The Gate ★★★★★

Review of 'The Gate' which can be found here on YouTube.

Length: 08:18

Written & directed by Matt Westrup

Genre: Sci-Fi

Date: 2011

Rating: ★★★★★

Logline: A government panel discuss a recent outbreak of human mutations caused by unregulated drugs.

This is a pretty cool short with extremely well crafted computer generated effects. There’s a mixture of tones and I won’t recommend sitting close to a computer screen wearing headphones when watching the opening sequence. This is  where the audience may think this is delving into the horror genre. Quick cuts are used to give a fright early on but the fear factor gets lessened by the introduction of the panel discussion, fact giving dialogue, the major use of broad daylight, and the fact that the mutated men don’t seem to have any harmful intent.

Production wise, this is top notch. Clear HD picture quality, well thought out shot composition, seamless special effects, detailed sound recording and fx’s too. Watch out for the oh so typical juddering camera work with intermittent focus adjustments which is a trademark technique for ‘found footage’-type sequences. Although probably used just as an aid to blend sfx’s into the live footage, it isn’t used consistently and so kind of renders itself redundant. It’s the only sequence shot in a first person perspective, all the rest are omnipotent so it somehow doesn’t fit in right.

It’s pretty much an ensemble cast although Dr Ackerman, played by John Mawson, eeks out a bit more as a possible protagonist. All performances are nicely done, feel controlled and understated and are true to each individual character.

The title relates to the bible quote at the beginning but not much more and there’s an added written message for viewers at the end warning against taking dodgy pharmaceuticals for real. Both of which bring additional layers of thought to the film. While the sfx’s are undoubtedly one of the highlights, the thoughtfully constructed structure, proficient dialogue and intriguing plot all combine together in such a way as to not make the effects mere spectacle but a integrated storytelling tool.

Best Bit: The way the generated creatures fit really well into their surroundings.

Worst Bit: Handheld camera stuff on the external shots.

Final thought: For anyone so inclined, there’s a cock shot if you catch the freeze frame at the right spot.

Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.

Death Wish ★★☆☆☆

Review of 'Death Wish' which can be found here on YouTube.

Length: 22:14

Written & directed by Dylan Cargill

Genre: Sci-Fi

Date: 2012

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Logline: A WWII soldier discovers he cannot die and can time travel….then some other stuff happens…it’s all a bit confusing.

Don’t be fooled by the thumping blockbuster soundtrack and the cool HD still of outer space as it’s all downhill from there.

This is a bit of a mixture between Dr. Who and Star Wars where all the parts are done by kids. The acting by all is pretty terrible but we’re not talking showbiz performing arts child actors here. The resurrected protagonist Tom (played by filmmaker Dylan) and little Henrietta Cartwright (his sister probably, Abbie Cargill) do manage to stand above the rest in terms of performances. Having smirking actors during serious scenes is always off putting but actors blatantly reading their lines as they deliver them is even worse. The dips in poor sound recording as well as the indecipherable mutterings of the fellow in the balaclava and the gasmask wearing guys doesn’t really help any either.

Structurally, the opening sequence is more confusing than it should be. Rearranging scenes, even just, Meteor, Berlin, London would alleviate this messy introduction but then the mixture of historical events with futuristic gadgetry will probably flummox audiences even further. The sci-fi plot is pretty confusing and not very viewer friendly I’m afraid. Unfortunately Dom’s longwinded “universes” exposition is so visually and aurally unstimulating, it won’t make anything clearer. There are a couple of lengthy dialogue scenes but they all suffer from bad acting, limited camera shots and not enough cut aways.

In terms of production, the film is a bit shambolic. I doubt anyone who watches this will be remotely convinced that they’re watching a story set in the 30’s as set design is severely lacking. Camera work is shoddy (although I did like the skewed angles involved) and the external tracking shots should definitely have been scrapped as the shaky camera and camera crew reflection in the windows are not good (tho there is one quite good shot near the end). Recommend investing in a skateboard at least. The saving grace is the special effects and the soundtrack. Some FX’s are obvious CGI but are of a reasonably good standard and work well over the shot footage. The theatrical soundtrack does well to aid tension during the action scenes and is used in all the right places. Shame it’s all wasted on the oddball plot which is hard to follow.

This is one effort where all the major problems should have been evident during the script stage but somehow managed to get itself on screen.

 

Best Bit: Some of the SFX’s are really good.

Worst Bit: Where to start? Probably with the bad script I imagine.

Final thought: Then I realized this was made by kids and thought I'd been a bit harsh and that it wasn’t all that bad.

Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.

Unpossible ★★★★☆

Review of 'Unpossible' which can be found here on Vimeo.

Length: 03:40

Written & directed by Robin King

Genre: Sci Fi

Date: 2007

Rating: ★★★★☆

Logline: The inventor of a time machine has trouble stopping himself from killing himself. (If that makes sense?)

Ah, the old time machine plot again. Thankfully, this shoestring budget effort has a simple but effective plot to pull it through. The paranoid scientist is well played by David Crow whose duplicity risks causing confusion for the audience but is saved by a nicely constructed plot. Crow isn't stretched too much by the role, which mainly involves saying the word "machine" as much as humanly possible and looking startled or confused. The tone is tongue and cheek though so the performance is in keeping with the mood of the film.

The shoot suffers from bad lighting so it's sometimes hard to see what's going on. This in part adds to the initial disguising of "other" characters (they all turn out to be the same guy you see) so it carries some purpose at least. After the main reveal about one minute in though, the dark surroundings get a bit annoying and you might be forced to turn up the brightness on your monitor. There's no musical track with the film and I think it's let down a bit because of that. The niggling sound effect of the time machine carries on through most of it but doesn't create much emotion.

Structurally, it's essentially an unfolding of a comedy of errors. The setup takes us in one direction then a good reveal allows the audience to then work backwards and finally return to a full circle ending. The plot is one of the joys of the film and makes for a movie that can be enjoyed time and time again (pardon the pun). A great effort considering budget, location and minimum characters.

Best Bit: Great plot getting worked around budget constraints.

Worst Bit: Cheapo title sequence.

Final thought: Of course there is that gaping plot hole in which the intruder alert activation isn't fully explained.

Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.

Showcase: Crossover

'Crossover' which can be found here on YouTube.

Length: 04:56

Written by April-Wendy Hayes and David Hutchison

Directed by David Hutchison

Genre: Sci-Fi

Date: 2012

Starring: Andy Nicholls and April-Wendy Hayes

Website: https://shootingpeople.org/watch/109829/crossover

Logline: A man searches for his lost love before the final upload.

Another film showcasing the work of David Hutchison. This time for the 2012 Sci-Fi-London 48hr Film Challenge.

Best Bit: The music, by 'Brainz In Jarz' stands out in particular.

Worst Bit: Dodgy effects such as cheap red blood i.e. red paint, blue screen and fades.

Final thought: A tripod wouldn't have gone a miss here Dave.

Reign Of Death ★★★☆☆

Review of 'Reign Of Death' which can be found here on YouTube.

Length: 05:34

Written & directed by Matthew Savage

Genre: Sci-Fi Noir

Date: 2009

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Logline: An on the loose murderer is apprehended by a cunning detective.

Here's an interesting attempt to blend the period specifics of the noir genre with the futuristic computer generated aspects of sci-fi. The combination works well and together creates a smooth modern update of the noir style, although not altogether original. The muted black and white tones are well shot, emphasising light and shadow in a clean visual manner. Static shots play up to that but equally the camera excels when following movement.

Starring the constantly dubbed "up and coming" Noel Clarke, whose performance is so-so given the melodramatic role. Watch for the laugh out loud electrocution at the end though. The statement driven dialogue is also evocative of the 40's/50's golden era but you may struggle to decipher Jimmy the robots lines through his metal-mikey voicebox. The plot has its ups and downs. Clarke's character has a clear shot on Jimmy tons of times but doesn't take them which is frustrating. There is however, a good twist in antagonist/protagonist role which makes a second viewing more palatable.

The VFX'S are at a high level and no doubt the monochrome colours helped with that. Animation is done well and Jimmy's movements are realistic and at the same time in-keeping with his robotic structure and capabilities. The camera quality also adds to the high production values and makes for a very cinematic piece. There is also the expected accompanying jazzy soundtrack which fits the tone and the trumpet playfully reflects the action on screen. Overall, film noir isn't really a favourite of mine and I'm not sure whether this is just a daft piss-take or a contemporary neo-noir attempt. This seems more like style over substance, and I prefer a bit of both.

Best Bit: The role reversal of the two characters.

Worst Bit: Can't make out some of the robots dialogue.

Final thought: Yeah, am pretty sure if you die taking a piss, your cock should be out on the closing shot.

Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.

The Un-Gone ★★★☆☆

Review of 'The Un-Gone' which can be found here on Short of the Week.

Length: 08:25

Written & directed by Simon Bovey

Genre: Sci-Fi

Date: 2006

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Logline: A futuristic transporter accident leaves a traveller with a doppelganger and a one way ticket to annihilation.

For a short film, this is very dialogue heavy. Mostly due to the sci-fi exposition that’s needed to bring us up to speed with the storyline. Basically a guy goes through a transporter but a malfunction occurs leaving two versions of himself. That’s pretty much against company policy so one of the copies has to be killed. Not really the sort of news you want to hear when you were hoping to happily emigrate to a new town with your wife.

The dialogue is kept direct and to the point so as not to confuse audiences any further than necessary. All of the performances share a similar forced rigidity to them. Stephen Billington plays Julian, Linette Beumont as his wife Maya and Damien Thomas as Kaikora, the guy that's going to sort the problem.Each of their performances adds to the slight coldness and creepiness ithe film has but at the same time kind of lessens the emotional impact of the life and death conflict that is going on.

Simple set design has been used to create the futuristic setting. It’s pretty bland but that helps with the timeless aspect of the look. Costume is always difficult when depicting the future, this film sticks to unobtrusive classic clothing, the staple polo neck sweater with a minor sore thumb being the homemade Star Trek number that the transporter stewardess is wearing.

A subtle soundtrack plays in the background then gets a bit more punchy when the action sequence comes along. Listen out for the X-files-ey music which accompanies the end credits and enormous crew list which is worth persevering with due to the simple stinger presented at the end.

Best Bit: Giant polo transporter machine.

Worst Bit: Poor chemistry between husband and wife.

Final thought: Looks like emigration security is about as lax in the future as it is today.

Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.

All My Dreams On VHS ★★★★☆

Review of 'All My Dreams On VHS' which can be found here at Short of the Week.

Length: 13:23

Written & directed by Timothy X Atack

Genre: Comedy

Date: 2008

Rating: ★★★★☆

Logline: A guy invites a work colleague around and inadvertently leaves her alone with his collection of recorded dreams, one of which is about her.

This is an excellent concept for a short. There is a nice sci-fi element to it but it's used subtly and this is really a comedy about conflict. We're not kept waiting about and get a quick and concise explanation of the whole dream recording thing early on which answers most of our questions and gets it out of the way. The dream recorder isn't the focus of the plot here but is merely a devise (or MacGuffin) which helps drive the plot.

The dialogue has a nice naturalistic bumbling way about it. There's stuttering, overlapping delivery with nice tonal shifts. All of which is exemplified by both performances by O.T. Fagbenle, playing James and Gigi Mbatha-Raw, who plays Erica. The down side is that the pace suffers slightly for all the spread out talk and it also feels like it's being stretched out somewhat in order to facilitate rising tension. This isn't a laugh a minute comedy and only has the occasional joke in amongst dialogue. The humour comes more from the scenario and the awkwardness between the two characters, both of which are likeable, relatable and easy to watch.

As is fast becoming the norm, production standards are high. There's good picture quality, nice editing, varied shot composition and a fitting soundtrack. I can see why the filmmaker decided to have Erica watch the video in a darkened room in order to reflect a change in tone and to give us something different to look at but again, this decision also brought me out of the story to question why she'd go to all that trouble when there was a time pressure on her to watch it before James returned. There is also a point where it looks like Erica is just watching a blank blue screen which doesn't quite fit her later recollection of the video.

Overall, it's the whole reading someone else's diary idea done in a fresh new way and with a nice twist at the end. Well worth a look.

Best Bit: Original idea.

Worst Bit: The yeti dream stuff could have been better.

Final thought: Good way to use up your old VHS tapes, that.

Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.

In My Head ★★★★☆

Review of 'In My Head' which can be found here at Daily Motion.

Length: 03:59

Written & directed by Jamie Shearing

Genre: Sci-Fi

Date: 2008

Rating: ★★★★☆

Logline: When a man's imaginary friend turns up during a quiet drink in a pub, reality begins to blur as theories on who is real and who is not starts to unravel.

This short takes a good idea and runs with it. Runs with it, unashamedly, to the ends of the universe as it happens. Playing with the theory of existentialism, we start off with Glen, played by Luke de Lacey, before the story jumps from one character to another as we follow a roundabout journey through potential realities, eventually ending back with Glen in the final world. De Lacy isn't stretched much by the role as the perpetual confusion of the character only really allows for a kind of blank expression most of the time. The other two characters who feature at both start and end is Glen's wife, Emily Lucienne, and the imaginary friend/doctor, Billy Clarke who is a little out of place with his American accent in a British pub. The accent thankfully mellows somewhat in the later doctor role. In between, there is an assortment of characters all played very well and present a variety of individuals. Interestingly, the writer also invites the audience to become a character in it's closing scene as the camera takes on our point of view and lends yet another meaning to the film.

I said that this was the same idea over and over again and once you get that idea, you know what to expect but this repetition is done well and the continuation of the same but done slightly different certainly doesn't bore. There is a firm midpoint which takes the story out of the pub location and extends the universe. This was a wise decision and good plot device which helps the story come full circle in a logical way and gives the audience something new to look at. I like films that return to the beginning but present a twist or bring new understanding to a situation and this film is a good example of that. The luminous green pint is an interesting set up that will catch your eye for a moment and is nicely payed off later on.

The music helps set the pace and tone. It fits well being played over both the 'normal' setting and the space ship locale too. There is subtle and effective use of sound effects which also add to the feel. The film also stands up due to the high quality of production in all areas. It's always good to see a well crafted spaceship set which looks convincing without being cheap and shoddy. The blending of worlds works well and provides a satisfying conclusion to the film. Of course, if I was drifting out in space, I would naturally be trying to delude myself into believing I was in a pub too. In fact, I'm thinking about it right now...

Best Bit: "You're sat by yourself, nutjob"

Worst Bit: Cheap looking opening titles.

Final thought: Why's the police supervisor sitting with a world atlas poster at his desk any ways?

Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.