Movie Review: Beyond Repair (2017)

Beyond Repair (2017) - USA - Horror - Not Rated

Independent Short Subject - Robbie Barnes - 8 Mins

Written and Directed by Robbie Barnes

Starring Kinsley Funari, Jesse Dillon Sorrells, Ember Burns, Christopher Kyriakides, George Tutie, Robbie Barnes

Connects at the most modest level of the everyday to magnificently bring to the screen a story with the power to become an indelible fable in our collective media consciousness.

It happens billions of times a day; somebody has to go to the bathroom. When it hits and you are traveling the choices are random, and tonight's random stop for Jorah won't exactly have her flushed with excitement.

The movie starts off with a premise most any of us are familiar with, and that is traveling and having to pull over somewhere to use the bathroom. Certainly Kinsley Funari's anxious dance as she holds it in will hit home with all of us. As well what hits home is how that overwhelming feeling to go can prioritize itself over any rudimentary sense of caution.

Driving down the road, a graduation tassel hangs on the rear-view mirror as the car radio plays. This could be any one of us and a strength with Beyond Repair is that oh so common connection it sets up from the start. The viewer can certainly sympathize with the situation Jorah is in, and without knowing anything about her, her occupation, what she likes, what she doesn't like, we don't need to know any of that because the situation transcends the unfamiliar and instantly acquiesces us into a "what would I do" frame of mind.

One thing that popped into my head watching this was a segment from the film Body Bags that takes place at a service station; of course you know the protagonist is in trouble when Wes Craven himself makes an appearance. One of the problems with that film and a problem with many anthology films and TV series of the 80s, 90s, and hence who took their inspiration from The Twilight Zone was in getting the look down, but not the spirit of The Twilight Zone.

Beyond Repair has certainly captured that spirit, not in copying The Twilight Zone mind you but in knowing that it is what is at the heart of the story that is important, not the trappings of the story. In a similar way to The Twilight Zone episode The Hitch-Hiker the mechanics of how and why things happen in relation to the mundane are unimportant; it's the story and that's where Beyond Repair shines is in telling its story. Beyond Repair has the heart and soul of Twilight Zone and the new car smell of modern filmmaking.

Robbie Barnes' story and direction is intuitive with its subject and drawing the viewer into the protagonist's world to bring the viewer into sympathizing with the main character. Rather than focusing on a rationalization of the elements of the story instead those very elements become the palette from which she paints onto a cinematic canvas a picture of ghoulish deluge.

At the heart of any story is the protagonist who either draws us into the story, or puts us off of it. That responsibility ultimately rests on the shoulders of Kinsley Funari. Physically, with an adorable sweetness to her face and girl next door looks, she is an ideal choice. Ultimately though appearance is just the tip of the iceberg and the rest of that iceberg brings a real person to the screen who gives you good reason to feel for her character.

Supporting performances from Jesse Dillon Sorrells and Ember Burns add to the overall fright with Sorrells pumping a thick eeriness into the already haunting atmosphere and Burns lavishes ever so lovingly in the gruesomeness of her role. 

Do not try to rationalize the story. Rationalization is its own defense mechanism; we try to talk away the things that scare us. If you do find yourself trying to rationalize it, then it scared you more than you thought it did... or are willing to admit.

My Rating: 5 Fingers; I give it a high five!

You can find Robbie Barnes on Twitter and Facebook

Movie Review: Check Please! (2017)

Check Please! (2017) - USA - Comedy - Not Rated (Adult Humor)

Independent Short Subject - MaxiMeise Productions - 4 Mins

Directed by Chad Meisenheimer

Cinematography by Niklas Berggren

Starring Shane Ryan, Chad Meisenheimer

In space no one can hear Shane Ryan cringe but thanks to Chad Meisenheimer we can all see and enjoy it.

Adam and Steve get together at a restaurant the morning following first meeting on a blind date. Apparently things went well on the date but Steve has a revelation that just may change the way Adam looks at blind dates again.

If the premise of two men meeting at a restaurant for a love interest strikes you as a meeting midway between My Dinner with Andre and Making Love...

...think again.

Though Chad Meisenheimer has been making headway as a horror director with his ongoing trilogy of retro horror shorts, including the 80s entry Nite Nite, making its way in festivals now, and his 90s in the works project Little Girl in White, his roots have been comedy, and of course if you've ever followed him on social media you would have no doubts about this. In the midst of establishing himself as a horror director he has hearkened back to his roots as writer and director of the comedy short Check Please!

Inline with his off-the-wall and unapologetic style of humor guaranteed to get your attention, if not your ire too, Chad takes aim at a setup involving a hookup between gay men. His partner in crime... err... I mean cinema is fellow filmmaker and friend Shane Ryan (Caged Lesbos A-Go-Go, Faces of Snuff) who is no stranger to pushing the envelope in film.

With Chad directing and Niklas Berggren on board as cinematographer they keep it dynamic by changing up the shots. This is important as it's all too easy with an under four minute short to keep a camera stationary when you only have two actors sitting at a table. Constantly changing the perspective to accentuate each actor's expressions adds to the pace and allows the viewer to focus on the dialogue more while the occasional framing shot of both actors keeps the viewer in check with the setting.

I have a feeling with Shane being friends with Chad he has become a master of the facepalm and annoyed look. He plays well a reactionary sounding board for Chad's humor. And speaking of Chad, probably something you don't want to find yourself doing too often, he is buoyant in delivering his lines and I suspect relishing the opportunity to torture Shane.

If this sounds a lot like friends having fun doing a comedy skit, well that's exactly what it is and they successfully translate that to film. The story is complete and Chad has certainly filled it with his WTF juice... wait, ewww! The end result at a basic level is a good and entertaining film that benefits extra from its directing and cinematography.

My Rating: 3 Fingers Plus

Movie Review: What Jack Built (2015)

What Jack Built (2015) - USA - Mystery Thriller - Not Rated (Family)

Independent Short Subject - 8mm Films - 11 Mins

Directed by Matthew Mahler

Written by Matthew Mahler and Ross Mahler

Starring Timothy J. Cox

Loud and proud in its score with a hint of pastiche to 80s future noir What Jack Built is an energetic ride with an obsessed driver at the wheel.

*Since the filmmakers don't have a movie poster for this film, I made one. Being the screencap I used belongs to the filmmakers and all I did was add the obvious text, as far as I'm concerned the poster image belongs to them to use as they wish.

Jack has an obsession, with something. He's a packrat with all sorts of goodies scattered about his workshop. Monitors here, keyboards and parts there ...electronics and paint cans and gizmos, oh my! It seems Jack has everything, yet one thing eludes him; and that one thing frightens him too. Jack has a plan to get that one thing, but he has to build something first.

Though this is the first review I am doing of a film starring Timothy J. Cox, I am no stranger to his work as an actor. If you are into indie film you will eventually come across the work of Timothy J. Cox, dubbed 'the hardest working actor in indie film'. I am no stranger to the work of Matthew Mahler either and frankly consider him one of the most artistic and promising directors today.

Cox and Mahler working together is certainly fitting as Mahler drives a narrative of sight and sound, devoid of dialogue. Cox is a wonderful actor and among his strengths is a talent with body language and expression. Mahler and Cox working together is a marriage made in filmmaking heaven

Matthew Mahler has scored this film himself with vibes that hint at 80s sci-fi movies, to me, but is its own original composition. Timothy J. Cox has fun with this role both with spot on moments, and moments of chewing the scenery; and that's talented when you can chew the scenery without uttering a word.

Mahler's composition of scenes is contained. By this I mean his scenes are full and rich, but he does not let that distract from his focus. With Cox's performance, this additionally keeps the focus as it would be hard to not keep your eyes on Cox. I do feel that the story is a bit ambiguous, for me, but some do like that ambiguity of filling in blanks for themselves, and certainly if that's you, you can have a lot of fun with this one.

The music in this is four times louder than it needs to be. Leaving my media player settings at normal and putting on my headphones results in what I call screaming critic syndrome. The volume is not bad if you're using speakers because you can be assured to have room filling sound. But this is a word of caution to those who also might use headphones.

My Rating: 4 Fingers

You can watch What Jack Built and other of Matthew Mahler's work on Vimeo

For more on Timothy J. Cox visit his Official Website

Movie Review: Faithful (2017)

Movie Review: Faithful (2017)

Faithful (2017) - USA - Drama - Not Rated (Family)

Independent Short Subject - (PRE)FORMA-SE Artistic Productions - 13 Mins

Directed by Niklas Berggren

Written by Aleksandra Milanova

Starring Clarissa Hoffmann, Ellis Miller, Cynthia Aileen Strahan, Eve Coquillard, Eddy Lee, Sarah Schulte

A well written story crafted into an impactful drama with tight direction and top notch performances.

Lauren has always been faithful to Ron. Not only as a loving wife whose heart is given only to him, but in sacrifices she makes for his, their, benefit. But is there such as thing as being too faithful?

Up front, Faithful is an amazing short film. Berggren's direction is tight, taking the viewer exactly where he wants them to be for the best vantage point. There is a scene in here that, when I saw the framing, I thought was Kubrick-esque. I was wrong on that as it reveals itself to be something else and you can really appreciate the beauty of his composition in this. His direction is deliberate, not wasting space and yet bringing full composition to scenes.

The actors really put out in this. Clarissa Hoffmann brings an edgy pensiveness to the character of Lauren. Ellis Miller is necessarily detached as Ron feeding Lauren's need to hold on. Cynthia Aileen Strahan brings a duality to Mary-Anne in having a glib bluntness but with sincerity and an open heart. And Eve Coquillard brings a powerful performance as Lauren's mother, hers and Clarissa Hoffman's mastery of expressiveness tendering the fulcrum of the story.

Faithful uses a destructured narrative of fragmentary collusion which crystallizes at its most potent moment. Story, direction and acting combine into a presentation that impacts the viewer like a ton of bricks.

My Rating: 5 Fingers! I give it a high five!


Faithful's Facebook Page

Niklas Berggren's Facebook Page

Movie Review: Nite Nite (2017)

Nite Nite (2017) - USA - Horror - Not Rated (Family)

Independent Short Subject - MaxiMeise Productions - 3 1/2 Mins

Written & Directed by Chad Meisenheimer

Starring Tommie Vegas, Brady Bond, Sarah Rhoades

A flashback to 80s horror movies, Nite Nite hits the spot in having an 80s feel and being spooky fun.

As his parents are out for the evening a young boy is being tucked in by his babysitter after a bedtime story. But things aren't so simple as that, being when his dad tucks him in he always checks for monsters. This night it will be up to the babysitter to make sure there are no monsters lurking.

At under 4 minutes Nite Nite defines the 'short' in short subject. When reviewing such short films, contrary to what one may assume, there is not a lot of difference in it and reviewing a feature film. The same basic questions need to be answered by the reviewer as to if it successfully tells its story and what it accomplishes in doing so. The only difficulty that is presented by a punchline skit such as Nite Nite, with regard to the way I review films, is in not giving away too much in my plot summary while still trying to introduce the plot of the skit.

Nite Nite does successfully tell its story. It additionally, being it is set in 1985, evokes the time period and the feel of the movies from that time period which inspired it. Chad Meisenheimer keeps it compelling with a dynamic camera, and keeps it spooky with tense composition.

Brady Bond (that's Bond, Brady Bond) plays the kid at the center of the story, is a natural and is as good as any actor his age, and being that Nite Nite hinges on his performance is exactly why this works so well. Tommie Lee Vegas (as Tommie Vegas) plays his exasperated babysitter perfectly being ever so subtly annoyed without being overt.

The only shortcoming of Nite Nite is it's obvious where this is going. But in the end that doesn't take away from it, and really it is fitting for its inspiration. It is spooky fun and the type of film you can watch over and over for that very reason, and perfect for the Halloween season.

My Rating: 4 Fingers

This is a post-production review of a film entering the festival stage. I'll update this when it is made available online.