Make a Movie Like Spike Trailer (2011)

Luis and Ron are going off to war. In honor of Luis' dream to be a filmmaker, they have been documenting their lives, their loved ones, and their reality in LA before they ship out to Afghanistan. Make a Movie Like Spike is a handheld, first person account of the lives of two friends, two marines, and their experiences in two completely different places in the world.

The captivating performances of Jamil Walker Smith and fellow lead actor Malcolm Goodwin thoroughly embody the expressed bravado and veiled vulnerability of these young men. What is, at surface level, a casual home movie, shot by an aspiring filmmaker, gradually reveals the much deeper realities of two lives. This style of filmmaking allows the viewer into the most intimate conversations and moments of self-awareness, where the characters' evolving philosophies spill out naturally.

On a larger scale, the film makes a subtle statement about America during the Obama presidency, about the dreams of a generation and the limited options some have to achieve those dreams.