Strawberry_Typhoon
Joined Oct 2005
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Buzz has been flying around about YELLOWBRICKROAD for some time now. Recently, the film was picked up for distribution by the newly formed "Bloody Disgusting Selects" label, and will begin a limited theatrical run on June 1st. The film has been touted as "Blair Witch done right". I'm not so certain that's anything outside of a hit farming quote, but I can see why the two films would be compared. A group of people set off into the woods where something horrible once happen in order to uncover the truth, and publish their findings in a book. Navigation equipment begins to malfunction, mysterious music begins to play from an unknown source, and the crew is wearing down very quickly.
The music that I spoke of before is one of the most important aspects of the film. It's the first indication that there's something very wrong about their surroundings, and you can see the group's mental state deteriorating as the music becomes more and more obnoxious. To be honest, at the half-way point, I was actually beginning to feel quite hostile myself. It was a very effective way to illustrate to the audience, a descent into madness. Just as it fades, you think it may be over, or at the very least the group will find the source, but it kicks back in to an even higher gear. On paper, that may sound a tad gimmicky, but in execution, it flawlessly delivers the filmmaker's desired effect.
This is not a jump-scare thriller, so if you're expecting cheap thrills, you'll be sorely disappointed. This is most certainly a slow burning film. At the 40 minute mark, nothing much had happened outside of character development, and atmospheric tension. For some, this will be a turn-off. But, if you appreciate the ability to invest yourself into the experience, and the characters, this will be a major selling point. When the inevitable begins, it's that much more effective, having built relationships with each character on screen.
There is a moderate amount of violence, but it's not really that type of film. The special effects are highly competent when they're used, and thankfully they're only used when required. Most filmmakers today try and cram as much gore into their film's as possible, as even if it's a weak experience, violence sells equally as well as sex. The deaths that do take place are highly disturbing, but it's mostly in a psychological way. There is one fairly gruesome death, and it happens in such a matter-of-fact sort of way that it sort of punches the collective audience in the gut.
I feel as if writers/directors Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton deserve a lot of credit here, for many things. In particular, not filming in first-person. Found-footage films are all the rave right now, and this duo could have very easily went that route. It sort of makes YELLOWBRICKROAD the anti Blair Witch Project. A film, similar in nature, with the ability to appeal to the audience that didn't have a positive experience with BWP. At the same time, fans of that film will find much to enjoy about YBR as well.
One factor that will split audiences is the lack of proper closure. Without spoiling too much, chances are if you have questions late into the film, you'll continue to have them after. This worked for me, as I didn't feel insulted as a viewer. I don't enjoy having bits of backstory, and unneeded vocal explanations of what could or could not be happening. It feels unnatural in every film that attempts it. Much is left to viewer interpretation, and in my opinion, it couldn't have worked any other way. There are certainly some things that I would liked to have learned, but I'm okay in it remaining unknown.
One thing that bugged me, and a very major thing at that, was the finale of the film. It felt forced upon my first viewing, though I do plan on watching a second time to see if it has a different effect. To me, the last few frames of the film seem to almost cheapen previous happenings. It's weird, as it didn't actually tarnish the whole experience for me, but it did make me re-think my opinion previous to the scene. It seemed like an unnecessary last minute effort, to rope in the viewers that need some sort of entity to blame things on. I would liked to have been left with that strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that the idea of everything remaining completely unexplained created.
Despite my problems with the ending, I can still recommend YELLOWBRICKROAD with confidence. It reminds me of another one of my favorites of the year so far, Insidious. It had me all throughout the beginning, held my enjoyment through the middle, and then sort of dropped the ball right at the end. Like Insidious though, enough had happened up until that point to leave a lasting scar on my psyche. If it weren't for the questionable tactics near the end, I would say that YBR was near perfect. Even taking that problem into consideration, it's still solid, and managed to stick with me long after I had finished watching it.
The music that I spoke of before is one of the most important aspects of the film. It's the first indication that there's something very wrong about their surroundings, and you can see the group's mental state deteriorating as the music becomes more and more obnoxious. To be honest, at the half-way point, I was actually beginning to feel quite hostile myself. It was a very effective way to illustrate to the audience, a descent into madness. Just as it fades, you think it may be over, or at the very least the group will find the source, but it kicks back in to an even higher gear. On paper, that may sound a tad gimmicky, but in execution, it flawlessly delivers the filmmaker's desired effect.
This is not a jump-scare thriller, so if you're expecting cheap thrills, you'll be sorely disappointed. This is most certainly a slow burning film. At the 40 minute mark, nothing much had happened outside of character development, and atmospheric tension. For some, this will be a turn-off. But, if you appreciate the ability to invest yourself into the experience, and the characters, this will be a major selling point. When the inevitable begins, it's that much more effective, having built relationships with each character on screen.
There is a moderate amount of violence, but it's not really that type of film. The special effects are highly competent when they're used, and thankfully they're only used when required. Most filmmakers today try and cram as much gore into their film's as possible, as even if it's a weak experience, violence sells equally as well as sex. The deaths that do take place are highly disturbing, but it's mostly in a psychological way. There is one fairly gruesome death, and it happens in such a matter-of-fact sort of way that it sort of punches the collective audience in the gut.
I feel as if writers/directors Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton deserve a lot of credit here, for many things. In particular, not filming in first-person. Found-footage films are all the rave right now, and this duo could have very easily went that route. It sort of makes YELLOWBRICKROAD the anti Blair Witch Project. A film, similar in nature, with the ability to appeal to the audience that didn't have a positive experience with BWP. At the same time, fans of that film will find much to enjoy about YBR as well.
One factor that will split audiences is the lack of proper closure. Without spoiling too much, chances are if you have questions late into the film, you'll continue to have them after. This worked for me, as I didn't feel insulted as a viewer. I don't enjoy having bits of backstory, and unneeded vocal explanations of what could or could not be happening. It feels unnatural in every film that attempts it. Much is left to viewer interpretation, and in my opinion, it couldn't have worked any other way. There are certainly some things that I would liked to have learned, but I'm okay in it remaining unknown.
One thing that bugged me, and a very major thing at that, was the finale of the film. It felt forced upon my first viewing, though I do plan on watching a second time to see if it has a different effect. To me, the last few frames of the film seem to almost cheapen previous happenings. It's weird, as it didn't actually tarnish the whole experience for me, but it did make me re-think my opinion previous to the scene. It seemed like an unnecessary last minute effort, to rope in the viewers that need some sort of entity to blame things on. I would liked to have been left with that strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that the idea of everything remaining completely unexplained created.
Despite my problems with the ending, I can still recommend YELLOWBRICKROAD with confidence. It reminds me of another one of my favorites of the year so far, Insidious. It had me all throughout the beginning, held my enjoyment through the middle, and then sort of dropped the ball right at the end. Like Insidious though, enough had happened up until that point to leave a lasting scar on my psyche. If it weren't for the questionable tactics near the end, I would say that YBR was near perfect. Even taking that problem into consideration, it's still solid, and managed to stick with me long after I had finished watching it.
Before we get started, I want to get something off of my chest. For a long time, the Fast and the Furious franchise has been a big guilty pleasure of mine. Sure, they're silly, unrealistic, and way over the top, but they're fun, and exciting. Not ever cinematic experience has to mirror The English Patient. Sometimes I just want to see car chases, and sht blowing up. This series, despite it's many flaws, manages to provide the audience with enough eye candy and carnage to solidify it's spot in pop culture history. When the trailer premiered, and revealed to me that I would be seeing a host of returning characters, coupled with Dwayne Johnson versus Vin Diesel. I was on board instantly. I even learned that The Liberal Dead's own Ted Brown had a soft spot for the series as well. When I finally sat down to consume the new installment, my expectations were off the charts.
Following the example that the previous film set, Fast Five is more of a crime/action flick, than another rice-a-roni car porn. Many people were not fans of the previous film, but I admired it for the direction that it took the franchise. It may sound silly, especially considering the material, but it almost felt like the franchise had matured. Whereas previous sequels tried to re-capture the flavor of the first film, focusing almost entirely on the cars, and the races, "Fast and Furious" revisited the original characters, and showed us what the events of their first romp has done to their lives. There's almost something magical and mysterious about the ending of the first film. It certainly romanticizes the fact that Brian let Dominic go, rather than bringing him to justice. But what are the consequences for everyone involved? These are the questions that were answered in the last film, and now expanded upon in series' return.
Fast Five begins where the previous film concluded. Brian, now rogue from the FBI has rounded up a furious carpool to bust Dominic out of police custody. Living on the run in Rio, Brian and Mia reconnect with Vince, and try to pull off a heist to help get their heads above water. When Dominic shows up with the crime already in progress, he senses a double-cross, and alters the plan preventing the crew from meeting up with the man that hired them for the job. The man turns out to be the #1 kingpin in all of Rio, and he orchestrates a wide-net search party, including his own henchmen, as well as the majority of the local police, who happen to be on his payroll. Since several US federal agents where found dead in the aftermath of the robbery, a US Special Forces team is sent to apprehend Brian and Dominic, who they think are responsible for the deaths. Leading the team is Special Agent Hobbs, played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
The introduction of Hobbs as a character, pits two completely larger than life action heroes against one another. This not only appeals to the sensibilities of action fans across the globe, but it leads to one of the most exciting scenes of hand to hand combat in recent history. Dwayne and Vin have a terrific amount of on-screen chemistry, and could very easily go on to make movies outside of the F&F universe, both versus, as well as on the same side. Say what you want about either man, but both of them have several solid films under their belt. Hopefully the decision to put these two titans in the same film yields the obvious intended result, and Fast Five will end up dominating the box office.
Enough characters return from the previous films to appeal to franchise fans, but the story and the situation generates crossover appeal as well. Even though it's a continuing story arch, anyone looking for a popcorn action flick can walk into the theater and walk out satisfied, even if you're completely unfamiliar with the four previous films.
The Fast and the Furious has morphed into quite the little action series, and despite the satisfying amount of closure the film leaves you with, it also leaves just enough open so that a plethora of sequels are not only able to be produced and make sense in the context of this film, but have the potential to actually be enjoyable films. Fast and Furious has become the Saw of the action genre. The only difference being, I actually hope they make a couple more F&F films, especially after the scene that occurs after the end credits. I can't wait to see where they're going to take it from here.
Following the example that the previous film set, Fast Five is more of a crime/action flick, than another rice-a-roni car porn. Many people were not fans of the previous film, but I admired it for the direction that it took the franchise. It may sound silly, especially considering the material, but it almost felt like the franchise had matured. Whereas previous sequels tried to re-capture the flavor of the first film, focusing almost entirely on the cars, and the races, "Fast and Furious" revisited the original characters, and showed us what the events of their first romp has done to their lives. There's almost something magical and mysterious about the ending of the first film. It certainly romanticizes the fact that Brian let Dominic go, rather than bringing him to justice. But what are the consequences for everyone involved? These are the questions that were answered in the last film, and now expanded upon in series' return.
Fast Five begins where the previous film concluded. Brian, now rogue from the FBI has rounded up a furious carpool to bust Dominic out of police custody. Living on the run in Rio, Brian and Mia reconnect with Vince, and try to pull off a heist to help get their heads above water. When Dominic shows up with the crime already in progress, he senses a double-cross, and alters the plan preventing the crew from meeting up with the man that hired them for the job. The man turns out to be the #1 kingpin in all of Rio, and he orchestrates a wide-net search party, including his own henchmen, as well as the majority of the local police, who happen to be on his payroll. Since several US federal agents where found dead in the aftermath of the robbery, a US Special Forces team is sent to apprehend Brian and Dominic, who they think are responsible for the deaths. Leading the team is Special Agent Hobbs, played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
The introduction of Hobbs as a character, pits two completely larger than life action heroes against one another. This not only appeals to the sensibilities of action fans across the globe, but it leads to one of the most exciting scenes of hand to hand combat in recent history. Dwayne and Vin have a terrific amount of on-screen chemistry, and could very easily go on to make movies outside of the F&F universe, both versus, as well as on the same side. Say what you want about either man, but both of them have several solid films under their belt. Hopefully the decision to put these two titans in the same film yields the obvious intended result, and Fast Five will end up dominating the box office.
Enough characters return from the previous films to appeal to franchise fans, but the story and the situation generates crossover appeal as well. Even though it's a continuing story arch, anyone looking for a popcorn action flick can walk into the theater and walk out satisfied, even if you're completely unfamiliar with the four previous films.
The Fast and the Furious has morphed into quite the little action series, and despite the satisfying amount of closure the film leaves you with, it also leaves just enough open so that a plethora of sequels are not only able to be produced and make sense in the context of this film, but have the potential to actually be enjoyable films. Fast and Furious has become the Saw of the action genre. The only difference being, I actually hope they make a couple more F&F films, especially after the scene that occurs after the end credits. I can't wait to see where they're going to take it from here.
The Super follows George, a Vietnam vet who is the superintendent of an apartment building in the New York City Borough of Queens. George doesn't have much anymore. Occasional nights at the bar with the younger brother of one of his friends from the war, interaction with the colorful tenants of his apartment building, and surrealistic conversations with his wife and kid are what fills most of his days. A young couple have just moved into the building, and George appears to be going out of his way to accommodate them. So much so that it has begun to make them uncomfortable. A night of drinking that results in a brutal bar fight teaches us that George has some issues he's dealing with, feelings of rage and abandonment are beginning to spiral out of control, and causing violent outbreaks that generally result in someone getting hurt, or worse. When George learns that one of his tenants has murdered her neighbor's cat, he decides to respond to her act in kind. With the help of one of his trouble tenants, Olga, played pitch-perfect by Manoush, George does his best to cover his tracks, and go on about his day to day activities.
"The Super" grabbed my attention with the intro, and then secured it for the duration once the title card was shown. The market has been saturated with films that pay homage to exploitation, but most of them do it in such an obvious way that it's obscene, and in some cases, even insults the viewer's intelligence. After all, a shitty movie with digitally enhanced film blemishes is still a shitty movie. This is not that type of experience. If I didn't know better, and I just happened across this film on a shelf somewhere, I would be convinced that it was released in 1984 at the latest. Not to say that it's a primitive piece of cinema, but it just captures the essence of that era of film so competently, and without gimmick.
During the '70s, '80s, and perhaps even a very early portion of the '90s, movies that were filmed on location in New York City had a flavor of their own. Films like "Maniac", "C.H.U.D.", "Taxi Driver", "Mean Streets" etc. displayed the city as a living, breathing character of it's own. So gritty and dreary, yet so fascinating. "The Super" replicates that oldschool New York City horror flavor like no other film has done for decades. Though most of the film takes place in the apartment building, you can still very much sense the presence of the city it's self. Ominous shots of the late night skyline help to set an eerie atmospheric tone that is sure to spark nostalgic memories of films past in any seasoned genre fan.
The character of George is enthralling. Demetri Kallas portrays in a stark performance, a man well over the edge, and we follow him on his journey into madness. Though George is performing, and enjoying terrible acts, it's still easy to sympathize with his pain. The Vietnam war left a generation of men scarred, physically, and mentally. When George reminisces back to the high points of his life, he associates that to some of the terrible things that he had done during the war. It appears that when George is doing some of the terrible things he does to the tenants of his building, it's somewhat recapturing the memories that he holds so close to his heart. If everything you've ever known and loved has materialized while you were surrounded by violence, violence would be the only thing that brings you comfort. Unless you are a shining example of perfect mental health, you should find yourself at least a little bit, relating to what George is going through.
"The Super" is depraved in it's violent content. The special effects are great, but it's not the type of film that focuses on mounds of gory imagery in order to provoke a response. The film gets wet when it needs to, but doesn't relish in it to the point of becoming absurd. The kills are brutal, and diverse in style. George and Olga compliment each of their depravities, bringing different styles of murder to the table. When they are in their element, and working in unison, I wouldn't want to be the one strapped to the chair.
The casting director did an excellent job putting together the group of faces that help the story to unfold. The acting is phenomenal across the board, which is something you don't always get with an indie flick like this. Most notable though, is Demetri Kallas as George, Manoush as Olga, and Lynn Lowry as George's wife, Maureen. Lynn is no stranger to the genre, having starred in some cult classics such as George Romero's "The Crazies" as well as it's 2010 remake. Lynn also starred in the classic 1982 were-cat film "Cat People". Lynn's performance as Maureen is heartbreaking. You can see the pain in her eyes every time she's on screen.
"The Super" is a film made by fans of the genre, for fans of the genre. It makes no bones about from where it draws it's influence. This is the perfect example of how to create film that pays homage to an era of film, without self-awareness. Constantly reminding your viewer that your intentions were to exploit their fondest memories of the films of yesterday is counterproductive. While it may be enjoyable at first, to realize that a filmmaker may share your taste in cinema, it fails to create the experience that you were aiming for. "The Super" skips past the bullshit, and while it's a unique experience, especially by today's standards, it still gives you that warm, familiar feeling inside, like your favorite blanket, or the cool side of the pillow. If you came to realize your taste in horror through dingy dollar theaters, and big-box VHS, then this is a film you must see.
"The Super" grabbed my attention with the intro, and then secured it for the duration once the title card was shown. The market has been saturated with films that pay homage to exploitation, but most of them do it in such an obvious way that it's obscene, and in some cases, even insults the viewer's intelligence. After all, a shitty movie with digitally enhanced film blemishes is still a shitty movie. This is not that type of experience. If I didn't know better, and I just happened across this film on a shelf somewhere, I would be convinced that it was released in 1984 at the latest. Not to say that it's a primitive piece of cinema, but it just captures the essence of that era of film so competently, and without gimmick.
During the '70s, '80s, and perhaps even a very early portion of the '90s, movies that were filmed on location in New York City had a flavor of their own. Films like "Maniac", "C.H.U.D.", "Taxi Driver", "Mean Streets" etc. displayed the city as a living, breathing character of it's own. So gritty and dreary, yet so fascinating. "The Super" replicates that oldschool New York City horror flavor like no other film has done for decades. Though most of the film takes place in the apartment building, you can still very much sense the presence of the city it's self. Ominous shots of the late night skyline help to set an eerie atmospheric tone that is sure to spark nostalgic memories of films past in any seasoned genre fan.
The character of George is enthralling. Demetri Kallas portrays in a stark performance, a man well over the edge, and we follow him on his journey into madness. Though George is performing, and enjoying terrible acts, it's still easy to sympathize with his pain. The Vietnam war left a generation of men scarred, physically, and mentally. When George reminisces back to the high points of his life, he associates that to some of the terrible things that he had done during the war. It appears that when George is doing some of the terrible things he does to the tenants of his building, it's somewhat recapturing the memories that he holds so close to his heart. If everything you've ever known and loved has materialized while you were surrounded by violence, violence would be the only thing that brings you comfort. Unless you are a shining example of perfect mental health, you should find yourself at least a little bit, relating to what George is going through.
"The Super" is depraved in it's violent content. The special effects are great, but it's not the type of film that focuses on mounds of gory imagery in order to provoke a response. The film gets wet when it needs to, but doesn't relish in it to the point of becoming absurd. The kills are brutal, and diverse in style. George and Olga compliment each of their depravities, bringing different styles of murder to the table. When they are in their element, and working in unison, I wouldn't want to be the one strapped to the chair.
The casting director did an excellent job putting together the group of faces that help the story to unfold. The acting is phenomenal across the board, which is something you don't always get with an indie flick like this. Most notable though, is Demetri Kallas as George, Manoush as Olga, and Lynn Lowry as George's wife, Maureen. Lynn is no stranger to the genre, having starred in some cult classics such as George Romero's "The Crazies" as well as it's 2010 remake. Lynn also starred in the classic 1982 were-cat film "Cat People". Lynn's performance as Maureen is heartbreaking. You can see the pain in her eyes every time she's on screen.
"The Super" is a film made by fans of the genre, for fans of the genre. It makes no bones about from where it draws it's influence. This is the perfect example of how to create film that pays homage to an era of film, without self-awareness. Constantly reminding your viewer that your intentions were to exploit their fondest memories of the films of yesterday is counterproductive. While it may be enjoyable at first, to realize that a filmmaker may share your taste in cinema, it fails to create the experience that you were aiming for. "The Super" skips past the bullshit, and while it's a unique experience, especially by today's standards, it still gives you that warm, familiar feeling inside, like your favorite blanket, or the cool side of the pillow. If you came to realize your taste in horror through dingy dollar theaters, and big-box VHS, then this is a film you must see.