One thing about comedy is that there are so many different dimensions of the art form to explore, and it takes a lot of time and patience to discover what’s right and what doesn’t work. “Harvey Daggit” is a new approach from directors Larry and Aaron Longstreth, more of a dark and demented comedy. About olives. You have to give to the Longstreth’s for taking such a ridiculous concept and adding a sense of menace, and utter confusion to it. It’s not often you see a crime mystery that revolves around gardening. Well, there’s “The Godfather,” but you get the picture.
Tag Archives: Indie Film
Primer (2004)
When you can create a film under $7,000 dollars and end up with a pretty esoteric and elaborate science fiction film, that’s quite an achievement. “Primer” was a very low budget film that managed to achieve considerable critical acclaim, as well as respectable grosses, and it’s a film many have deemed difficult to watch. Which is a complaint that’s with merit. “Primer” is an often confusing film about a group of men attempting to build a machine. But what makes it such an entertaining and rather engrossing bit of independent cinema, is the dialogue. And Shane Carruth’s dialogue will suck you in because the characters are so natural.
Security (2006)
Hey Hollywood, it’s me Felix. You don’t know me, and possibly don’t care, but have you ever bothered to look up the word comedy in the dictionary? While you’re out there making “Epic Movie,” and “Dance Movie,” and anything else that involves fart jokes, there are people out there making honestly good comedies with a budget of a little over a hundred bucks. And you know what? They’re funnier than anything you can shit out in your room of Yes men, and monkeys on typewriters. Take for example, the nut jobs at Bullcrank. I’m a fan. Yes, I admit it, and yes, they’re kind folk, but I laughed more in “Zombies in My Neighborhood,” and “Batman’s Gonna Get Shot…” than in any piece of crap you have ever come up with.
Balance (2007)
Chris Sparling’s “Balance” reminded me a lot of one of my favorite revenge films “In the Bedroom.” That’s a film many have written off as a blatant grab for Oscar attention, but I consider it one of the best revenge films ever made. Possibly one of the most original as well. “Balance” is in the same vein of the aforementioned title, yet it’s also almost as good as “In the Bedroom,” too. Sparling’s truly good short film explores the sheer wrath of loving parents on anyone that inflicts pain on their children.
June 9 (2006)
Ah, “The Blair Witch Project.” Now a canon for budget horror filmmaking, whether we like it or not. Some people love the film, some people utterly despise it. I love it, personally, but I’m always very weary at budget films that copy the formula. This concept is very difficult to mimic. Sometimes it comes off well, and sometimes we have nothing but a bunch of dipsticks running around with a camera screaming like morons, sans the tension and suspense. I can count the number of films that achieved this formula on one hand, and surprisingly, “June 9” did it right most of the time.
Crimson (2007)
Ah, good deeds. Don’t believe the hype folks. Sure it’s good for your karma, but it will inevitably come back to kick your ass every now and then. Have you ever heard the term “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished”? That’s the basic premise behind the short feature film from Richard Poche who builds his entire story around this chestnut that couldn’t prove any truer. “Crimson” is the story of women performing a good deed, and inevitably getting much more than they bargained for, and I have to tell you that I was admittedly excited upon viewing what Poche had to offer. And surely enough, Poche has an appealing visual style that makes “Crimson” a constantly vibrant production.
The Roost (2004)
What are bats? Flying rats who shit on you while flying off. What is “The Roost”? A flying piece of shit. Same difference, don’t you think? Actually, when I finished “The Roost,” I think watching seventy minutes of stock footage with bats would have been much more thrilling than Ti West’s horror indie. I can just imagine the brain storming for this junk with West trying to sell it:
Producer: So, what’s it about?
West: Four people on the road…
Producer: Oh god.
West: Discover an abandoned farm house.
Producer: Oh geez.
West: Will you let me finish?
Producer: Fine.
West: They discover an abandoned farm house, and are attacked by ravenous bats!
Producer: Okay…?
West: And they flutter, and tear your face apart! Gah!
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