by 
This week’s #ShortMovieMonday entry is one that was submitted to us a while ago that I’m just now getting around to. Quite frankly I’m sorry it took me so long!
The Guy Knows Everything (2012) follows bar buddies playing a game of sports trivia. A stranger joins the game and he seemingly knows… everything. And not just sports trivia. He quite literally knows… everything. With the game set to end at midnight, the guys try to find a way to outwit the stranger before their money and time runs out.
The Guys Knows Everything is a 386 Films production. It was directed by Jason “Joops” Fragle and was written by Fragle and Andrew Fisk. It stars Paul Phillips (Puddle of Mudd), Joe Coffey (Quite A Conundrum), Jayvo Scott (Conversations With The Devil), Reggie Peters, Ken Luzadder and Sheryl Carbonell.
SPOILER ALERT: This review WILL talk openly about the plot of the film (which will be shown in its entirety below). If you’ve not seen it yet, scroll down, watch the movie and then come on back.
THE PLOT – It’s 10:00 in the evening, and we’re introduced to a bunch of drinking buddies sitting around at a table in a small bar playing some sports trivia. Even though they say they’re not, they’re throwing a dollar in per question gambling on the outcome. Kenny (John Coffey), Len (Reggie Peters), Brick (Jayvo Scott) and Jerry (Ken Luzadder) are well into their game when a stranger (Paul Phillips) enters the bar. In rapid fire fashion, he downs 3 shots of whiskey (immediately making him my favorite character 🙂 ) before making his way to the friends.
The stranger blurts out the answer to one of the trivia questions. He goes on to say that he’s not interested in the money at stake, but the game itself. He lays some serious cash (4 hundreds) on the table and suggests they up the stakes to $10 per question until midnight. If he CAN’T answer a question, the friends win his $400. The guys take him up on his offer and start pummeling him with sports trivia… which he knows. As the evening goes on, others join in trying to stump the stranger, all the while he’s slamming whiskey 3 shots at a time and never appearing to get drunk. We learn that he’s not only able to answer sports trivia, but also things the he couldn’t possibly know such as personal information about the friends, location of birthmarks, etc.
As the night draws to an end, the stranger flashes three fingers to the bartender, ordering three more shots of whiskey. The waitress brings them, the stranger writes something on a napkin and hands it to her whispering something in her ear. The tension is obviously building and the friends are finally starting to truly figure out that they’re in danger.
Kenny pays $10 to ask if someone will die at midnight… Yes.
Kenny pays another $10 to ask if it’s him… Yes.
The group counts down as the clock strikes midnight and Kenny celebrates when it does and he’s still alive. The stranger collects his things and leaves the bar. He looks at his watch and we flip back to the interior of the bar where the group finds the contents of the napkin letter: “Your clock is 3 minutes fast.”
The film ends with screams from inside the bar and the stranger looking at his watch. We’re then treated to an outstanding little blooper reel that’s totally worth your time to watch.
THOUGHTS – This is an incredibly fun little film. The Guy Knows Everything has a running time of about 25 minutes or so and it’s sure to grip you quickly and not let go. I’m not sure I’d call it a “horror” movie perse, but it’s certainly got creep and suspense factors that will give you that horror feel (if that makes any sense). It’s got a real Twilight Zone or Tales From The Crypt feel to it. That’s a big time compliment by the way… LOVE both of those.
The film looks amazing. Camera work is crisp, script is tight and the actors are superb. I was thrilled to see Joe Coffey again as I absolutely loved his work in Quite A Conundrum. Unlike QAC, Joe’s got a ton of screen time here even though it’s a short film. I was also excited to see Jayvo Scott again after I saw him in Conversations With The Devil. While I didn’t like that short all that much, Jayvo stood out there and he does the same here. He really shows his acting chops as the drunk/simple friend who’s just trying to win the game. Bravo Jayvo!
Speaking of stand outs… Paul Phillips as The Stranger is simply brilliant here. It boggles my mind that this is his first (and according to IMDb only) acting credit. He’s got creepy down to a fine point and delivers his lines with a panache that I’d expect from an actor that’s been working his craft for far longer. Slow clap sir. Slow clap indeed. If Paul decides to branch out from his music career and continues down the acting road, I’m expecting big things from him.
About the only negative that I can point outs is that it takes the guys SO long to figure out there’s something nefarious going on. As soon as dude correctly determined where a birthmark was I’d be out of that bar faster than… well… pretty effing fast. One question that kept going through my mind was “What if they stop playing?” It’s not really laid out in the film, but I’m guessing once they started they HAD to finish.
As I’ve logged my fair share of time in drinking establishments over the years, I’m familiar with the concept of “bar time”. This is where the bar will set their clocks ahead a few minutes so they can end the night a few minutes earlier. That being said I saw the twist coming, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all. This is a solid recommend and definitely worth your time to watch!
For more information on The Guy Knows Everything, check out the IMBb entry for the film. You can find 386 Films on the web at www.386films.com, on their Official Facebook page or on Twitter at @386films. Tell em ScareTissue sent you! Special thanks to Joops and 386 Films for giving us access to their film!
Check out the full film below and let us know what you think!
