Reviews of The Turn of the Screw 118

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  The Turn of the Screw
  A review of The Turn of the Screw
  by richardsonthegreat on 01/07/2010
  There's definite skill at work here, and interesting future potential, but the film itself doesn't quite work. This is, in large part, an issue of time - a few minutes does not feel enough to really explore the relationship between the father and son, or to set up the 'Foster' character. If the film were allowed to play out longer, the father character would need to have... There's definite skill at work here, and interesting future potential, but the film itself doesn't quite work.
  
  This is, in large part, an issue of time - a few minutes does not feel enough to really explore the relationship between the father and son, or to set up the 'Foster' character.
  
  If the film were allowed to play out longer, the father character would need to have more of a logical journey - at present his acceptance of the idea that the house is haunted seems rather rushed and defuses some potential tension.
  
  On the plus side, there are no major technical problems with this film - it is well put together and has made the most of a limited budget. read
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  Atmospheric Piece
  A review of The Turn of the Screw
  by EmilyManthei on 10/08/2009
  I was surprised to read that the film was only a $300 project, as I thought it was remarkably well-shot for that amount, especially with the animated sequences. The atmosphere was moody, the music was crucially constructive, and the actors were remarkably natural. However, I also felt like the story was thin, and simply hanging on by a thread. I haven't read the novelette source... I was surprised to read that the film was only a $300 project, as I thought it was remarkably well-shot for that amount, especially with the animated sequences. The atmosphere was moody, the music was crucially constructive, and the actors were remarkably natural. However, I also felt like the story was thin, and simply hanging on by a thread. I haven't read the novelette source material, but to me it seemed that the main action of the film was short and abrupt, and was neither built up or deconstructed very well. In short, I would say the production was solid, but the construction felt a bit flat. read
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  Troubled
  A review of The Turn of the Screw
  by chessaol on 08/01/2009
  The boy and the father move into a new place. They are trying to mend a relationship when he showed up. . . The storyline has consistancy. The ending isn't transparent and the plot unfolds on a curved line that reveals the elements of the story as they become important.Good Mechanics: Lighting; ok The production notes say that mood lighting etc were problematic. They were... The boy and the father move into a new place. They are trying to mend a relationship when he showed up. . .
  
  The storyline has consistancy. The ending isn't transparent and the plot unfolds on a curved line that reveals the elements of the story as they become important.Good
  
  Mechanics:
  Lighting; ok
  The production notes say that mood lighting etc were problematic. They were.
  I will give full credit for dim rooms and such. The faces were always visable and clear even with bad equiptment and light.
  
  The one major attempt at mood lighting greened out the scene halfway then returned to normal lighting. That was very jarring and didn't work.
  
  Staging: good.
  The scenes were in an empty house and the furniture wasn't there for supper but a table and chairs were there for breakfast. Perhaps this was a livingroom and dining room situation but it wasn't clear. Empty boxes were everywhere and set the stage well.
  
  Graphics; very good.
  Not overly done but professional.
  
  Film quality; good.
  The film was adequate to every task asked of it. No blurr or dimmouts, grain or scratchiness.
  
  Shooting quality; Very good.
  The shots always took into account the light and angles needed to appropreately record the scene.
  
  Sound quality; somewhat bad.
  The tendancy to mark things down is always there. I had a major problem with the sound, blame should be placed on the director.
  The camera has a built in microphone. That is good. If shooting mikes were used the problems wouldn't be there. The camera recorded the sound given to it. Loud when the actor was close, low when he was not. This led to a very up and down volume problem.
  I originally gave marks in my notes to inconsistant sound until it became obveous that the problem is the distance the actor is from the mike. A little attention during shooting would eleminate this.
  
  Acting: good
  Casting: good
  Dialogue: Good
  Both actors were natural and knew their lines. The casting was appropreate with the actors looking and good for their part. Dialogue was delivered in a natural and even manner.
  The anger scenes with the boy were strained and not completely believable; otherwise it was an excellent part.
  
  Directing quality: good+
  The production notes gave reason for most of the problems. The director is responsible for everything quality related that goes into the final product.
  Other than the sound problem the director did a wonderful job given the production problems encountered. Good to good+.
  
  Art: Did I like it? yes.
  No capital on yes but it was an enjoyable film to watch. read
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  Nicely done !
  A review of The Turn of the Screw
  by darthvonpokemon on 04/30/2009
  Strong performances, mood lighting, fx, sound, score and cinematography all lend a hand in making this an extremely good film. My only possible complaints would be with actual parts of the story. Some scenes seemed to rush by and details were left out. It was difficult to tell if they were just moving in to the home at the beginning and then suddenly moving out by the end... Strong performances, mood lighting, fx, sound, score and cinematography all lend a hand in making this an extremely good film.
  My only possible complaints would be with actual parts of the story. Some scenes seemed to rush by and details were left out. It was difficult to tell if they were just moving in to the home at the beginning and then suddenly moving out by the end. Was the man the boy's biological father ? Why was he sleeping at the kitchen table ? How did he just suddenly happen to have the boy's secretive notebook in hand when Foster appeared ? All of these are probably minute details in comparison to everything that was done well. Terrific job overall though. read
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  B+ Good effort - could try harder!
  A review of The Turn of the Screw
  by Brett Gerry Films on 09/12/2008
  This incredibly loose adaptation of Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw" begins in a fine manner with an excellent opening titles sequence that sets not only the mood of the piece but also introduces us to the story and its characters. Unfortunately, when the film begins for real, it quickly gets bogged down in a confusing and under explored plotline. Whereas James' work strove... This incredibly loose adaptation of Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw" begins in a fine manner with an excellent opening titles sequence that sets not only the mood of the piece but also introduces us to the story and its characters. Unfortunately, when the film begins for real, it quickly gets bogged down in a confusing and under explored plotline. Whereas James' work strove to keep its central ideas unnecessarily mysterious, this short film manages to withold its entire plot from the audience until too late in the game. Some sequences are effective - with a positive use of colour grading and digital elements through out - but the premise is lost in a flat staging that results from alienating framing and confused angles. The acting was unfortunately poor; the production design lacking the little details that would have brought the film to life. Overall, a professional production that could have benefited from a more polished and expressive mise-en-scene. read
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  Wow! Really great
  A review of The Turn of the Screw
  by Corleone on 07/14/2008
  I loved this short. The acting by both the man and the boy was superb. Kudos to the director for getting such a great performance from a young kid. The cinematography was very good as well. The editing hit all the beats and kept the story moving swiftly. There was just the right amount of special effects and they were very effective. I also liked the opening and closing... I loved this short. The acting by both the man and the boy was superb. Kudos to the director for getting such a great performance from a young kid. The cinematography was very good as well. The editing hit all the beats and kept the story moving swiftly. There was just the right amount of special effects and they were very effective. I also liked the opening and closing animations. They were very well done and provided excellent bookends for the story.
  
  My single complaint, and this is extremely minor and very picky was the lens flares that were added in post. They were entirely unnecessary.
  
  Overall, truly exceptional work. Of over twenty films that I have been assigned and reviewed, this is one of two that I have recommended be considered for competition.
  
  One final note though. The production notes are extremely apologetic and noted production problems and equipment setbacks. **NEVER, EVER APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR ART!** If you think something you've created is good enough to be shown to the public, then show it, be proud of it and don't make excuses for it. If it's good work, people will overlook minor problems. If it's bad work, then the minor problems aren't your biggest concern. Honestly, if nothing had been said about the loss of equipment, locations, etc. I wouldn't have noticed at all. Pointing these things out only makes your audience look for them and weakens your piece. read
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  Fizzles Out
  A review of The Turn of the Screw
  by JFRaby on 06/07/2008
  Unsatisfying, incomplete, underdone. Bit by bit: What a lovely credit sequence. You really involved me, right off the bat, with this skillful opening. Immediately afterward, you went to the worst lit, ugliest shot of the entire piece. Looking back, I'm a bit confused. We go from the Dad rushing Owen out of the room, flash, then we're watching the Dad look at the house for... Unsatisfying, incomplete, underdone.
  
  Bit by bit:
  What a lovely credit sequence. You really involved me, right off the bat, with this skillful opening.
  
  Immediately afterward, you went to the worst lit, ugliest shot of the entire piece.
  
  Looking back, I'm a bit confused. We go from the Dad rushing Owen out of the room, flash, then we're watching the Dad look at the house for the first time. Ok... So that was a glimpse of things to come, the rushing out of the house.
  
  Except... it never happened.
  
  Nothing happened, really.
  
  I understand you had difficulties with your lighting during production, so I won't harp on that, outside of saying what you were able to accomplish ranged from effective to artificial. Given your strain, effective's not so bad.
  
  The performances were underwhelming. I feel like the father had the ability to go a little farther, get a little deeper, actually impress me... He just never did.
  Kid was fine. Kids are tough, so good work.
  
  Sound was fine. Music was a bit wrong, for my taste, but whatever. I'm sure some folks will enjoy it; for me, it worked against you. You cued it properly, though. Your use of it worked. Just wasn't crazy about it.
  
  Your biggest problem was in your pacing. Which is most likely the direct result of having an incomplete story. Flimsy script. Could've been fleshed out more with a wider variety of visuals, but even then, the thing's paper thin, and not exactly coherent.
  
  Had you established a clearer beginning, middle, and end... Or a clearer setup and payoff system... As it stands, it just kind of happens, then it's over.
  
  I would recommend a drastic tightening of everything. Everything. Couple that with a great many more "around the house" shots, "things as they are, but not quite right" shots. Establish a stronger, creepier undercurrent. Give me more between these two actors other than them rotating annoyed faces and tired ones.
  
  And what in the world? There's a composition book. Inside the book it says "The father must die." So, what, the kid jumps in the way of the ghost-bolt, or whatever it was? Is that what happened? I've no clue!
  
  The history of this spirit, the nature of it, is a complete mystery to me.
  
  First time you see the ghost in the closet : Nicely done.
  
  When it shows up and shoots its ecto-bullet or whatever it was : Not so nicely done. There was something about making this thing corporeal that just made it silly.
  
  I was initially offput by the "world goes green" thing you did when the kid was on the ground, but I grew to like it quite a bit as it went on (and it went on).
  
  It's odd, but this is the place where your lead actor did his best work. Very silent film. I dug it. I dig anything that looks inspired from silent film.
  
  Ultimately, you suffer from sluggish pacing, sledgehammery characterization, a muddy story, what amounts to a gimmick of a foe, and boring, repetitive shots.
  
  I think you've got talent, if for no other reason than your ability to craft something not entirely unappealing. You put more work into this than some do on the site. You are interested in the mechanics, the technical side of things, and it shows. Now you just need to find style, and a voice.
  
  I'll watch your other work, should you have any. Though this critique may be negative, and your piece may be middle-of-the-road, I believe you've got it in you to do very well in the future. read
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  As The Screw Turns
  A review of The Turn of the Screw
  by **DELETED ACCOUNT** on 04/01/2008
  The house interior looked like an in-studio stage set, and the music smelled a bit soapy, but overall...Good stuff. Digital can look so digital, huh? Mostly, that's due to lighting. And the fact that it's not film. Hey, I shoot on a Canon XH A1, so no ribbing here. It's just an aesthetic thing. There are those who will tell you: It is not film so don't shoot it like film... The house interior looked like an in-studio stage set, and the music smelled a bit soapy, but overall...Good stuff.
  
  Digital can look so digital, huh? Mostly, that's due to lighting. And the fact that it's not film. Hey, I shoot on a Canon XH A1, so no ribbing here. It's just an aesthetic thing. There are those who will tell you: It is not film so don't shoot it like film. Blah, blah, blah...The debate continues.
  
  The lead (adult) actor seemed miscast. I felt he had chops, just didn't believe he was the boy's father.
  
  The boy, on the other hand, did really well, especially if this was a first.
  
  And the ghost freaked me out, but only during the bedroom scene, when he fades back into the shadow of the closet. Way to tap into our collective psyches and use something so universally creepy.
  
  Buy the DP a beer and a shot of whiskey on me! read
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  turned my screw
  A review of The Turn of the Screw
  by Jobessi Productions on 09/03/2007
  what can I say about this film? Definately unique. It's too bad there was so many glitches. It looked like I was watching a slideshow. I hope the film was supposed to be like that and not a technical error, because the shots were clear, and well angled. It brought an intamacy to the characters with theh CU's. Overall, it was an interesting story, with great shots. I would... what can I say about this film? Definately unique. It's too bad there was so many glitches. It looked like I was watching a slideshow. I hope the film was supposed to be like that and not a technical error, because the shots were clear, and well angled. It brought an intamacy to the characters with theh CU's.
  
  Overall, it was an interesting story, with great shots. I would just make sure what I post for review, is the copy of the production that you actually want reviewed.
  
  In the end, this was a great piece given the circumstances. read
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  Good Quality
  A review of The Turn of the Screw
  by timhan on 08/25/2007
  The opening titles were great, the look was very good overall and I really liked the acting. One minor thing was the fact that visually it was a little dark overall. I also think it could of benefited if you trimmed some of the scenes down as it did drag a little bit, but not that much. I think there were some good ideas here, but it didn't quite seem to hang together in...
  The opening titles were great, the look was very good overall and I really liked the acting.
  
  One minor thing was the fact that visually it was a little dark overall. I also think it could of benefited if you trimmed some of the scenes down as it did drag a little bit, but not that much. I think there were some good ideas here, but it didn't quite seem to hang together in the end.
  
  Anyway, well done for putting together something of such high quality. read