Lightbulb (also known as Ingenious)

Cinequest 2009

Lightbulb is a hard movie for me to categorize. The program lists it as comedy, and it really was funny. It also had some serious parts too, but most of all it’s just the true story of two guys who are struggling to find that one idea that will make them rich. Matt and his friend are trying to create novelty gadgets to sell, such as a watch that gives you random numbers for the lottery. This idea doesn’t go over very well, but a different watch idea, one with “thinking dogs” (don’t ask) is well received. They go on to lose all their development money at the dog track, so more money is needed to create different watches with the top ten dogs on them. Matt’s gambling problem then not only loses all the business money, but flushes all his wife’s money down the toilet as well, and she smartly leaves him. Eventually they are snookered out of their watch rights and hit rock bottom (trying to steal a gigantic cactus – by digging it out of the desert), but are finally saved when Matt goes to open a bottle of beer and finally comes up with a brilliant idea. The best part of the movie is that this is a true story, and it’s hilarious seeing up on screen an item that you either have at home or have considered purchasing. Matt the gambling loser was obviously a genius.

The movie isn’t the best at the festival this year, but it is very entertaining and well put together, and has some experienced but not well-known actors, and even some pretty funny sex scenes (“It’s Animated! It’s Animated!!!”). I wouldn’t recommend you skip something really great to see this one, but if you have a free spot you won’t be sorry.

[Edited: HAH! What a difference a year makes. The “not well-known actors” are Jeremy Renner and Dallas Roberts!]

For some unknown reason you can only buy this DVD in Australia format. It won’t play on US DVD players.