Paddy Connor Movies
The owner of an old neighborhood Jewish deli struggles maintain his restaurant by catering to a new generation of clientele in director Laura Paglin's wry, low-key comedy. The year is 1973, and Marv's quaint and comfortable deli is slowly going into the red. Desperate to satisfy his clientele and maintain his business amidst changing times, Marv incurs the wrath of his neighbors by making the decision to remain open twenty-four hours a day. As a result, a steady stream of hippies, bikers, and ageing Jewish insomniacs soon flock to the restaurant creating a curious cultural clash that sends local busybody do-gooders into a tizzy. When wholesome, newly arrived waitress Susan (Donna Casey) arrives to work at Marv's, she quickly discovers just how tough it can be to balance her short-fused customers with a questionable romance and the snide remarks of the jealous head waitress. Unfortunately Marv's is going to do more than remain open all day and all night to stay afloat, and as it becomes obvious that drastic measures will need to be taken the exacerbated owner shifts to increasingly desperate tactics to please his dwindling customer base.
~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Seymour Horowitz, Donna Casey, (more)
Low-budget filmmaker Ed Radtke's second feature is a male-oriented road movie about two unlikely characters thrown together by a strange fate. Freddy (Maurice Compte), who has a pregnant girlfriend back home and no prospects for the future, tries to board a moving train but only ends up losing his bag and cap. He meets a delinquent- looking adolescent named Albert (Paddy Connor) at a service station. Despite protests from Freddy, Albert sticks to him like glue and proves to be a useful companion. The reasons each character has for taking the long journey are revealed gradually. Freddy is looking for his uncle to get some news of his long-lost father, while Albert, who has escaped from reform school, is trying to find his mother with nothing more than a postcard she has written as a clue to her whereabouts. As the characters slowly get to know one another, they also discover rural America through chance encounters with a gallery of diverse characters from soldiers to Indians. Director Ed Radtke, who was once convicted of felony himself, displays his first-hand knowledge of adolescent delinquency. He also draws a remarkable portrait of troubled youth, looking for roots and a sense of identity, but always on guard, knowing only too well that there are no miracles in a cruel and harsh world. Although the film is character-driven, the landscape (shot beautifully by Terry Stacey) plays a very important part in setting the mood. Despite its low budget, The Dream Catcher was shot in eight states across the U.S. in more than hundred locations involving several night shoots. There are more than forty speaking roles. Producer Julia Reichert brought students on the set and also involved young offenders from detention centers in the writing and acting process. The Dream Catcher was shown in competition at the 1999 Locarno International Film Festival, where it received the second prize of the Young Jury (UBS). ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maurice Compte, Paddy Connor, (more)
