Interesting Indie Films I Watched
"Electricity"
starring: Paul Anderson, Lenora Crichlow, Christian Cooke, Agyness Deyn, Alice Lowe, Ben Batt
directed by: Bryn Higgins
written by: Joe Fisher
"Electricity" starts off as an interestingly and very artful film that looks a little deeper into what it is like for a person to live their life while struggling and suffering with epilepsy, with very arty interpretations of an epileptic fit. But then, director Bryn Higgins really focuses on the story instead and the epilepsy sort of takes a backseat.
The film follows Lily (Agyness Deyn, a model-turned-actress), a young Lancashire woman who has to deal with her mom's death, the impending sale of her mom's estate and the inheritance she earns from it, as well as track down her long-lost brother in order to split the money with him. She travels to London and treks through rabbit holes of the seedy underground in order to track down her brother, Mikey. All of this, while Lily struggles through several episodes of seizures due to her epilepsy.
Agyness Deyn really does a great job balancing her toughness with her vulnerability. We are drawn into her world and feel sympathy for her, not just because of her epilepsy (which is shown through interesting light-show graphics meant to represent what Lily's brain is going through during the seizures), but also because of the struggle her life has seemingly become.
When we first meet Lily, she’s a young, pretty, funky girl who gets asked out on a date. We share her excitement as she dresses, and share her growing happiness and hope, as done up in a sparkly sequined mini dress, she steps out along the sea front to meet her beau. However, as she progresses, we see first-hand though her eyes and hear her own words tell us exactly what happens as she falls headlong into a full blown epileptic fit. Straightaway, we identify with her angst and anger, as she knows yet another stab at a normal life, with the chance of a boyfriend is about to be severed by her illness. From this point, we free fall with her into an, amazing, terrifying world of hallucinations and eventual black out, then, the disorientating surfacing, back into the normal world, greeted by ambulance medics and taken home, all hopes dashed.
Lily is a strong female character. She is not only a survivor, but a thriver. She is not weakened by her illness, but instead it seems to strengthen her.
Although this film could have focused more on Lily's epilepsy, I think it also knew that it had to be about something more which is why the familial conflict was added in. It's definitely worth checking out.
.........................................................................
"The Houses October Built"
starring: Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe, Mikey Roe, Jeff Larson
directed by: Bobby Roe
written by: Zack Andrews
Here's a horror film in the "found footage" genre that has really become more like beating a dead horse that actually surprised me with how decent it was, perhaps because it still managed to have a bit of originality to it. Sure, it has its holes in logic, but it seems to understand its simple premise of filming footage in order to be found later.
Five thrill seekers in their 30s from Texas (played by Brandy Schaefer, Mikey Roe, Jeff Larson, co-writer Zack Andrews and director and co-writer Bobby Roe) embark on a road trip touring haunted houses in the days leading to Halloween. They seem a bit long in the tooth for such a trivial pursuit, and it seems oddly out of place for a woman to be part of this fraternity. But no matter.
To add more to the film and the story, there's an intercutting of faux news footage that warns that many of these "haunted houses" actually tend to employ former criminals in a sort of buyer-beware warning. There's also surveillance video footage, faux commercials for haunted houses, and photographs.
Since it all takes place in Texas, it sort of explains a lot about how the term "red neck" and "backwoods folks" got their understandings. The tone is very familiar to films and families like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" as well as the "Saw" franchise.
This is a found footage film worth checking out.
.........................................................................
"Queen of Carthage"
starring: Shiloh Fernandez, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Astra McLaren, Josh McKenzie, Colin Michael Day, Toby Lawry, Graham Candy, Amanda Tito
directed by: Mardana M. Mayginnes
written by: Mardana M. Mayginnes and Shiloh Fernandez
Shiloh Fernandez attempts to make an artsy, indie film for which he produced, wrote, and stars in. At least he knew enough to get someone else to direct him, you know, so that someone else could be blamed for the wreck the film becomes, even though it's trying to tell an interesting story (but really it's what is not being told on-screen, which any intelligent film viewer will figure out pretty quickly, that the underlying and more fascinating story to dissect is found in the voice on the other end of the phone during the conversations throughout the film).
Shiloh Fernandez plays a young American drifter fleeing a traumatic relationship with his sister and so we find him in New Zealand, where he quickly befriends a local musician whom he falls in love with, but whom already has a girlfriend.
There are pieces and hints of Greek tragedy, as well as Shakespearean decent in the vein of "Othello" as well as "Talented Mr. Ripley" within the whole story, which makes it way more convoluted than it needs to be and you get lost in all that's happening.
It's not gripping enough with tension in order to grab and hold your attention. And, Shiloh Fernandez's character is very unsympathetic.
Unfortunately, a bit of a fail for me here.
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"Forever"
starring: Deboarah Ann Woll, Luke Grimes, John Diehl, Rhys Coiro, Jill Larson, Ioan Gruffuld, Seth Gabel, Shanola Hmapton, Gill Dennis, Jake McLaughlin, Tom Everett Scott, Diane Salinger
directed by: Tatia Pilieva
written by: Tatia Pilieva and Gill Dennis
The central character is Alice (Deborah Ann Woll, True Blood), a young investigative reporter whose life is shattered by the sudden suicide of her live-in boyfriend (Jake McLaughlin). At the suggestion of her concerned editor (Tom Everett Scott), she decides to head to the rural retreat known as "The Clinic," which also happens to have been the subject of a story she had previously been working on. Despite the ominous warning of a stranger she meets along the way that "You don't want to be here," she arrives at the farm commune and, in order to remain incognito, pretends to be suffering from amnesia. The enigmatic leader (John Diehl) introduces her to the residents, an emotionally troubled lot that includes the hunky Charlie (Luke Grimes), with whom she soon begins a romance.
The film's pacing is very slow and the tension is quiet and builds slowly until the film's climax, which you can totally see coming, since it takes place on some kind of weird commune (nothing against them, of course). Deborah Ann Woll is trying to prove that she can be a leading lady with this role in an albeit rarely seen indie film, especially since her secondary characters on "Daredevil" and "True Blood" are so good.
Unfortunately, this film lacks the substance and tension until the very end to really grab the viewer and force you to watch, especially since it's rather predictable.
............................................................................
"The Young Kieslowski"
starring: Ryan Malgarini, Haley Lu Richardson, Joshua Malina, Melora Walters, James Le Gros, Osric Chau, Jessica Lu, John Redlinger, Sam Aotaki, Mark Erman
directed and written by: Kerem Sanga
Here's an indie comedy in the same vein as the fresh and original "Juno" but instead, with this film we get the male perspective of unwanted-at-first teen pregnancy. There's some good, nimble dialogue throughout, but perhaps because it's through the male perspective, there it is lacking more self-regard then its counterpart.
Brian Kieslowski (Ryan Malgarini), CalTech physics major and reluctant virgin, isn’t doing himself any favors by fronting an anti-social attitude to cover up his insecurity with the opposite sex, so it might seem fortunate when he meets Leslie Mallard (Haley Lu Richardson), a self-professed Christian and Bible student, at a campus house party. She’s already completely drunk, eager to share secrets (she’s a virgin too) and totally down to make out. And more – as the two get intimate back at her apartment later and scratch that virginity item off their bucket lists, despite Leslie’s assertion that she’s saving herself for marriage.
Then Kieslowski loses Leslie’s phone number, can’t retrace his drunken steps to her apartment and is left hoping that the two will randomly cross paths again so he can suggest a repeat of their one-nighter. Not coincidentally, Leslie is trying to track Kieslowski down with some urgent news: she’s pregnant – with twins. When she finally does locate him, her baby daddy voices support for her whatever decision she makes regarding her pregnancy, although her military novelist father Walter (James Le Gros) is already advocating an abortion.
The film is not a stance on pro-life or pro-choice, because it is very clear from the moment Leslie finds out she's pregnant that she has every intention of keeping the babies, even though it will clearly be way too much for her to handle. It is more about whether or not Brian will "man up" and take on the responsibility and stop lying to himself and to Leslie.
I'm not much of a fan of voiceovers to drive the storytelling, and the director employs this technique to explain Brian's thoughts on his journey to impending fatherhood and adulthood. The heart of the film is found more in the awkward interactions between Leslie and Brian which produces interesting and amusing dialogue. It helps that Haley Lu Richardson and and Ryan Malgarini have believable chemistry.
This is a decent indie film worth checking out. I don't think it will disappoint, as long as you don't expect the same amount of self-introspection that "Juno" gave us, because let's face it, guys are shallower in their thoughts, even when impending parenthood is on the horizon.
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"Glitch"
starring: Lucas Neff, Maiara Walsh, Blake Silver, Levi Fiehler, Lamorne Morris, Emily Wickersham
directed by: Daniel Doherty II
written by: Matthew Giegerich and Chelsea Mize
It's hard to root for a main character that is so obviously trying to ruin a relationship, no matter how innocent he presents himself and his actions.
Lucas Neff plays Will, a seemingly naive app game developer getting screwed by a larger company that ripped him and his business partner off by essentially stealing his game's central idea and cashing in big time on it. They decide to sue the large corporation.
So, it's interesting if you look at the story within the story's as Will becomes the large corporation he so despises, in a way. He is the contrast when he falls for the very cute barista with dark hair and light blue eyes named Sophie (played with oozing cuteness by Maiara Walsh, whom I also instantly fell in love with). Will's intentions of pursuing her for romantic purposes get stalled when he discovers she has a long-term boyfriend, who also happens to be the lawyer they've hired to fight against the large corporation for them.
Will and Sophie see each other and hang out on an almost daily basis and you can tell exactly where the story is going as it is very predictable. It has its moments, but it's nothing good enough to make you want to keep watching.
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"Final Girl"
starring: Abigail Breslin, Wes Bentley, Logan Huffman, Cameron Bright, Alexander Ludwig, Reece Thompson, Francesca Eastwood,
directed by: Tyler Shields
written by: Adam Rince
"Final Girl" takes place somewhere between the fantasy worlds of "Donnie Darko" and "Sucker Punch" with the redemption of "I Spit on Your Grave" presenting itself as a sort of surreal, dream-like and steam-punk-ish film about retribution for that "final girl" in most horror films where a guy or guys attack and brutally torture her. Now, that "final girl" has her revenge, and when she comes in the form of an all-grown-up Abigail Breslin (you know, the cute girl from "Little Miss Sunshine"), perhaps all bets are off, but when she's trained by a less-than-believable and always monotone Wes Bentley, the film nearly loses its traction.
It, of course, has a strong feminist vibe to it, with a humanizing backstory to the seemingly "orphaned" girl who is adopted by this older guy when she's younger and he trains her and tells her pretty speeches about why he is training her to vindicate all the evil men and their evil deeds against women/girls. She's sort of like a kick-ass Batman/Buffy character.
In the opening, William (Wes Bentley), a requisite shady ringleader of something or other, recruits a girl who's just lost her parents, who passes his first test when she blithely dismisses their deaths with rationalization along the lines of “shit happens.” It's one of the more amusing scenes in the film, a quiet touch that indicates the filmmakers' awareness of the contrived insensitivities, and even the hypocrisies, of their elaborate oppressed-avenger narrative. Flash-forward 12 years and that girl has grown up to be Veronica (Abigail Breslin). William has trained Veronica to be a super killer and her final test is to wipe out a group of late-teen boys who hunt blonde pinups for sport in the woods after presumably seducing them at sock hops.
There's a lot of dialogue between Veronica and the group of boys, mainly the ringleader, Danny (played by Logan Huffman) that just stalls the film and there's no real action of the hunted becoming the hunter until the third act. It's very reminiscent of David Lynch films, but instead of paying homage, the filmmakers seem to be ripping him off. A lot of questions about morality and "what's the point?" go unanswered, leaving you to feel like it's just a waste of time.
starring: Paul Anderson, Lenora Crichlow, Christian Cooke, Agyness Deyn, Alice Lowe, Ben Batt
directed by: Bryn Higgins
written by: Joe Fisher
"Electricity" starts off as an interestingly and very artful film that looks a little deeper into what it is like for a person to live their life while struggling and suffering with epilepsy, with very arty interpretations of an epileptic fit. But then, director Bryn Higgins really focuses on the story instead and the epilepsy sort of takes a backseat.
The film follows Lily (Agyness Deyn, a model-turned-actress), a young Lancashire woman who has to deal with her mom's death, the impending sale of her mom's estate and the inheritance she earns from it, as well as track down her long-lost brother in order to split the money with him. She travels to London and treks through rabbit holes of the seedy underground in order to track down her brother, Mikey. All of this, while Lily struggles through several episodes of seizures due to her epilepsy.
Agyness Deyn really does a great job balancing her toughness with her vulnerability. We are drawn into her world and feel sympathy for her, not just because of her epilepsy (which is shown through interesting light-show graphics meant to represent what Lily's brain is going through during the seizures), but also because of the struggle her life has seemingly become.
When we first meet Lily, she’s a young, pretty, funky girl who gets asked out on a date. We share her excitement as she dresses, and share her growing happiness and hope, as done up in a sparkly sequined mini dress, she steps out along the sea front to meet her beau. However, as she progresses, we see first-hand though her eyes and hear her own words tell us exactly what happens as she falls headlong into a full blown epileptic fit. Straightaway, we identify with her angst and anger, as she knows yet another stab at a normal life, with the chance of a boyfriend is about to be severed by her illness. From this point, we free fall with her into an, amazing, terrifying world of hallucinations and eventual black out, then, the disorientating surfacing, back into the normal world, greeted by ambulance medics and taken home, all hopes dashed.
Lily is a strong female character. She is not only a survivor, but a thriver. She is not weakened by her illness, but instead it seems to strengthen her.
Although this film could have focused more on Lily's epilepsy, I think it also knew that it had to be about something more which is why the familial conflict was added in. It's definitely worth checking out.
.........................................................................
"The Houses October Built"
starring: Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe, Mikey Roe, Jeff Larson
directed by: Bobby Roe
written by: Zack Andrews
Here's a horror film in the "found footage" genre that has really become more like beating a dead horse that actually surprised me with how decent it was, perhaps because it still managed to have a bit of originality to it. Sure, it has its holes in logic, but it seems to understand its simple premise of filming footage in order to be found later.
Five thrill seekers in their 30s from Texas (played by Brandy Schaefer, Mikey Roe, Jeff Larson, co-writer Zack Andrews and director and co-writer Bobby Roe) embark on a road trip touring haunted houses in the days leading to Halloween. They seem a bit long in the tooth for such a trivial pursuit, and it seems oddly out of place for a woman to be part of this fraternity. But no matter.
To add more to the film and the story, there's an intercutting of faux news footage that warns that many of these "haunted houses" actually tend to employ former criminals in a sort of buyer-beware warning. There's also surveillance video footage, faux commercials for haunted houses, and photographs.
Since it all takes place in Texas, it sort of explains a lot about how the term "red neck" and "backwoods folks" got their understandings. The tone is very familiar to films and families like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" as well as the "Saw" franchise.
This is a found footage film worth checking out.
.........................................................................
"Queen of Carthage"
starring: Shiloh Fernandez, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Astra McLaren, Josh McKenzie, Colin Michael Day, Toby Lawry, Graham Candy, Amanda Tito
directed by: Mardana M. Mayginnes
written by: Mardana M. Mayginnes and Shiloh Fernandez
Shiloh Fernandez attempts to make an artsy, indie film for which he produced, wrote, and stars in. At least he knew enough to get someone else to direct him, you know, so that someone else could be blamed for the wreck the film becomes, even though it's trying to tell an interesting story (but really it's what is not being told on-screen, which any intelligent film viewer will figure out pretty quickly, that the underlying and more fascinating story to dissect is found in the voice on the other end of the phone during the conversations throughout the film).
Shiloh Fernandez plays a young American drifter fleeing a traumatic relationship with his sister and so we find him in New Zealand, where he quickly befriends a local musician whom he falls in love with, but whom already has a girlfriend.
There are pieces and hints of Greek tragedy, as well as Shakespearean decent in the vein of "Othello" as well as "Talented Mr. Ripley" within the whole story, which makes it way more convoluted than it needs to be and you get lost in all that's happening.
It's not gripping enough with tension in order to grab and hold your attention. And, Shiloh Fernandez's character is very unsympathetic.
Unfortunately, a bit of a fail for me here.
............................................................................
"Forever"
starring: Deboarah Ann Woll, Luke Grimes, John Diehl, Rhys Coiro, Jill Larson, Ioan Gruffuld, Seth Gabel, Shanola Hmapton, Gill Dennis, Jake McLaughlin, Tom Everett Scott, Diane Salinger
directed by: Tatia Pilieva
written by: Tatia Pilieva and Gill Dennis
The central character is Alice (Deborah Ann Woll, True Blood), a young investigative reporter whose life is shattered by the sudden suicide of her live-in boyfriend (Jake McLaughlin). At the suggestion of her concerned editor (Tom Everett Scott), she decides to head to the rural retreat known as "The Clinic," which also happens to have been the subject of a story she had previously been working on. Despite the ominous warning of a stranger she meets along the way that "You don't want to be here," she arrives at the farm commune and, in order to remain incognito, pretends to be suffering from amnesia. The enigmatic leader (John Diehl) introduces her to the residents, an emotionally troubled lot that includes the hunky Charlie (Luke Grimes), with whom she soon begins a romance.
The film's pacing is very slow and the tension is quiet and builds slowly until the film's climax, which you can totally see coming, since it takes place on some kind of weird commune (nothing against them, of course). Deborah Ann Woll is trying to prove that she can be a leading lady with this role in an albeit rarely seen indie film, especially since her secondary characters on "Daredevil" and "True Blood" are so good.
Unfortunately, this film lacks the substance and tension until the very end to really grab the viewer and force you to watch, especially since it's rather predictable.
............................................................................
"The Young Kieslowski"
starring: Ryan Malgarini, Haley Lu Richardson, Joshua Malina, Melora Walters, James Le Gros, Osric Chau, Jessica Lu, John Redlinger, Sam Aotaki, Mark Erman
directed and written by: Kerem Sanga
Here's an indie comedy in the same vein as the fresh and original "Juno" but instead, with this film we get the male perspective of unwanted-at-first teen pregnancy. There's some good, nimble dialogue throughout, but perhaps because it's through the male perspective, there it is lacking more self-regard then its counterpart.
Brian Kieslowski (Ryan Malgarini), CalTech physics major and reluctant virgin, isn’t doing himself any favors by fronting an anti-social attitude to cover up his insecurity with the opposite sex, so it might seem fortunate when he meets Leslie Mallard (Haley Lu Richardson), a self-professed Christian and Bible student, at a campus house party. She’s already completely drunk, eager to share secrets (she’s a virgin too) and totally down to make out. And more – as the two get intimate back at her apartment later and scratch that virginity item off their bucket lists, despite Leslie’s assertion that she’s saving herself for marriage.
Then Kieslowski loses Leslie’s phone number, can’t retrace his drunken steps to her apartment and is left hoping that the two will randomly cross paths again so he can suggest a repeat of their one-nighter. Not coincidentally, Leslie is trying to track Kieslowski down with some urgent news: she’s pregnant – with twins. When she finally does locate him, her baby daddy voices support for her whatever decision she makes regarding her pregnancy, although her military novelist father Walter (James Le Gros) is already advocating an abortion.
The film is not a stance on pro-life or pro-choice, because it is very clear from the moment Leslie finds out she's pregnant that she has every intention of keeping the babies, even though it will clearly be way too much for her to handle. It is more about whether or not Brian will "man up" and take on the responsibility and stop lying to himself and to Leslie.
I'm not much of a fan of voiceovers to drive the storytelling, and the director employs this technique to explain Brian's thoughts on his journey to impending fatherhood and adulthood. The heart of the film is found more in the awkward interactions between Leslie and Brian which produces interesting and amusing dialogue. It helps that Haley Lu Richardson and and Ryan Malgarini have believable chemistry.
This is a decent indie film worth checking out. I don't think it will disappoint, as long as you don't expect the same amount of self-introspection that "Juno" gave us, because let's face it, guys are shallower in their thoughts, even when impending parenthood is on the horizon.
...............................................................................
"Glitch"
starring: Lucas Neff, Maiara Walsh, Blake Silver, Levi Fiehler, Lamorne Morris, Emily Wickersham
directed by: Daniel Doherty II
written by: Matthew Giegerich and Chelsea Mize
It's hard to root for a main character that is so obviously trying to ruin a relationship, no matter how innocent he presents himself and his actions.
Lucas Neff plays Will, a seemingly naive app game developer getting screwed by a larger company that ripped him and his business partner off by essentially stealing his game's central idea and cashing in big time on it. They decide to sue the large corporation.
So, it's interesting if you look at the story within the story's as Will becomes the large corporation he so despises, in a way. He is the contrast when he falls for the very cute barista with dark hair and light blue eyes named Sophie (played with oozing cuteness by Maiara Walsh, whom I also instantly fell in love with). Will's intentions of pursuing her for romantic purposes get stalled when he discovers she has a long-term boyfriend, who also happens to be the lawyer they've hired to fight against the large corporation for them.
Will and Sophie see each other and hang out on an almost daily basis and you can tell exactly where the story is going as it is very predictable. It has its moments, but it's nothing good enough to make you want to keep watching.
.............................................................................
"Final Girl"
starring: Abigail Breslin, Wes Bentley, Logan Huffman, Cameron Bright, Alexander Ludwig, Reece Thompson, Francesca Eastwood,
directed by: Tyler Shields
written by: Adam Rince
"Final Girl" takes place somewhere between the fantasy worlds of "Donnie Darko" and "Sucker Punch" with the redemption of "I Spit on Your Grave" presenting itself as a sort of surreal, dream-like and steam-punk-ish film about retribution for that "final girl" in most horror films where a guy or guys attack and brutally torture her. Now, that "final girl" has her revenge, and when she comes in the form of an all-grown-up Abigail Breslin (you know, the cute girl from "Little Miss Sunshine"), perhaps all bets are off, but when she's trained by a less-than-believable and always monotone Wes Bentley, the film nearly loses its traction.
It, of course, has a strong feminist vibe to it, with a humanizing backstory to the seemingly "orphaned" girl who is adopted by this older guy when she's younger and he trains her and tells her pretty speeches about why he is training her to vindicate all the evil men and their evil deeds against women/girls. She's sort of like a kick-ass Batman/Buffy character.
In the opening, William (Wes Bentley), a requisite shady ringleader of something or other, recruits a girl who's just lost her parents, who passes his first test when she blithely dismisses their deaths with rationalization along the lines of “shit happens.” It's one of the more amusing scenes in the film, a quiet touch that indicates the filmmakers' awareness of the contrived insensitivities, and even the hypocrisies, of their elaborate oppressed-avenger narrative. Flash-forward 12 years and that girl has grown up to be Veronica (Abigail Breslin). William has trained Veronica to be a super killer and her final test is to wipe out a group of late-teen boys who hunt blonde pinups for sport in the woods after presumably seducing them at sock hops.
There's a lot of dialogue between Veronica and the group of boys, mainly the ringleader, Danny (played by Logan Huffman) that just stalls the film and there's no real action of the hunted becoming the hunter until the third act. It's very reminiscent of David Lynch films, but instead of paying homage, the filmmakers seem to be ripping him off. A lot of questions about morality and "what's the point?" go unanswered, leaving you to feel like it's just a waste of time.
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