Wake Before I Die (2011) User Reviews (15)

Child actor

[lauren-58-232051 · 6/10 · 19 May 2011]

I thought one of the best parts of this film was the young actor who played the pastor's son. Finding a watchable, and BELIEVABLE, child actor who can carry so much screen time is a challenge in itself, let alone in a smaller city like Portland where the infrastructure is not yet in place to churn out the hordes of well-trained young stars-aspirant that directors have access to in LA, for instance. So kudos to Elijah Nelson for his performance, and to the filmmakers for casting him.

Not a filmmaker myself, I refuse to really speak to the film's more technical aspects...besides saying that MAKING A GOOD MOVIE IS HARD, why don't YOU try it and then come back and spout opinions! I am proud of our local boys for using the Opif to create something fitting for mainstream cinema, with professional production values all around. I think many of the deficiencies mentioned by our aspiring film critics (like spotty writing, over-scoring, etc.) are typical pitfalls of a film that is written, directed, edited, and produced all by the same team of people. To quote a favorite acting teacher of mine, they "fall in love with their own material," and have a hard time taking the axe to their product to really whittle it into something marketable, concise, and of quality. As the local industry grows, however, I am sure filmmakers will be able to avoid this trap more and more often. Oregon has such a talented and qualified pool of film workers that second and third opinions can't help but start to mean something.

Slow and Disappointing

[bam0625 · 4/10 · 3 June 2011]

I went to Wake Before I Die with very high hopes. There are very few Portland films that acquire a budget, so I was curious to see how this feature turned out. Sadly the whole experience was a major let down. For a film with a budget, it looks very cheap. No attention to lighting, simple camera set ups, mediocre editing. Luckily there were several solid performances turned in by Prosser, McKeehen and a few others. My main problem with Wake was how dull it was. Portland seems to have an obsession with slow dramatic pieces. Dramas can be dramatic and still entertaining. This was not. Entertainment value seems to be something lost on the film world of Portland. Pieces like the clever Forge, the entertaining One Foot in the Gutter or the impressive feat James vs Reality sit on the sidelines while budgets are handed out to films like this one which have no mass appeal beyond the local film crowd.

How was this movie ever made?

[Galactus12 · 1/10 · 11 August 2011]

As an outsider of Portland's film community, I feel my voice carries some merit in reviewing this film. I should also mention I review films for a living…but to be honest, to review this film would be a big waste of time. I will say the film itself is a big pile of crap. The music was about the worst of it, blaring at deafening volumes to cover moments of absent story. As an avid film watcher (part of my job), I watch a lot of movies: low budget, to even B movies. But faith-based movies go into their own category and cannot be measured by the standard of regular films -- they are in fact, baby-food for the film illiterate. Faith based movies are among some of the worst movies I've ever seen (stand back Tommy Wiseau), often catering to a lesser educated, superstitious audience who find entertainment in the most juvenile of movie plots. Again, I won't bore you with the irritating details but after I saw these other reviews, I felt it was my integrity to say the truth; these other reviewers are clearly family members or friends of the cast, because no normal film-goer would ever give this movie 10 stars…I mean Shawshank doesn't even have that many 10 star reviews. C'mon people, this movie was a joke…a bad one.

A surprising let down.

[jonhatestheinternet · 2/10 · 18 May 2011]

When I saw this film at the premiere (Bagdad theater Portland OR) I didn't know much about what I was going to see however I must admit I had certain expectations. This is because "Wake Before I Die" was the fourth independent feature premiere I attended at the same theater within the last six months so naturally, being an enthusiast of local, low budget film I was comparing them. I do not know anyone affiliated with the production of the film however I was aware of the budget and that it was over twenty times that of the previous three films I had seen there. I can honestly say without exaggerating that it was one of the biggest let downs I have ever encountered in a movie theater. If they had charged me money, I would have asked for it back, it would have been the first time. The most positive thing I can truthfully say about the film is among the muck there were a few stand out performances by some of the leads especially the children. It's too bad that these performances do not even come close to out weighing the boredom, the incoherency, the lack of editing, the first semester film school lighting, the grating music, the uninspired photography.. to name just a few problems I had with the film. I've seen better films produced on a budget of unemployment and food stamps. Seriously. My girlfriend and I did our best to pay attention throughout the excruciating run time and discussed what we thought it was about and neither of us could articulate a plot line we agreed on. We decided that we both agreed that no matter what it was, we didn't care. Portland currently has a vibrant, close knit, budding film community that just needs a few good staples to really catch the eye of the rest of the world. This film is not one of them, and I think honesty in the reviews is very important so there can be an accurate spectrum to judge other creative works within the city's film scene. (note that the ten star review above this one was made months before it's release).

Rosemary's Baby for Christians

[estacey-1 · 7/10 · 18 May 2011]

With "Wake Before I Die,"The Brothers Freeman have crafted a great faith-based suspense drama, not straight out of Hollywood, but straight from the heart of Oregon. The film, based on their father's book, is the sometimes rambling story of a small town preacher and his family - filled with great expectations - as they move into a new parish. Early on, Pastor Dan (Robert McKeehen) is warned that the town is strange and he may not make it out alive. The question is - Why? With all the expectations that preface sets up, we begin a journey with Pastor Dan, his wife (Aubrey Walker) and their two children as they get acquainted with the town, where everything appears as normal and All-American as apple pie (at least on the surface). But when one of Dan's parishioners asks the Pastor to take in his teen age daughter (Nouel Riel), things take a definite turn toward the weird (after all, Portland is famous for its streak of weird). But as one who has admired the work of the Brothers Kendrick ("Fireproof" and "Face the Giants") I can say without any hesitation, this Freeman Brothers film stands tall in the faith based arena. Their direction is organic. Performances from the large cast of Oregon actors are polished and believable. And the cinematography (also by the Brothers Freeman) serves the story faithfully. What does the film have to do with Rosemary's Baby? You'll have to see it to find out. But rest assured, this is one suspense drama you'll be able to take the whole family to see. Rated G for God Darn Good Fun.

Sorry to Say... I Wasted Two Hours of My Life

[feelsgoodalot · 1/10 · 18 May 2011]

I just saw the premiere for this film on May 15, 2011. I heard rumor (and I pray it could have been just that) this actually soft premiered about 6 months earlier, so I was excited to be able to see something which had the opportunity to be approved upon from an earlier audience reaction. Obviously, there was excitement in the air as most of the cast and crew were present and anyone who actually completes an independent feature should be applauded for their work. Now, it is dangerous to think you'll get an honest reaction from these types of "premiere" showings as they are ultimately biased. However, when there is more shouts of joy and applause in seeing the opening credits than the markedly quiet response upon the film's completion, you know you have a stinker on your hands. But, first the positive: some of the performances were decent for what the actors' had to work with, which made be feel bad for them throughout the movie. When the acting was bad (and there are definitely plenty of those moments), it was mostly due to the storyline or motivations just not making any sense, which I fault mainly the director and/or screenwriter. This was apparently based on a novel that the Brothers Freeman's father wrote, but in this case, I certainly hope the book was better than the movie. As for the production, where does one begin to rip it apart? From the get-go, the musical score (as is the film) does not make any sense. It continually attempts to create tension where it doesn't exist on the screen. It is monotonous and cheesy. It almost lulled me asleep, and I wished it had. But I kept expecting the movie would get better, so I continued to force myself to watch. The lighting was horribly flat and boring for a thriller. Jib shots were great to have in there, but it was always the same type of up-down shot just about any monkey could pull off. The party scenes reminded me of amateur b-movies from the 80's - wow, they were bad. I liked the performance by Mike Prosser but it was almost laughable when he was killed in the middle of the film (I don't think that was the director's intention and I was a little sad in knowing that one of the few good performances got killed off - now what?). But, really it seemed like this was filmed without a script, because it was a mess. I could go on more about the production, but I've already wasted enough of my time watching it and writing this, so I think I'll just stop there. What I want to end with is this: I know this movie received matching funds from an Oregon grant (the first to do so) and it makes me sick to my stomach that this is what was churned from it. There is some great filmmaking done in Oregon and I pray that this does not tarnish a committee's or taxpayer's desire to help others out. On behalf of the fine Oregon filmmaking community, please offer them a second chance to do better next time. I can't imagine it will be difficult to do so.

A well paced if not slowly plodded thriller.

[SeanMyers77 · 8/10 · 25 July 2011]

To say this movie is not for everyone would be an understatement. As stated in other reviews it definitely takes its time telling the story and that in and of itself explains my point. Some people like quickly paced fast cutting movies that are quirky and off the wall. I do as well... But this is not one of those movies. This movie is an old school throwback to times when a shot could hold on a screen for more than 5 seconds and indulge in the awesome faces of the incredible cast and I really dug it. I think the filmmakers did a great job telling a faith based story... That doesn't pander to "Christians" or "non- Christians" but instead focuses on an universally terrifying story with great characters that just happen to be Christians. Can't wait to see where these guys go from here!

Our (Devil) Town

[ukuleleist · 7/10 · 23 May 2011]

My history of movies was started in Cambridge,Ma in the 1970's. I lived around the corner from the Orson Welles theater.So I have seen 4 decades worth of movies. I am impressed by the quality of the camera work,the musical score and the local place's that were used for the movie.The Chiurch Dinner and houses really help define the characters lives. Overall the actors were good.Danny Bruno was my Peter Lorre in this movie a real weasel!. Supporting actors Adrienne Vogel,Elijah Nelson and Betty Moyer really caught my eyes.The plot and screenplay did not fit the "Law and Order Plot outline there was no heroic police office,just a small Parish Minister dumb founded by the evil he finds and the danger his family face.

A waste of time and money

[petersf21 · 1/10 · 23 July 2011]

We saw this at the Bagdad Theater along with the cast and crew and friends of the directors. Obviously all the huge high marks are coming from family members and die hard participants. If this had been their first movie I might be more generous in my opinion, but the awful truth is they've made a lot of movies and don't seem to get one bit better doing it. Maybe it's time for them to bring in some professionals or enroll in a good film school. Where they get the money for all this stupidity is their business, but in reality it's really no different than a lot of the awful big budget movies coming from Hollywood that get made just because they can and have the money to do it. The same effect here, just on a smaller scale and in Portland, which has a pretty smart film audience worth listening to.

Intelligent, thoughtful Movie with Noir overtones

[bellapetite · 8/10 · 19 May 2011]

A fascinating expose of morés in a small town - where religious convictions and the congregation members are never what they seem. Superb acting by an Oregon based ensemble and quality production values by a local Portland crew give this production a veneer that the producers - and financiers - should be proud of. Congratulations for a thoroughly entertaining evening. Special regard should be made for the lead performance of the Pastor (Robert McKeehen) and his sympathetic, level headed wife (Audrey Walker) while Michael Prosser gives that delicious creepiness to Ethan Evans, initially thought to be the bad guy, yet really the fall guy. Robert Blanche provides that understated, demonic twist. Newcomer Nouel Riel (soon to be seen in a great little flick "Did You Kiss Anyone") is excellent as the confused teenager, and focus of the cult. While naming names, Writer/Director/Cinematographer Brother class-act Jason and Todd Freeman meld a terrific cast and fine performances.

Good vs. Evil. Suspense & Irony

[mooncountry · 7/10 · 18 May 2011]

I really enjoyed the movie which contained some mystery about who was good and who was evil. There were a religious and cult elements that made the movie both interesting and creepy. In the end you are left with the sense that while there are some good church people out there...there are way more evil ones. There is definitely an undertone that there are just people out there that don't have a clue about what is actually good and what isn't and they are easily swayed by those who believe strongly one way or another. The idea that there are people willing to kill for what they believe - not defending what they believe but that advancing their agenda gives them license to kill - holds true in today's world which makes the movie relevant in that sense. The characters in the movie who are faced with that element struggle to find the line where they should stand. Mostly though, the movie is just about really creepy bad guys trying to take over a small town and the good guys trying not to die and give up.

Needs professional editing

[ramseyjamie25 · 2/10 · 21 July 2011]

I guess the bottom line always is "would you pay money to see this", and that's why I'm scoring this movie so incredibly low, because I sure wouldn't. I saw it at a private screening at the Bagdad Theater in Portland, and if I didn't know some of the people there, I would've left way before it was over. It's just way too long guys and maybe you should hire a professional editor and cut at least 45 minutes out of it or include an intermission. It just goes on and on without any real point to it and I'm sorry to say the acting isn't all that great either that people would want to watch them that long on the screen. There have to be better film directors than this in Portland or we're all doomed. Sorry, but that's my two cents.

A real thriller

[mellykay · 10/10 · 4 June 2011]

My husband and I really loved this movie. When the credits started, we knew that it was going to really be suspenseful. It made us care for the characters, and when they were placed in great danger by some very bad people, it kept us on the edge of our seats. Every scene reminded us of the constant battle between light and darkness. The cast was amazing. The preacher and his family were very believable, and the cult members were cold and very threatening. This is demonstrated when one of them is being ordained. As he kneels before the congregation, he coolly looks into the innocent face of the boy whose father he has just killed and silently chides him for not having his eyes closed during the prayer. That single scene showed clearly what kind of people we were dealing with. We have told our friends about it, and hope that we can bring them with us to see it the next time. Maybe a sequel would be great too.

Old fashioned in a new way

[screener101 · 10/10 · 4 June 2011]

I can remember a time when movies really took the trouble to build a relationship between the characters and the audience. This movie certainly does that. It carefully allows us to know and care for the Pastor and his family. Then, when they are placed into great danger, we have an emotional investment that adds to the thrill factor. Every performance is right on. The family seems real and the cult members are cold and dangerous. It's like being drawn into a world filled with light and shadow, each element fighting to rule the screen. I love film noir, and this movie reminds me of why I do. The tone and structure of the film are carefully drawn, and the result is a movie to enjoy and remember long after it's over. Kudos to everyone in front of and behind the camera. A great time at the movies.

An old fashioned thriller

[[e-mail] · 10/10 · 10 September 2010]

Modern and yet reminiscent of a Val Lewton thriller, this depiction of the age old battle between light and shadow, good and evil, hits the bull's eye through crisp narrative and cinematic style. Every performances is "spot on" perfect from the true to life depiction of family life in a church parsonage to the brooding underbelly of a cult gone mad. It takes its time, introducing the characters, endearing them to the audience before they are thrown into the midst of potential harm. The effect is spellbinding, drawing the viewers into a dreamlike world where almost anything can happen and sometimes does. Dig deep into the popcorn, take an extra long drag from the soda cup, and get ready for an entertaining experience amongst dancing cinematic shadows with this one! IT SHOULD BE NOTED that I originally wrote this review following the Cast & Crew showing last year. I must admit, since I've seen the completed film, I find it to be even more pleasing. Of course I am the Father of the filmmakers. But, I'm a Dad who has a rich history in all things cinema, and after 65 years I certainly know a good movie when I see it. No matter who made it.