Monday, September 13, 2010
Michael Allen
*This is another guest post from English UVic graduate Ed Sum, who has written other reviews on Puppet Master: Axis of Evil, and the demon Lo. Here, Sum talks about experience watching the fourty minute, indie film AM1200.
Director/writer: David Prior.
Be careful in what you do late at night, driving down a lonely road while tuning in to the radio. When looking down at the dashboard to find an AM station, perhaps that is the last vestige of civilization you will ever find.
But watch out! What was that bump? Was that a hitchhiker that you just hit? No, that didn't happen in AM1200, but you will want to guess at what director David Prior wants to throw at you. Although not a completely original piece, this movie holds its ground as a great example of an independent film. There is plenty of suggestions of something lurking within one's own psyche and in the dark. When Sam Larson (Eric Lange) runs away from a failed embezzlement scheme, where he ends up is at a radio station located in the middle of nowhere.
What he discovers is straight out of Amityville's most famous house, complete with a lunatic Jonah Henry (John Billingsley), chained to the rails. Fans of "Star Trek" will remember Billingsly as Doctor Phlox, and he has come a long way since then. Both actors do a great job in drawing viewers to this piece.
In this short film, there are no answers, only mysteries—that's hugely appreciated. Prior does not draw on any of the mainstays required to scare audiences. The best kind of terror is to not provide any definitive answers.
And the cinematography is superb. The level of production found in the opening act is Hollywood caliber, with a transition that turns day into night, and Larson's world totally upside-down. When he is trapped in the darkness, the way the lighting rolls around (flashlights included) will make some people want to guess if there is something hiding in the wings. Not many tales do that, and that is important in a good film. And the next time you turn up the radio, switch to FM instead. You will feel safer!
More details on the film here (purchasable):
Am1200 Homepage
Director David Prior was also the producer on The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button:
Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA
| | 
Stumble It!
Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis by Email
Director/writer: David Prior.
Be careful in what you do late at night, driving down a lonely road while tuning in to the radio. When looking down at the dashboard to find an AM station, perhaps that is the last vestige of civilization you will ever find.
But watch out! What was that bump? Was that a hitchhiker that you just hit? No, that didn't happen in AM1200, but you will want to guess at what director David Prior wants to throw at you. Although not a completely original piece, this movie holds its ground as a great example of an independent film. There is plenty of suggestions of something lurking within one's own psyche and in the dark. When Sam Larson (Eric Lange) runs away from a failed embezzlement scheme, where he ends up is at a radio station located in the middle of nowhere.
What he discovers is straight out of Amityville's most famous house, complete with a lunatic Jonah Henry (John Billingsley), chained to the rails. Fans of "Star Trek" will remember Billingsly as Doctor Phlox, and he has come a long way since then. Both actors do a great job in drawing viewers to this piece.
In this short film, there are no answers, only mysteries—that's hugely appreciated. Prior does not draw on any of the mainstays required to scare audiences. The best kind of terror is to not provide any definitive answers.
And the cinematography is superb. The level of production found in the opening act is Hollywood caliber, with a transition that turns day into night, and Larson's world totally upside-down. When he is trapped in the darkness, the way the lighting rolls around (flashlights included) will make some people want to guess if there is something hiding in the wings. Not many tales do that, and that is important in a good film. And the next time you turn up the radio, switch to FM instead. You will feel safer!
More details on the film here (purchasable):
Am1200 Homepage
Director David Prior was also the producer on The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button:
Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA
| | Stumble It!Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis by Email
Posted in: am1200,cinematography,david prior,ed sum,eric lange,john billingsley,lighting,movie review,short,short film,synopsis
0 comments:
Post a Comment