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Ed Radmanich III’s
“Artie Saves the Hood” was one of the first short films I’ve ever
reviewed on the site and as such it was a new experience. It was a half
hour science fiction comedy that surely enough wasn’t bad. It had its
deal of flaws but overall it also had great potential to introduce a
wider universe that could break free from the confines of the low budget
world in which Radmanich III birthed it, and Radmanich III knew when to quit. Lo
and behold years later we’re told “Artie Saves the Hood” was just a
prequel to “Coldspot.” Radmanich III and Artie return for “Coldspot” the
actual film that follows “Artie Saves the Hood” which Radmanich III spent
two years making hoping to gear it in to big success. I think he just
may do it, too. “Coldspot” is the loose official branching from “Artie
Saves the Hood” and I can’t believe that this is the same director from
“Artie Saves the Hood.” Playing the screener I was stunned at how
quality the soundtrack and editing was, not to mention how much
Radmanich III has improved as a film director. It goes to show that two
years isn’t always a waste of time for some filmmakers. We meet Artie
once again, the bearded hero battling the alien inter-dimensional forces
and is out in the desert marooned and looking for a way to communicate
with his friends back on Earth.
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But back on
his home planet, many of Artie’s friends are either offing
themselves or being possessed by mysterious beings blasting
from their computer. Artie is a character that’s been
incredibly fleshed out from the swearing loser we saw in the
last film, and he’s become a basic unkempt science fiction
superhero that we can root for because of his down to Earth
personality and realistic reaction to otherworldly
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Radmanich III adds such
nuance to Artie and he’s definitely fleshed out his potential making him
seem as if Silent Bob suddenly became Flash Gordon. The destruction of
the core cast from “Artie Saves the Hood” was a wise decision as
unfortunately all the prior characters serve little to no purpose.
Radmanich III makes the decision to slim down the cast with only his brother
left as a form of hope to get him back and then introducing a young girl
named Sam who serves as an impromptu sidekick when the shit hits the
fan. Alida Humer is very good as Sam and acts as a very sympathetic mate
to Artie. The rebuilding of the cast with new heroes is a wise decision
with a lot of focus on characterization and a more mature grasp on plot
and entertainment. Taking a page from Sam Raimi, Radmanich III also gives
the audience a look at the original film midway, which allows for
newcomers to catch up with the few who saw “Artie Saves the Hood.” This
gives “Coldspot” to act as a reboot but a sequel in the process. At a
hefty 105 minutes, “Coldspot” has a lot of story to tell and it makes
good on the promise of excitement while expanding on the basic mythos
spread out with a simple loser becoming an intergalactic hero.
One thing I
hope Radmanich III does sooner or later is provide us with a back story
on the villains and on Artie. I’m still not sure as to what, where,
and why these things are who they are and why they want to stop
Artie, and why Artie is the chosen one. They have no names, no real
depth, and it’s never explained what kind of world Artie is in, if
he’s in a world at all. What happened to the mystical soap? Were
there more heroes like the female we saw in the original short film?
What did Artie experience on the other world? Is there a primary
source to this evil? What are their plans for Earth? Was Artie’s
mission complete, or does he still have a job to do? I don’t know
and I think there could have definitely been some moments spared to
allow for origins and emphasis on the menace plaguing the lives of
these people. I also never enjoyed the little deviation in the
climax with Jerry, Sam’s stalker. It just seemed too sudden and a
blatant attempt to pad an otherwise briskly paced story. This little
addition definitely could have been taken out to allow some time for
Artie’s mission and what he intended once on Earth. Artie keeps
offering character Sam an explanation to this whole ordeal, I kept
hoping he'd offer the audience one, too.
I definitely want
to see more adventures of Artie and his friends, whether through comic
book form, animation, or another sequel. “Coldspot” is a surprising
follow up to an average short film featuring great special effects,
stunning direction, and very improved performances, especially from star
Radmanich III. Long live Artie Guy.
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