getzel Reviews (2)

Zig Zag (2002)

An enjoyable first effort

[8/10 · 14 March 2002]

This is based on a book of the same name that is the first directorial effort of one of my personal favorites, David Goyer, the screenwriter of Dark City, Blade, and Blade II. The story of an autistic boy and those that are part of his life, it definitely isn't of the usual material he works with, but it still has his touch and was really enjoyable for a small drama. I hope he manages to get distribution for a wide release with this one, but there's no telling where that'll end up. We saw it as a premiere at SXSW 2002 in front of a general audience and it got a great response from the crowd for both the dramatic elements and the moments of humor. Also, again I noticed that Goyer was sitting across the aisle from us in the theater and looked like he really got a boost from the audience response. He deserved it. The acting was as good as his writing and John Leguizamo, Wesley Snipes, Sam Jones III, and Oliver Platt played their parts to perfection.

Master of the Game (2002)

Simply amazing dialogue

[7/10 · 12 March 2002]

I managed to catch what I believe to be the premiere of this film at SXSW 2002. It caught my interest because it was filmed completely in and around the new Austin Studios here in Texas using high definition video. I'm glad I heard of it. It is the story of an American Jewish soldier who, after being captured and sent on his way to a death camp, escapes with several other Jewish prisoners only to end up taking shelter in the cabin of four Nazi soldiers. But this is just the beginning. When they find themselves stranded in the cabin for an uncertain amount of time, the American soldier challenges the Nazis to a game of wits for which they are not prepared. By the end of the game, his goal is to have them believe that HE is their superior. Well written and filled with excellent acting, it kept me quite interested. However, while I can say that the situation the characters were in did not completely hold the suspension of disbelief, I can also say that these were some of the best argumental dialogues I've heard in quite some time. On top of that, its an excellent example of how good high definition video can look and how we should all be paying more attention to indie cinema or anything that isn't another big budget, underwritten, remake of some sort from Hollywood.