User reviews

It was great to see a film with such a beautiful backdrop...it seems all I've seen lately are office buildings in dirty cities, so this was literally a breath of fresh air, and I sort of hated to leave the theater and realize, oops, you're back in the big city now... Rick Schroeder has grown up on film, and we all expect a lot from him. I thought he did a good job with the character, and while the film suffered a bit in pace and editing, it more than made up for that by good performances, cinematography, and a nice score. Hope to see better distribution in the future. This one just didn't seem to have time to catch on with audiences. It made me wish for the old days when you'd see two films at a time, and end up liking the second one better. I guess financial gain for theater owners has taken those days away. Too bad, as some of these smaller films could really benefit from such a system. Anybody listening? Perhaps it will be sold in a two-pack DVD that can benefit another movie at the same time.

I saw this at the Phoenix Film Festival. For a low budget of a million dollars, it was well done.

The story line and dialogue are pretty typical, that being the "overcoming the odds to triumph in the end" movie. A few clichés in dialogue like, "rules are meant to be broken" sprinkle throughout. But the cinematography was good and the fight scenes were the most impressive aspect of the movie. When I looked up IMDB to see who choreographed the boxing, I wasn't surprised to see Jimmy Gambina, who did "Snake Eyes" and was a technical advisor for "Rocky," because of how well done the scenes were. I was surprised, however, that he was on the crew for the film with such a low budget.

Another impressive consideration is that they filmed this movie in something like fourteen days!

For the first movie written and directed by Rick Schroder, it was very well done. Also, this is a good movie for the whole family, minus the violent fight scenes.

I think the movie could have been better. For a native American movie, I think they were sending out the wrong message about Indians again. Not everybody rides horses and lives like the old days "Me-no-like-white-man". I think all the reservation life scenes from the movie we're especially sending out the wrong message. There were definitely a lot of clichés. I could identify with some of the stuff happening in the movie, but i still think it should have been at least guided by a real Navajo while shooting the movie. Overall- the movie was okay and if you like boxing movies you should watch this. If you're looking for a movie about present day native Americans, this is not the one.

I loved the visual beauty of the film. The Navajo country in northern Arizona where this film was made is indeed spectacular. I have never seen a photographic work presented with more drama. However, it is not just a "pretty film". It is an honest film. Even the ugliness and poverty is stunning. It is truth telling. Equally impressive is the soundtrack. The two work together to create a piece of art of which Ricky Schroeder can be justly proud. The story is a kind of "Rocky" that will appeal to young and old alike. It is not only inspirational but also rewarding insofar as the protagonist resolves personal issues and matures. I saw this film in my hometown of Payson, Arizona, where it premiered last week. I also happened to be in the theater when the cast arrived for that premier. If I had known then what I know now, I would have given them all a "thumbs up" for a terrific entertainment.

The film Black Cloud (2004) is about a young angry member of the Navajo Nation's chance at the Olympics The main character Black Cloud (Eddie Spears) is a boxer who has problems with controlling his anger. His girlfriend Sammi's (Julia Jones) ex boyfriend Eddie (Rick Schroder causes a great deal of the anger in his life. He taunts Black Cloud about being the first to be intimate with Sammi. This causes Black Cloud to unleash his full wrath upon Eddie and send him to the hospital after beating him. Another issue that brings Black Cloud much anger is the knowledge be gains in the film during his visit to the corrupt realtor Mr. Tipping (Wyane Knight) that he is descended from a white man. He was known as White Wolf and was welcomed into the tribe after helping an injured Indian woman. This brings Black Cloud much anger about not being of pure blood descent. Helping to channel his anger into boxing Bud (Russel Means) coaches him. Later Norm Olsen (Peter Greene) takes interest in him and offers Black Cloud a chance to fight to get into the Olympics. Black Cloud must also deal with sheriff (Tim McGraw) who has very questionable motives. This film was intended to be the future of Indian related films and was greatly supported by Hollywood

This film had many aspects to enjoy. The best part of this film was the casting of Russel Means. Every second his character is on screen the film has so much power added to the sequence. I am a fan of Russel Means as an actor and his work as an activist. I find him to be a man full of great wisdom and that translates strongly into every film project I've seen him in. Another good aspect of this film is the cinematography work in some of the outdoor shots. The character of the grandfather was also an interesting feature in this film. The actor who played him (Saginaw Grant) had a strong presence in this film as another source of wisdom for Black Cloud to turn to.

While those elements were certainly good, this film had plenty of faults that hurt it, making it a good film rather then a great film. Firstly the final sequence with the grandfather was lacking as right after he died (which starts as surprising and sad) lacks the emotion it should have. Black Cloud seems to show no emotion after his death and simply buries him with little emotion at all. A man with as many emotional issues as he has should at least show something after the death of a loved one. Another problem was the sequence where the Sheriff pulls over Black Cloud after he leaves his reservation. In a previous scene the Sheriff had expressed a strong desire to arrest Black Cloud for beating up his nephew. In this scene however not only does the Sheriff let him go without any reason to, he also realizes he is driving drunk! The characterization of the Sheriff made no sense here or for the rest of the film. Another fault is a romantic comedy vibe that is given off from a lot of the love scenes involving Black Cloud and his girlfriend.

Changes I would have made to this film would have been mostly in the soundtrack. Firstly a random rap song plays right before a boxing scene that didn't fit with the rest of the film's score and really took me out of the film for that brief moment. Another change would be to give the film a stronger score overall. I am a huge fan of epic film scores so this may just be my personal preference. Another scene that needed toned down was a few moments in the boxing scenes where the camera focuses on Black Cloud for what felt like five minutes with him growling very awkwardly at his opponent. I personally find slow motion moments in any sporting event film to be overly-dramatic and this took away so much of the intensity of the scene. Another aspect I would change is that fact that Black Cloud's friend who was stabbed in the neck disappeared from the narrative. I really cared to know what his fate was. Even a quick shot of him at the end of the film would have been satisfactory Finally a change that I would have made would have been the scene where Black Cloud is punched into what appears as an afterlife. He meets his mother there and then leaves. I would have established more of the idea that Black Cloud is choosing to continue living. Suggesting that he was in fact close to death at that moment. Over all Black Cloud was a good enjoyable film but not great.

The scenery and many of the actors are very good looking (Wow, Julia Jones is beautiful!), but that's all I can say good about this movie.

I could have written a better script and dialogue, and I'm not a writer! The movie relies on stereotypes to create characters. The stereotypes are over-used and the dialogue is terrible. I was saying lines before the actors said them, and this was the fist time I saw the movie! Rick Shroder, don't be discouraged but this one didn't turn out well.

The movie is a good reminder, though, that the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the whole Reservation system has been a failure for the people it was supposed to help.

There aren't many films about actual native Americans. Most Indian films are about headdresses and ceremonial dances. This film is just about a boxer who happens to be Indian. This is refreshing. Still, the film does have a dance, sweat lodge, and visions. Which puts it right back on grounds with every other American Indian film.

I saw "Black Cloud" at the Phoenix film Festival. I believe this film was most people's favorite. I agree that it has a good story, looks beautiful, and has some good acting. However, it's pretty tame in terms of what independent film can be. There's very little to be offended by this film. Where I don't wish to be offended, this film take no risks - it's vanilla.

"Black Cloud" is mostly a story about a boxer. As that, you would have to compare the story to "Rocky", which it would fall short.

I expect that this film will do well in release. I'd certainly recommend this film to people. More because it's a simple story that most people can digest easily, than being an intriguing story about an American Indian.

I did fall for the sappy moments. My girlfriend was disturbed by the boxing footage, which was very tightly shot and disorienting when sitting close to the screen.

Cheap production, poor acting no direction and really bad dialog makes this a bad film. I've seen most of the actors in this film turn in good performances in other films, but they didn't have anything to work with. I couldn't finish this one. It's that bad.

I saw this movie last night at the Nashville Film Festival. It was a surprisingly good movie. Young Lakota actor, Eddie Spears, does an excellent job with the lead as "Black Cloud." Russell Means, his boxing mentor "Bud", is wonderful. This movie evokes obvious parallels to the original "Rocky" but has a lot more depth regarding the young man's personal demons and his place within his Native American heritage and the problems of the modern reservation.

The movie is romantic, inspiring, funny and sad and delivers many truths about reservation life and the challenges of Indians who want to rise above the difficulties they face. Rick Schroder's screenplay is very good.

Steve Gainer's cinematography is stunning. There are some wonderful scenes of horses and the outdoor beauty of the Navajo Reservation.

Julia Jones, as Sammi, is convincing and a real cutie.

Country singer Tim McGraw debuts in this film as the Sheriff. He is good in the role.

Some of McGraw's songs are in the movie and, one is delivered very humorously in a Karaoke scene. The end credits roll behind Pat Green's "Wave on Wave."

Schroder is a "bad guy" in this movie and did a convincing job. He revealed he stepped into that role at the last minute because the original choice for the part was a rodeo cowboy with no experience who apparently "froze" when they were trying to shoot his parts.

The acting is quite good even though many of the actors are young and unknown to most audiences.

Rick Schroder was present at the screening I saw. He and Eddie Spears, Julia Jones and Director of Photography Steve Gainer graciously answered questions from the audience following the screening. They all showed considerable class and humility. I was very glad to have been to see the movie and heard the principals discuss their roles more in depth.

Schroder mentioned this movie was made for about a million dollars which is ridiculously low by Hollywood standards. The high quality of the finished movie does not reflect its modest budget and Schroder says that is because it was a labor of love by the participants. It is obvious he is right.

I highly recommend this movie.

There are several scenes and things in this movie which I don't think are authentic. For example, Black Cloud's great-grandfather was a German. When he discovers this, he starts saying he is "mixed-blood", and acts devastated because of it. He is refused reservation housing because of this fact also.Most tribes only require about 1/8th Indian blood to qualify as a member of the tribe. I can't believe the Navajo's require 100% purity to be called a Navajo.

I am not sure where this film was shot, but it sure looks like the Navajo reservation. Many of the houses and roads look authentic too. The scenery is the best part of the film.

I hate to cut down an actor, because they are all better than anything I could do. But I have to say that the star's performance is not very inspiring. He is very wooden, and his expressions are much overdone. The idea of a young Navajo trying to make the Olympics is a good one, but the script also leaves a lot to be desired.

This film is much more authentic than the John Wayne film they refer to in the movie, but it could be so much better.

The score in this film is totally wrong. Country and western and rock tunes just don't fit. A good score could have added a lot.

If you question what I have said, let me assure you that I have been on the reservation several times. I have been around many Navajos, and have the greatest respect for them. I have read all of Tony Hillerman's books, which are so authentic that the Navajo people love them. If you want to learn about the Navajo people, those books can provide very accurate insight. This film had the potential to be a very good movie, but it turned out to be only average!

First showing sold out. Received a well deserved round of applause & standing O--lead by an elementary school kid. Incredible movie. Awesome hero. Great boxing scenes, gorgeous cinematography , funny jokes. Realistic & entertaining. (How often do you get that?) Good soundtrack. So surprised did not see a wider release or shown at bigger festivals. (Keep hope alive.) Anyone who thinks this is a niche film did not watch it. It is a people movie. It should have at least followed Smoke Signals' steps. I am sure it will have a cult following once on DVD. Everyone who is a part of this movie should be so proud of what they have achieved. Cannot be articulated.

I have never seen so many great indigenous actors come together to make such a horrible movie. It's a good storyline and had the potential to be so more authentically great if the dialog wasn't so awful and "Hollywood". This one is definitely painful to watch.

This movie is definitely worth seeing. It is a very interesting mix of "Rocky" meets a "Western". A friend of mine saw the film in Montana last week and told me the crowd was blown away as well. I heard they made it for a million bucks. WOW. Tim McGraw is very good as the sheriff. Rick Schroder has ton's of talent as a writer and a big future directing. He was just nominated for a CMA award for best country music video. The girl is hot in the movie. I give it a big thumbs up. Peter Greene is the best I have ever seen him. He was the guy in the mask. Wayne Knight plays a creepy part as a pervert and is totally believable. The cinematography is incredible and the boxing scenes the most realistic I have ever seen.

Boring, third rate film which extorts approval from hypocrites by appealing to their impulse to affect a "progressive", "tolerant" attitude and from cowards afraid to say or think anything not sanctioned by the thought police.

This film is like Shakespeare, everybody praises him while no one reads him.

Billed as a boxing movie. Maybe there were 5 full minute of boxing in it and most of that time was devoted to flashbacks and visions of Indian clichés: eagles soaring, horses running, etc.

the image of that little brown nosing, brown shirt who lead the standing ovation in the premier audience and the knee jerk, slavish falling in line of the rest of the audience should should trouble us all.

I just saw Black Cloud today at the Phoenix Film Festival at it's world premiere. This was by far the best film at the festival. I absolutely loved it and enjoyed every minute of it. It is truly an inspirational film for the entire family.

A film that was truly about people, about real people. The almost entire Native American cast did an outstanding job on this film. I wasn't expecting much from this film but came away with a lot. If you have the chance to see this film definitely see it. One of the best films I have seen so far this year, in this festival, but also outside of the festival as well. LOVED IT !

Bruce Lamont was quite the pleasant surprise in his role. He clearly was overlooked by Hollywood as his boxer protrayal was greatly beyond Will Smith as Ali and it's a shame we as a civilation were deprived of more boxer roles that Bruce could have portrayed. Stallone as Rocky is impossible to watch and enjoy now knowing what Bruce could have done with the role as he would have even brought tears of joy to the Statue of Liberty during that showdown with Drago.

As someone that appeared to be the birth child of Zeus and Thor (ignoring the anatomical conundrum), he was gifted with fists chiseled out of whatever built the Egyptian Pyramids as they defy logic and withstand the test of time, and we are all clearly living in Bruce Lamont's world and are the better for it.

The movie itself is great! A lot of great performances.. and great inspirational story line, proves if you work hard enough you can attain anything!..

also..

It's nice to see Native Americans playing other roles besides whaling warriors on the great plains.. not only is it stereotypical, but unrealistic.. Hollywood needs to realize that we as Native Americans have a bigger story to tell, we can surpass any crisis in life just as those who battle life's struggles.. I'm proud to put my comment on here not only as a avid movie lover, collector and critic, but as a Proud Member of the First Nations People!

Stay Strong, Stay Proud!!

Love Ya Eddie, Keep up The Great Work; you make us all proud!!

/Robin M

I saw Black Cloud in Phoenix and liked it very much. Although some people have said the movie contains "stereotypes," I have worked with Indian people over the years and many of them have seen this movie and like it for its fair representation of Indian people in transition from one way of life to another. I heard Russell Means, one of the older Indian actors in the movie, say that he chose to do the script (apparently for not very much money!) because he felt it was an honest depiction of Indian people and the challenges they face. If Indian people are OK with it, I don't know why anybody else should have a problem. I especially liked seeing talented young Indian actors have a chance to show their stuff. I think both Eddie Spears and Julia Jones have great potential, and I hope to see more of them in future. I was impressed with the technical values of the movie--photography and editing, plus the music. For a first-time director, I think Rick Schroder did a terrific job.

I have just returned from seeing this film at the first annual Hatchfest, where Rick Shroder and the cast showed what an amazing piece of art they have created. The budget was minimal (only $750,000), the acting superb, and was made in only four weeks. This is the ultimate independent film.

Eddie Spears makes his debut as a lead actor and embodies the very essence of his character. I enjoyed the entire cast and applaud Shroder for writing and making a film about REAL Indians. Too often Hollywood turns its back on incredible actors because of their skin color. I hope, for my own sake, that Eddie Spears does not fade into the catacombs of Native actors.

I recommend this film to anyone and everyone and hope that you take two hours out of your life to see Black Cloud. It will open your eyes and give you a breath of fresh air.

My family and I loved this movie. Rick Schroder is a frickin' genius! My boys love boxing, so Black Cloud was a real treat. This Jimmy Gambina guy that choreographed the boxing scenes knows his stuff. My wife loved the movie for other reasons: the hunky dudes, Tim McGraw, the native Americans, the cinema photography and the story line. It was a tear jerker in a few scenes, then knock-down funny in others. I can't believe this is Rick Schroder's first directing gig - he came across as a seasoned director in Black Cloud. The acting was great. This Julie Jones girl - WOW - where did she come from?!!! We will see it again this week! Once it comes out on DVD, we will definitely own it.

I saw Black Cloud this past weekend at the Nashville Film Festival The story was very well told, I really enjoyed the cinematography and the editing, I thought both were very well done. The actors were all good including Tim Mcgraw as the sheriff. The Script was a bit dry in places and has a few cheesy lines but overall I thought the film was very well done. Rick did a fantastic job of directing his first film and I recommend if you enjoy boxing, it does have a bit of violence in the film. You go and see it. There are some very violent scenes so anyone who does not like that I don't recommend this film. My over all experience with the film was a good one, The movie depicted the real life of these Indian reservations camps and how they are sometimes treated.

Very enjoyable

The first time I saw Black Cloud was back in April when it screened at the Nashville Film Festival. I was the VIP Coordinator of NFF, and I had the privilege of meeting Rick and Andrea Schroder, two of the film's stars, Eddie Spears and Julia Jones, as well as the cinematographer, Steve Gainer on their visit. During the festival, I was so overwhelmed with all my responsibilities, I hardly got the chance to see many films, but I made an exception for Black Cloud and slipped into a seat right next to the cast and watched intently as the story unfolded. Being a film major in college, I always had an affinity for independent film. Maybe it's the vulnerability of indie films that make me want to root for the underdog, but regardless of genre, Black Cloud was instantly at the top of my list. I loved each and every minute of it. I'm not sure what exactly made the most impact on me, whether it was the inspirational story of overcoming challenges that is universal to all of us as humans, the need kids have these days for a hero and a role model and how well the character of Black Cloud responded to that need, or if it was the energy I felt as I sat so close to the cast, watching through their eyes, as they poured out their hearts and souls onto the screen. For almost a month now, I've been working with Rick and Andrea on the distribution and release of Black Cloud, so it's taken on a much more personal meaning for me. Each and every day, I see what a labor of love this project has been for the Schroder family and that three years of their lives have been devoted to Black Cloud. Not everyone gets the opportunity to see firsthand how the process of releasing a film works, with all the ups and downs and roller-coaster of emotions that are all part of a new director's dreams becoming a reality. I feel lucky that I get to be a part of it and I'll take so much of this experience with me as I continue on my own career path. Regardless of ticket sales and dollar signs, this film is already a success in my eyes. Getting to see the positive reaction audiences have after they see the film only fuels my fire in how much I believe in the message and success of this film. If it's touched one, it's touched thousands and I only hope everyone gets the opportunity to see it. If you have not seen Black Cloud already, I'd suggest you run as fast as you can to the theatre nearest you. I promise the inspirational boost you'll get from watching the film far outweighs the $8 ticket.

Folks, do yourselves a favor and see the film. Rick Schroder is a genius. He can write, act, produce and direct...what CAN'T he do??!! The boxing choreography in Black Cloud is awesome - which doesn't surprise me given the fact that Jimmy Gambina did it (Rocky, The Champ, Raging Bull). My kids are boxing fans and they LOVED Black Cloud. My wife was more into Rick Schroder and Tim McGraw. Tim did a great job for his first time as an actor. The whole cast very well. At the end of the movie, the audience was either cheering or crying - some were cheering AND crying. People were still talking about the movie out in the parking lot. I will see it again and we'll definitely buy it when it comes out on DVD.