stringbean
21 Reviews
Reviews
Girl, Disembodied
This quest film was a gory 70's horror throwback that had some pretty grindhouse-y special effects and a decent story. The film starts us with madcap scientists creating an octopus(?) out of brains of small girls. A pretty strange concept, and that's what this film was. The characters were pretty cool, and the story was solid. There were also some awesome special effects, such as the lobotomized girls head, and the brain itself. Whilst it was gritty and dirty looking, the shots weren't pretty and were sometimes confusing. I also marked this film down as I didn't see a quest movie, especially since the film started with one person and ended with another. It felt like it had been created when the team were hoping for a body-switch/horror film. A good effort, I just wasn't such a fan of the style and didn't think it was genre-orieted enough.
The Pick Up
Very cool, slick little short, technical-wise the best of the night. Loved the opening, but a shame it lost momentum and went to the all too prevalent 'hostage theme'. The end was great and unexpected.
Sprung
Cute film,loved the kids which was a give in, made in earnest and you could tell that they did the best with what they had. I thought I found the ending shocking and somewhat out-of-place really. That said, it certainty did stick with me.
Sleepless in Seatoun
I thought this was a cute story. Technically had a few problems, especially with the visuals. I liked the story though the end was a let down. The main deterrent for me was actually the swearing. I know that they were doing the Christian Bale thing but I just found the swearing excessive.
The Fruitalian Job
This was a cool little crime-spoof movie about apple 'dealers'. This was done a team who was competent in all fields and had a cool little story. The story revolves around two characters who take prized apples to a middleman 'dealer'. The middleman was great, and very entertaining, but I felt the movie took too long to get the characters there, a bit less talk in the car would have been better. These characters are followed by two detectives who bring these dealers down. This was a funny story and I loved the apples used as weapons, and cringed when they were flushed down the toilet. Nicky Brick falling on a banana skin was pretty cool. They had a few sound problems, and some of the dialogue was a bit long-winded. But it was well put together and didn't feel too long.
The Rescue Party
Cool short, lots of fun, but I did think the pacing was a little off. They had a few sound issues, but the story was cool and it looked slick. Great closing credits and a team that really seemed to have their groove together. Nice job.
SHE'S OUT OF THIS WORLD
Moffilaide are always worth a watch, these guys always do a great job and are constantly on form. I was laughing from the into till the end! This movie showed us a 'Stardust' type adventure with an alien princess falling for a mortal man and his to fight to win her over the barbaric Prince Jafar. They are always funny, and the effects are awesome. The female lead was charming and believable, and the actor who played Nicky in a very small role was good too. But I felt as though this film was more a fantasy-adventure flick than a rom-com, not enough time was spent establishing these two characters and their relationship, and while the effects were great, they were somewhat out-of-place in this genre. But it was a great wee movie, and everything was done well. I loved the little montage between the two leads, just more of this would have been better. But another great flick Moffilaide, keep it up!
Cadavre Exquis
This was a great film and a highlight. The set was great, the cinematography was wonderful and it was all led by a very charismatic actress. I really liked that the aspect of 'mystery' was not the normal whodunnit but a sweet, romantic, mystery (mostly!), and the treats left were all very cute and clever. The sweeping opening shot was the best start to the film, it really took us into this world and this character. I am not sure if the room of books was just a lucky break or if it was set-up for the film, but either way I thought it was brilliant. It was let down by it's ending, as I liked where it was heading previously and a romantic payoff would have really set it apart. The editor did a grand job, it was slick and well-paced, even though it only used a small part of a house this was never evident. The actress did a good job and really held her own on the screen. The only complaint is that the wire/character elements felt a little thrown in, but the product was great, and very entertaining. This film got a great audience response and should hopefully leap its way to the final.
Refraction
This film was well-shot, competently executed, and the lead actress was great, but it was let down by its story. It started off nicely with a Dear John letter to our heroine being read out, and then shows her breaking down in tears and reverting to a fantasy world. This is where the solid story fell apart. It is not explained why she goes into this world, and the man she meets there serves no purpose, they talk about this world and spend alot of time explaining how it works but not showing us anything. All these scenes were confusing and I didn't really know what was happening. There is a small battle scene in the forrest, which doesn't really seem to fit. Then when this world starts to get interesting, we are taken out of it. In this story the 'real world' story was more interesting the fantasy they were trying to create. With a bit less exposition and a more coherent story, this could have been a contender.
Ruby Red
Another impressive effort from Traces of Nut, Ruby Red was a serious Cabaret style musical that had some brilliant acting and singing. This was the best in a competitive heat. The set design was amazing, I couldn't believe the attention to detail, such as the posters and the car. Gemma gave this film a powerful opening, the juxtaposition of the couple was very clever, and their song was great. The story was solid and I loved how all the strands came together. The cinematography was brilliant - the shots were beautiful and varied. The couple really sold their life stories in a matter of minutes. It was a shame that the group before them had used the same coat-hanger gag as it did detract and take away some of the tension. I also felt that a small section of the film was weaker than the rest, the section with the Father song up till when we go back into the dressing room, but this is minor considering how good the film was. Traces of Nut FT EPC have contined to show us why the are one of the most feared teams in 48hours - because they're just so good.
People Get Lucky and Bad Things Happen
This was a well-shot, well-acted, cute film about rouge street performers banding together to be a super street act. From the opening shot I could tell that this was something pretty special. The characterization was very impressive. The small jokes got massive audience responses, such as the fast as lightening ninja, and the ukulele-playing welfare-denied street musician. The shots in the bush were great, the team obviously utilized the Canon. The DOP did a really good job, and the editing was very slick. This team obviously worked well together, and from such a small team it was a very impressive effort. The reason for the rating is that while I liked it, it wasn't really a 'road film' and while they were street performers, the road aspect seemed to end there. I also felt that the ending was a little rushed as we never got our street performance payoff.
Girl, Disembodied
This quest film was a gory 70's horror throwback that had some pretty grindhouse-y special effects and a decent story. The film starts us with madcap scientists creating an octopus(?) out of brains of small girls. A pretty strange concept, and that's what this film was. The characters were pretty cool, and the story was solid. There were also some awesome special effects, such as the lobotomized girls head, and the brain itself. Whilst it was gritty and dirty looking, the shots weren't pretty and were sometimes confusing. I also marked this film down as I didn't see a quest movie, especially since the film started with one person and ended with another. It felt like it had been created when the team were hoping for a body-switch/horror film. A good effort, I just wasn't such a fan of the style and didn't think it was genre-orieted enough.
Ruby Red
Another impressive effort from Traces of Nut, Ruby Red was a serious Cabaret style musical that had some brilliant acting and singing. This was the best in a competitive heat. The set design was amazing, I couldn't believe the attention to detail, such as the posters and the car. Gemma gave this film a powerful opening, the juxtaposition of the couple was very clever, and their song was great. The story was solid and I loved how all the strands came together. The cinematography was brilliant - the shots were beautiful and varied. The couple really sold their life stories in a matter of minutes. It was a shame that the group before them had used the same coat-hanger gag as it did detract and take away some of the tension. I also felt that a small section of the film was weaker than the rest, the section with the Father song up till when we go back into the dressing room, but this is minor considering how good the film was. Traces of Nut FT EPC have contined to show us why the are one of the most feared teams in 48hours - because they're just so good.
Dead Market
This was a good take on the inspirational film, and was a solid story with a nice lead. We watch as the lead is laid off time and time again due to his uncanny ability to cause horrific accidents to happen to co-workers. He is denied the dole and so decides to use his bad luck to his advantage and go into business with the local morgue to earn a living. This movie had some great funny moments, like when Nicky tried to stick his co-workers hand back together after it goes though a chipper. I also liked the little inspirational song. It was a cool story, and there were no elements that had real problems, I thought the edit could have been a bit slicker and some of the camerawork wasn't overly inspirational but overall a job well done.
The Deliveryer
This quest film leads us through the rubble of an abandoned school where a kick-ass courier has to deliver her parcel, or face the chop. From the intro to the logo to the Thomas Crown Affair lasers, this was a very cool movie. This was a great example of every element coming together. The set was great, the actress wonderful in her Lara Croft-ness (as well as being a damn good comedienne). The shots were great and varied. The D Block set was crazy cool, and the chicken just topped it off, and most of all the story was fun and crazy but solid at the same time. This was a great example of a cute quest film, as often the genre gets lost in the madness, but this wasn't the case here. Everything was utilised and it looked like they worked really well as a team and had fun - which is the whole point! This got a massive audience response, and I can see why. It was a great little film and something to be proud of.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
This was a good song that was slightly ruined by its own political message. 'God Bless America' was an up-to-the-minute satire on how American culture influences New Zealand culture, except the whole idea of the film seemed to get lost in the lyrics, and I felt it slightly lost it's way at the end. The shots were slightly too long, and the great location was never really explored. The guy playing Uncle Sam was great, and got an awesome audience response, and the back-up girls were charming in their little parts. But it was a cute little movie, with a good song that is still in my head. Good job guys!