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Reviews
Chasing the Green (2009)
They score again.
After watching "P.J." I was curious to see how the filmmakers would progress with this film. And like "P.J.", I have to say, not bad at all if very different! It seems they had a bigger budget on this film and it shows with the various locations, especially the golf scenes, as well as the actors like William Devane. And they got "Closing Time" by Semisonic, one of my favorite songs. Not bad, not bad at all.
This film has only screened at the Park City Film Music Festival but I see it has already one a gold award from that festival as well as best song of the year from the MAVRIC Independent Music Awards for a Jenni Alpert song. I will be curious to see what else it gets into, but it seems it will be screening theatrically in April/May so that's good.
If you have a chance to see, I highly recommend people to see it. Thanks for listening.
P.J. (2008)
Wow.
I recently saw this when it came out at the Laemmle. I have to say, not bad at all! For a low budget flick, the filmmakers really put a lot of creative effort to bring it to life. I was impressed with Patricia Rae and Vincent Pastore. Howard Nash did a great job as the guy with burned hands, holding his own against veteran actor John Heard. The director, whose this is his first feature, put together an ambitious effort, especially given the cast and the beautiful shots of New York City. I see he has another film on the horizon called Chasing the Green, looking forward to that. Oh, and there's the score too. It complements this film from beginning to end. I highly recommend people see this film, you won't be disappointed. Thanks for listening.
Girl with Gun (2006)
Well done and unique short
Who says a short film can't be as professionally done as a feature film made in Hollywood. Though Girl With Gun doesn't have the budget of a feature, there are many elements that deserves attention.
Included are: acting (the lead especially, but also her best friend and her boyfriend), the pacing (it tells a well-packed story in only 14 minutes!), the music (I'm not a big fan of electronic music but it worked well during the fight scenes).
I've read several reviews for this film on different sites (Cinema Crazed, Kung Fu Cinema, etc) and they all seem to agree that this short deserves attention. And I agree, although each scene is by itself average, it's the overall whole that makes this a worthy contender among films.
The Diary (2004)
What can I say, a great film!
I had the privilege of seeing this film during its completion screening last year, and I must say for a first effort from producer/director David Covarrubias, I am thoroughly impressed. This really felt like a film you would see in the theatres, it had the production value you would expect from a well made indie feature. First off, the location in the woods at Lake Arrowhead was a superb choice to film at, the house itself is uniquely shaped, and it is surrounding by beautiful evergreens. Not only that, the acting was superb. Compliments especially to G. Larry Butler and Scott Blaze, they worked really well together. The music is something that helped the film too, especially during the end credits, where you can listen to the soothing music and think about the story that just transpired. And the zombie makeup was well-done, I loved it when they were in the basement! I won't spoil it, but look out for that scene! I won't say anymore, see it for yourself and you'll see what I mean.
Mavet (2005)
3 Act Structure in 4 Minutes!
I had the chance to see MAVET before its September 2005 World Premiere at the LA Shorts Fest, during its Completion Screening in March 2004 (unfortunately I couldn't make the LA Shorts Fest screening). For being only 4 minutes, this was a VERY VERY well done piece! It got to the point and kept you entertained throughout. It's basically divided into 3 Acts (I know, how did the filmmakers achieve that in 4 minutes but they did!), Act 1 is the setup introducing the two characters playing what looks like a harmless chess game, then Act 2 shows them really playing feverishly for seemingly no reason (at this point, you know something's up), then Act 3 gives you the climax and finale (and a good one it is, was really really surprised, don't want to spoil it!). See this film if you have the chance, you won't regret it!
Her Knight (2003)
Good debut film
I was given the opportunity of seeing this film before it was released. Having some interest in indy films, I must say that for a first film, Mr. Emanuel did a pretty good job, especially with the fight scene at the end. The musical score fit the mood of the film. My only negative comment is that some of the script seemed a bit "forced" and "intellectual" (the Byzantine history part) for a movie short. On the other hand, the writer probably wanted to give the viewer some introduction to the history that influences the film. I guess I have no interest in Byzantine history though. All in all, a great start for some promising actors and producer/directors! I hope to see a full-length movie by Mr. Emanual someday.
Mr. Deeds (2002)
Typical Sandler
Preview at UCLA (May 5, 2002) - This film has some funny lines, and features a plot similar in seriousness to "Big Daddy". Since I was warned that this movie was made by the same people who did that movie, I was not expecting much. Adam Sandler plays Longfellow Deeds, a great-nephew to one of the world's richest men who happens to die at the beginning of the movie. Deeds inherits 40 billion dollars, but since he's from a small unknown town in New Hampshire, he does not see the need to have so much money. He is betrayed by a woman who tells him she's a small town girl and claims to love him, but it turns out she's only a desperate news reporter trying to get a story. The ending is cute though.and there are a ton of typical Sandler gags.many of them funny.including his often seen violent temper. If you're looking to watch a light comedy with Sandler on par with Big Daddy and Waterboy, this movie shouldn't disappoint you. But it's no Wedding Singer.