Forget About It (Short Film) (2006)

Smith’s Verdict: ***1/2

Reviewed by Tanner Smith

We usually have a bunch of movies where street kids are robbing stores and banks just to get themselves some dough. But “Forget About It” tells us why it’s not such a good idea because thieves will get caught. No, this isn’t a drama about teenagers robbing a bank and what happens afterwards. Instead it’s a comedy about two bored teenaged guys who sit in a Jeep one night and imagine robbing a bank and talk through small (or huge) situations.

Zac Larsen plays Andrew and Levi Whitlock plays Spencer, both of whom I’m guessing were voted “most likely to be seen in a Judd Apatow comedy” in their high-school yearbook. These two idiots (wait I’m sorry—“misunderstood teenagers”) just have this idea to rob a bank and think about it first. Very smart, I guess. Through fantasy sequences, Andrew and Spencer try sequence after sequence to get into the bank and into the vault without being shot by the smirking (and utterly hilarious) security guard (Matt Lopez). No luck, and they just try again and again and again, and you know what? I was laughing out loud the whole time.

These sequences are fun to watch because you know that it’s a bad idea to rob a bank because something will happen every time. First they try it dressed in black—they get shot. Then they try it just by showing the teller the gun—they got shot when she turns on the alarm. A lot happens here and I was really interested and laughing all the way through.

Spencer has some of the funniest moments, such as when he first walks in with a sniper rifle and when he gets shot by the guard and usually goes “Oh, man! I got shot! Dude, let’s do it over again!” Levi Whitlock is very funny here and Zac Larsen is the brain who also has a couple of funny moments, such as when he freaks out when things go wrong. The guard is the funniest character in this movie. It’s a small role, but his smirks and dialogue makes him look like a cross between Clint Eastwood and Will Ferrell.

The screenplay is great and the direction is good also. James Bereece is the director and Spencer Stuard is the writer. They don’t disappoint. The idea is very good to have two guys in a car imagining robbing a bank and then get to see fantasy sequences about their many attempts to succeed. And the dialogue is just funny. These two seem to be channeling Kevin Smith comedic work and they pull it off here very well.

This film was made by a youth production company in Utah called Spy Hop Productions, who have made some of my favorite short student films, including the short documentary “Touching Sound.” This company founded by youths makes such great short films and I look forward to seeing more of whatever they have to offer.

You can see this film at https://vimeo.com/48849032