By Hook or by Crook (2001)

That was an excellent one.

Simply Perfect

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A good and trusted friend asked me to watch this with her, and I am very glad she asked me and that I did. Now that's going to sound funny when I go on to say that I don't think this movie really works, but stay with me. And keep in mind I'm an essentially straight male watching a film geared almost exclusively to butch lesbians, so my opinion may seem worthless anyway.I'll start with the faults. It's crudely cut, paced too leisurely, and it's basically insular and a little too in love with itself; it's coasting on the charisma of it's lead characters to make up for the fact that there is little real meat to this movie. The story lines involving lost fathers and petty crime seem underdeveloped and tacked-on for the sake of having something, anything to drive what little plot there is. But, the strengths begin front and center with Harry Dodge. You can't take your eyes off when Dodge is on screen, the presence is that magnetic. And the dialogue that's been created in tandem with partner Silas gets you interested in them. And yes, while I criticized the lack of solid ground for a story, the characters kept my interest throughout. What I am saying here is that I felt a sizzle in the same manner that I felt when I saw the first works of Alison Maclean or Katja von Garnier, or what critics in the '50's felt watching the first Cassavettes or Godard. Like those early debuts, this film by itself is not accessible to a 'regular' audience, but the talent and potential is obvious and exciting, and as a viewer I become quite interested in seeing their next film. In fact, I think if I were a producer watching this, I would want to bankroll their next film the same way Mel Brooks took a gamble on David Lynch.So yes, by my friend corralling me into watching this, I got to walk in on the ground floor of what should be an exciting film-making team. With the right balance of impulse and discipline, I think Silas Howard and Harry Dodge are going to create something big in the future.

Thanks for all your great comments and most of all for watching our movie, it's always nice to see that people take the time to watch indie movies. what's even more astounding is that you've taken the time to make commentary. This is the stuff that keeps us going. OK that's all i really have to say, but IMDb is making me fill this up with 10 lines of text, so i'll carry on for a bit longer. All I really wanted to say was thanks, so i'll keep saying it over and over again. if your looking for another interesting movie about butches check out the shinjuku boys. i think that's about all for now. watch the movie and tell us what you think. i didn't vote for my own movie cuz i think it's a bit tacky, kinda like this posting.

I loved this movie from the opening sequence right through to the end. I found the director/ actor's style of directly addressing me/the audience very engaging.What I found most exciting and refreshing about this movie was its ignoring -- and thus challenging -- of gender and class stereotypes. The idiosyncrasies of the characters are portrayed as strengths, and the absence of judgment -- and the characters' acceptance of themselves and each other -- enabled me to embrace them and allow myself to be drawn into their world. Without preaching, and with intelligence and gentle and loving humor, this movie has the power to open us to new possibilities, and offers hope for a world in which people see and accept each other as unique and precious individuals. I look forward to more offerings from this creative and talented director.

I find this piece amazing, one of the few portrayals of butch identity in film. It's a buddy story really, mixed a lil with road movie and a dash of coming of age story. The writer/director/actor team of Howard and Dodge prove their versatility and strength by bringing characters to life that are so marginalized out in the world. Also a great performance by Stanya Kahn as Billie: an awesome Fem character that deserves a whole movie of her own. Visually, this is one of the better digital films you will see from 2001. The soundtrack kicks. "A man's journey is but the search for the first great images that gained access to his heart."One of a kind, highly recommended.