Cookies & Cream (film)
Encyclopedia
Cookies & Cream is a 2008 American independent drama film
written and directed by Princeton Holt, as his first feature length
narrative film.
duties were shared with members of the production cast and crew, which explains the fact that there is no individual cinematographer is credited. The film's lead actress Jace Nicole stated that due to her friendship with writer/director Holt, and she having worked with him on his 2006 short film Phish, she did not have to audition for her role as Carmen.
offered that the film was "more thinky than sexy", and Boise Weekly
noted it as one of the many "award winning independent films" to screen at the Idaho International Film Festival.
The Independent Critic wrote that the film "is a decidedly different cinematic beast", in its dealing with how a mother maintains her work in the adult industry in order to provide for herself and her daughter. In praising the film, they wrote that the film does not portray stereotypes, and that it is "an intelligent, thoughtful, strange and wonderful film featuring a divinely nuanced and balanced performance." They made note of it not being stereotypical, and compared the film to other non-traditional films such as Kevin Smith
's Zack & Miri Make a Porno and Paul Thomas Anderson
's Boogie Nights
. They summarized that writer/director Princeton Holt "has constructed a creative and intelligent dialogue about a world in which few of us have actual knowledge but most of us are willing to offer opinions. Flying in the face of stereotypes, Holt neither over-sympathizes nor embellishes".
The Critic's Word reviewer made note of this being the first feature film of Princeton Holt. He wrote that as a "character driven piece", the film may at first glance "look and feel like an X-rated skin flick to the viewing eye", but that initial imprssion is dispelled as the film quickly reveals itself to be "a touching film with a lot of depth and an incredible sense of weight within its story." But he also noted that the film was not without its problems, the first being the "film’s deluge which felt a little drowned out at times and a little like gap fillers for the most part, but nothing too harmful that would seriously hurt the film in any real way though," and the second being the film's audio dubbing which was "off" in certain parts. He also commented that while the pacing might have been too slow for some viewers, it managed to "tell a very adequate story about a young woman living life in its whole realism form." Speaking toward the writer/director, the reviewer wrote "Holt is a breath of fresh air and projects an unique and somewhat uncanny style of filmmaking that reminded me of the late 80’s and early 90’s of filmmaking". He also commended the cast when writing "most of the cast did an equally fair job in their performances." In summation he noted that he first viewed the fim with low expectations, and was surprised that "the film came out very enjoyable and was a terrific experience."
Sonic Cinema reviewer noted the film's "first scene seems like one of those cheesy online videos you find on certain websites," and also made note of the film's poor ADR
, writing there were "few times (a lot of times, in fact) when it threw me out of the movie." But he also made note that "after that introduction, this movie finds heart". He wrote that the film reminded him "a lot of Zack and Miri Make a Porno
, for some obvious reasons, and others not so obvious," offering that "Holt has made an intelligent and compassionate drama" centered around the protagonist's dilemma.
Rogue Cinema also noted how the film's opening minutes created an expectation that it would be a different type of film than what it later revealed. The reviewer wrote that while it might be "a tale about the pornography industry and essentially how it reflects upon the love lives of its performers', that if viewers were expecting an adult industry film, it would leave them disappointed. He complimented the project by writing the film was "Full of fantastic performances from everyone in the cast, a magnificent musical score that creates something dynamic and dramatic from out of nowhere and a very strikingly visual film. It is a very elborate and poignant look at love that doesn't offer a lot of answers for its questions but it does stay in your mind well after seeing it."
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written and directed by Princeton Holt, as his first feature length
Feature length
Feature length is motion picture terminology referring to the length of a feature film. According to the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes to be eligible for an Academy Award.The term may also...
narrative film.
Synopsis
A single mother accepts an adult entertainment job in order to take care of her daughter and herself. The film examines the effect her choices have on her relationships and on her.Cast
- Jace Nicole as Carmen
- Ardie Fuqua as Jonathan
- Naama Kates as Jodie
- Brian Ackley as Dylan
- Chris Riquinha as Butch
- Jaylon Nicole Carey-Williams as Candace
- Danny Doherty as Woodrow
- Omar Hernandez as Roderick
- Shannone Holt as Leslie
- Derek M. McAllister as James
- Kent Sutton as Mike
Production
The film was written in 6 days and shot in 24, largely because nearly half of the film had to be reshot when the original cinematographer quit the production after several disagreements with the rest of the production crew. CinematographerCinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
duties were shared with members of the production cast and crew, which explains the fact that there is no individual cinematographer is credited. The film's lead actress Jace Nicole stated that due to her friendship with writer/director Holt, and she having worked with him on his 2006 short film Phish, she did not have to audition for her role as Carmen.
Critical response
Salt Lake City WeeklySalt Lake City Weekly
Salt Lake City Weekly is a free alternative weekly tabloid-paged newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah. It began its life as the Private Eye. City Weekly is published and dated for every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc...
offered that the film was "more thinky than sexy", and Boise Weekly
Boise Weekly
Boise Weekly is a newspaper in Boise, Idaho, USA. It was founded in 1992 by Andy & Debi Hedden-Nicely and Larry Regan.It has an unaudited circulation of 35,000 and is published weekly on Wednesday. Its market is southwestern Idaho from McCall on the northwest to Sun Valley to the east....
noted it as one of the many "award winning independent films" to screen at the Idaho International Film Festival.
The Independent Critic wrote that the film "is a decidedly different cinematic beast", in its dealing with how a mother maintains her work in the adult industry in order to provide for herself and her daughter. In praising the film, they wrote that the film does not portray stereotypes, and that it is "an intelligent, thoughtful, strange and wonderful film featuring a divinely nuanced and balanced performance." They made note of it not being stereotypical, and compared the film to other non-traditional films such as Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
's Zack & Miri Make a Porno and Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He has written and directed five feature films: Hard Eight , Boogie Nights , Magnolia , Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood...
's Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights is a 1997 drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, the script focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic films, and chronicles his rise and fall from the Golden Age of Porn of the 1970s...
. They summarized that writer/director Princeton Holt "has constructed a creative and intelligent dialogue about a world in which few of us have actual knowledge but most of us are willing to offer opinions. Flying in the face of stereotypes, Holt neither over-sympathizes nor embellishes".
The Critic's Word reviewer made note of this being the first feature film of Princeton Holt. He wrote that as a "character driven piece", the film may at first glance "look and feel like an X-rated skin flick to the viewing eye", but that initial imprssion is dispelled as the film quickly reveals itself to be "a touching film with a lot of depth and an incredible sense of weight within its story." But he also noted that the film was not without its problems, the first being the "film’s deluge which felt a little drowned out at times and a little like gap fillers for the most part, but nothing too harmful that would seriously hurt the film in any real way though," and the second being the film's audio dubbing which was "off" in certain parts. He also commented that while the pacing might have been too slow for some viewers, it managed to "tell a very adequate story about a young woman living life in its whole realism form." Speaking toward the writer/director, the reviewer wrote "Holt is a breath of fresh air and projects an unique and somewhat uncanny style of filmmaking that reminded me of the late 80’s and early 90’s of filmmaking". He also commended the cast when writing "most of the cast did an equally fair job in their performances." In summation he noted that he first viewed the fim with low expectations, and was surprised that "the film came out very enjoyable and was a terrific experience."
Sonic Cinema reviewer noted the film's "first scene seems like one of those cheesy online videos you find on certain websites," and also made note of the film's poor ADR
ADR
ADR is a three-letter initialism that may refer to:* Académie de Roberval, a school in Montreal, Canada* Accident Data Recorder* short for Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises dangereuses par route, also known as the European Agreement concerning the International...
, writing there were "few times (a lot of times, in fact) when it threw me out of the movie." But he also made note that "after that introduction, this movie finds heart". He wrote that the film reminded him "a lot of Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a 2008 romantic comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, distributed by The Weinstein Company, and starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. It is Smith's second film not to be set within the View Askewniverse and the first not set in New Jersey. It was...
, for some obvious reasons, and others not so obvious," offering that "Holt has made an intelligent and compassionate drama" centered around the protagonist's dilemma.
Rogue Cinema also noted how the film's opening minutes created an expectation that it would be a different type of film than what it later revealed. The reviewer wrote that while it might be "a tale about the pornography industry and essentially how it reflects upon the love lives of its performers', that if viewers were expecting an adult industry film, it would leave them disappointed. He complimented the project by writing the film was "Full of fantastic performances from everyone in the cast, a magnificent musical score that creates something dynamic and dramatic from out of nowhere and a very strikingly visual film. It is a very elborate and poignant look at love that doesn't offer a lot of answers for its questions but it does stay in your mind well after seeing it."
Release
The film premiered in several cities at regional film festivals around the world, and was picked up for distribution within a year of its festival premiere. It was released on DVD on July 20, 2010.Festivals
- 2009 New Filmmakers Summer Series NYC, Anthology Film ArchivesAnthology Film Archives__notoc__Anthology Film Archives is a film archive and theater located at 32 Second Avenue on the corner of East Second Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City devoted to the preservation and exhibition of experimental film. It is the only non-profit organization of its...
, Official Selection - 2009 Deep Fried Film Festival, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Official Selection - 2009 Idaho International Film Festival, Boise, IdahoBoise, IdahoBoise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, Official Selection - 2009 Birmingham Black International Film Festival, United Kingdom, Official Selection
- 2009 Red Wasp Film Festival, Bryan, TXBryan, TexasBryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
, Official Selection - 2009 Outhouse Film Festival, Baton Rouge, LABaton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, Official Selection - 2009 Sexy International Film Festival, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- 2009 Favorite Film (Sonic Cinema)
- 2009 Favorite Performance - Jace Nicole (Sonic Cinema)