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Year One
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Zen Noir
EMAILPRINTMagic Lamp Releasing

Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 8 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 3 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy | Drama | Mystery
Written by: Marc Rosenbush
Directed by: Marc Rosenbush
Release Date:
Theatrical: September 22, 2006
DVD: May 29, 2007
Running Time: 71 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Duane Sharp, Kim Chan, Debra Miller, Ezra Buzzington, Jennifer Siebel, and Howard Fong
A nameless detective, still mourning the loss of his wife, investigates a mysterious death in a Buddhist temple, but his logical, left-brained crime-solving skills are useless in the intuitive, non-linear world of Zen. (Zenmovie, LLC)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
A provocative, witty -- and admittedly esoteric -- experimental comedy that is serious, amusing and satisfying, in Rosenbush's words: "a Zen riddle designed more to be experienced than understood rationally."
Read Full Review >Film Threat Merle Bertrand
Director Marc Rosenbush gets the absolute most he can out of his no-budget-friendly, minimalist location and a solid, if unremarkable cast.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Neva Chonin
The biggest mystery of all is why director Marc Rosenbush, whose background is in theater, bothered putting this story on film when it's so obviously meant for a stage.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Melissa Levine
Along the way, Zen Noir commits a few crimes of its own, against noir, Buddhism and filmmaking.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
The cinematic debut of Chicago theater director Marc Rosenbush, this 2004 indie comedy is an irritating exercise in ham acting, metaphysical patter routines, and rim-shot-style comic editing.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White
The actors, all unprofessional with the exception of Kim Chan as the Zen master, step on each other's clipped lines so regularly that it becomes a stylistic affectation, like Mamet directing Beckett.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
Rosenbush strives for a difficult blend of spoof and sincerity with Zen Noir. In the spirit of rebirth, let's assume that the next time he makes it, it'll turn out fine.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt
Great movies can make you believe in a life beyond the frame; Zen Noir can't even convince you that what you're seeing onscreen is actually happening.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Judith L. gave it a10:
I enjoyed Zen Noir. All of the actors were excellent in their rolls: Duane, Debra, Ezra and Kim.
