jimhill69

IMDb member since October 2009
    Lifetime Total
    25+
    Lifetime Filmo
    1+
    Lifetime Image
    25+
    IMDb Member
    14 years

Reviews

Scarce
(2008)

A Record Breaker -- Bad!
I can honestly say this is by far the worst movie I have ever seen and I have seen probably 10 times more films than others my age as a film professional.

It had no chance from the beginning, as it's script was consistent with the overall badness; not clever, no shape, no depth... It wasn't scary. It was just gross. Even the fake blood was done badly. The camera work and print quality was as bad as it gets too. It seemed that every instinct one would naturally have in order to make a good film, this filmmaker chose the opposite position, perhaps thinking it would make his work "original". In a world where it is difficult to be originally "good", he has achieved unmatched originality at being "bad".

Steve Warren, the star, is as creepy as he needs to be, but he has no room to make this thing stink less. The two young men co-stars were competing to see how far to one extreme to the other they could go with their emotional tones, from flat to overly animated, as if a lesson in what NOT to do.

One would think if it was so bad, one would at least be entertained by it in some bizarre way, but no, it was unbearable, impossible to watch, and sadly, I always watch a movie from beginning to end. In this case, I may need years of therapy to recover.

I can say there is one thing this film could do well; it can reduce your appetite. So, dieters, go for it, daily and get skinny.

Understanding the Blues
(2008)

14 minutes; Several "Laugh-out-Louds"
Overall, this was an entertaining film that catches your attention quickly; essential for a short. What made it was the characters, two forlorn college boys at a bar, two hot chicks, two screaming Euro Queens (brother who acted more like lovers than siblings) and a little kid who would say anything; surprising since he looks like an angel. He (Max Bach) has a future if he wants it.

Great attention to production quality; modern ProHD, you gotta love it! As with a good scene, or a good short, it allows for the audience to create a backstory then provides a good first act... makes you want more!

Paper Boys
(2009)

Very Watchable and Engrossing Atmosphere!
OK, it's not "Bridge over the River Kwai", but it is also not an epic. This is just what I look for in independent film, simple, clean, but rich.

It is about door-to-door salesmen in Atlanta. They are delightfully evil, but no harm done; they were a perfect example of what kids need when they don't have a "functional family". This film maintained excellent production quality and the editing was fantastic! The soundtrack was a great combination of smart hip-hop and a rich, first rate, custom score.

For a film made for less than $200,000 this is as good as it gets, unless you are looking for yet another horror movie.

The shooting style was somewhere between cinema verite (hand-held and a lot of POV) and "The Outsiders" mixed with a little 50's "Leave it to Beaver". The contrast between modern and traditional looks definitely hit the symbolism on target of the simple vs the complex.

Indian Hill
(2009)

Bad, Barely Edited, Home Movie
I rarely review anything, but I watch anything someone asks me to watch. In all fairness, to see this film listed on IMDb is a testament to the ease with which one can list a film.

The film, (actually a home video), includes unspectacular, unedited footage of landscape from a moving car, hand-held, a bunch of totally ordinary kids riding bikes up and down the streets. That's it. Honestly, I wouldn't have watched the entire film if it had not been my job.

I love shorts but I have no patience for someone doing something poorly even within its own context. There was little to no effort to shoot, edit or perform this piece well.

It would be impossible to write a spoiler, as there was no story or character development. Little more than practice on a newly bought, cheap, video cam. It does one thing well; demonstrates the lack of talent or diligence of the aspiring filmmakers.

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