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Reviews
Good Guy with a Gun (2022)
A masterpiece in the top 1% of independent film.
A tour de force by writer/director/actor John Mossman, with a well-written script flawlessly executed with nuance and grace. It so refreshing to witness a clear filmmaking vision realized with refined skill across the board. Well paced, impeccably acted, with ambitious action sequences that delivered in ways rarely seen in independent film. Every Chekhovian gun hung on the figurative wall of narrative was shot at the perfect time. The suspense steadily built, masterfully delivered by compelling performances. Every character was clearly delineated with heart and grit, providing balance and relief to a film that could have been overly dark in less capable hands.
There are no lazy caricatures of characterization in writing, direction, or performance; Mossman clearly understood his challenging subject from all angles. The teen performers are flawless, and they are going places. The parents are the heart and soul, strong and sympathetic. While the whole ensemble is top-notch, antagonists John Mossman and John LaFlamboy are standouts, delivering masterclass performances in stillness and intimidation. Truly star-making performances.
Beyond the top-notch writing and acting, which is rare enough at the indie level, the cinematography is a gem, composed beautifully with luscious saturation and deep lighting. Sound and editing was seamless, which I deeply appreciate as an editor myself.
The detail I find most often overlooked in indie film is the score. As someone who's been passionate about film scoring since childhood and listens to this music genre primarily, it frustrates me when 90% of indie filmmakers seem to have no vision for their music or understanding of its vital importance and narrative power. They throw in random canned tracks with poor, cheap instrumentation and edit them with no sense of organic emotional flow or visual timing, thus hurting rather helping their narrative. It's the invisible element that cheapens the entire product and breaks my suspension of disbelief time after time, even in Hollywood movies (don't get me started on "Predator.") There is so much magic and power in coupling a quality film with a quality score, and the opportunity is often squandered.
I can't imagine a better suited score than what composer Petter Wahlback delivered. It never detracted from the scene and never distracted by drawing attention to itself. It served its story perfectly and seamlessly, like it's supposed to. And it wasn't overused. Where less experienced composers and directors would have "told" the audience how to feel in pivotal scenes, like an annoying family member delivering commentary beside you in the theatre (me, guilty as charged), Wahlback and Mossman often chose silence and realism, allowing the character and thus the audience to decide our feelings for ourselves, never manipulating or forcing emotions as less skilled filmmakers might have. They trusted their audience and their own impressive abilities.
With multi-dimensional characters and skilled storytelling firmly in the foreground, "Good Guy With a Gun" handles its subject thoughtfully, with grace and empathic humanity. I feel the filmmaker chose to tell a family's nuanced, personal story rather than heavy-handedly preach a political message or demonize whole groups of people. This is a rare gem that filmmakers should study and I hope audiences discover. Give it a watch!
Maysville (2021)
An enjoyable film that showcases some remarkable talent
Writer/Director Leslie Goyette has crafted a solid film that captures time and place very, very well, and there is some really good acting in the film to enjoy. I watched with my husband, and we both agreed that there is a LOT of quality in every aspect of the production. Spending time in Maysville is time well spent!
Kin Dread (2021)
This is a well-done film
Watched with my husband and we both enjoyed it. Definitely Hitchcockian, with elements of DePalma (who WAS the second coming of Hitchcock), and the was much higher level of attention paid to minute details that often is lost in lower budgeted indies. Writer/director Adrian Leon had a clear vision for this film, and the acting overall is very good. This one of the better indie films we've seen.
For Hannah (2021)
A well-made slow burn
This is a refreshingly well-crafted work and one of the best indies I've seen this year. Beautiful visuals caught my eye and kept my attention throughout. The masterful cinematography by writer/director John Wesley Norton and production design by Crystal Forlano are studio quality. Kudos to lead Shannon Brown for a compelling dramatic performance, and to perfectly-cast Suzette Brown as the small-town deputy struggling to be taken seriously. Bruce Spielbauer commands the screen as her quirky, likable foil, and reminded me of Sam Elliott.
Introspectum Motel (2021)
A Dark Story of Betrayal & Revenge
The line between love and hate is pretty thin, and this movie shows that in spades. Not only that, revenge and empathy are disparate emotions that are a toxic byproduct. From jump, it was apparent that Philippe, the philandering husband of the story, had no real emotion for his wife, and no love for anyone but himself. He is the embodiment of toxic masculinity, and is rightly played as a completely unlikable, almost irredeemable character. But he has something that allows him to have ongoing affairs, and that's when the intrigue begins. Meeting clandestinely for a pre-arranged tryst, is when Philipe's life becomes unglued. Not giving anything away, but starting here, there are some sexually explicit scenes and adult talk, and then the plot gets even darker. Introspectum Motel has a direct, straight ahead visual style and a story that takes risks, along with courageous, solid acting.
Koko (2021)
A story that leaves it to the viewer to make their own conclusions on love and marriage
An interesting premise that has been bandied around for a long time on the question of love, devotion and marriage. There is a long-time narrative that if we start loosening the requirements for lawful marriage, people could marry their lawn mower if they wanted to, which seems to be to be an inane argument. However, just last week I read a story of a man who was married to his female robot, so it's topical. I also completely understand loving and having a personal relationship with our pets, but marrying one? Hmmmmm. Kinda nutty! And while the story is interesting, it would have benefitted from more levity and less earnestness in the writing, which in turn would have helped the acting as well, which is a little uneven in spots. Overall, the look of the film is good and the story could compel some lively intellectual conversation.
Hoodman (2021)
Cool Indie Suspense/Horror Hybrid
This movie is well done. I'm a fan of the horror genre, and sadly there just aren't enough decent horror films out there. This one is pretty good. The acting from the leads is solid, and the direction/writing is good as well. This one leans more to the psychological aspects of the genre, with a slow burn leading to an interesting conclusion.
The Fever and the Fret (2018)
Makes Me Thank the Universe that I'm Out of High School!
Most of us (I think) see ourselves as freaks/outcasts in high school, and I'm one of those people, so this movie resonated. And people do all kinds of things to cope, just as the main character, 14-year-old Eleanor does. She is bullied by her classmates because she looks different from them. Looking or being different in high school is TOUGH. We all know of the pressure to fit in, but when you have a large birthmark across your face, you're ALWAYS different, and it can affect a person in chaotic ways. The culmination of the ongoing rotten behavior directed at Eleanor by her peers results in a violent classroom incident, and Eleanor must face the consequences. She also has to face down blatant lies about her. The movie makes clear that lies are damaging and ugly, but sometimes have as much (or more) power than truth. Overall, the acting is real and authentic, and the film is well shot. The B/W style definitely suits the subject matter. It is also relentlessly dark, which may be a good or bad thing, depending on the tastes of the viewer. I prefer a bit more levity in serious films such as this, to break up the heaviness of the subject matter, which IMHO would have helped the narrative.
Horror in the High Desert (2021)
An Enjoyable Found Footage Indie
Horror in the High Desert does a nice slow burn and then becomes fairly unnerving at the film's conclusion. This is only the second "found footage" film I've ever seen, "The Blair Witch Project" being the other. Genre-novice viewer as I am, all I can say is that this is a well-made (if not vaguely similar to "Blair Witch"), and if you stick with it, suspenseful movie. Toward the end, my own tension was palpable. Some of the other reviews here read as if the reviewer was jaded and weary of similarly envisioned "found footage" films. My own opinion is that this is an effectively executed and well-done movie that fans new to the genre will enjoy.
Sunday Mornings (2021)
Lots of Fun!
This briskly-paced film is a fun time. Acting, writing, and direction were all very good. Overall, a fun time on Prime!
32 Weeks (2020)
Plays Like a Romance, Until....
...it DOESN'T. This one takes it's time establishing relationships and allows the audience to understand the main protagonist, but then at end, turns on a dime. It may be a little slow for some, but I enjoy a slow build. The acting was good overall, and the direction/editing was well done. Many indie films leave me cold. NOT this one!
Kill the Habit (2010)
A Darkly Comic Indie
I liked this one, in spite of the fact that I don't necessarily like most indie films. It was fun to watch, the pace was good, made good use of it's locations, the laughs were unexpected, and it kept me engaged and guessing what was next. The actors were uniformly excellent. Irector Laura Neri crafted a fun movie night on Prime!
The Mentor (2020)
A Film About Film making, and the Crazy That Comes With the Territory
For anyone associated with the movie-making business, "The Mentor" is a unique homage to the challenges, the weirdness, and the absurdity of creating a finished film. The premise is simple, an aspiring film maker seeks out the help of an established director who fancies herself as an auteur. Of course the auteur/mentor is pretentious and her films are incapable of making a dime, and the auteur's Mom finances everything, because of course she does. As the plot progresses, there are inside jokes, and the tables turn in unexpected ways. To give anything more away would be a sin. A film about film making, and the crazy that often accompanies the endeavor. I had a good time watching this one.
The Hunter's Anthology (2021)
A Throwback to Classic Horror TV, like Tales from the Dark Side and Twilight Zone
This series is an homage to all of the old horror TV anthologies we all loved as a kid. Has a comic book feel to it, and it's cheesy in the best possible way. I enjoyed it for it's retro take on the genre.
A Slice of Life on Barcelona (2015)
Such FUN!
OMG. Take the time to check this one out. It has a voice and a vision. Don't want to give anything away, but gotta say, you're gonna really enjoy this gem!
Pungo: A Witch's Tale (2020)
his movie is NUTS!
OK, here's the deal. This movie falls right into the horror genre, but it also has a LOT of sub genres, which might make Pungo - A Witch's Tale completely un-categorizable. Indie creators make films that conventional big studios would never touch, and that is often a good thing for lovers of the horror genre. And the mash-up of storylines is so incredibly over-the-top, that it deserves genuine attention. The plot takes some standard character tropes: The stoic leading man and his loopy sidekick, who meet a single woman who needs help and is dealing with something supernatural. But then, the writing takes over and OMG does this movie speed into directions that can only be described as insane. Without giving too much away, there are a couple good jump scares, and the CGI...wow. It's cheesy and cool in the best possible way. I sat through the final third of the film slack-jawed, not believing where this movie went. All I can say is that it incorporates all of the stuff we love about the B horror movies we loved as a kid, and adds a modern twist (or twelve) to the proceedings. This is either a bad/good movie, or a good/bad movie, (you decide) but either way, Pungo - A Witch's Tale should be - NEEDS to be - experienced, and I truly mean that - by every person who loved "Army of Darkness", "Drag Me to Hell", and all of those horror flicks that are part of fandom's lexicon. There was even a part where I thought the actors would exclaim, "Your Mother Was A Hamster, And Your Father Smelt Of Elderberries!" I had a lot of fun watching this off-the-wall film!