A Literal "Gut Buster"

"Manhunt" (Bucksfan)

It was once said that there is a distinct, yet deliberate horror in all things grand; and in Buckfan’s fifteen minute fright fest, we see just that; an assessment of special effects and, pushing its way to the highlight of the film, some of the best sound editing I have heard yet, in order to, at every nook and corner, to somehow try to push forth some sort of chill. And thus the film carries its weight, wearing its plot loose and any conviction on cohesion looser; solely intent with, like its murderer, carrying out its mission to frighten. However, this is a film that rests its case on false pretenses, where as it comes off as a film with its sense of foreboding locked in the movie itself; what really keeps us watching, and keeps our eyes on the screen rests not in the story, or the script, but the suspense to see what further “stunt” will be pulled off; and almost like a gag reel; if or if not it will reach an exciting peak; or fall back to rest with the commonplace effects in the land of “cheese”.

As for the camerawork, something that, with each filmed feature, attention is demanded to; it is less bold then some of the recent videos I have seen, which do, on the whole, a better job of taking command of the movie and forcing its arresting visuals to lead the way. That was not found here; filled with shaky movements and somewhat static shots, the quality itself was all that can be noted. As I said above, this film is not one which counts its resources and divvies its consideration; no, in here we have one thing alone and to all the other aspects; let them come out as they come out, and that is really the feeling I got, that these were basic, one take shots, with more of an emphasis on what goes on in front of the camera besides in the editing room.

As for the story, razor thin in concept, and the bare minimum of scripts; what can be said is that it is routine in its simplistic, run-of-the-mill-horror-film sort of way, concerning a teenage boy who fends of a killer who, without the Darth Vader breathing and the appealing eye candy wouldn’t frighten a phobaphobic; however, the menace does seem to tone up as the film goes on and, at the end, when he is strapped down, about to be the center of a smirk-inducing action finale, laughing in the way we expect those psychopaths to do; then we see what we should have been seeing all along; but until this point we get a repetitious series of cat and mouse; or is it kitten and mouse; as none of the escapes seem to travel too far beyond curiosity value.

Looking not at a script, however, we must take value in different things, and one of those is the way the show was put on, the acting and sets; and the greater the charade is pulled off, that façade being a mask covering our eyes, forcing us to forget it is only a film; the greater the movie, in general. I was not wholeheartedly enthralled as I was in some of Bucksfan’s earlier works; in fact, in every scene, I felt as I was the antithesis of what was expected, and seeing, as if standing on set, the filming process; it really does feel like a home video, shot at home, with the brothers on the weekend. Which it was; why then, do I use this as criticism? Simply for this; if art mirrors reality, then I expect to see the mirror image; not the reality itself.

Thematically and speaking in terms of tone, the movie was hit and miss. Some scene seemed to get it; get that dread is best associated with a nice music choice, which was prevalent; but some scenes made you want to grab hold and push the camera back a long hall, and give the characters a chance to pause, take a few steps down a lonely staircase and build up a mood besides jumping in to the next of a series of thrills. Needless to say though, this is an attribute that Bucksfan has dealt in numerous times and, even at a moment of lacking, it is still handled as good as any other video you will see; but, here, we are not seeing a drastic comparison, but playing in the director’s own turf; this time watching him taking a night time stroll and not the full fledged visit we wanted.

Overall, the film is not bad and it is not good; it is just, seemingly and innocently, there to behold and to view, and then sadly, later, to forget. This is neither a video to go down, nor the one in which the director will be noted for, but it is a nice addition to his canon, in terms of style; there, it fits right in. However, it seems more amateur then expected, more tedious then thrilling. Perhaps we have been bred, though, to be accustomed to better things; seeing a few “Night of Eureka” films; maybe it is of our own doing that we have come to anticipate more; and that makes us troublesome viewers. Well, nothing an ax to the head shouldn’t get rid of.

My Conclusion- I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this film, but due to the effects, sound editing and the short length, it is worth skimming through, at the bare least. Just don’t expect anything more.

The Birth of a New Kind of Punishment

"Punisher: Birth" (Max)

After this film, a mess of an action film, I felt…punished. If there are any kids out there stuck in puberty, watch this film, as it ought to do the trick. Loaded with more gangsters and violence then a Detroit street corner, I found myself lost several times, and with a cast of characters like this, I wasn’t about to step out of the car and ask for directions. However, despite the rocky terrain, there is a small dirt path down the way, in which a basic plot and some halfway decent moments do come, like a confused sparrow, out of the woodwork. Needless to say, in a series of relentlessly similar films, it fit in the canon towards the more forgettable works, and immediately lost itself in the obscurity of the achieves, a muddle as jumbled up as the film itself.

One of the major faults I noticed was the inclusive lack of any structure of details, most notably in the characters. Nothing felt elaborated on, it was all banally redundant as it seemed to recycle overused material from itself and films like it. I found myself wishing there was some sort of beacon, a cable, one can say, to hold onto so when I went “into the jungle”, I would have a bearing to fall back on. There was no such luxury, and thus, when I went exploring, it was on my own volition, and the ending result was finding myself lost, boggled, and just wanting to get out, without a care in the world of whether or not I found a guiding light or not. And when the scenes came where a conversation was held in a proper manner, it felt a clearing, an all too brief stay, like a rest, before I was gone again, with characters who seemed to have no history, no origin, but were just added in because, quite simply, they were supposed to be there. Mind you, I did not expect any inner qualities to be shown, though I was trying to realize who exactly everyone was, in terms of their motives, but instead, I only saw words, no notion behind them, nothing in my mind.

I am not going to say, as I so often do, “do not let me underrate…”, however I will say do not let me misguide you, there is, I suppose, a story here, and if you read the synopsis and re-read a few scenes, you can grip it; however, the effort is not outweighed by the profit. Frank Castle simply goes down his journey, with Jigsaw, a Russian and others after him, leading to a few plot twists which bring the story, sadly, back full circle to where it was in the first place; a script seemingly on drugs, as it could not sit still for a moment and, while it was not jumpy and on edge, its attempts to form a cohesive idea so often fell flat. I suspect this is because, if not solely, largely, due to the rushed nature it reads. Scenes jump to each other quickly, and without warning, leaving your mind at the previous as it goes on a rampage through its course of events, all too eager to reach the end as we are.

As far as dialogue goes; the film reached certain peaks. Sometimes, it wasn’t bad, and propelled an idea, but for the large part, and even when something was happening, it felt overtly simplistic and monotonous, as slowly, everyone seemed identical in how they talked and nothing colorful stuck out. That is perhaps what troubled me most, how every line, every scene, all morphed into a blob of consistency in a meager sense, which brought about the repetition I spoke of earlier. Of course, there were those you expected to see, the usual action one liners that use cursing and screaming to excite and rouse, but usually end up standing out like a sore thumb, except for here, where it fit in all too well.

One thing that was done with some sense of integrity is how one of the themes, that is, retribution was done. We had a feeling that we were witnessing revenge at its barest sense and the birth and death of all it encompasses. It pulled everything together, acting as the sole support, and rested decently enough to maintain balance through most of the film. Also, while the responses always are undeniably corny, they are unintentionally humorous, at the same time, making it a bad film of some quality. Of course, this is praise in the weakest and most miserly manner, but it is a factor to notice that the film, with the weight on its shoulders as it is, does not attempt to mask it with lengthy scenes of melodrama or the usual wisecracks so often associated with the style in which this is done. It knows what it is and doesn’t attempt to dissuade from this persona; it has given up and wishes for us to face it as it is, a mercy that still, though noble, is not to be admired.

Thus, overall, the film is something which appeals to very few, I suspect. Structured as it is and written in the manner that consists of orthodox cheesiness, I cannot find reason for any to watch it, save for curiosity. I cannot honestly say I was disappointed, as my expectation were, from the start, a slate, not exactly clean, but nervous, for this genre is one which goes a long ways with so little, and while this film is not an epic, it goes beyond what I would have wished, to the point where condensing it would be recommended. But either way, it will take a guide of some sort, preferably a nicely lit path for an audience member, in my view, to see anything here, or to even perceive that there is, indeed, supposed to be things going on. So, what happened to this film? Well, here is a moment where the Punisher can come in and say “Me”, as that is how the film begins and ends, the chaos, both literally and figuratively, created by revenge.

My Conclusion- This is a film I would skip over, especially with one Punisher film out and another coming. It is messy and redundant in its failure to stick itself out.

Humanity's Greed Turned Sunny Side Up

"Cutting the Skin" (16 Hour)

16 Hour is one of the most talented, and the most audacious film makers that you can expect to meet on the internet, and with his, his latest short film, clocking in at a little under a minute and a half, he only cements my beliefs that he has, indeed, the key to the visual style. Each single frame is a different picture, and each picture (in fact, I paused sometimes), I would like to look at and grasp, since for as short as this film is, as plotless as it is doomed to be called, I found reason in it, and a message, told metaphorically, of man’s greed, and humanity’s shortcomings, and with every passing illustration, I see this point only being pushed with more and more boldness.

The entirety of the project, I scarce call it a “movie”, consists of the slicing and the eating of an egg. However, the manner it is shot, and the way it is handled leads to a more broad and all more revealing view of the world as we basically see mankind greedily lusting on the bounty of the world, at first cleaning his utensils, as man values his money, with a meticulous nature. Then, once he beings feasting on the world, it is messy and we lose that carefulness from before; thus, the ignorance of us to the natural world. It excites me and impassions me to see a point being taken where a film says something without words, when so much films fail to say anything, loaded with two hours of dialogue. It is a reminder why the visual style in films are perfected and enhanced and why imagery is more important then straight plot, in my view.

One thing, though, on the surface, is the camera work. It is a beauty that is mesmerizing the behold and awe inspiring to gaze at. I could be told that a weeks work went into this, and I would be all the believable. I have watched this film twice now. Both times without HD (I am not able to yet). One viewing was the initial presentation, my mind clean from bias or from expectation; the second time was shortly after I started this very review. Each time I saw something different in it and new ways to interpret the same scenes; and I actually found myself trying to find meaning behind every single artifact on the set. Foolish of me, but not preposterous, as that is the wonder of 16 Hour’s films, they let you get carried away, and dive into your imagination. I plan to watch it a third time, next in HD, for the experience, and I am whole heartedly looking forward to it.

Now, this is a film I can see many shrugging off as a visual flair, nothing more; a short spark of art that disappears all too quickly, though this is one you can find my raving about, I feel this is a wonderful film, and a great one, and one which should be seen at least twice to truly appreciate it. I cannot fully recommend you all watch it in such a light of high hopes, but I implore to, at the least, try to explore with it, to make a path in its wilderness. Sometimes it feels daunting, as no clearing can be seen; but gripping a single concept in it can move mountains.

Overall, this is a film that I find hard to forget my respect for, even if it will not live on long, and the kind of thing that, though rarely seen, wakes me up and reminds me why I am still reviewing films; not to see stories mapped out but to see real adventures, real explorations of the medium. Is it nonsensical dribble being over-hyped by someone seeing too much into it; or is it a wonderful experiment with the camera? You decide for yourselves, either way I put it; I’m bound to have hearty disagreement.

"Want Some Whiskey in Your Water, Arsenic in Your Tea?"

"Dead and Breakfast" (Barrett)

Barrett’s latest short is not only, very possibly, one of the finer short films I have seen, but also an exercise in absurdity, as well as a test of the audience’s imagination. In the modest tale woven, amounting to no more then 15 minutes worth of reading, we are tried for our subconscious boundaries on how suspense doesn’t always come in a clichéd, perfectly wrapped package of a nice murder mystery, but sometimes by omission; the wonder of to what happened that night, and then, in a manner I applaud, the mind bending and awkwardly bizarre explanation that follows. It is a slowly devious short that relies on its charm to pull you in, and, at the end, thrust you out, realizing everything you have seen leads to nothing more then what could be a nightmare itself.

As the length hinders any real chance to dive into the characters, it shall be noted that, from what we see, they are handled carefully and adorably. A white picket fence couple, a bright future ahead, a nice, reminiscent-ful past behind them; and then we meet Penny’s friend, a dangerously self destructive woman who, in her worst, makes Lindsey Lohan look like an altar girl. From here, the film takes a deadly turn, deadly in relation to ourselves, as know the calmness and quietness we once had is sacrificed for a new found thrilling wonder. We learn the friend had something of a night to herself, and we so desperately desire to find out what it was.

From here, the three talk about when they were young, how wild they are, and slowly, as we hope, the topic turns to the revealing of the events prior. We see that, like us, the other two characters, who take a backseat later on, are like us; in fact, they feel more an audience then the cast, as they view with the same emotions we do and the same confusion as us. So really, this short feels like a web, branching is different directions. At one end, you have the story of strange proportions, and on the other hand, you have a test for an audience to take, and the subjects- not only you, but the cast (representing the audience) themselves!

Overall, without a word spared, I cannot say more except to recommend this to you highly; if not as a layered story, then, at the bare least, a curiosity piece. Of course, there were some things I was let down upon my expecting too much. Built up so high with the tension, I would have enjoyed the party scene to be elaborated on further, and perhaps more time spent building the characters depth. Granted, they were fine for easiness to be read, but as for their history and past, we only see what we read, and beyond that, I wasn’t able to conjure up any feeling that these were very attached friends. We heard about the friendship band and the teenage escapades, but I never really believed it. Then again, like a dream, in this film, what is there to believe? Without imagination, why, we just might drop dead.

Third Times the Charm!

Captain Scarlet 3 (Captain Blaggers)

“Captain Scarlet 3” is a citadel of an adventure film. It reaches out with enough grasp to mystify with its emotional scope, ranging from the felt dramatic to the rousing weaves the story makes; all the while with such a confined story told so commanded, so confidently, that it feels less a film of spontaneity, but a dictation from a tale pre=planned with the greatest care. It is both a wonderful conclusion piece, hitting all the right notes for closure, which includes all too well a stunning last scene; as well as a genre masterpiece, for how well it cements its place down with a firmness. There is no compromise here; the film has a story to tell, and characters to take care of in a manner that gives a sense of dystopian realism, and no fluff or filler is going to enter and skew it otherwise.

One thing that, especially in comparison to the last two, must be sought is whether the film takes the somewhat crass entertainment of the first, or the clever depth of the second. To me, it leans far, far and away on the latter. This is not a series that daunts the viewer with anxiety over each release, but instead, ceases to improve. Its entertainment is neither thoughtless nor disputable; as it comes in a more mature package, that of a tautness. Suspense that rides the edge, at times near falling off, as it is only hanging on by a thread. Though, isn’t this the entertainment that is enjoyable to see? For me it is anyways, as it creates a far more unpredictable nature. This film is one which feels like it can go anywhere, and does; there are no expectations or pre-set limits to what can happen and who it can happen to, and this is a feat, in which even the most disheartened viewer cannot turn away from the script because of.

As for the written words, the dialogue and the movement of conversation; it is personal to the film itself. Mostly, the conversations are exiting and easy to grip. While some can hold this in too low esteem, I would not know what they were to wish for instead, as the manner it is handled makes the story propel in every line. Yes, there could have been scenes of character building, but after two films and a series, is it needed; or would it only distract from the key of the film, it’s ever beating thrills. If I were to say any criticism on this part, however, it would be that the film only loses its ability as a stand alone achievement, at least, in part.

Branching off of the said above, I would like to bring the wheel full turn to the characters. The way they are filled with personality comes from the heart of this narrative. The continuity is marvelous, as each and every returning role seems familiar but fresh; an added layer of grit and of age. In this, I would call the films a character study in how well it, almost unintentionally, builds the characters through the slow process of a journey. We see the choices the make and how, notably the main role, feels about inner issues and duty; and knowing this, we can piece together the pieces and create a schema about their personality for ourselves. However, this film does not take its chances, and thus, a liability is laid. What if you do not enjoy puzzles, and cannot, or do not wish, to piece together these puzzles? Then you simply have a film that, regardless, will leave you bending the bars beneath your seat, not out of anticipation for the cast, but for the magnitude under which each thrill is blown up to.

The movie also has the benefit of being laid with many wonderful scenes. Certainly the scenes with the Old Man come to mind, and the clever nature regarding Scarlet breaking him out. The ending, as well, a magnificent and unexpected cut out, almost suddenly, leaving us, needless to say, shook. These are only obvious, to me, examples, in a film lines with so much more. The opening, one which immediately sets the tone and the awe to follow; the slick and careful action scenes, which, whether quick skirmishes (a la a toilet paper holder as a silencer) or a full blown scene with trucks and high suspense; it is all done with an effortless ease, and I would be stupefied to even call it action, but lets say, happenings, since action usually, in shallow thinking, brings to mind scenes of little reason or purpose.

Overall, I have not a second thought in calling it the best “thriller” on MR under the action category. Of course, “A Moral Aroma” and others are thrillers, but they, and everything else, seems so distant from this series because of how it is written and how it presents itself in a stimulating manner, utilizing full blown excitement, where as the others use pot-boiler curiosity. It comes off no less as an icon, a standing for the correct way to produce tension and anticipation. Of course, as are many, it is sad to see a series go; and sadder to see a MR revelation ending. However, what we were left with was a fun time, and that is rare, to actually become engaged in a script to the point where reading it feels less a chore and more a hobby; I appreciated that. Thus, I cannot think of a more proper statement to make then, if every “blockbuster” or thriller on MR was like this, with this amount of satisfaction, then they could all be 150 pages long, and still leave me clinging for more.

My Conclusion- The length is bound to daunt, but those who read it will be astounded in how easy it is to enjoy and how gripping it can become. A wonderful thriller in every sense.