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Reviews
Broken (2005)
Good preview. Waiting for the feature.
Review: Crossing the lines between different genres such as thriller, action, mystery and superhero films, this short is an amazingly well produced little gem. With quick paced action and impressive special effects, this DVD is a preview for a future full length feature film from Alex Ferrari, Jorge F. Rodriguez and The Enigma Factory. Containing 19 minutes of the film, this shows what can be done with $8,000 and the determination and drive to be a filmmaker. The only real problems are unanswered questions. Who is management? What are the dreams? And what is the deal with her eyes? I will bet that most of these questions will be answered in the full length feature. They have to leave us wanting more, right? Bonnie Clayton (Samantha Jane Polay) wakes up to find a strange man in her kitchen. The next thing she knows, she is tied up in a wheelchair where her kidnapper Duncan (Paul Gordon) informs her that she is to be "replaced". Why? She hasn't a clue. A mysterious man dressed in black watches for the right moment to rescue her. And when that moment arrives he takes it by the horns and takes on Duncan's team of heavies including the beautiful Marquez (Amber Crawford) and the "cleaner" Gabriel (Tony Gomez), among others.
Casting: While most of the cast doesn't have many lines throughout, some shine and some don't. Most notable is Paul Gordon as Duncan, the sadistic leader of the group who kidnaps Bonnie. He enjoys his job and he's not afraid to show it. Samantha Jane Polay does a fine job of conveying fear and confusion in this short piece. I will have to reserve true judgment on her performance until I have seen the full film. The only one who didn't shine was Amber Crawford, but who am I to complain about a hot redhead with big guns? Image & Sound: I hate to keep hammering on the fact that this film only cost $8000 to make, but every technical aspect shines. The sound, the video, everything. Hell, this wasn't even shot on film! It was shot on mini DV, whatever that is, lol. The sound effects were great, the surround mix was excellent. The shotgun sound effect was a little much, but otherwise everything looked and sounded like a big budget picture.
Special Features: The extras on this disc is where it really shines. Over three hours of special features including six different commentaries, a ton of behind the scenes featurettes from every stage of the film making process to a gag reel and creator bios. A great resource for amateur filmmakers. I have seen big studio releases that don't have half as many features as this disc does.
Final Words: A wonderfully exciting and intense exercise in film making on a budget, not to mention an intriguing story. If you want to learn more visit www.whatisbroken.com.
Mitch Emerson
Evil Dead: Hail to the King (2000)
Response to not being a fan
This game sucked. And in response to the guy who says that if you don't like this game you aren't a fan. To show the level of commitment as a fan of Evil Dead, I have a tattoo themed of all three movies that completely covers my forearm. How is that for a fan? Anyways, I agree with most on the game. It was really hard to play and you ran out of gas for the chainsaw way too fast. Pick up Regeneration or Fistful of Boomstick if you want to play a decent ED game. The quips are better. The weapons are better. And Regeneration has some interesting Easter Eggs. I would consider Hail to the King a test to see if there was a market for ED based games. Ten lines can be a pain in the butt.