Sunday, June 27, 2010
Michael Allen
Director: Neil H. Weiss.
Writer: Glenn B. Hopper III.
The Hanged Man is a co-production from Starbox Pictures and ElevenEleven Productions. The film was released on DVD May 25th by Osiris Entertainment and director Neil H. Weiss calls this project "a supernatural thriller." This independent film bases each of the characters on a tarot card e.g. The Fool, The Moon, and, of course, The Hanged Man. The film bypasses the usual blood effects found in most thriller films in favour of a character driven story line involving a group suicide pact. A lot of the intensity from The Hanged Man comes from the characters, who struggle with their decision to end their lives. Many of the characters reveal themselves to be someone, or something very different in a shocking conclusion.
The Hanged Man begins with Southern Comfort aka SoCo waiting for six others to meet him in an isolated barn. One of those coming is the owner of the property and a victim of traumatic sexual abuse. Other characters have their own traumas to resolve and this party of dysfunction is soon joined by the local sheriff. Events unfold in an unconventional fashion as flashbacks reveal the characters true identities. A little later, the sheriff is incapacitated and the ones who commit suicide are those who have quite a bit of experience in this process from past attempts and even successes.
Writer Glenn B. Hopper III has used the Tarot deck of cards to match up with each of his characters. The Fool behaves in a ridiculous hick fashion, while The Moon hides "pain that lies just below the surface" (The Hanged). Even Death makes an appearance as the sheriff. The characterizations also hold a strong connection to the spiritual world as Death, rather than encouraging the cast to end their lives - instead, makes each character look at their past. External and internal realizations and pressures make the characters rethink their lives in a more positive light. The film has a message and one that will be interpreted differently, but centrally The Hanged Man is about redemption and living one's life fully.
The Hanged Man has few technical flaws. The lights stay on, even at night, the camera is focused and thankfully their is no obvious dubbing. Also, there are no obvious continuity errors and the only criticisms involve a minor, strange homo-erotic story line and the sparsity of action, or conflicted interaction early and late in the picture. One character remains shirtless, strangely, throughout much of the film and one other character reveals himself to be less macho than he appears to be. The film is heavy in dialogue and the development of characters. So, rather than dispatching shallow characters there is a lesson to be learned by the viewer and this style of film will appeal to some, but not others.
Finally, the conclusion offers a satisfying twist and resolution. The writer, director, or both managed to mislead this reviewer in to believing the characters were already dead. However, this belief is only partially true. The ending will not be revealed here, but Weiss and Hopper III manage to reward viewers with something very shocking!
The Hanged Man has been available since May 25th and this reviewer encourages readers to have a look at this thrilling piece of cinema. The focus on characterizations, writing and a well thought out plotline shows the work and expertise put in to the film by both the cast and crew. Available through Osiris Entertainment on DVD only, fans can experience Weiss' insightful look at life, death and everything in-between now!
Plot/story/closure/unity: 7.5 (everything develops logically with the supernatural adding in some mysterious elements, a little more conflicted interaction early and in the middle could have tightened the picture up).
Characters/action/interaction: 7 (well drawn out characters, very little comedy, truly more of a drama than anything).
Social message/statement/parallels w/real life: 8 (few films try a social message, so here are some kudos from this reviewer, possibly overly optimistic message, some more darkness could have been incorporated).
Overall: 7.5 bulging eyes out of 10.
Tarot card influences at The Hanged Man website here:
The Hanged Man Official Website
The Hanged Man at Osiris Entertainment here;
The Hanged Man at Osiris (Distributor)
A second article on the film here:
The Hanged Man here on 28DLA
Purchasable:
Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA
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Stumble It!
Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis by Email
Writer: Glenn B. Hopper III.
The Hanged Man is a co-production from Starbox Pictures and ElevenEleven Productions. The film was released on DVD May 25th by Osiris Entertainment and director Neil H. Weiss calls this project "a supernatural thriller." This independent film bases each of the characters on a tarot card e.g. The Fool, The Moon, and, of course, The Hanged Man. The film bypasses the usual blood effects found in most thriller films in favour of a character driven story line involving a group suicide pact. A lot of the intensity from The Hanged Man comes from the characters, who struggle with their decision to end their lives. Many of the characters reveal themselves to be someone, or something very different in a shocking conclusion.
The Hanged Man begins with Southern Comfort aka SoCo waiting for six others to meet him in an isolated barn. One of those coming is the owner of the property and a victim of traumatic sexual abuse. Other characters have their own traumas to resolve and this party of dysfunction is soon joined by the local sheriff. Events unfold in an unconventional fashion as flashbacks reveal the characters true identities. A little later, the sheriff is incapacitated and the ones who commit suicide are those who have quite a bit of experience in this process from past attempts and even successes.
Writer Glenn B. Hopper III has used the Tarot deck of cards to match up with each of his characters. The Fool behaves in a ridiculous hick fashion, while The Moon hides "pain that lies just below the surface" (The Hanged). Even Death makes an appearance as the sheriff. The characterizations also hold a strong connection to the spiritual world as Death, rather than encouraging the cast to end their lives - instead, makes each character look at their past. External and internal realizations and pressures make the characters rethink their lives in a more positive light. The film has a message and one that will be interpreted differently, but centrally The Hanged Man is about redemption and living one's life fully.
The Hanged Man has few technical flaws. The lights stay on, even at night, the camera is focused and thankfully their is no obvious dubbing. Also, there are no obvious continuity errors and the only criticisms involve a minor, strange homo-erotic story line and the sparsity of action, or conflicted interaction early and late in the picture. One character remains shirtless, strangely, throughout much of the film and one other character reveals himself to be less macho than he appears to be. The film is heavy in dialogue and the development of characters. So, rather than dispatching shallow characters there is a lesson to be learned by the viewer and this style of film will appeal to some, but not others.
Finally, the conclusion offers a satisfying twist and resolution. The writer, director, or both managed to mislead this reviewer in to believing the characters were already dead. However, this belief is only partially true. The ending will not be revealed here, but Weiss and Hopper III manage to reward viewers with something very shocking!
The Hanged Man has been available since May 25th and this reviewer encourages readers to have a look at this thrilling piece of cinema. The focus on characterizations, writing and a well thought out plotline shows the work and expertise put in to the film by both the cast and crew. Available through Osiris Entertainment on DVD only, fans can experience Weiss' insightful look at life, death and everything in-between now!
Plot/story/closure/unity: 7.5 (everything develops logically with the supernatural adding in some mysterious elements, a little more conflicted interaction early and in the middle could have tightened the picture up).
Characters/action/interaction: 7 (well drawn out characters, very little comedy, truly more of a drama than anything).
Social message/statement/parallels w/real life: 8 (few films try a social message, so here are some kudos from this reviewer, possibly overly optimistic message, some more darkness could have been incorporated).
Overall: 7.5 bulging eyes out of 10.
Tarot card influences at The Hanged Man website here:
The Hanged Man Official Website
The Hanged Man at Osiris Entertainment here;
The Hanged Man at Osiris (Distributor)
A second article on the film here:
The Hanged Man here on 28DLA
Purchasable:
Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA
| | |
Stumble It!Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis by Email
Posted in: 2010,characters,drama,glenn b. hopper III,independent,movie poster,movie review,movie synopsis,neil h. weiss,plot,the hanged man,thriller,writing
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