Hal Jordan

Very well-made

A review of Girl in Red

by Hal Jordan on 07/19/2007

The filmmakers behind this film are obviously very ambitious and have the talent/experience to back it up. This obviously isn't a "learning" piece, but it's more on the level of a showcase. Technically the short is at a high level of quality. Camera/lighting is well done. It is of particular note that the filmmakers handle shooting at night with great expertise; this can... The filmmakers behind this film are obviously very ambitious and have the talent/experience to back it up. This obviously isn't a "learning" piece, but it's more on the level of a showcase.

Technically the short is at a high level of quality. Camera/lighting is well done. It is of particular note that the filmmakers handle shooting at night with great expertise; this can be difficult on a lower budget. As impressive was all the shooting with moving vehicles (it felt "real" not "cheated") and the special f/x. To be fair, at a "studio" level the special f/x would feel a little weak and the quality probably diminishes on a bigger screen. However, in a short film, the special f/x were great.

There really are no "basic" complaints as the film delivers, so the faults fall more on story and characterizations (which is where the focus should be).

The performance by the lead actor was fine. He played it just as he should have. His girlfried felt a little forced. Maybe it had to do with the long bout of exposition she had to deliver (always tricky) or maybe it was that her raspy voice didn't seem particularly suited for her character, but her performance did not feel as strong.

Being a short film it has to be...well, short. But the handling of the end felt a little rushed. The director's instinct here was probably correct in that once the main makes the wish, the audience is pretty much going to figure out where this is going, so get there NOW! On that level, good instincts.

But it felt like there was a genuine opportunity to create even more tension and more of a "puzzle" element as to how reality would unravel due to the protag's wish. More likely than not this would require adding more meat to the film and perhaps the feeling was to avoid that.

Still, the net result is that film feels unbalanced in that the first act (explaining the myth) seems to take up about half the movie's runtime, the 2nd act breezes by, and the 3rd act happens in mere seconds. Maybe the intended result was for the pace to go from deliberate to breakneck, but something about it felt "off."

The last issue was with the character design of the girl in red. This may come down to an issue of taste, but the decision to have her look be J-horror inspired didn't appear to fit for several reasons.

A big one was the whole piece didn't seem particularly Eastern in any aspect other than the girl's appearance so it was a little too "out of the blue."

Secondly, although perhaps this can't be helped, the J-horror aesthetic seems a little overplayed (how many "grudges" are there?). However at the time of the film's making this might not have been the case.

Lastly, there's a theory of horror where the unseen/unknown is more terrifying than what is seen/known. It felt as if the girl should have been a little more mysterious. Or if anything, that the audience would catch hints of what she looked like, but couldn't be sure.

All in all, a very well-made film that proves these filmmakers could/should work on bigger projects. The issues here are all beyond the basic-level of filmmaking so that's a terrific sign for this group. read

Nice visuals, production design

A review of Between The End

by Hal Jordan on 07/17/2007

The film was well shot and for the most part well-edited. A lot of effort went into production design and it shows. The concept was clear and moved along at a decent pace. However, there were a few nagging issues that cumulatively keep the viewer from becoming totally involved with the piece. The biggest issue with the piece is sound design. The score is adequate, and... The film was well shot and for the most part well-edited. A lot of effort went into production design and it shows. The concept was clear and moved along at a decent pace. However, there were a few nagging issues that cumulatively keep the viewer from becoming totally involved with the piece.

The biggest issue with the piece is sound design. The score is adequate, and quite nicely handled at times, but the decision to have music over every single second of the film worked against the piece. The music became overbearing over the course of the film not because of anything within the score, but because there just weren't any "quiet" moments in the short. There are also moments when it appears the music is trying to build tension when the visuals clearly aren't supporting this (sequences where the main character is wandering through the woods).

The incessant nature of the music and the lack of any other sound design comes across not as artistic, but more as an unfortunate limitation. It keeps "reminding" the audience that the crew didn't/couldn't record synch sound to the film and/or they didn't/couldn't layer in foley and sound effects. Maybe the decision to go only with music was purely an artistic choice made in post-production and there is a whole track of sound effects that weren't used, but it doesn't play that way.

Some of the other issues are minor:
- The main character's appearance feels anachronistic. It's nothing you can put your finger on specifically, but his haircut, sideburns, beard feel just a little too modern. Everything else about the production design (costumes, props, locations, hair/makeup) worked well, but this one stands out, and since it's on the main character it stands out even more.
- Check gate. Again, minor, but there was something in the gate and appeared in the top righthand corner of the shots. It was distracting, particularly in the lighter shots. Perhaps the image could be matted to eliminate this?
- The way the main character does in the antagonist seemed a little contrived (hiding in stable). It gets the job done, but it would have been nice to see a little more strength or ingeniuity on the part of the main.
- Main character's reaction to get shot felt unrealistic. Didn't come across as painfully as it should.

Maybe because the rest of the film is so well done that these issues (sound design, sideburns, film gate issues) are noticed. That's a good sign. The locations and production design are top notch and the imagery and basic concept are well-handled. Really the only things "holding" the short back is dialing back the music (which would mean introducing other elements of sound design) and some other minor details. read

Personal

A review of Remember

by Hal Jordan on 06/30/2007

The overall impression of the film feels like someone's memoirs or, the modern-day equivalent, someone's blog. Blogs are usually interesting if the author has accomplished something, or if the author isn't renowned, manages to offer some form of entertainment or insight. The views in the blog are from the latter and tend more towards being insightful than entertaining... read

Intriguing

A review of Asleep in the Box

by Hal Jordan on 06/30/2007

There were some good ideas contained in this short as well as some really nice execution, but the whole piece felt a little incomplete. The production design was exceptional. The interrogation room was dead on the money as was the casting and costume/makeup of the two leads. The underwater stuff was well done which is no small feat on a low budget. The shot where the... There were some good ideas contained in this short as well as some really nice execution, but the whole piece felt a little incomplete.

The production design was exceptional. The interrogation room was dead on the money as was the casting and costume/makeup of the two leads. The underwater stuff was well done which is no small feat on a low budget.

The shot where the detective approaches the girl from camera right when we expect him to be on camera left was disorienting in a good way. She's disoriented, the audience is disoriented. Good choice.

One technical issue that leaps out is the lighting of the interrogation room itself. It felt too flat, like the lighting you would see on 3-camera sitcoms or soap operas. Even fluorescently lit rooms can be lit dynamically. Furthermore, the drama that was happening in the interrogation seemed defeated by the flat lighting.

The lighting in the observation room and during the underwater sequences were well-executed and appropriate, which made the lighting in the interrogation room stand out even more.

The story felt rushed or incomplete, like the filmmaker either had bigger ideas than the short format could contain or he just didn't know how to say what he intended. In a nutshell this is a "dream sequence" where a murderess confesses to a crime that she will get away with due to a lack of evidence. That's an interesting concept, but the film doesn't do a whole lot with it.

Literally, all the information that needs to be imparted is spoken by the female lead with the detective filling in some of the blanks. When all the major plot points in a film are said outright and no actual conflict is shown, then there's a problem. In Reservoir Dogs, we barely see the jewel heist (it is mostly just spoken of), but the main drama/conflict in that film is contained in the aftermath of the robbery and we DO see that. In this film ("Asleep in the Box") all of the conflict is implied or has already happened; there is no conflict in what we are currently seeing.

Adding to the problems with the story is no motivation is offered for the actions of Janet, which makes the proceedings feel hollow.

The ending "twist" is unsatisfying because the audience really don't get to a point where it is involved. For all the audience is given to go off of, if they feel anything they feel vague feelings of sadness for a distraught girl who for some unknown reason killed a sibling and/or disatisfaction that a murderer is going to get away scott free.

Characters need to be sympathetic (not "good," but sympathetic) for the events in a story to resonate...unless the piece is experimental or nihilistic. The audience needs to know who the girl is, what the relationship with the brother is, what circumstances led to the murder (the single worst act a human can commit), etc.

One more observation: the performance of the disembodied voice (female investigator) is weak.

Overall a lot of thought and effort went into the production of the short. However the script/story isn't grounded in any tangible ON-SCREEN conflict nor does it offer any significant insight so the audience is put in a position to observe a series of events at a distance. No connections are made. read

Review

A review of BREADWINNER

by Hal Jordan on 06/30/2007

A pretty nifty boxing short all things considered. The film was put together competently and the fight sequence was handled quite well for the format and budget. Overall the look of the film was very dark and this made the film hard to enjoy. A lot of detail was lost in blackness. For example, it's not apparent early on that the woman is his mother because her features... A pretty nifty boxing short all things considered. The film was put together competently and the fight sequence was handled quite well for the format and budget.

Overall the look of the film was very dark and this made the film hard to enjoy. A lot of detail was lost in blackness. For example, it's not apparent early on that the woman is his mother because her features are obscured. Since her frailty is a key point to the plot, missing out on that was key. Also there were moments in the fight where it felt like the blackness was hiding some cool visuals (e.g. when the big guy finally falls to the canvas). It's not clear whether the brightness levels were intentional or if it's a byproduct of putting the film on the interweb, but it's worth investigating.

The storyline is a bit predictable. As an execution of this type of storyline, the filmmakers definitely proved that they have talent and can pull of telling a story like this (one we've seen many times before). It would have been even better to see some fresh takes on either the story in general (e.g. ending) or the particulars of the story. But presumably in a film like this there are only so many ways to go...the boxer wins or he loses, so let him win and let the audience walk away satisfied that the boxer saved his mother (because we all love our mothers, even the naggy ones). Still, the cliche (and at times heavy-handed) elements prevent this short from truly standing out other than for its technical merit.

Some specifics:
- Identity of mother is hard to get a read on initially because of the dark quality of image.
- Subtitles are difficult to read. And it might have been interesting just to leave them out. Visually the story comes across without HAVING to know the particulars of what they are saying. It's a give and take, some audience members appreciate subtitle-less scenes for their boldness and for the fact that the information has to come across visually, others just hate not knowing what someone is saying. But having subtitles in that font seems to not appease either camp.
- Fight sequence was well-choreographed and shot considering the limitation imposed on the filmmaker.
- Ring looked sort of odd. Maybe it was supposed to look that way because it's a cheap-oh, "underground" (?) fight, but it looked like they were fighting on a gigantic bed covered by a loose-fitting sheet instead of a boxing ring. read

Twist-y

A review of Married To Trouble

by Hal Jordan on 06/29/2007

A pretty decent short overall. Technically speaking all facets of filmmaking clock in at "good" to "professional." There weren't any obvious issues with the image or the audio. There was a lot of production value on display here with all of the locations and setups utilized. Sound and editing were good in that they were invisible...EXCEPT for the technique the filmmaker... A pretty decent short overall. Technically speaking all facets of filmmaking clock in at "good" to "professional." There weren't any obvious issues with the image or the audio. There was a lot of production value on display here with all of the locations and setups utilized. Sound and editing were good in that they were invisible...EXCEPT for the technique the filmmaker used where the film freezes the camera photo-style. This device felt a little forced, particularly when the photo "pans" and there is a ratchet-y (?) sound that goes with it. This felt distracting and didn't quite fit with the rest of the piece.

In terms of concept and content, there were a few things that stood out. A big one was tone as the film seemed to drift in and out of some very different tones. The opening sequence is overly "light" to the point where it felt like parody. The talking heads stuff continues the light hearted tone as the acting is a little too "cute." It felt as if the actors weren't behaving realistically on purpose. The way they said their lines felt like the film is making fun of these types of films. Maybe it is? But it's ambiguous because the film doesn't seem to commit to parody 100% in light of the events of the 2nd half. It's possible the actors may have been TRYING to behave naturally and just not having a lot of success (that's the trick sometimes with low-budget films).

The tone confusion continues as the couple run into and discuss a fairly non-funny issue. Then a fun dance sequence is thrown in the mix which of itself is terrifically done and great to watch but felt a little odd considering the piece as a whole. Then the film gets moody again and the audience is thrown for a loop that isn't planted anywhere in the film. Finally we have an open ended movie where perhaps closure is expected.

Artistically I really dig all of the different parts of the film, but put all together they just feel sort of odd. The dance sequence is terrific. The idea of a "documentary" about a couple that has normal issues and runs into a very unusual discovery (incest) is intriguing. The open-ended final shots feel very bold to me, artistically speaking, and I'm always interested when an artist (a la David Chase) doesn't give the audience the closure they expect (now as to how satisfying a choice that is, well, that's a different debate).

But put together, the film felt like it either had a bunch of cool ideas that the filmmaker jammed together that didn't quite fit OR the film is a put-on of sorts. Because the film is not listed as a comedy, it doesn't appear the filmmaker meant this to be sarcastic in nature. Perhaps the attempt here was something along the lines of Takeshi Miike's "Audition," where 66% of the movie plays as a straight romance and the last 33% are slasher-horror. Playing with audiences expectations in this way is artistically interesting and rarely done because, well, it just pisses off a lot of audience members. But there's not enough in the film ("Married to Trouble") to indicate that this was the intent.

Some specifics:
- "Photo" freeze frame technique was distracting.
- Acting at times felt like parody. Something about the delivery of the lines, particularly early in the piece, feel as if the actors are "actors-playing-a-role" (intentionally?) as opposed to more naturalistic acting. This was something that made me suspect the piece was a put-on and/or experimental in nature.
- Actress who played the doctor wasn't believable in much the same fashion (either a sub-standard performance or a sarcastic turn).
- Dancing sequence was great, but felt a little long for the overall duration of the short film.
- Plot point: not a lot of people may pick up on this, but something about the doctor's delivery of the brother-sister revelation made it seem as if the fact that they were brother and sister was the cause of their inability to conceive. This comes through purely in the doctor's delivery and the way the scene was cut, and it is NOT in the script, but it might be worth pointing out in case others are viewing it this way as well.
- The possibility of their relationship should have been planted earlier. Plant/pay-off is one of the simplest things you can add to a script to help ease discovery and make the script seem more "sophisticated." In this case, there should have been SOME mention of the male lead being adopted or some clue along those lines. As it is, the "bomb" at the end plays purely as shock and not at all like surprise.
- The "Sopranos" ending (e.g. the no-ending) was, as noted earlier, artistically interesting. Personally, I have no problems with it and in this case I thought it was sort of bold because the implication was that there's a chance the couple could stay together (shared-smile) despite the taboo nature of their relationship. HOWEVER, there are a lot of audiences who rail against films with no definite closure, so be aware of that possibility (which the filmmakers, who are no fools, probably already are).

Overall a pretty cool concept that may or may not have had some sort of ulterior motive (parody). The acting was touch-and-go at times and the tone wasn't clear throughout, but these issues are indicative of a filmmaker who has mastered "the basics" and is trying new and innovative (and DANGEROUS) ideas. read

Cute, uplifting

A review of Vision

by Hal Jordan on 06/29/2007

Cute concept, nice execution. The amount of production value and technical know-how that went into this film is commendable. Just getting all those actors together is a not-insubstantial feat on a low budget and it's appreciated. The acting was more than acceptable, which is also a rare thing. The story carries a strong positive message about humanity while keeping things... read

Well Done

A review of Parallels

by Hal Jordan on 06/28/2007

About as good an execution of a documentary at this level as you can expect. The story and the images were compelling and the documentarian had a definite, no-flip-flop sentiment he was putting out there which came across clearly. Technically the film was professionally done. The images were clean and well put together. The sound was great and complimented everything cleanly... read

Context?

A review of Fade

by Hal Jordan on 06/28/2007

This film (perhaps deliberately) creates conflicting responses as to what it could possibly mean: 1) Something deep and meaningful that I'm apparently too thick or too disinterested to sort through. 2) A put-on which parodies so-called "art house" foreign films. If it is the first, then I have no clue as to what the film is trying to say. There is no context as to who... read

The Motions

A review of A Beast

by Hal Jordan on 06/28/2007

Overall the film was executed competently both technically speaking and in terms of storyline. However, it feels like the film too strongly apes other horror films without attempting to add any new ideas or imagery to the genre. It's tough to get an audience on board a story where the character is in essence a cipher. Now make that cipher a despicable wife-killer and you... Overall the film was executed competently both technically speaking and in terms of storyline. However, it feels like the film too strongly apes other horror films without attempting to add any new ideas or imagery to the genre.

It's tough to get an audience on board a story where the character is in essence a cipher. Now make that cipher a despicable wife-killer and you will find that a good number of your viewership will remain detached from the goings-on of your fims. That doesn't mean every character should be a goody-goody. Far from it. But even bad people have reasons for doing what they do, and it behooves a filmmaker to make his protagonists sympathetic. Yeah, how do you make a wife-killer sympathetic, huh? That's why you get paid the big bucks...

The scares and techniques in the film seem all too reminiscent of recent horror films. It feels a little J-horror, but that may just be due to the imagery of a female vengeance spirit with dark hair combed over her face. The quick-frame-cuts and blood spitting up seemed run-of-the-mill by today's standards. Also, because of the setup and nature of the film, the conclusion seemed predictable.

As a result of not-caring for the protagonist and the seen-before tricks, the film doesn't ever get to the level of scariness and/or creepiness that the filmmakers intend.

One specific thing that stood out as odd was the appearance of the handgun. The existence of this weapon isn't planted (plant then pay off) and it makes the audience wonder where the gun was during the murder. But if you're wondering about things like that, then maybe the film has "lost" you.

Overall the filmmakers definitely have a firm grasp on visual storytelling and the ability to shoot a film. There appears to be a fondness for horror films amongst this group, but they need to get past the superficial appreciation of the genre (which leads to aping) and get to the heart of the scare so they can come up with some truly scary, disturbing ideas. read

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