Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Michael Allen
Director/writer: Matthew Sconce.
Stricken is a film from director Matthew Sconce and Aftershock Studios. The film has recently been completed and Stricken has toured several film festivals, including the Action on Film International Film Festival. This feature won the Best Horror Film for 2010 at this event and currently the film is seeking distribution in numerous territories. Starring David Fine (Sensored) and Stephanie French, Stricken uses dark lighting, a foreboding atmosphere and Celtic mythology to tell a tale horror tale of curses and slaughter. Also, Stricken is important for showing that unfortunate events which effect the father or mother do not need to impact the offspring.
The film takes place in a small town where a tight knit family has been reduced to one through brutal suicides. Revealed later, this family has been cursed with an ancient Gaelic spell, which turns people against themselves. The "Celtic goddess of slaughter" (Stricken) called Agrona helps those hesitant in taking their own lives with a knife blade, rope, or bullet. And this real life river goddess is also able to possess the living through the use of mirrors, to the fatal detriment of the characters.
Actor David Fine shows some solid acting here and a knowledge of drama, as French, in her first appearance, stays in step with the male lead. The material challenges the actors to find chemistry between each other and the script also puts both of the actor's characters against each other in a final climactic battle. Managing to deliver the story of Stricken through their exposition, the acting from both Fine and French is up to the sometimes difficult challenges of independent horror filmmaking.
The film also provides a moral message of not repeating the poor choices of a previous generation. French's character Sarah must break the pattern of family suicide by facing the evil entity who has killed her parents. By facing Agrona Sarah is able to understand the tragedy surrounding her family's deaths and empower herself. Unfortunately, she is not put in the role of giving the coup d'etat to the source of her pain, but the final payoff is still satisfying. The curse upon her family is thus broken.
Stricken is a good example of how to use computer generated imagery correctly. Entire exterior sets are created through this medium and the results look believable and realistic. The use of darkening techniques also enhances some already tense scenes, with many settings shown in shadowy hues. As well, the villain Agrona is enhanced with dark shades and blood reds around the eyes to show pure hatred for the living and the soon to be dead. CGI is not meant to be a primary element in film, but instead a secondary, subtle tool to enhance what is already in the writer's mind or already on screen. The filmmakers on Stricken are aware of this.
Requiring distibution to reach a larger market, Stricken is a time well spent. The use of ancient Celtic mythology is a unique choice and the results lead to well developed characters and an intriguing story. This is a bold independent film and fans need to take notice. So, check out the sites below to find out if Stricken will be heading to a city or town near you.
Plot/story/subject material: 8 (-1 for not explaining why Agrona came into the family's lives, -1 for not explaining why the villain is filled with such bloodlust, a greater backstory could have been incorporated).
Acting/characters/believability: 7.75 (-1 for some awkwardness between French and Fine, -1 for an overly jerky routine between two amateur detectives in an interrogation room, -.25 for the bully boyfriend who is too self-centered - why would she be with this guy, there must be some good qualities).
Overall: 7.875 out of 10.
*Hopefully this reviewer is using the term exposition correctly. On almost every review read recently this word is used at some point in a horror movie review. This film reviewer was feeling peer pressure to do the same.:)
The film's fan page with some festival showings:
Stricken on Facebook
The film's homepage:
Stricken Homepage
Another film from actor David Fine, which has already been reviewed here:
Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA
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Stricken is a film from director Matthew Sconce and Aftershock Studios. The film has recently been completed and Stricken has toured several film festivals, including the Action on Film International Film Festival. This feature won the Best Horror Film for 2010 at this event and currently the film is seeking distribution in numerous territories. Starring David Fine (Sensored) and Stephanie French, Stricken uses dark lighting, a foreboding atmosphere and Celtic mythology to tell a tale horror tale of curses and slaughter. Also, Stricken is important for showing that unfortunate events which effect the father or mother do not need to impact the offspring.
The film takes place in a small town where a tight knit family has been reduced to one through brutal suicides. Revealed later, this family has been cursed with an ancient Gaelic spell, which turns people against themselves. The "Celtic goddess of slaughter" (Stricken) called Agrona helps those hesitant in taking their own lives with a knife blade, rope, or bullet. And this real life river goddess is also able to possess the living through the use of mirrors, to the fatal detriment of the characters.
Actor David Fine shows some solid acting here and a knowledge of drama, as French, in her first appearance, stays in step with the male lead. The material challenges the actors to find chemistry between each other and the script also puts both of the actor's characters against each other in a final climactic battle. Managing to deliver the story of Stricken through their exposition, the acting from both Fine and French is up to the sometimes difficult challenges of independent horror filmmaking.
The film also provides a moral message of not repeating the poor choices of a previous generation. French's character Sarah must break the pattern of family suicide by facing the evil entity who has killed her parents. By facing Agrona Sarah is able to understand the tragedy surrounding her family's deaths and empower herself. Unfortunately, she is not put in the role of giving the coup d'etat to the source of her pain, but the final payoff is still satisfying. The curse upon her family is thus broken.
Stricken is a good example of how to use computer generated imagery correctly. Entire exterior sets are created through this medium and the results look believable and realistic. The use of darkening techniques also enhances some already tense scenes, with many settings shown in shadowy hues. As well, the villain Agrona is enhanced with dark shades and blood reds around the eyes to show pure hatred for the living and the soon to be dead. CGI is not meant to be a primary element in film, but instead a secondary, subtle tool to enhance what is already in the writer's mind or already on screen. The filmmakers on Stricken are aware of this.
Requiring distibution to reach a larger market, Stricken is a time well spent. The use of ancient Celtic mythology is a unique choice and the results lead to well developed characters and an intriguing story. This is a bold independent film and fans need to take notice. So, check out the sites below to find out if Stricken will be heading to a city or town near you.
Plot/story/subject material: 8 (-1 for not explaining why Agrona came into the family's lives, -1 for not explaining why the villain is filled with such bloodlust, a greater backstory could have been incorporated).
Acting/characters/believability: 7.75 (-1 for some awkwardness between French and Fine, -1 for an overly jerky routine between two amateur detectives in an interrogation room, -.25 for the bully boyfriend who is too self-centered - why would she be with this guy, there must be some good qualities).
Overall: 7.875 out of 10.
*Hopefully this reviewer is using the term exposition correctly. On almost every review read recently this word is used at some point in a horror movie review. This film reviewer was feeling peer pressure to do the same.:)
The film's fan page with some festival showings:
Stricken on Facebook
The film's homepage:
Stricken Homepage
Another film from actor David Fine, which has already been reviewed here:
Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA
| | Stumble It!Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis by Email
Posted in: cgi,computer generated imagery,david fine,horror,lighting,matthew sconce,movie review,stricken,tension,thriller
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