Other Reviews by ptamaribuchi 10

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  saw meets female self defense video sort of?
  A review of Maximum Reality
  by ptamaribuchi on 08/05/2011
  okay, it seems like the intention is to make a creepy horror film like saw with twists and turns. i think what works is the twist at the beginning. while it doesn't have a super punch, it's still pulls the viewer in when she is kidnapped by the couple. I have to say the blonde kidnapper female's performance is a stand out and her acting seemed very believable. then, when... okay, it seems like the intention is to make a creepy horror film like saw with twists and turns. i think what works is the twist at the beginning. while it doesn't have a super punch, it's still pulls the viewer in when she is kidnapped by the couple. I have to say the blonde kidnapper female's performance is a stand out and her acting seemed very believable. then, when we get into the lair, the creepy masks and basement quality of the set was good.
  
  as far as improvement, i have to say I am confused. what are these killers doing? are they using this reality thing to make their victims psychologically torutured. I think the story needs to be thought out more clearly. Two major questions: 1. what is the intention? Is it supposed to feel like a satire on reality tv or is it supposed to feel like a realistic horror/pyschological thriller a la Hard Candy? I think until this question is answered, it's really hard to give advice b/c each genre have totally different requirements. but after you answer this question, then you can use other models (Hard Candy is a great model for the realistic psychological horror thriller) for your guidance to success. 2. after deciding what your goal is, then, I think the story needs a thorough rewrite to figure out what is the situation? who are these killers and what is their plan? who is the main character besides being a victim? from whose point of view is the story? the killers or the victims? i think the story can be told in a lot of ways and it just requires the filmmakers to just make some of these choices.
  
  best of luck with your filmmaking. I know making these films is hard as a filmmaker myself. Keep going! read
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  fun twists but needs refinement
  A review of The Incumbent
  by ptamaribuchi on 08/05/2011
  Congrats on your short film. I know how much work these are and you obviously put a lot of time into this. I liked the story twists especially the last one with the evil bro turning things into his favor. I also like the physical comedy of the pot being used as a weapon. it felt very classic slapstick style. i like the idea of the story with a machiavellian bro and his straight... Congrats on your short film. I know how much work these are and you obviously put a lot of time into this. I liked the story twists especially the last one with the evil bro turning things into his favor. I also like the physical comedy of the pot being used as a weapon. it felt very classic slapstick style. i like the idea of the story with a machiavellian bro and his straight laced bro fighting for control.
  
  as far as improvements, i would seriously think about the story structure. it feels like the main character at the beginning is the good bro and then the end is bad bro's moment. in these shorts, you really need to focus tightly and so that switch between the good bro focus and the bad bro focus felt disorientating. also as far as comedy, i felt the best moments where we see the bad bro scheming. i think this could have been taken farther. basically, when the bad bro comes in ; he immediately thinks cover up, but what if the bad bro sees that the guy is dead adn pretends to be compassionate but actually is trying to kill him the entire time. that sounds funnier to me. b/c it's not so obvious and is actually sort of what a evil politician might do. constantly couch bad acts in good terms. i think this is what is funniest about the piece that you have this bad guy who is getting away with murder and he justifies it in the best light.
  
  just a final thought... in my experience with shorts, it is the story structure that is the most important. i think structuring the story more would better serve your next film and allow you to make the comedy shine even more.
  
  good luck in your future endeavors! read
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  internal angst
  A review of Stinking Cigar
  by ptamaribuchi on 06/29/2011
  This short drama was about a girl on the verge of womanhood stressing about her family life. I liked the intention of the film. To capture the stress of a family life through a teens eyes. I think the tone of the film is consistent as the performances were modulated well. I liked the cinematography in the first half. Overall, I felt that the areas for improvement were in... This short drama was about a girl on the verge of womanhood stressing about her family life. I liked the intention of the film. To capture the stress of a family life through a teens eyes. I think the tone of the film is consistent as the performances were modulated well. I liked the cinematography in the first half. Overall, I felt that the areas for improvement were in the narrative. While I realize it's a very internal story, the reliance on voice over and lack of dramatic tension lead to it a prime example of telling us the conflict and not showing it. I would check out this film The Closet (google it; it's not on youtube but on another video site) it's a great example of an internal narrative. An elderly man wrestles with his memory of his coming of age and his sexuality. It's a great visual story that shows us the internal conflict really succinctly and compellingly. Good luck with your films. read