigh (Robinne Lee). Lee rejects both their advances and the girls wonder why - if they had read the title of the movie, they would know how this story ends - Havilland and Lee Plenty obviously have feelings for one another which will be revealed by the end of the film, given that the title of the film is "Hav Plenty".
So, now that we have that out of the way, how's the film? Unfortunately, it's a mixed bag. The first half of the film does provide a few solid jokes, but not enough going on. The second half ditches the gags and goes for more drama; unfortunately, this doesn't help matters. The performances, interestingly enough, start off pretty amateurish and forced, but do get considerably better as the film goes on, even if the material doesn't get much better.
Christopher Scott Cherot does show potential here. A bigger production and a little more work on a future screenplay might be more successful. As for "Hav Plenty", it's a pretty respectable directing debut; the material isn't always there, but the performances are energetic and there are some funny and witty moments, as well as a good ending.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Hav Plenty" is presented by Miramax in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture quality is not entirely pleasing, although I think that this film might have been filmed in 16mm; that would likely explain that soft and grainy appearance of the picture. If it wasn't, this is a fairly weak transfer. Sharpness and detail alternate between looking pleasantly well-defined and noticably soft.
Aside from the grain and slight dirt, there are a few other noticable problems throughout the presentation. While no pixelation was seen, there were some instances of very slight edge enhancement. Light specks and the occasional mark on the print used are also visible. Colors remained natural and nicely saturated, with no considerable flaws. Overall, this is an okay transfer of low-budget material.
SOUND: "Hav Plenty" is presented by Miramax in Dolby Digital 5.1, but the sound practically stays mono for most of the movie, with the music being the only instances where the sound at least expands to the front two main speakers. Audio quality was generally pleasant throughout; a bit better than I'd expected, given the film's low-budget nature. The music remained at least somewhat dynamic, with a fair amount of bass. While there really wasn't anything in the way of additional sound effects/ambient sounds, dialogue remained clear.
MENUS: Basic main and sub-menus with little animation or other "touches".
EXTRAS: "Sneak Peek" trailers for other Miramax releases:
Final Thoughts: "Hav Plenty" has several witty and funny moments and it's a nice first film, but there's a few too many slow patches. Miramax's DVD presents the film was fair audio/video quality, but little in the way of supplements. Rent it.
Christopher Scott Cherot's 1997 low-budget comedy has bright moments and enjoyable stretches, but there's several flaws that, while somewhat more acceptable given the film's ultra-low budget, keep the film from being as enjoyable as it could be. Cherot not only wrote the screenplay, he also produced, directed, edited and starred in the picture. Speaking of starring, he plays Lee Plenty, a homeless writer who lost his apartment when he didn't resign the lease after finding out he got a book deal that fell through.
He's given a last-minute invite to a holiday party by friend Havilland Savage (Chenoa Maxwell). Once there, he's approached by her friend, Caroline (Tammi Jones) and her sister, Leigh (Robinne Lee). Lee rejects both their advances and the girls wonder why - if they had read the title of the movie, they would know how this story ends - Havilland and Lee Plenty obviously have feelings for one another which will be revealed by the end of the film, given that the title of the film is "Hav Plenty".
So, now that we have that out of the way, how's the film? Unfortunately, it's a mixed bag. The first half of the film does provide a few solid jokes, but not enough going on. The second half ditches the gags and goes for more drama; unfortunately, this doesn't help matters. The performances, interestingly enough, start off pretty amateurish and forced, but do get considerably better as the film goes on, even if the material doesn't get much better.
Christopher Scott Cherot does show potential here. A bigger production and a little more work on a future screenplay might be more successful. As for "Hav Plenty", it's a pretty respectable directing debut; the material isn't always there, but the performances are energetic and there are some funny and witty moments, as well as a good ending.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Hav Plenty" is presented by Miramax in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture quality is not entirely pleasing, although I think that this film might have been filmed in 16mm; that would likely explain that soft and grainy appearance of the picture. If it wasn't, this is a fairly weak transfer. Sharpness and detail alternate between looking pleasantly well-defined and noticably soft.
Aside from the grain and slight dirt, there are a few other noticable problems throughout the presentation. While no pixelation was seen, there were some instances of very slight edge enhancement. Light specks and the occasional mark on the print used are also visible. Colors remained natural and nicely saturated, with no considerable flaws. Overall, this is an okay transfer of low-budget material.
SOUND: "Hav Plenty" is presented by Miramax in Dolby Digital 5.1, but the sound practically stays mono for most of the movie, with the music being the only instances where the sound at least expands to the front two main speakers. Audio quality was generally pleasant throughout; a bit better than I'd expected, given the film's low-budget nature. The music remained at least somewhat dynamic, with a fair amount of bass. While there really wasn't anything in the way of additional sound effects/ambient sounds, dialogue remained clear.
MENUS: Basic main and sub-menus with little animation or other "touches".
EXTRAS: "Sneak Peek" trailers for other Miramax releases:
Final Thoughts: "Hav Plenty" has several witty and funny moments and it's a nice first film, but there's a few too many slow patches. Miramax's DVD presents the film was fair audio/video quality, but little in the way of supplements. Rent it.
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