At Any Cost (2000 TV Movie) User Reviews

Like a 90 minute long Aerosmith video.....

[Paul_Rudd_has_a_sweet_ass · 6/10 · 8 January 2005]

This film wasn't one of the greatest I've seen recently. It played like a very long Aerosmith video. I had to fast forward through the numerous musical parts as I began to get bored of the mediocre music (really not my cup of tea). Those problems aside it really wasn't all that bad with some pretty good acting (or brilliant in Glenn Quinn's case) and a small whiff of a plot here and there. I'll admit I only bought this because Mr Quinn was in it, he was excellent as the evil manager. In fact, I found myself shouting; "Ooh! you BASTARD!" at the television several times during the film.

I'd give it 6 out of 10 but only because of Quinn's great portrayal of a big bastard.

VH1 Produced This Drama

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 21 October 2003]

I can`t say I`m a fan of the VH1 music channel . MTV2 is more my scene though I`ve gone off it since they scrapped the viewers request hours . I was very surprised to see that VH1 produced this movie , I knew MTV did but since VH1 is " MTV on mogadon " I wasn`t expecting much , but at any early stage AT ANY COST shows it`s not going to play out in a predictable manner

Okay there are one or two cliches but this is a fairly cynical film , and the best thing about the movie is Ben , a manager who shafts everyone for the chance of a quick buck . Ben is an utter b@stard and comes close to being one of the best screen villains I`ve seen in a while , I promise you you`ll hate this guy with a vengance , he makes Simon Cowell look like the kindest man who`s ever lived . Just a pity the film ends in a laughably contrived manner , but it`s a lot better than I expected

Full costings.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 6/10 · 24 April 2020]

During Lockdown I decided to dig out my video machine to watch tapes that I've not played before. A big fan of the TV show Angel,I was surprised when a family friend gave me a video of a movie starring Glenn Quinn, just after I had dumped the video player in the box, Finding no sign of the title online or DVD, I now felt it was time to count the cost.

View on the film:

At first acting as if he is one of the band, Glenn Quinn gives a stand-out performance as manager Ben, whose initial warmth with the band over a shared ambition to make it to the top, is used by Quinn to grow Ben's ego into being bigger than the band itself.

In what was his 7th credited film/TV role, James Franco gives a very good turn as band member Mike, who Franco wisely holds at the other end of Ben, with Franco having each rise in fame grind Mike down. Made for VH1 Films (!),future Rocky Balboa/ Creed 1 and 2 producer Charles Winkler takes on directing a tune with cinematographer Robert Steadman,and surprisingly turns away from the glossy style of MTV Films.

Winkler instead hits a more thoughtful note, played in wonderful wide-shots at the front of the stage catching the close bond between fans and band, which Winkler downplays backstage in close-ups on the faces of each band mate struggling with the highs and lows in attempting to build a career on the road.

Whilst the ending is hilariously silly, the screenplay by future The Brave One (2007) co-writers Robert Steadman & Bruce A. Taylor keep the rest of the flick in tune, by crossing the early wide-eyed ambitions of the band,with the hard realities of becoming a big band which confront Ben, who decides to get the band to the top,at any cost.

Excellent Film!

[DoyleLuver · 17 June 2003]

I first saw this film exactly a year after it was released in the U.S, and after 2 years I still love it loads. It's about Lance (Eddie Mills) and Mike Ryan (James Franco), two brothers who start a rock n' roll band. Lance's wife Chelsea (Maureen Flannigan) also joins, and the brother's best friend Ben (Glenn Quinn) becomes the band's - who are called Beyond Gravity - manager. It's a very good movie and most of the acting is fantastic, the late Glenn Quinn did a wicked job of playing the manager drove by money and power and by the jealousy he had on Lance and Mike growing up before he got his own record label - Huge -, the big, posh house, + Mike's girlfriend Rebecca (Cyia Batton). James Franco also acted very well as Mike, although thinking about the movie it seems he isn't in it much, due to his character overdosing and dying, he really does show of some good potential. Eddie Mills did a great job singing, and the girls were good actresses as well. All in all this film is pretty dark, what with drug overdoses, money/power-hungry managers, and how Lance + Chelsea's relationship is strained, collapsing and being rebuilt. I'd recommend anyone to watch this film as I loved it. =)

And to quote Glenn Quinn's character Ben: "I'm the star here in it, that's right I'm the talented one!" and that Glenn was so true to you.

Entertaining

[Leonia78 · 7/10 · 12 July 2005]

The film was okay, quite entertaining. The cast was pretty good, and I'll second what the comment before me mentioned - Glenn Quinn was outstanding and he alone is reason enough to watch this movie. He played the selfish "evil" friend and manager of the band brilliantly!

There are a lot of songs performed by "Beyond Gravity" in this film, but this doesn't really come as a surprise considering the film is a VH1 production. However, if the soft rock/ pop music isn't to someone's liking one might as well flash forward those scenes.

The plot of a band trying to make it to the top in L.A. but having to overcome many obstacles on the way isn't too original, but quite entertaining, with some surprising plot turns here and there.

nothing special

[HazimJ · 6/10 · 31 December 2001]

it`s not a bad movie really, I did not regret watching it, but there is nothing really special about it. The script is OK.the directing is not good.it has some good songs like "Don't Look Back".

if you are a rock`N roll fan and want to know about it new things then this movie will not be your best choice.and if you really want a good movie about Rock and Roll you should watch "Almost Famous". one of the best movies of the year 2000.

Avoid at all Costs

[vntyklls · 1/10 · 8 August 2002]

Well that's 90 minutes of my life I won't get back. This movie makes teen tv show "California Dreams" look like "Almost Famous". The acting was horrid and storyline unrealistic. Don't even get me started on the actual band at the forefront of this story, lame songs, look etc.. You had to believe that they were one of the hottest bands in the country, and there isn't enough irony in the world to accept that one. The guitarist is seen to be a heroin user, not that I blame him, if I was around such a putrid band with stale songs and wooden acting I'd be injecting the horse too.

If you take music remotely seriously, avoid this at all costs.

One of the only VH-1 films I've been able to sit through-

[EventHorizon333 · 7/10 · 12 September 2003]

Though I really didn't feel anything for Lance's character, and felt his wife could have done much better with anyone else. It could have been a much stronger movie if they had spent more time on character development, perhaps with Lance- I would have liked it better.

However, I have to completely agree with DoyleLuver, when they said "And to quote Glenn Quinn's character Ben: 'I'm the star here in it, that's right I'm the talented one!'" If you watch the movie, just watch him, even when he's in the background... just his facial expressions, all in the eyes, you KNOW for sure what motivates Ben, exactly how he feels about comments, even if it's a quick look behind a character's back. Great acting in a fair film.

Surprisingly Good

[Cadenizer · 8/10 · 26 January 2001]

When I started to watch this movie on VH-1 I cringed. The MTV movies were all bad so I wasnt expecting much. But this movie was really good. I liked it a lot. And it even had a twist at the end. See this movie because it shows that Made For TV movies that are good exist.

Rock N' Roll Lifestyle

[sparklecat · 3 December 2003]

The producers of "Behind the Music" can only fantasize about a story like that of Beyond Gravity, the faux rock group depicted in "At Any Cost", a made-for-cable drama that premiered on VH1 in August 2000. With dreadful things befalling every band member (save the drummer, who is fairly quiet and sits in back), Beyond Gravity is about an incurable disease short of appearing on Lifetime instead of VH1. But then, a bit of excess is appropriate for TV movies (and rock and roll, for that matter).

Besides, Glenn Quinn's turn as the band's overly ambitious manager Ben deserves to be seen. Always an engaging actor, Quinn seems to relish his role as - by one character's estimation - "a vicious bastard". You'll relish it too, and that's reason enough to watch.

Don't miss "At Any Cost"!

[ljc-2 · 3 August 2000]

What begins as a fairly standard by-the-numbers story of a local band hitting it big in L.A. becomes a fascinating study of the two leads, Mills as Lance, Gravity's singer-songwriter, and Quinn as Gravity's increasingly corrupt manager, Ben. Quinn in particular turns in a gripping dramatic performance, as does co-star Flannigan as Lance's wife Chelsea. Catch this one if you can; it's a keeper!

Big on talent, low on story

[Guylian · 14 December 2003]

A VH1 telemovie, and it's written like a VH1 telemovie - but the reason to see this film is for the performances, especially those of James Franco and Glenn Quinn. Ignore the storyline and admire the actors.

Fans of Glenn Quinn should be forewarned that there are a couple of scenes that are quite difficult to watch.

Go and buy at any cost because it's a great movie.

[mychipper · 21 May 2002]

Go and buy At any cost because it's a good movie to watch Glenn Quinn is a good actor in it and so is the rest of the cast it has good music in it and it's great to watch it over and over so I'm telling everybody out there to go buy it Glenn Quinn is so cute and his a great actor. he's the best. It's a awesome movie to watch with family and friends