Skid Marks (film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Skid Marks

| image = Skid Marks Poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release Poster

| director = Karl Kozak

| producer = Karl Kozak
Bill Bragg
Thomas A. Seitz

| writer = Karl Kozak
Don J. Rearden
Kraig Wenman

| starring = Tyler Poelle
Mikey Post
Scott Dittman
Les Jennings
Kathy Uyen
Dianna Agron
James Piper
David Schultz

| music = Larry Groupé

| cinematography = Scott Peck

| editing = Jeff Murphy
Joe Richardson

| studio = Diversa Films

| distributor =

| released = {{Film date|2007|10|05|San Diego}}

| runtime = 85 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $5,000,000

| gross =

}}

Skid Marks is a 2007 independent comedy film about two rival ambulance companies and their attempts to maintain themselves in their city, directed by Karl Kozak and written by Kozak, Don J. Rearden and Kraig Wenman. The film had its theatrical premiere on October 5, 2007, in San Diego, and in 2008, screened at the Dances With Films Festival in Los Angeles.

Premise

Budget cuts force two rival ambulance companies and their misfit medics to go head-to-head to save their patients, their jobs and their beer money, all in the name of emergency medicine.

Cast

Tyler Poelle as Rich
Mikey Post as Louis "One Foot" Jones
Scott Dittman as Karl / The Human Stain
Les Jennings as T-Bone
Kathy Uyen as Lai Mei
James Piper as Bob "The Brain" (as Tim Piper)
David Schultz as Neil
Dianna Agron as Megan
Chuck Kelley as Sarge
Larrs Jackson as Captain Limison
J.R. Nutt as Leonard
Matthew Wolf as Jacques

Production

Filming took place over a six-week period during June and July 2006 at locations in San Diego, California, in areas including Kearny Mesa, Point Loma, Hillcrest, uptown San Diego and several beach areas.

Reception

Scott Rosenberg previewed the film in Monsters & Critics.{{cite web |author=Rosenberg |first=Scott |date=April 27, 2006 |title=Commentary: Skid Marks will put smile on your face |url=http://www.monstersandcritics.com/movies/archive/moviearchive.php/Skid_Marks/7460 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104114158/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/movies/archive/moviearchive.php/Skid_Marks/7460/cat_tab1 |archive-date=2015-01-04 |accessdate=November 23, 2011 |website=Monsters & Critics}} Upon release, the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that the film's world premiere in San Diego "packed a full house."{{cite news | url=http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20071006-9999-1c06skid.html | title=Jokes, crassness at ramming speed |newspaper=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=October 6, 2007 | accessdate=November 23, 2011 | author=Elliott, David }}

North County Times wrote that the film looks to "place itself somewhere near the company of such comic legacies as Animal House and Caddyshack," but offered that such may not happen as fans of such films "rarely allow comparisons." The review noted that the film was directed with "visual flair and good instincts," and performed "with an admirable lack of humility."{{cite news | url=http://www.nctimes.com/entertainment/movies/local-film-skid-marks-wins-race-for-laughs/article_0964d5b5-9191-5a65-b5bc-11868418f39d.html | title=Local film 'Skid Marks' wins race for laughs |newspaper=North County Times |date=January 30, 2008 | accessdate=November 23, 2011 | author=Bennett, Dan }}

In commenting on the home video release of Skid Marks, DVD Verdict called the film a "cheap-'n'-cheesy low-ball, gross-out comedy", and wrote that the two rival companies names, Bayside Ambulatory Life Services and Downtown Intensive Care create acronyms that clue viewers to the general tone of the film and most of its humor. They felt that it was an unremarkable indie film that was "frequently funny" but more often "frequently stupid," seeming to be aimed at a junior high school audience. They offered that the DVD release was decent and its image "reasonably good given the $1.98-style budget", and that "the producers don't try to obviously fake things to make it all look higher level than it is."{{cite web | url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/skidmarks.php | title=Review: Skid Marks |website=DVD Verdict |date=August 7, 2009 | accessdate=November 23, 2011 | author=Becker, Tom }}