Movie Review - Things I Don't Understand (2011)

Things I Don’t Understand, 2011.

Written and Directed by David Spaltro.
Starring Molly Ryman, Aaron Mathias, Grace Folsom, Lisa Eichhorn, Hugo Dillon, Meissa Hampton and Eleanor Wilson.


SYNOPSIS:

A detached graduate student forms a cathartic bond with a terminally ill girl and a damaged bartender as she and her artist roommates face eviction from their Brooklyn loft.


Independent filmmaker David Spaltro made his feature debut back in 2007 with …Around, a “personal love-letter to New York City” that enjoyed a solid festival run before gaining online distribution and premiering on PBS in the United States this past Christmas. Now he returns with his second film, another NYC-centric indie drama entitled Things I Don’t Understand, which sees Spaltro reunite with …Around star Molly Ryman, who leads the cast here as Violet Kubelick (Molly Ryman), a brilliant but emotionally fragile young grad student struggling to complete a thesis on near-death experiences and the big question of “what happens when you die” – research which ultimately leads to a failed suicide attempt.

Struggling to find meaning in her life, Violet has slipped into a self-destructive cycle of drugs, alcohol and casual sex, making ends meet with a minimum wage job at the local bookstore whilst sharing an apartment with two equally troubled roommates – bisexual musician Remy (Hugo Dillon) and performance artist Gabby (Meissa Hampton). Encouraged by her therapist to complete her research, Violet begins interviewing Sara (Grace Folsom), a young woman suffering from a terminal form of cancer. The two strike up a friendship during the final few weeks of Sara’s short life, while Violet also turns her eye towards the local bartender, Parker (Aaron Mathias), a mysterious guy who seems to have his own fair share of troubles; as these new relationships grow, so to does the hope that Violet will find the answers she’s been seeking.

Things I Don’t Understand is a well-crafted and accomplished film, which fully demonstrates Spaltro’s talents as an emerging filmmaker. Although it deals with some pretty weighty themes, the film has a good deal of humour amid the drama and Spaltro’s writing and direction is exemplary through-out. So too are the performances he draws from his up-and-coming cast, particularly Molly Ryman, who delivers a fabulous, multi-layered turn as the complex Violet, while Grace Folsom is also deserving of praise and really shines in her feature film debut. The two actresses stand out amongst a more than capable supporting cast – which includes two-time Golden Globe-nominee Lisa Eichhorn (Yanks, The Talented Mr. Ripley) – and I’d expect to see a lot more from these two, and from writer-director David Spaltro – in the coming years.

If there’s one slight criticism I have of Things I Don’t Understand is that at times it seems there’s a little too much going on, with Spaltro juggling several subplots that weave in the supporting characters and their own respective issues. This did occasionally pull me out of the main storyline, but overall it didn’t detract too much from what is certainly an ambitious and engrossing character drama. If you get a chance to catch Things I Don’t Understand during its festival run this year, then I’d recommend giving it a try.

Gary Collinson

Movie Review - Rage (2010)

Rage, 2010.

Directed by Christopher R. Witherspoon.
Starring Rick Crawford, Audrey Walker and Christopher R. Witherspoon.


SYNOPSIS:

A college professor provokes the wrath of a mysterious biker, leading to a day-long battle of cat-and-mouse which escalates into a violent rampage.


It’s rare that a low-budget independent feature grips you from start to finish, but American filmmaker Christopher R. Witherspoon has managed to pull it off with Rage – a fantastic little thriller that mixes good old fashioned suspense with some brutal, graphic action. Heavily inspired by Steven Spielberg’s 1971 feature debut, the classic TV movie Duel – with some John Carpenter and Alfred Hitchcock thrown in for good measure – Rage grabs your attention from its opening credits to deliver a tense, unnerving ride that rarely lets go.

After kissing goodbye to his wife Crystal (Audrey Walker), college professor and failed novelist Dennis Twist (Rick Crawford) heads into the city to clean up some personal business, namely bringing an end to an extramarital affair. Soon afterwards, he finds himself taunted by a mysterious leather-clad biker, who quickly steps up his vendetta in a relentless pursuit around the city that leads to a harrowing, violent climax within the confines of Dennis’ home.

Apart from some minor budgetary issues, it’s really quite hard to find fault with Rage. The film is packed to the brim with tension, which is heightened ten-fold by a solid musical score and a strong, believable performance by Rick Crawford as the victim of the Biker’s rage. However the true star of the show is Chris Witherspoon, who really has shown himself to be a Jack of all trades with this, his second feature.

In addition to his directing duties, Witherspoon was responsible for the writing, producing, editing, cinematography, sound and visual effects on Rage, not to mention the on-screen role of the anonymous ‘Biker’. The fact that he’s done such a great job in each department is testament to his filmmaking skills and in doing so he’s created an accomplished, well-paced thriller that has all the right ingredients to become a true cult classic.

For his next project, Witherspoon intends to develop an anthology feature entitled The Twilight Hotel, which he describes as: "What would've happened if Alfred Hitchcock had directed episodes of The Twilight Zone?" I'm sold already and if Rage is anything to go by, then The Twilight Hotel really could be one to watch out for.

Gary Collinson

Movie Review - Pinching Penny (2011)

Pinching Penny, 2011.

Written and Directed by Dan Glaser.
Starring Steven Moloney, Timothy J. Meyer, Ginny Glaser and Lauren J. Wertz.


SYNOPSIS:

A British hypochondriac becomes addicted to consumerism and turns to crime to fund his habit, eventually hatching a plot to kidnap a girl and hold her for ransom.


The most challenging aspect about the film, Pinching Penny, is being able to keep your focus on the fast paced story that goes around several nail biting curves on its way to the finish line. Director/writer Dan Glaser puts together a plot with some peculiar characters with many different ins and outs to keep the viewer engrossed enough to want to find out what eventually happens to them all.

Fargo, North Dakota, the setting for another famous twisting plotline, is the backdrop for a Brit and a Scot who decide to get their hands dirty. The Brit, Alex (Steven Molony), is the character that this story revolves around. He is also the one that narrates a bit of the film. He informs us right from the get-go that he has an addiction, a shopping addiction to be exact. His only problem is, like many junkies, is that he lacks the funding to feed his addiction. In order to do this, and be able to eat, with the help of his friend the Scot, Murphy (Timothy J. Meyer), they decide to try to rob houses. After a couple of failed attempts and a broken nose, they run across a rather attractive girl, Teddy (Ginny Glaser) who takes hold of the reigns on their ill-led operation.

She suggests and then commits a kidnapping of a young girl named Penny (Lauren J. Wertz). Their plan is to hold her for ransom until her rich father pays up. But until then, they still have no money for food or pretty much anything else. To solve this problem, Teddy has Alex go into the business of supplying clean urine for a group of underground drug-dealing and drug-using criminals who call themselves The Pawns. After the three of them get mixed up with these collection of extra-shady types, the movie goes into hyper-drive and shifts the characters into a place of drugs, guns, cops and body parts where they’ve never been before.

I feel that the title of the film may have a double meaning. Not only for the obvious description of the storyline, kidnapping a girl named Penny, but also to signify Alex’ addiction. Not being able get a stranglehold on his inability to hold onto whatever cash he can find ultimately gets him into trouble that places not only himself, but his friend and a completely innocent girl in danger as well.

The film is also packed with plenty of humor which complements the action and death toll. The plot hits some slow moments especially during the character developments of some of The Pawn members. But other than that, the twists and turns that take place will get anyone through to the end. If you like gun-toting criminals, drug use, an attention-grabbing kidnapper/hostage relationship and oh yes, shopping addictions, then you should definitely take this ride for a spin. I give Pinching Penny “6 missing kidneys out of 10”.

“If you don’t let me out of here with this fucking record player: I swear to God I’ll fucking shoot ya!”

This review originally appeared at ScreenInvasion.

Sean Guard
Follow me on Twitter @Sean_Guard

A clip and some stills from the Buddy Holly-inspired The Day the Music Died

The Day the Music Died is a new drama from independent writer-director Bruno Miotto that explores the pathos of rock legend Buddy Holly in a surreal, modern-day setting. The film – which will receive a limited theatrical release in Spring 2012 – stars newcomers Guy Kent as the re-imagined Holly and Paige Segal as his fictional muse Peggy Sue, along with the late 5-time Emmy nominee Harold Gould (The Sting, The Golden Girls) and Jon Morgan Woodward (Seven Pounds).

It is set to receive its first official trailer on Monday December 5th – take a look at the synopsis below, along some stills and a clip from the film…

“Synopsis - The Day the Music Died is a surreal and metaphorical story about a young dreamer called Buddy. Buddy, 22 years old, tries to pursue his big chance of becoming a rocker in modern day Los Angeles. Who is Buddy? Why does he look so much like Buddy Holly, the icon rocker of the 50s? Whats the connection between him and the real Buddy Holly? Is he the real one? And again, what happens when the music dies? The Buddy Holly myth comes down to the city of dreams. The city that reflects upon young dreams, love and illusions. Buddy and Buddy Holly, two characters that strangely never seem to converge, unite at the very end. This is a tale where something more significant than a human dies.”

Indie Corner – Trailer for the multi-award winning indie thriller Rage

Inspired by Steven Spielberg’s classic TV movie Duel and films such as John Carpenter’s Halloween, writer-director Chris Witherspoon’s (Middle Man) suspense thriller Rage has enjoyed a fantastic run on the independent festival circuit this past year, picking up a host of accolades across America and Europe, in addition to some strong press from the likes of Film Threat and Fangoria, who described the $100k feature as “really, really good… a tight, taut indie thriller with enough action, suspense and intrigue to fill three movies.”

Rage tells the story of Dennis Twist, a suburban, 30-something who unintentionally provokes the wrath of a dark, mysterious, homicidal motorcyclist and must fight for his very life. The confrontation with “The Biker” escalates into a daylong battle of cat-and-mouse, concluding in an extremely violent rampage. Witherspoon also features on screen, where he is joined by a cast of fresh talented actors including Rick Crawford (Wild Sunflowers) and Audrey Walker (The Waiting List) – check out the trailer here…


For more information on Rage, visit the official site.

Indie Corner - The end of the world is nigh in the trailer for Apocalypse, CA

If you thought mankind had it bad in recent 'end of the world' efforts such as Contagion and Melancholia, then spare a thought for the inhabitants of Apocalypse, CA, who find themselves having to contend with a horde of unfortunate problems including a massive asteriod, sex-inducing drugs and a three-hundred foot giant!

The feature debut of indie filmmaker Chad Peter (Roleplayed) and featuring impressive visual effects from artists Ryan Wieber (Ryan vs. Dorkman) and Teague Chrystie (The Pacific), Apocalypse, CA has just received a new trailer ahead of its release on DVD in North America next month - check it out here, along with the synopsis...

Mysterious radio personality and apparent part-time genie, 'Sassy Boots' (Elizabeth Sandy) takes it upon herself to grant John Parsons (Nick Mathis) a few wishes five days before the world is to be destroyed by an asteroid. Only problem is John's wishes aren't exactly calculated, or even planned - the end result of which is a situation far worse than before.

Accompanied by his brother Hank (Alexander Cardinale), Hank's friend Renee (Anne McDaniels) and John's childhood crush Jacklyn (Erin Bodine), John and friends take the high road to Palm Springs - otherwise known as the 'epicenter' where the asteroid will first strike Earth. With a 'bite the bullet' approach, John & friends learn a little more about life and each other, all leading up to a wild climax of booze, sex, fantasy, and guns-a-blazin' desert adventure.


Apocalypse, CA is released in the U.S. and Canada on December 13th and you can pre-order the DVD and find out more about the film at the official website.

Indie Corner - Trailer for the independent Canadian drama Cody Fitz

In July of this year, 19-year-old Canadian filmmaker Kurtis David Harder and a group of teenagers shot the feature film Cody Fitz, a low-budget drama shot on the Red MX camera in Alberta, Canada. The film is scheduled to be released next summer, and the first trailer has its way online earlier this week. Take a look at the synopsis and trailer below...

Cody Fitz focuses around two childhood friends, Cody and Tom who've both recently moved out on their own. Tom, an affluent, confident mentor to Cody, feels the need to always be helping Cody, with his social life, work, and figuring out living situations, he almost acts as a guide.

Instead of accepting or denying help, also fueled by the recent absence of his girlfriend, Cody starts to move into his own manufactured world, where he starts to visualize himself committing suicide in different ways. Tom and Cody, along with a number of other friends plan a trip to Tom's cabin, outside of the city to kick off break.

As the trip slowly nears, the small gap between reality and the world Cody immerses himself in starts to break.

Indie Corner - Trailer for new short film adaptation of Stephen King's The Boogeyman

Based on the short story by Stephen King, The Boogeyman is the ambitious new short from Irish writer-director Gerald Lough (Deviant, The Scanner) and after a series of successful festival screenings around the world, it is set to be shown in Ireland this week, taking centre stage as the opening film of this year's Waterford Film Festival on November 4th.

Starring Simon Fogarty (Shackled) and Michael Parle (The Looking Glass) and featuring make up effects by Julie Ann Ryan (The Tudors, Leap Year), Lough's 'Dollar Baby' is a faithful adaptation of the wonderfully creepy tale, which was first published in Cavalier in 1973 before making it to bookshelves as part of King's 1978 collection, Night Shift.

Take a look at the synopsis and check out the trailer below...

When Andrew Billings (Fogarty) goes to see a psychologist to explain how an evil creature that lives in his closet is responsible for the deaths of his three children he is met with scepticism. But as the story progresses, both Dr. Harper (Parle) and the audience will start to consider the possibility that this “boogeyman” is real after all.

Indie Corner - Prepare for the attack of the killer bananas with the trailer for Banana Motherfucker

About a year and a half ago I got sent a short horror-comedy from the independent Portuguese filmmakers Clones (a.k.a. Fernando Alle, Luís Henriques, Nuria Leon Bernardo and Pedro Florêncio) entitled Papa Wrestling, which I thought was a fantastic piece of gore-soaked madness (take a look for yourself here). After releasing the follow-up short Blarghaaahrgarg last year, 2011 sees the Clones crew unleash what looks to be their craziest (and bloodiest) effort yet as a horde of killer bananas go on a rampage in Banana Motherfucker.

Shot earlier this year, Banana Motherfucker premiered at London's FrightFest in August and is currently gearing up for a festival run before making its way online. Take a look at the synopsis and feast your eyes on the trailer below...

"Banana Motherfucker tells the harrowing tale of a group of filmmakers who unleash a new form of evil - Bananas! What starts off as a small scale attack becomes a total world-wide domination by this delicious fruit, resulting in about 80 deaths jam packed in 15 minutes."


For more on Banana Motherfucker, visit the official website.

Indie Corner - British thriller Island looks to deliver a modern take on Lord of the Flies

Island in an upcoming British thriller from London-born filmmaker Rehan Malik (Radio London Movie) which is described as ‘a modern day Lord of the Flies’, referring to the classic 1954 novel by William Golding about a group of youths stranded on a deserted island.

Set during a nuclear disaster, Island sees a group of students trapped in a school; while some desire to build a new society, a few attempt to subvert the situation for their own purposes.

Currently in post-production, Island features a young British cast including Lauren Kellegher (Love Tomorrow), Thomas James Longley (Sparrow) and Gabriella Montrose (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), along with Donald Bentley, Samuel Ranger, Tom Hurley, Alex Harvey, Robbie Curran, Matthew Ferdenzi, Bryony Neylan-Francis and Waseem Abbas.

A trailer is expected in the next couple of months and Island is scheduled to premiere at the end of this year before going on to film festivals in 2012. Check out some images from the film...




For more information on Island, head on over to the Facebook page.

Movie Review - Points of Interest (2011)

Points of Interest, 2011.

Directed by Anthony Lopez and Jon Salimes.


SYNOPSIS:

In the summer of 2010, a group of filmmakers accompanied the bands Juniper Tar and Strand of Oaks on a 10-day tour of the American East Coast. This film is the result of what happened; as best they remember it.


How do I begin to review a film I don’t really understand? Points of Interest is a sparse, baffling production that will strike some as profound and others as pointless. Mostly devoid of dialogue, it lurches from footage of roads to shots of trees. The random cinematography is interspersed with music; in bars, round campfires and on street corners.

I watched Points of Interest completely blind and ignorant of its origins. I sought out the two trailers provided on the DVD but neither sheds any kind of genuinely illuminating light on subject matter or purpose. Both trailers simply atmospherically follow a van cutting through a grand American landscape. The opening ten minutes or so also features nothing more than some driving and a song.

Eventually it becomes obvious Points of Interest is about a band or a group of musicians touring the USA. A little structure is provided every now and again by some text on screen, telling us if we’re in New York or Philadelphia. However mostly we experience a collection of seemingly unconnected scenes, usually lacking in unifying meaning. Some guys jump into a pool, camp in a forest or briefly sum up their atrocious hotel room. Strangers occasionally pop up to sing, blabber about music or gossip about goings on in their area.

It’s through one of these strangers that we encounter what might be the philosophy behind the film. About fifteen minutes in we’re treated to our first proper chunk of dialogue as a cafe owner is interviewed. He rambles about the weather in his part of the world, how his business got its name from his sister, how the customers come from all walks of life and how he admires a local festival. But then he makes a big show of saying that it’s “the little things in life” he finds really interesting.

Points of Interest seems to adhere to this guy’s outlook on life. Its title is a giveaway to its intentions, or distinct lack of them. Here we have the results of a bunch of blokes travelling around and recording what interests them. In that way this is incredibly organic filmmaking, uninhibited by a plan or robust agenda. And it’s also impressive because some of the shots are beautifully captured.

There are times when you agree with the cafe owner. Watching these musicians laze around in a seemingly undiscovered Eden, populated by lazy insects and calm but furious water is a strange, fly on the wall experience, during which you do not notice the fly, and neither do they. Some shots of the concerts offer new perspectives on music, observing just the moving feet of the band for example or a guitarist’s face lit merely by floating embers.

However as a whole Points of Interest feels like a montage of photos set to music. Due to its severe lack of dialogue and interaction with characters it becomes a tiresome experience, no matter how skilful or aesthetically pleasing the camerawork is. It asks some interesting questions about just how minimal films can be but in the final analysis is too random and bare to ask them persuasively. All it’s really good for is as a project to adorn the CV of budding cinematographers. It takes something more than this to make a film, even an arty documentary. And I’m sure directors have made more compelling movies about “the little things in life”.

Digging on the internet after watching, directed by business cards attached to my screener, I discovered that Points of Interest is the first feature from High Frequency Media. The point was to showcase two bands, Juniper Tar and Strand of Oaks. The music in the film is by no means bad. But bizarrely it seemed secondary to the shots of unspecified places the bands pass through. Only two scenes, one around the campfire and another in which the audience sing-along, really pumped my musical juices. Otherwise I was unmoved, probably even, no definitely, irritated by the succession of songs. We learn next to nothing about the band members, their music or personal journeys because of the focus on a trip through the images of the filmmakers. Even if we sometimes feel as though we’re walking beside them, we’re blatantly not interested, preferring instead to look around at the minutiae of the world.

Points of Interest premieres at the Milwaukee Film Festival on the 30th of September.

Liam Trim (follow me on Twitter)

Movie Review Archive

Indie Corner - Trailer for supernatural thriller Comforting Skin

The feature debut from writer-director-producer Derek Franson, Comforting Skin is a supernatural thriller about a lonely young woman whose desperate need for emotional and sexual companionship draws her into a surreal and ultimately destructive relationship with a shifting and whispering tattoo she has willed to life on her skin.



Having shot the film last spring on a budget of $250,000, producers Franson, Justin James and Andrew Webster are now in the final days of completing the film, with just a few effects shots left to complete. The slithering, shifting tattoo character was brought to life through the use of digital animation and compositing techniques, requiring custom code developed by VFX Supervisor Ollie Rankin (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Matrix Revolutions, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Watchmen, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Red Dawn, J. Edgar).



The film stars Victoria Bidewell (AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem) in her first starring role, along with Tygh Runyan (Snakes on a Plane), Jane Sowerby (Cra$h & Burn), Ava Hughes (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Phil Granger (Tucker & Dale vs Evil) and John Tench (Brokeback Mountain). Take a look at the (NSFW) trailer here...





For more on Comforting Skin, visit the official website.

Indie Corner: Check out the trailer for Brit comedy Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?

Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit? is a British sci-fi comedy from independent filmmaker Mark Jeavons that has been described “as if Simon Pegg and Nick Frost made Donnie Darko”. The winner of the Best Feature Film Award at the British Independent Film Festival back in May, the film stars Rob Leetham, Gabrielle Amies and Adam Rickitt and tells the story of an angry wedding video guy whose life is changed around after a random alien abduction one night.



Take a look at the official synopsis and check out the trailer below…



“Pete Blagmore, once a happily married man and owner of successful wedding production company is now losing everything- his wife, his business, his friends and even his mind. His life is spiralling out of control. He is stuck in a mid-life crisis and is forced to try and re-build his life from scratch or risk losing everything.”





Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit? is set for a DVD release in October. Head over to the official site for more information.

Indie Corner: There will be bud in the trailer for Bong of the Dead

Earlier this week we received an email from the independent Canadian filmmaker Thomas Newman to let us know about his $5000 zombie feature Bong of the Dead, which has been getting some decent press as of late off the back of a successful screening at the Cannes Independent Film Festival.



The film has been described as “Cheech and Chong meets Shaun of the Dead”, and sees two stoners – Jy Harris (50/50, Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2) and Mark Wynn (Fringe, Supernatural) – survive a zombie apocalypse before discovering that zombie brains make a perfect fertilizer for a new strain of super-potent, fast-growing marijuana.



Having supplied make-up and visual effects on a number of film and television shows such as Millennium, The X-Files, Lake Placid and Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Newman makes his directorial debut with Bong of the Dead, while he also serves as writer, producer, cinematographer, editor and composer. Also featuring in the cast are Simone Bailly (Smallville, Stargate SG-1) and Barry Nerling (Tin Man, White Noise: The Light), with make-up effects supplied by Mike Fields (Scary Movie, Underworld: Evolution, X-Men: The Last Stand, Jennifer’s Body).



Judging by the trailer, it seems like they've really made the most out of the budget and the film looks like it could be fun. Take a look for yourself...





For more on Bong of the Dead, including details of upcoming screenings, visit the official site.

Indie Corner: Brit thriller Making Ugly gearing up for a festival run

At the start of the year we posted the first trailer from the independent British thriller Making Ugly, a £7000 feature from writer-director Andrew Niblo and producers Mara Adina and Dara Carroll of the production company Squarebox Yellow, and now we’ve just received an update from the filmmakers to say that post-production is complete and the movie is gearing up for a festival run across the UK, Europe and North America.



The debut feature of Andrew Niblo, Making Ugly is a provocative, dark thriller featuring an impressive Scottish and English ensemble cast of rising stars from UK theatre and television. It follows the tales of three captivating characters on a sinister journey; Neil (Paul Quinn) is a tormented, exiled family man with a secret. Heather (Margaret Ann Bain) is a woman on the edge and about to discover her own terrifying strength. When the mysterious Stark (Jamie Jack Gordon) enters their lives he lures them into an ugly world of mystery and deceit. No one can be trusted when you are Making Ugly.



Making Ugly is currently seeking distribution, while Squarebox Yellow are also prepping their second feature, an adaptation of an internationally successful British novel which is expected to be announced in the coming months. For more on Making Ugly, and to view the trailer, head on over to the official site.

Short Film Showcase - Rats: A Sin City Yarn (2004)

Rats: A Sin City Yarn, 2004.



Directed by David Brocca.

Produced by Albert Brocca and David Brocca.

Starring James Peak, Alan Rackley and John LaMotta.



Based upon the final 'yarn' of Frank Miller’s 1996 Sin City graphic novel, Lost, Lonely and Lethal, Rats tells the story of an old Nazi war criminal living in filth and poverty; as he reflects on his past life, death comes knocking at his door and he must pay the price for his sins. Produced by Pitch Films and directed by David Brocca, Rats: A Sin City Yarn is a highly stylised short that manages to capture the distinctive visuals of Miller’s tales with stark, comic book panel-styled photography. The short was released in 2004 – a year before Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s Sin City feature film – and running at just 3 minutes in length, it’s certainly a must-watch for fans of Miller’s gritty, noir-soaked world.





Click here to view more short films and public domain features.

Missing Pieces gets a new trailer – featuring Flickering Myth...

The first thing you see in a trailer can leave a lasting impression. In The Dark Knight Rises teaser it’s some atmospheric graphics, setting the tone for one and a half minutes of pure anticipation. The final Harry Potter trailer takes you back to the very beginning with the first shot, showing his mother whispering words of strength to her oblivious baby. The trailer for upcoming romantic comedy Friends with Benefits, starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, opens with a shot of Manhattan skyline and upbeat music. The Hangover Part II trailer begins with Zach Galifianakis sounding stupid.

Sometimes the start of a trailer can tell you everything you need to know about a movie. So what do we learn from the new trailer for Missing Pieces, starring Mark Boone Junior (Memento, Batman Begins, 30 Days of Night) and Melora Walters (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, The Butterfly Effect) and directed by Kenton Bartlett? Well the first thing you’ll see is a quote from my positive review for Flickering Myth. Surely a good sign?

But this trailer also underlines the importance of sticking with a video for its duration. After a mysterious and smartly edited teaser, packed with positive quotes, we get a brief glimpse behind the scenes courtesy of an interview with writer/director Kenton Bartlett. He explains why Missing Pieces is more than a good film and why the trailer was laced with quotes for a reason, not simply out of arrogance.

It’s an almost four year long passion project, worked on by hundreds of people. It’s a quality film and original story made for just $80,000. He puts it far better than me when he says that “movies are worth it” and that by spreading the word about Missing Pieces you can prove that people following their dreams “actually have a chance”.

This year we’ve endured total turkeys like Green Lantern at the cinema. Despite a terrible critical reception and a disappointing vibe even from diehard fans, the big money behind Green Lantern is set to ensure a sequel. Meanwhile independent projects like Missing Pieces go unseen. In such a climate this is more than just a trailer. Bartlett makes an uplifting appeal for this new promo to show that people power really works.

Here’s a reminder of my initial endorsement. Watch the trailer here and decide for yourselves if there’s enough promise to help out a fellow film fanatic, living the dream.


Liam Trim (follow me on Twitter)

Movie Review - Missing Pieces (2011)

Missing Pieces, 2011.

Written and Directed by Kenton Bartlett.
Starring Mark Boone Junior, Melora Walters and Alana Jordan.


SYNOPSIS:

A kidnapper tries to make two lonely souls fall in love by putting them through a series of unique situations.


Originality is what I always strive for in a review. Why read my specific review if it’s just a regurgitation of what a more learned critic said? I always feel unsatisfied if there’s not something, a line of description or paragraph of praise, which feels like my signature. Sometimes though all you can do is record your reaction. A film might be so atrociously bad that all you can do is spend an hour pouring hateful words over it. Or it might be so amazingly and astoundingly good that you just gush in delight about it inadequately.

Missing Pieces is just such a hidden gem that reduces me to strings of clichés. It nails originality on the head. I was literally “blown away” and completely surprised by the way this film personally resonated with me. It is the most enjoyable and emotionally satisfying movie I have seen this year. I cannot remember the last time I identified so deeply with characters or felt so absorbed in a drama. At over two hours long it is not short but I did not want it to end.

It’s the story of David, played by Mark Boone Junior (Batman Begins), who has been in a car accident. His injuries from the crash left his mind all mixed up, as if someone had taken a puzzle box and shaken it until all the pieces are jumbled. We never really see the fragmentation of their relationship, meaning that we see things almost entirely from David’s perspective, but the love of his life leaves him. Played by Melora Walters (Magnolia / Cold Mountain / The Butterfly Effect) Delia appears now and then to collect her stuff, angrily shouting that she wants the real David back. This leaves him confused and hurting, determined to try every trick in the book (and more) to win her back.

Clearly David’s mental state has been altered. In one striking but baffling scene he calmly smashes some cargo in an empty children’s play area. In others he watches the comings and goings of two of his young neighbours. But this he does because of loneliness, not brain damage.

I don’t really want to spoil the key element of Missing Pieces as I found it such a joy to watch completely uninformed. SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH if you wish to avoid it, although I suspect Missing Pieces will not lose much of its power from what I am going to say, as its plot is impossible to summarise. David becomes gripped by a self help tape and is inspired by the artwork of his departed girlfriend. He concocts a strange and deluded plan to win Delia back; kidnap the boy and girl he watches and make them fall in love. He believes if he observes true love he can learn the intricacies of successful romance.

There is a teasingly sinister undertone running throughout the distorted narrative, which heightens the suspense and pulls you to the edge of your seat. Missing Pieces plays out in the wrong order; you’re not sure if plot strands are taking place before or after the central ordeal. Newcomers Daniel Hassel and Taylor Engel, as Daylen and Maggie, are superb, together and apart, as a young boy and girl with troubled families, on an odd journey from suspicion through friendship to love. They form an instant connection, vividly realised through the chemistry of the actors, but they never would have met but for being thrown together by a normally harrowing experience.

Missing Pieces is influenced by a myriad of modern movies and directors but pulls together ideas from numerous genres to tell a completely fresh story. There are strong echoes of Memento, which Boone Junior also starred in, along with components of modern horror, Paul Thomas Anderson, romantic comedies and the indie scene. It addresses themes of love, loss, sadness and happiness. It touches on far too many issues to mention but it always has something true to say. It captures a little of the human condition and the universal desire for purpose, meaning and intimacy. Most of all I was struck by its message of reaching out and ignoring the limitations of social convention to say how you feel before it’s too late.

Perhaps such a message warms the hearts of young people more easily. And what makes Missing Pieces even more remarkable is the youthful team behind it. It is the brainchild of Kenton Bartlett who decided to make a movie when his carefree student life suddenly ended. A 30 minute Making Of feature is enlightening, entertaining and moving, as Kenton struggles through the unexpected scale of the challenge. It’s evident the film went through multiple edits to become a staggering, coherent final product.

Words don’t do Missing Pieces justice. Discovering new talented filmmakers and musicians (the film also has wonderful songs/score) like those behind Missing Pieces is the most fulfilling part of writing about movies. Its unknown actors and crew deserve to do this for a living. And we deserve to see their novel and ambitious ideas realised.

Missing Pieces is still seeking distribution. It is high quality stuff and there’s no reason why it should be kept from a wider audience. Get the word out and find the missing piece in your collection of favourite films: www.FindYourMissingPieces.com.

Liam Trim (follow me on Twitter)

Movie Review Archive

Four images from indie slasher Down the Road

You may remember back at the start of February that we posted a teaser trailer for Down the Road, an independent horror from writer-director Jason Christopher and producer Deven Lobascio, and now we've got our hands on four images from the upcoming film that you can check out right here.

Down the Road is a throwback slasher that sees a group of college students fighting for their lives against a revenge-seeking mad man. The film stars David J. Bonner (The Next Three Days), Shaun Paul Costello (You'll Know My Name), Chelsey Garner (Killer Shorts 2), Nikki Bell (Ugly Betty), Brian Gallagher (Calendar Girl), Matthew Nadu (The Last Airbender) and newcomer Jen Dance, along with veteran charactor actor Clint Howard (the Austin Powers trilogy, House of the Dead, Halloween).





The film, which features script mentoring from Friday the 13th scribe Victor Miller, is set for release later this year, and a full length trailer is expected soon.

Movie Review - Waldo the Dog (2010)

Waldo the Dog, 2010.

Directed by Kris Canonizado.
Starring Rook Kelly and Jaquelyn Xavier.


SYNOPSIS:

A shame-ridden and mentally unstable young man wears a dog mask in order to cope with life.


Ah, lovely. Judging by the title, this sounds like something whimsical and nice. About 17 seconds into the film, when 'Waldo' – a guy in a really quite creepy grey dog mask, knocks on a door and shoots the man who answers in the face, I knew I was horribly wrong. Another short sequence later and he has chased down someone else and shot them multiple times. A bit of pausing in the flash cutting of Waldo crossing names off a list and you see that these people are criminals. Not just your average burglars or anything petty like that, but rapists, child molesters and so forth.

After a flashback to three years earlier, we read reports that a young woman has filed against Waldo himself for stalking her. Following a coldly brutal scene where Waldo finds his victim and rapes her, we see the young man rocking back and forth in his apartment and head butting a mirror until he falls unconscious. Awaking, the film then cuts to Waldo (now masked) running through the night, howling at the moon and stripping away his clothes. It is obvious, as the police reports seen earlier state, that thing young man is clearly mentally very unwell. The affectation of the mask and the tearing away of his clothes are a way of stripping away and disregarding his true identity, and everything therein that he despises about himself.

By becoming a masked vigilante, Waldo can (either consciously or unconsciously) attempt to atone for his own crimes, perhaps believing that by punishing others he can 'cancel' out his own crimes and wipe away his own defects. Another 'benefit' of the mask is that it is, obviously, unchanging. It doesn't betray any emotion and can function as a barrier between Waldo and the rest of the world. But amongst all this is the innards-of-a-black hole dark comedy. Seeing a man in a dog mask trying to eat a burrito and jigging with joy, pumping his fists at the excitement of some nice food, is funny to see. Even his crying after his continual failure to gain respect and advancement in his wrestling endeavours give rise to a guilty smile. Waldo's voice is also a great source of laughs sounding, as he does, like a eunuch combined with Mickey Mouse.

Two years later, we see Waldo repeatedly having the shit kicked out of him by various people / groups of people, presumably because he wanders the streets in a dog mask, seeking out trouble and confrontation when he is unequipped to handle himself physically. Whilst begging on the street, a mystery man gives Waldo a wad of cash, which Waldo uses to take up wrestling training. The wrestling takes the form of Waldo receiving repeated beatings and verbal abuse, which is sort of like the training of Kung Fu movies of old, where a young warrior must punish his body to make it strong and impervious to pain.

As he continues with his lessons, he gets better but regularly has to run away after being too robust with his opponents, pretty much the way a naughty dog does when it knows that it's gone too far. There are also scenes of Waldo playing in a children's playground where he gamely uses the swings and slide. These sorts of juxtapositions do a good job of portraying the swinging mental state of someone mentally off balance; someone who wants to be manly and strong, yet who also wants the comfort of childhood. Waldo also takes a lot of shit from people in the street. People who take umbrage with his very existence, the kind of people who set upon a homeless person for the twisted, visceral thrill of attacking someone with no recourse of action. Scenes like this make clear that at least Waldo has the shame to hide his face, whilst the random dicks on the street let their nasty, animalistic sides out in full view.

His first shot at redemption comes when he hears a woman's scream. Running to her aid, Waldo beats down the two masked men who are accosting her, and takes the woman home. He rests his head in his hands, which could be either because of his despair at the world at large or, indeed, because of the thoughts running through his own mind. He returns to the scene and savagely beats the two men, leaving their unconscious bodies in a dumpster. When the young woman – Jaquelyn (Jaquelyn Xavier) sees him again, the two strike up a friendship. The interplay between the two in Waldo's shack is sweet and the pair are almost adolescent in their interaction as they joke around and bond. The blossoming of their relationship is played really well as Jaquelyn's carefree character imbues the world with a glimpse of happiness. As the two traverse the promenade at a beach, Jaquelyn sells kisses for a dollar to help Waldo out with money, all filmed in the golden light of dusk.

As the two become closer and closer, the relationship gently glides from friendship to mutual attraction. Waldo's reticence when Jaquelyn tells him she wants to make love is explained upon the removal of his mask. Seeing his face, Jaquelyn immediately realises that Waldo is the man who raped her two years earlier. As he desperately tries to explain, she calls the police and he flees. This reveal is shocking because, as a viewer, you become so wrapped up in Waldo's period of hope that you forget that he is a rapist on the run and the film reminds you of this in the most brutal way possible. It also raises questions about the nature of Waldo's relationship with Jaquelyn; was the relationship his way of atonement or just another extension of his obsession? Or it could easily be both, the implications of his previous crime and his warped 'love' for Jaquelyn coalescing into an indecipherable mess in his brain.

After taking out his anger on the wrestlers of his gym and winning the fights on the street that he used to lose, Waldo hears a familiar scream. Running to the scene, he finds one of the masked men from before over the limp body of Jaquelyn. He beats the masked man to death and sits over Jaquelyn’s dead body. As to what she was doing there, Waldo will never know. The idea that she may have been there to give her forgiveness seems outlandish at best, and would be a major mis-step in the treatment of this kind of subject. It could also be slightly troubling that this one woman should be subject to so many random acts of sexual violence but in the world of Waldo it is this constant reminder of his crimes and the ultimate bleakness of his situation that keeps it from having any kind of misogynistic undertone.

Overall, Waldo the Dog is a brilliant piece of low-budget filmmaking. The idea itself could have burned out after a short while but director and co-writer Kris Canonizado keeps the film moving with a flow that compliments the nature of Waldo well. Sometimes the camera is allowed to rest on long scenes of innocuous dialogue, following the chatter with a hazy, laid back style. When violence rears its head, the camera work and editing is suitably sharp and brutal. Rook Kelly, as Waldo, also does an impressive job of imbuing a character who has virtually no lines with an aching sadness and desolation. Jaquelyn Xavier is also due praise for her ebullient portrayal of her namesake character. She does well to counter-point Waldo as a being of depression and her work in the reveal scene is realistically angry and scared.

For a budget of $200,000, Waldo the Dog is an outstanding achievement. The sheer force that is projected onto the screen by the film is something special and the handling of issues such as redemption and the repercussions of one’s actions are handled deftly. I would be majorly surprised if Waldo The Dog didn't generate a cult following over the years, and I'd be equally shocked if we didn't see any of the major players involved turning out another dark gem like this.

Alex Williams