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So it’s New Year’s Eve in Terminus and everyone’s going crazy because their televisions
have “disrupted the synaptic neural networks” as Clark (Scott Poythress), the designated
tech geek explaner reminds us repeatedly. Just before the nightmare is unleashed,
Maya (Anessa Ramsey) and Ben (Justin Welborn), the ostensible heroes,
whisper sweet nothings to each other while designating her husband Lewis (AJ Bowen)
as the villain of the piece. From then on we follow their meandering journey back to
each other.
So I guess this is “high concept” because we’ve got three different directors (we’ve
never heard of) each directing his own segment from, get this, the unique point of view
of a different character. Sadly, all this just adds to the “haven’t I already seen this done
much better” feel of the film. From the moment I sat down and saw “the Signal” of the
title pulsing loudly from the television, I was distracted by that very thought. Oh yeah, I
just rented “the Ring” last week, a film which by the way rehabilitated my opinion of
Gore Verbinski after the most recent and not so wonderful Pirates of the Caribbean.
Then there’s a whole zombie-like aura: it’s not that people don’t die but some of them
despite having been shot, clocked on the head numerous times with tanks and hatchets,
and sprayed with pesticide are still walking around a la Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days
and Weeks Later, and I Am Legend.
But there’s more...or is there. Not only are the points of view different so are the tones
of each of the segments. They’re putting their own spin on different genres! First we
have the woman in danger, slasher film. Then the horror, wink wink, comedy (and that’s
satire with a really really small s). Finally (some would label this “Hitchcockian but I
wouldn’t dare insult the master) there’s mind bending thriller. The second works best
because although the bits are tedious, some of the actors, particularly Chad McKnight
as the skeezy Jim who delivers the line “I’m gonna grab a slut and pee in her butt” with
an absolutely straight face, are hilarious. But all in all it just don’t hang together. I have
to say that in this case high concept equals I have a complicated idea running around
inside my own mind that when I try to explain it to other people comes out sounding
really confusing.
And one last question. With all the high quality “prosumer” cameras on the market that
even the big boys use on the big “shows”, why oh why in the world shoot something on
35mm that looks and SOUNDS so...how should I say this so...um inexpensive? Now
I’ve worked on a ton of low budget shoots and I know what film can do, there’s just nothing
like it, it makes really ugly people you’d run away from on the street look absolutely
seductive (you know who I’m talking about). But I guess, in this case, you just can’t put
lipstick on a pig without a good story structure and some decent lighting and framing.
Go rent ONCE and see how to properly stretch a micro-budget dollar. |
