There's a reason some people are single.

Damaged Goods, from the obviously demented mind of BadAzz Mofo and Black Santa's Revenge creator David Walker, shares that reason in this twisted romantic comedy that is decidedly light on the actual romance.

Kevin (Greg James) and Michelle (Lara Kobrin) are thirty-somethings doing a miserable job of simply coping with single life. With a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, neither Kevin nor Michelle have proven to be very skilled at making the right choices. When they meet at a party and follow it up with a date, it seems like, just maybe, true love may finally be within their reach.

But, are they already too damaged to actually find real happiness?

Described as "Clerks meets Carnal Knowledge," Damaged Goods is a raunchy yet surprisingly heartfelt dark comedy that has the balls to show what dating is really like, at least for those people with more than a little baggage to carry along. It's also that rare low-budget indie film that actually works, partly on the strength of two delightful co-leading performances and partly because David Walker must simply be that perfect combination of demented, delightful, and delirious.

The film features songs by Barry Hampton, King Black Acid, The Gracious Living of Adam Mackintosh, and Baggage-Man, songs that perfectly complement the film's quirky vibe. The film also benefits from a bit of an extended cameo by indie king himself Lloyd Kaufman, whose ability to pop up in indie flicks always impresses me both because he so clearly supports the indie scene and because he selects his projects really well.

While both Greg James and Lara Kobrin are independently strong, Damaged Goods really sparks when the two meet and we get to enjoy their slightly offbalance chemistry that is believable yet more than a little, well, damaged.

It should be noted, as well, that the DVD packaging for Damaged Goods is far beyond what one usually expects for indie films with quite the list of extras including:

• Final "Roto-Toon" and original versions of the film
• Audio commentary with director/cast
• "Making Of" documentary
• Multiple takes of Lloyd Kaufman's "Uncircumcized"
• Original Teaser Trailer
• 2.0 Dolby Digital Sound
• Widescreen

While these extras are frequently a given for Hollywood releases, they're a definite plus in the indie world and they're definitely worth your time to check out.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic