Reviews

As the Editor of MicroFilmmaker Magazine, we see a lot of low-budget films come through our doors. Mike Flanagan's work continues to be some of the best work we critique! Absentia is no exception in this history of impressive work. He manages to make the commonplace turn surreal and spooky! As Oculus made you look out of the corner of your eyes at ornate mirrors, Absentia will make you look out of the corner of your eyes at foot tunnels! If you like suspense or horror, then Flanagan's work is a no-brainer! (There is a reason they were able to double their production budget at Kickstarter! It's because it really had the potential to be a great film and, afterwards, lived up to the possibility!)

We know that Mark Wahlberg refused to play Rockstar's "Max Payne" game before performing in this film, but, in addition, I must assume that neither the director nor the screenwriter ever played this game before, either. If there weren't so many shots of the background scenery that tied in with the game (although they were never fully or, in some cases, partially explored), I would assume that no one involved in the movie had even seen cut scenes from the game. I would have assumed that they got a one paragraph synopsis on the game, with character names, and just made up their own story that barely connected to the game storyline.

When this movie was made for a "PG-13" rating instead of an "R" rating, most of the fans were nervous. And, after seeing the train wreck this film became, it's clear to see that our worst fears were realized. Worse even than whether this works as a movie adaptation of a video game is whether this film would works as a movie if you have no knowledge of the video game. Unfortunately, if you went to see this film looking for an action flick, you would say that this was one of the most boring, yawn-inducing films you'd seen in the action genre.

The lack of narration throughout this film, the lack of a solid action director like John Woo (who knows how to do slow-mo), and the lack of anyone from the Rockstar team helping with screen writing added up to what can only be described as a hollow, dull film that has virtually no tie to the amazing game that spawned it. The studio system strikes again.

Jericho has been the most creative drama of any of the Network newcomers this past season. While Heroes main creativity stemmed from the fact that a network actually had the guts to make a show based on a comic book that flowed LIKE a comic book, Jericho came up with a truly original storyline that looked at the dark elements of a post-apocalypse America and the breakdown of culture in that society. As such, it deserves to have gotten the most credit not just for being the most creative show this past season, but being the most creative show to hit the networks in decades. (In fact, I would dare say that this is the most original and edge-pushing drama to hit Network TV since the original 'Star Trek'.) Despite CBS' long hiatus for the show in mid season, bringing the show back opposite American Idol, and stated desire to cancel the show, fan outcry resulting in the largest fan protest in television history and over 25 tons of nuts being sent to CBS' headquarters (which ties into the season finale of Jericho) caused CBS executives to reconsider and bring this great drama back for at least seven more episodes in mid-season of '07-'08. While they have expressed skepticism at CBS as to whether Jericho's supporters can mobilize enough viewers for CBS to bring back the show permanently, this is definitely a step in the right direction.

If you've loved this great show as much as I have, then make sure you go to some of the new fan mobilization sites such as Jericholives.com and find out how to best spread the word about this show. As it is, we as Jericho fans have just seven more episodes to help boost viewership or Jericho may yet vanish into the post-apocalyptic haze! If you haven't seen this show before and are curious why enthusiastic fans have been sending nuts to CBS, make sure you go to CBS' website where the entire first season of Jericho is still available for viewing in their free Innertube section.

Livelihood is one of the smartest comedies to come along in quite awhile because of its quirky characters, it's clever plot line, and its tongue-in-cheek commentary on our society. (It's so smart and clever, that Visionary Comics will be releasing comic adaptations and spin-off stories from its world in the near future.)

The premise of 'Livlihood' follows a mysterious phenomenon by which the dead come back to life. However, unlike 'Dawn of the Dead' and every other zombie film, the dead that come back don't want to eat people's flesh or consume their brains...they just want to get back to work and resume their old lives. As this new influx of humanity comes back to life, advertisers, promoters, and politicians quickly try to vie for their attention and their money.

The main story lines revolve around three different groups of people: an undead '80's rock star, an undead business man who has a tendency to lose his head, and a much-pestered housewife who's now forced to live with her undead mother-in-law. The rock star seeks to reunite his band for a new record deal and go on to even greater fame in death than he had in life. The business man is seeking love...and the identity of the mysterious samurai that lopped off his head. And the housewife is searching for a way to destroy her zombie mother-in-law once and for all.

This film manages to tell three completely different types of tales and interweave social commentary throughout, reminding me of the tales crafted by Neil Gaimon.

You can read an even more in-depth critique at Microfilmmaker.com.

-Jeremy