'The Strip' review

Billy Aaron Brown (Credit: Bata Films)

In an ordinary Chicago strip mall, employees of knockoff electronics store Electri-City mostly waste time and act like the dopes they are. The most concrete developments include Kyle (Rodney Scott), the smartest employee, beginning a relationship with offbeat Melissa (Jenny Wade), and awkward manager Glenn (Dave Foley) lusting after the manager of another store in the mall.

The buzz: The mundane operations of moronic employees doing a job they don't care about could make for a funny, low-budget comedy. ("Clerks," anyone?) Assuming it's not all a feeble attempt at sounding like "The Office" or "Office Space."

The verdict: A fuller plot might distract from how obnoxious these people are. Foley makes Glenn unpleasant to watch, and Kyle and Melissa's relationship achieves a tone that can only be called uncomfortable. Fortunately a laugh pops up here and there, often at the expense of Rick (Cory Christmas), the store's loudest and angriest salesman. Like an unathletic kid giving T-ball a shot, "The Strip" is consistently mediocre, but you give it credit for trying.

Did you know? Rick emphasizes the value of a guy buying a sleek phone, so he can put it on his belt and direct women towards his crotch. Misogynist or smart salesman?

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