Attention Shoppers

Starring:O-Lan Jones, Mary-Pat Green, Lillian Adams, Kathy Najimy, Nestor Carbonell, Lin Shaye, Josh Marchette, Donna Hardy, Vito D'Ambrosio, Lysa Hayland, Shannon Kenny, Ellis Williams, Martin Mull, Cara Buono, Casey Affleck, Michael Lerner, Al Israel, Jennifer Quirino, Luke Perry, Brenda Wehle
Director: Philip Charles MacKenzie
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Nestor Carbonell, a supporting actor on the sitcom Suddenly Susan, wrote and stars in Attention Shoppers, about a day in the life of a supporting actor on a mediocre sitcom. After a night of fighting with his wife, he leaves to make an appearance at the opening of a K-Mart in Houston. His limo driver in L.A. criticizes the authenticity of his character's accent; on the plane, he gets recognized as "that guy ... on that show"; he meets a soap opera star (played by Luke Perry from Beverly Hills 90210) who talks about the philosophy of Nietzsche and the movie Scarface; and when he arrives at the K-Mart, the entire appearance is a bust. He even gets beaten up by some local toughs. As a story, there's not much to it, but what rescues Attention Shoppers is the authentic texture of Carbonell's experiences as a minor celebrity. There's no vanity to either the script or his performance. If anything, he's ruthless in depicting his own need for attention and the indignities that result from it. At best, he learns a little humility by the end of things, and maybe that's all anyone can hope for. Attention Shoppers features some sharp cameos from Martin Mull, Kathy Najimy, Casey Affleck, and particularly Lin Shaye, who's best known for her comically frightening roles in Kingpin and There's Something About Mary. Her appearance as an offended fan of the sitcom's leading man is one of the high points of Attention Shoppers. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Two TV heartthrobs are about to discover the outrageous perils of publicity appearances in this fun-filled, hilarious comedy starring Nestor Carbonell ("Suddenly Susan") and Luke Perry ("Beverly Hills 90210"). With a supporting cast that includes Lin Shaye (There's Something About Mary), Casey Affleck (Good Will Hunting), Kathy Najimy (Sister Act, "Veronica's Closet") and Martin Mull (Mrs. Doubtfire), Attention Shoppers has more funny than money can buy! Sitcom sensation Enrique Suarez (Carbonell) is a hot-blooded dreamboat who loves to dazzle the ladies! So when he makes a celebrity appearance at a K-Mart, he's more than ready to greet a bevy of screaming girls! But when rival soap star Mark Pinnaforte (Perry) arrives at a store across town, Enrique's fans flock to the new teen idol! Now, the only crowd Enrique can draw is a cast of characters so kooky, he'll want to hand out restraining orders instead of autographs!

Customer Reviews:

An unusually good movie.......2004-01-12

Maybe the only flaw with the movie is its title and cover. Viewers may expect a snappy comedic romp rather than the personal odyssey film that it is. Maybe that explains the negative reviews. I agree whole-heartedly with the two four-star reviews written below.

Worse than I thought it would be.......2002-10-12

The subject line says it all. Don't go there!

bad bad bad bad bad.......2002-08-10

By far the worst movie I have ever seen. I was physicially painful to finish it. I feel cheated over the loss of 2 hours of my life.

Chicago Sun Times.......2000-11-29

I had the pleasure of watching this movie and I enjoyed it very much. I also ran across a review by Bill Stamet on April 9, 1999 in the Chicago Sun TImes, which expresses my sentiments exactly. Directed by Philip Charles Mackenzie and written by Nestor Carbonell, this exceptional independent feature stars Carbonell (co'star on NBC's "Suddenly Susan") playing the role of Enrique Suarez, a Cuban actor from Connecticut who plays the role of Francesco on a sitcom called " Two Guys, Two Gals and a Cuban," So many indie films dwell too cutely on indie wannabes as wacky, quirky heroes aiming to make it big. Such self-indulgence is rarely illuminating. What makes "Big K" unique is the deep sympathy it builds for Enriques's plight. His career teeters and his marriage cries for repair. Yet this perceptive comedy never resorts to cheap sarcasm. When Enrique jets to Houston for an in-store autograph signing at a new Kmart, Carbonell depicts his humiliation with excruciating precision. The film's absurd wit manages to celebrate the American dream with a bit of Nietzschean philosophy. The cast includes serious turns by Luke Perry, Casey Affleck, Michael Lerner and Martin Mull. I would go out and buy this movie.

Great cast, funny script, and original plot.......2000-11-29

I actually had the opportunity to see this movie at an independent film festival in New York City, and thought it was very good. I was impressed with the originallity of the story (I think it was even partially based on real events!) and with the strong cast (Nestor Carbonell from "Suddenly Susan", Luke Perry, Martin Mull, and several other great actors). I was also pleasently surprised at how this movie made me laugh histerically in one scene, and then cry in another. It is one of the better and more unique movies that I have seen a long time, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark comedies and the raw feel of independent movies.

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