Down and Out With the Dolls (2001)
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52% of critics liked it
(25 reviews) -
43% of users liked it
(72 ratings)
Four young women are on the verge of becoming the new darlings of indie rock, if they don't kill each other first, in this independent comedy drama. Fauna (Zoe Poledouris) has been a minor fixture on the Portland, OR, indie rock scene for a while as lead singer with neo-goth rockers the Snogs,… More Four young women are on the verge of becoming the new darlings of indie rock, if they don't kill each other first, in this independent comedy drama. Fauna (Zoe Poledouris) has been a minor fixture on the Portland, OR, indie rock scene for a while as lead singer with neo-goth rockers the Snogs, but after a quarrel with her boyfriend Paulo (Mikael Jehanno), Fauna is given her walking papers, and soon the brazenly careerist Fauna looking for a new vehicle to launch her latest bid for rock stardom. Opportunity presents itself in the form of the Paper Dolls, an all-female three-piece -- guitarist Kali (Nicole Barrett), bassist Lavender (Melody Moore), and drummer Reggie (Kinnie Starr) -- in need of a lead singer. Fauna can give the fledgling Dolls some much needed cred, and when she learns that Kali's boyfriend is Levi (Coyote Shivers), the frontman for rising pop-punkers the Suicide Bombers, Fauna sees a relationship that can be profitably exploited. Eager to get their act together, the four Paper Dolls rent a house together, imagining that living together will help them tighten up fast. The plan works, and soon the Paper Dolls are the fastest rising band in the Northwest. Things look even rosier when the Suicide Bombers sign a deal with Pop-Up Records, an indie label poised to sign a distribution deal with a major label, and Levi suggests to Pop-Up that the Paper Dolls would make good label mates. The Dolls score the much-coveted record deal, but all is not well at the Doll House -- Fauna and Kali soon find themselves battling over Kali's affections and the group's musical direction, Reggie treats her boyfriend Mulder (Brendan O'Hara) like dirt while cheating on him with a handful of female fans, and Lavender isn't sure if the band is more important than her relationship with her longtime beau Clark (Shawn Robinson). Down & Out With the Dolls was written and directed by Kurt Voss, who previously explored the West Coast rock scene in two collaborative features with Alison Anders, Border Radio and Sugar Town, while Zoe Poledouris, Melody Moore, Kinnie Starr, and Coyote Shivers have all performed and recorded with a variety of rock bands. Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead also appears in a supporting role. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Kurt Voss
- Genres
- Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy
R,
- In Theaters
- Mar 21, 2003 Wide
- Studio
- Indican Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Peter Howell, Toronto Star
What the film lacks in production values, it makes up in authenticity and comic moxie, using real musicians in many key roles -- and they can actually play.
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John Anderson, Newsday
The movie's post-grunge Portland, Ore., quartet is almost laughably cliched -- which seems in direct opposition to the anti-authoritarian attitude of the movie.
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Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
The music is sensational, the energy level high, and Down and Out With the Dolls is a wise and funny treat.
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Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
A meritless and exasperating film experience, lacking any insight, drama or humor regarding its subject, the underground music scene.
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Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
A lot of the acting is amateurish, and most of the plot feels like a rehash of a rehash.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
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Cast
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Zoë Poledouris
as Fauna
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Kinnie Starr
as Reggie
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Melody Moore
as Lavender
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Nicole Barrett
as Kali
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Coyote Shivers
as Levi
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Sierra Feldner-Shaw
as Heather
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Janis Tanaka
as Trudie
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Lemmy Kilmister
as Joe
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Mikael Jehanno
as Paulo
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Inger Lorre
as Shade
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Kate Merrill
as Zoe
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Brendan O'Hara
as Mulder
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Jennifer Shepard
as Alcoholly
- Shawn Robinson
