Motivational Growth

Frankly, they had me at Jeffrey Combs is The Mold. Motivational Growth takes place almost exclusively inside of Ian's apartment, a shut-in and loner who decides to commit suicide when his trusty old TV set explodes. All sorts of colorful characters start showing up at his door, all the while Ian has to shelter them from the talking mold in his bathroom, who is trying to get Ian on the right path (or is he?). The Mold calls Ian "Jack" throughout this movie. I once had a boss who always referred to me as Jack. He was a coke fiend, and a world class a-hole. So yeah, every time The Mold did that, I took it as derogatory (and telling of its real intentions). This movie easily qualifies as one of the strangest I've ever seen. SPOILER: FWIW, I'm convinced Ian actually died early on in this flick.

Bottom line: If you like weird stuff, watch this. Motivational Growth was awesome. It's not a movie for everyone; you've got to like weird stuff. I waited too long to review it after watching it and forgot a lot of the criticisms (both positive and negative), but at the end of the day it was an awesome experience. I only remember it fondly, which I think is a great sign. Despite some short comings, it really lands in the 7-8/10 range for me. Everyone in my group seemed to like it a *lot* even if they're not usually as in to weird stuff as me. It could have been tied up and generally "fit together" better, but it was bizarre in a way I really enjoyed with some really memorable moments.

This is a cult classic in the making. I watched mainly because of the billing of Jeffery Combs and I'm glad I did. Neat story, keeps you guessing as to what is real. Characters are believable and I could empathize with them. Interesting twists leave you guessing and "THE MOLD' was skillfully designed. Worth a watch.

Absolutely MENTAL!! I really loved it! Right up my street. Took me back to my days renting films from Blockbuster in the 80's based purely on choosing the grimmest/scariest VHS cover. Happy days. Highly recommended... but be warned - it's quite a ride.

SUPERB! Written and directed by Don Thacker, Thacker delivers Indie film at its finest. Motivational Growth is just pure enjoyment to watch. Sure Thacker leaves us with many questions, but The Mold smoothed it all over. Enjoy the showman, enjoy the show. Speaking of The Mold (voiced by the illustrious Jeffery Combs), he does not steal the film; Adrian DiGiovanni (Ian Folivor), our protagonist, our narrator does. Our narrator has to captivate, and Adrian's Ian does. He draws you in before he even speaks with his blank disheveled appearance. When he does speak you are wholly invested in Ian Folivor and his journey. This is all thanks to the amazing camera work the camera team does. Every shot, scene and twist ,that journeys us into Ian's mind-mucking fun that becomes Ian's horror mold-infested world.

This movie is nuts. Uniquely weird, there are homages galore, with nods to Re-Animator, Basket Case, Donnie Darko, and even Videodrome. The story is told in a non-linear way, more of a fevered dream rather than traditional three-act structure, which will appeal to viewers who like a movie that requires more attention. The practical EFX are well done and gross, and the 16-bit computer graphics on the tele show the ever-warping mind of a slacker shut-in. The acting is also a high point. Quite a courageous lead actor, for sure. Very interested to discover if the author of this film had any mind-altering help when writing! Fans of the genre will really appreciate this film.

I got to see the movie during a small screening in Seattle and I am glad I decided to step into torrential downpour to make it to the theater! I cringed, I laughed, I cried, I got queasy, and I had to avert eyes at certain times. This movie provides quite a healthy mix of humor and horror sprinkled with occasional scenes inducing depressive thoughts. This mix was the reason why I didn't leave with just a sense of dark dread despite the movie being so damn dark. As a side note, the puppetry is superb (The Mold felt very much real by the end of the movie) and I've got to give props for camera work on such a limited budget.

Motivational Growth is a underrated movie. If you are a fan of Jeffrey Combs from Re-Animator and The Frighteners you will appreciate this movie for sure. Motivational Growth is like a mix of Basket Case, Videodrome and some bisarr comedy. You really care for the relation between Ian and the Mold. The movie is psychological, but not in a disturbing way. It had a Kafkaesque feeling. I recommend it for fans of Jeffrey Combs and/or weird movies. 7/10 Wilke.

Amazing film and Adrian is incredible! I was so impressed with this film.

If this is what passes as comedy theses days then I have to avoid this genre. Actually there was no comedy but the entire film was a complete joke. I do not have any problems about bad movies those movies have bad ratings and I do not watch them. But when a film gets almost 6/10 ratings while even 1/10 feels quite generous, I get irritated. Which is what I felt when I was watching this film. Among all the things story was the absolute worst, without any real plot. As well as the acting was not very convincing, the characters in the film were not interesting either. NOT RECOMMENDED.