Review: Faceless

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Faceless
Directed by Marcel Sarmiento
Blackbear Studios; Producer Capital Fund; Indican Pictures
97 minutes, 2021
www.indicanpictures.com/new-releases/faceless

Imagine taking a bowl and throwing in the 800 lb. gorilla of face changing movies, Face/Off (1997) and then add in some elements of Old Boy (I prefer the 2003 Chan-Wook Park version, but if you want to keep with the overemoting theme of Face/Off, we can go with the 2013 U.S. remake), stir it vigorously, and you end up with something different than either of them.

After a short prologue showing a low-life gambling addict who is betting on a dog fight under a highway, we meet the protagonist of the story, George (Brendan Sexton III, who has made lots of films, but I recognize him from 2010’s The Runaways), who wakes in the hospital having had a complete face transplant and no memory of how he got there. The operation during the credits and the gauze removal was painful to watch (scalpels and needles are an admitted weak spot for me).

With a Coen Brothers’ languid pace and artistic flair, the film has a dark, almost sepia tone, and a disorienting feel as George tries to figure out who he is, both in the past and now with a new and scarred face that even his parents repel at, giving the audience a taste of his new life and mood.

When a mysterious masked man in a bunny hug – I mean a hoodie – starts popping up in a threatening manner, it seems to be subtly implying that George, a man in a human mask, is meeting a man in a full blanched-out teddy bear mask. Is this real or is it a trick of his mind, possibly the original owner of his new countenance? Or, as his boss askes, “Are you sure it’s not your meds fuckin’ with you?” Is he and the audience being gaslit?

What is obvious and explained early is that pre-face replacement George was a man of questionable actions, and the new George has to reckon with it, much like Geena Davis’s character in The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) or the titular mystery man in The Bourne Identity (2002; especially in the better 1980 Robert Ludlum novel).

Just who is the mysterious tall, willowy, and beautiful redheaded woman, Sophie (Alex Essoe, who has recently been Wendy in 2019’s Doctor Sleep, and a regular in 2020’s Netflix mini-series “The Haunting of Bly Manor”)? He doesn’t remember her, but she certainly knows him. The bigger question is if she’s connected to George or the original face owner? Or perhaps both?

As is a common theme in these memory loss kinds of pictures, there are flashes of remembrances that make no sense to either the character or the audience due to context, but I have learned to wait it out, because it all tends to come clear by the end as the past and the present come colliding together, usually violently (I am halfway through at this point; yes, I write as I watch).

The gore is brief but graphic, and the scar make-up is incredibly well done. As a sidebar, I must add that with the twisted scar around George’s mouth and bruises around the eyes, he looks a bit like the medical staff in the infamous “Eyeof the Beholder”  episode of “The Twilight Zone” (1960, with Donna Douglas). One of my pet peeves on a lot of action shows, be it film or tv, is that when someone is hurt, they will have a really nasty cut (usually on the brow), and the next “day” it is just a line, and then it’s gone in less than a cinematic week; “Young Wallander” comes to mind as an example. So not realistic, but cheaper on the make-up budget. Here, George gets some bruises, and they are there for the duration, as the main part of the film (post-hospital) takes place over a few days. Not only that, but with wear and tear…and punches, etc., as time goes by he actually looks worse for wear than he did at the beginning. Kudos and thank you to the relatively large make-up crew who did such a smash-up job (pun intended).

Meanwhile, George is having issues with his family and the two thugs out to get their money owed to him in his previous life. As is common in these thriller kinds of films (i.e., non-supernatural), there’s crime, double crosses, and plot twists, all working together to that explosive ending I mentioned earlier. All I can say about the conclusion, though, is that I would have loved a postscript on one year later.

The film does get a bit confusing on who is who and the whys here and there, but generally it keeps the interest, especially by the half-way point. Luckily, the beauty of the visuals kept drawing me in. My one real quibble is that the sound is sometimes either too low or mumbled for my decrepit ears (too many live Ramones [etc.] concerts in my youth).

Whatever the weak points are, they are well overshadowed by the artistic merit that was put into the final work. Overall, its feel reminded me of Blood Simple (1984), a film that I felt had some issues but liked, and it ended up becoming considered as a classic. This has that kind of hallmark, leaning in that direction.

The film is full of bubbling under actors, with lots of credits in both films and television series, sometimes as semi-regulars. In other words, even though this is a solidly independent feature, the cast is strong without any of the usual acting foibles associated with this kind of budgeted film. Combined with director Sarmiento’s skills, this is a strong contender.

The film is available in digital formats, as well as DVD as of March 2, 2021.

Horror Shorts Reviews: February 2021

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Filmmakers, please note: It is important that you list your films on IMDB. Going forward, I will not review a film that is unlisted, and I have seen a few good ones that are not.

Horror Shorts Reviews for February 2021

 

Covivid
Directed by Diego Vincentini
Indiegocinema
15:12 minutes, 2020

www.facebook.com/covividshortfilm
The one positive about the whole COVID-19 pandemic is the amount of art that is coming out of it. In this case, this whole horror comedy was done – cast and crew – by Vincentini’s immediate family (mother, father, sister), his sister’s boyfriend, and Diego’s friend. Our protagonist, played by the director (so let’s call him Diego), arrives at what I believe is the family vacation home, dressed in full hazmat gear. His family is stuck in the airport because of shutdowns, so he is alone. As Johnny Thunders’ said, “And when I’m home / Big deal, I’m still alone.” The thing is, of course, Diego is easily bored and hates being by himself. As the days pass, he is running out of things to do besides drinking, literally talking to himself, and – err – taking matters in hand. Then he starts to hear things beyond himself, which eventually start to manifest (shades of Gerald’s Game). Is this an evil spirit or, as Diego’s lonely cabin fever insanity grows, something else? There are quite a few spooky moments, and a lot of humorous ones. Moments come and go quite quickly, so it’s good to pay attention to what is being said as well as what is happening.  Definitely worth a view.
Full film HERE 

 

First Bite
Directed by Vincenzo Nappi
Canux Pictures
6:10 minutes, 2020
Would a bathroom in a venue housing a metal concert be anything less than disgusting, even in charming and beautiful Montreal? That doesn’t stop lovely Alex (Catherine Saindon) from driving the porcelain bus after an incident that will change her life. Her friend, Olivia (Hana Kashaf) is concerned outside the door. All of the action happens within the bathroom, or just beyond its entrance way, but still manages to avoid feeling too claustrophobic. At some point, you see the ending coming, but that does not stop it from being perfectly charming in its horror. The effects look good, as does the lead, and though this isn’t a deep introspective that will leave you wondering, it will instead be short, sweet, and satisfactory in the best sense.|
Full film HERE 

 

Halloween Spirit
Directed by John H. Shelton
5:04 minutes, 2021
Rather than a narrative tale, this is more of a mood piece, as various narrators read poetic renderings about the coming of the Halloween holiday with hushed voices and malevolent, flat (Ƅ) tones. With ghouls and goblins in the air and witches stirring their pots preparing, we see images of Halloween lawn ornaments, leaf covered trails through the wood with some fun Instagram-type filters imposed, and even a clip from Shelton’s previous short film, “The Crimson Video” (2020). It’s dark and whimsical at the same time.
Full film HERE 

 

Killing Floor – A Murderer Speaks
Directed by Henrique Couto
New Dynamic
9:37 minutes, 2020
www.patreon.com/Incrediblyhandsome
Based on a play by Andy Copp, a court-sanctioned psychiatrist (Couto stalwart John Hembrick, with a goatee!) is assigned to assess McCraken (Jeremy Rhynes), in prison, to see if he is mentally culpable. If not, does that mean they will Release the McCraken? Sorry… Anyway, the reason for the assessment is that McCraken claims he is possessed by a demon, and discusses his youth in third-person (i.e., “he” instead of “I”). He turns the tables and starts to interrogate the doctor, seeming to know more about him than the doc is willing to admit even to himself. Could this alleged supernatural monster be finding the human monster in the doc? The film is essentially the two of them talking. Rhymes carefully spits out his words and Hembrick emotionally runs scared well. Despite the lack of physical action, just the two of them talking is tense, like the talks between Hannibal and Clarise in The Silence of the Lambs (1991). The fun of the film is watching the cat and mouse between them, but of course, the question must be asked, which is the cat and who is the mouse.
Full film HERE 

Killing Time
Directed by Scott Lake
HMF Productions; Romero Pictures Indie Brigade
16:43 minutes, 2019
www.mdb.com/title/tt10703630/?ref_=tt_mv_close  
Co-produced and co-written by George C. Romero, son of George A. Romero, this horror-kinda sci-fi sort of fits well with George A.’s canon. I could go into some other films that I can see as precursors or influences, but I won’t because it would give too much away. In the middle of the night, a masked man appears in a house, where he seems quite familiar. He takes some questionable actions (such as removing his gloves, among others), and then does unspeakable deeds that, again, I will not reveal, but it is quite shocking. He wakes the male house occupant, Ethan (Jay Allen Tucker) and then the sci-fi part starts. I’m purposely being vague because, with a short, it is very easy to give away too much. I figured out a major part of it, but not the motivation or the how. With the droning help of the music by Bastard Sons of a Judas Goat (great name) that sounds a lot like Dario Argento’s Goblin, the tension is kept taught, and even though filmed in an unlit house, the visuals are pretty clear. Nicely creepy, unexpectedly violent, and mildly bloody, considering the per capita body count. Worth a view (as of this publishing, it is on the festival circuit).
Trailer TBD

 

Waffle
Directed by Carlyn Hudson
10:58 minutes, 2020
www.waffletheshort.com/
In this Internet-based age, one can purchase just about anything, even a best friend – for a set time and a fee. Lonely and wacky waffle heiress Katie (Katie Marovich) has such an arrangement with Kerry (Kerry Barker). But, of course, in this horror comedy, things aren’t all they seem to be. With quite a few twists and turns, we learn that we are unsure of whatever happened to Katie’s parents, and she seems to be confident to getting her way. Her and Kerry’s sleepover gets darker and darker as the night wears on, and the viewer may wonder, who is the one who is in danger here, and what relationship is real? It’s all answered by the end (filled with ‘80s style synth music), and it’s very satisfying. Marovich and Barker wrote the film, and their experience shows, as they are popular on the CollegeHumor website. What is nice is that there is no time wasted, and all 11 minutes, including the credits, are attention grabbers.
Full film HERE 

Review: The Midas Touch

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

The Midas Touch
Directed by Tilman Borck
FTB Productions; Indie Rights Movies
110 minutes, 2020
https://www.themidastouch.online/

In the words of Seth Meyers, “what we need right now” is a good sexually religious farcical comedy that is not afraid to push that proverbial envelope to beyond its flap. Director, writer, and actor Tilman Borck dips his – err – toe into the pool with this updating of the Greek legend of King Midas, but with a tug n twist, if not several.

Gino Wilson

We are introduced to milquetoast Felix Blythe (Gino Wilson), who is a low-level advertising drone in an office. Unlike the meaning of his name – “Felix” is happy and peppy, “Blythe” (blithe) indicates carefree – Felix is a humdrum worker who is constantly bullied by his boss Ron (Clayton Nemrow) and co-workers, and looked down upon by others for his shy spirit. While he has literal dreams of sexual exploits with beautiful women, in actuality, like the chartered accountant in the Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketch, his life is “dull, dull, dull…” He is a “very quiet man in a very loud world.”

The other main characters are the polar opposite of Felix, in that they are colorful, but bizarre. There’s self-help guru Sviatoslav Rău (the director, Borck) and his hapless Sidekick (Bernhard Bozian), both of whom dress as if it were the 19 Century, with cane and cape; a Trump-ish self-centered right-wing politician James Walker (Nicolas Buitrago); and his sensuous and statuesque wife, Sarah (Transylvania-born Noémi Domokos), upon whom Felix has a crush. Sarah also runs a small religious cult comprised of women.

Tilman Borck, Bernhard Bozian

While drowning his sorrows, Felix manages to inherit the titular Midas Touch. In a nutshell, it is a hex that can become a curse, even to him. This is not a fairy tale so it does not make princesses fall in love with whomever they touch, but rather makes them hornier than a hoot owl. But can Felix live – err – up to it? Even a young man needs to recoup. I remember a line by comedian David Brenner saying that after once, for him it was something like trying to chop down a tree with an overcooked asparagus. How much of a good thing is too much?

Anyway, what this means for the viewer is that there is plenty of onscreen (softcore) sex and full nudity of both men and women. Sure, this is a male’s fantasy, they make an emphasis about that, and there is even an anti-Feminist nod in the scroll at the bottom of a news report, but I will say that this is pandering to the male audience rather than trying to make a huge political comment about the role of sex. I would have liked to see what would happen if Felix touched a gay man, to see if it would affect that way as well. The film is reminiscent of sex comedies that were popular in mostly art houses and Times Square in the late 1960s and ‘70s, such as The Erotic Adventures of Robin Hood (1969) and Alice in Wonderland: An Adult Musical Fantasy (1976; the latter softcore version played at a neighborhood theater in which I was an usher).

Noémi Domokos

As the names of the actors may hint at, this is a European production (Germany, I believe), though filmed in crisp English for those who struggle with accents. 

It is smartly filmed, even initially with characters who have not yet met move in and out around each other as the story progresses and they keep passing or literally bumping into each other. But of course, by the end, all will converge, with the evil attempting to persuade the poor Felix.

The acting is kind of goofy, but again, this is an extremely broad comedy with a really low moral bar, and the over-emoting belies that, but it is also very funny in parts, with Rău being the oddest character with the best lines, and his reading of his “cult” speech is definitely a highlight of the film, reminiscent of the “Spanish Inquisition” bit from, again, Monty Python. Wilson is actually spot on in his character, as a squeaky mouse that finds his teeth. The Ron/boss character reminds me a lot of the similar Gary Cole role in Office Space (1999).

While mostly it is comedy and nekkidity, there is also surprisingly a body count (albeit relatively small), and some unexpected gore. It made me smile.

Cayton Nemrow

One of the interesting aspects of this film is that there is no real love interest for Felix, just an object of lust in Sarah. Usually, there’s a secondary or friend character who, at the end, becomes the heroine of the piece, and I find that truly different and admirable. Also, I enjoyed the O. Henry-ish surprise at the end.

There is an extremely large cast of extras here, which is also commendable. While ridiculous, it doesn’t fall into the sheer stupidity trap of the likes of some of the sex comedies from the States, like the Porky’s series or the those with Seth Rogan (sorry, but I am not a fan); perhaps it’s the European sensibilities.

Sure, parts of this are pure goof, but there is an undercurrent of smartness, a relish of skewering topics, and a joyousness in its total abandon. Add some decent filmmaking, and this is definitely watchable, especially for a first-time feature director. Honestly, though, I would not consider it a date movie as it is the antithesis of the Hallmark Channel fare, but rather along the lines of the old Cinemax Channel.

 

Review: Parts Unknown

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Parts Unknown
Directed by Richard Chandler
Boston Film Family; Wild Eye Releasing
117 minutes, 2018 / 2020
www.facebook.com/PartsUnknownMovie/
www.bostonfilmfamily.com/
www.wildeyereleasing.com 

There is a natural correlation between professional wrestling and horror cinema. Just seek out releases from Mexico, even from the 1960s. Sure, lots of films use actual wrestlers in tough guy roles. For example, in mainstream there are Dwayne Johnson “The Rock,” “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Terry Bollea aka Hulk Hogan; but there is also an impact from luche libre made in indie films, such as Gene Snitskey and Samu Anoa’i.

William DeCoff

For this mash-up, its William DeCoff, whose multi-title winning wrestling name was Sean “Battleship” O’Reilly, playing scarred patriarch Hermann Von Strasser (perhaps a nod to DeCoff’s mentor, Fritz von Erich?). He angrily struggles with his place in the modern tech world, where people at matches are more focused on scrolling their cell phones than on what is happening in the ring. I understand this: if you go to a taping of a live television production, be it a talk show, game show or “Saturday Night Live,” you will see people in the audience watching the monitors rather than the real-life action happening a few feet from them. Fascinating to see. But, as always, I digress…

It seems the angrier Hermann gets, the more his western Massachusetts accent flairs, which is delightful, especially in moments when he says things like “We’re all paht of this now... capisce?!” Then again, he says cringey stuff like, “I gotta get some money from the Jew,” meaning sleezy wrestling promoter Gary Wilkerstein (Ralph Regine). It’s plain obvious that nearly the entire Von Strasser family is pretty, well, not nice people. While patriarch Hermann (DeCoff) is a piece of work and his insane/infantile brother Harvey (Alexander Hauck) is a murderous ruffie-rapist who wears a MAGA hat to show just how mentally “off” he is, the scarily insane one is cute, pill-poppin’ sister Kitty (Sarah Michelle), who has a vein of evil that is to the core. Just look at her eyes and the way she twirls her hair… oh, and how much she gets off on people getting killed, even kin. To be fair, though, most of the characters are pretty scuzzy, though one possible shining star of decency may be wrestler Lacey (soapmaker Lizzie Havoc). Let’s see where that goes.

Lizzie Havoc and Sarah Michelle

So, what happens to this evil family when they are asked by some diminutive demonic creature called The Holiness (voiced by wrestler Jake “The Snake” Roberts and embodied by Christina Costello, who is 5-foot tall, the same as my mom; but again, I digress…) for blood sacrifices? Hermann complies, making a deal with the demon with “I live for blood.” And a murder spree is on its way. But honestly, from the time before this, it’s pretty obvious that they don’t need to promise a demon, they’re pretty violent from the beginning.

Christina Costello

I believe this is taking place in 2033, from a radio announcement, which would explain the neon lighting everywhere that’s right out of Café Flesh (1982). In fact, there is a lot of this that reminds me of that film, as well as the director’s (Steven Sayadian) follow-up, Dr. Caligari (1989), including the synth score and the camera angles/editing. Like Café Flesh, this is a film, on a secondary level, about voyeurism and the audience’s lack of ability, which is appropriate in today’s world, never mind 2033. An example of this is a wrestling match between Lacey and Kitty, which becomes downright brutal, yet the audience is cheering it on in flaccid fascination, reminiscent of a theme from Garfunkel and Oats’ “Sports Go Sports”: “You watch genetically superior people/Do things you never will.” There’s a nice nod to Gladiator (2000) to put an emphasis to this.

Alexandra Cipolla

To add onto this story, there is Mary Price (Alexandra Cipolla, who was also good in The Trees Have Eyes, 2020; reviewed HERE) as an undead police detective and possible goddess on the trail of the killer family for justice and revenge. And damn, I’m not even half way through this film.

Lizzie Havoc

While this isn’t necessarily a sequel to the director, Richard Chandler’s previous film, Witch Hunters (2016; reviewed HERE), there is a connection, as they both take place in the same universe of witches and demons, with a character from the previous film, Dominic Damarus (Chandler) making an appearance, and Lacey is the daughter of Sheriff Tormada in that film. There is also a cameo reference to an earlier Chandler film which I have not seen, Gilgamesh (2014).

As is common with Witch Hunters, there appear to be no separation of acts, and the action flows constantly, be it wrestling or physical havoc involving guns, knives, and even a wood chipper. The gore is fun and not necessarily over the top in looks, but the action is at times brutal and the mere suggestion of it is enough to make most (especially women) squirm. There is violence perpetrated by everyone and on everyone, but it’s particular when it comes to women, which I won’t go into detail. Speaking of women, there is lots of skin exposure (one male at a distance), especially the northern territory, be it cleavage, under-hang, or just toplessness. Men are killed, but women are sexually harmed. I’m not going to take a side on the argument, but I am sure there may be bound to be one if you see this as a couple.

My issue with the film, mostly, is just the pure length of it, at three minutes shy of two hours. Sure, the acting is all over the place, and the storyline sometimes gets convoluted, but that’s the nature of indie cinema and you can take it or leave it, but the sheer length is… well, it could be edited down a bit without losing any of the piledriver impact.

Two Different Horror Shorts Based on the Same Idea: February 2021

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
mages from YouTube.

Here are two more well done horror shorts that are very similar in nature, put together by different directors and made independent of each other. They both have the same premise of a strange person showing up, moving awkwardly, and being spooky as all get out.

Both of these films have been reviewed on this blog, which are hyperlinked to the titles. Also, the shorts themselves are attached below.

 

2AM: The Smiling Man was released in 2013, and is 4:08 minutes in length. It is directed by Michael Evans, and stars Sean Simon as the scared man and Paul Foltz in the titular role. I have seen some fan films modeled on this one more directly, but no one moves or looks as scary as Foltz, with the others coming off as more silly. 

For Smiling Woman, from 2019, it is 4:08 minutes. The actors are Ariel Fullinwilder and Merlynda Sol as the mysterious woman in yellow, and was directed by Alex Magana.  

Despite both these films having essentially the same storyline, both are incredibly well made, and appropriately creepy.

 

Review: People to Kill

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

People to Kill (aka Severed Ties)
Directed by Adam Scott Clevenger
Epic Failure Productions; Living the Dream Films; Final Sunrise Productions
117 minutes, 2018
https://www.facebook.com/PeopletoKillMoviePage/

The prologue, of course, starts with a violent note, with a mom (Cassandra Engber, who’s roles in her three IMDB credits are listed as “Mom”) being killed, possibly by the Lullaby Killer. She is found by her cop husband, listed as “dad” (Geoff Burkman) and their three sons. Then, cut to five years later. So far, so bloody.

Dad’s now an angry guy, lashing out at gays, people of color (“they’re animals!”), and even God. To me, this is somewhat understandable since his three adult sons still live with him, doing grown up stuff like playing Dungeons and Dragons. Was that ever cool? There’s Shawn (director Adam Clevenger), who owns a collectables store called “Starbase” (Trek­-based, not Wars; it was a real place in Columbus, OH, until it closed), gay Vince (Vincent Holiday), and the youngest, a priest named Mike (Mike Canestaro), whose church is in a poor neighborhood.

Back row: Mike Canestrao, Vincent Holiday, Adam Clevenger
Bottom row:Geoff Burkman, Cassandra Engber

Across the street is the spot for a hooker named Savannah (Erin R. Ryan). We also get to meet her not-so-nice violent Russian pimp, White Ben (Noah Shane). Shawn obviously has a thing for her (non-professionally), and she is startin’ to like him back. Gotta say, she rocks a Trek uniform here (though I worry about her safety as it’s red).

After a sermon at Mike’s practically deserted church, Dad and one of his sons heads over to an equally near-empty strip club (coz that’s what one does after church, right? Actually, I don’t understand the appeal of strip clubs, even as a straight male; I went to one once and I didn’t know who looked more bored, myself or the dancers).

The real motivation for the title of the film begins in the third act, when some unexpected violence affects this family, which I will not divulge. At this point, it becomes a revenge saga. It reminds me a bit of Straw Dogs (1971, which I still say was the model for 1990’s Home Alone), where the first two acts are a bit of a slow burn (though not bloodless) that builds to an extended bout of retribution and death. While the first two-thirds is getting to know the characters to explain motivation, the second is an explosion of action.

Erin R. Ryan, Clevenger, Holiday

This isn’t a Stallone or Van Damme film where basically the hero is surrounded by bullets, standing there unharmed, but shooting tons of the “bad guys,” or in fisticuff, easily beats all comers. Here the action is dirty and with consequences. I don’t know if I would say “credible,” but definitely more realistic. There is lots of blood and a couple of squeamish bits, all of which look really nice.

For an indie feature, the acting is rather good, with Clevenger and Ryan coming out on top. Burkman also comes off pretty strong. Many of these cast members have worked together on other local projects, so they play off each other quite well. Another bonus.

While technically this is not a comedy, though one may think a very dark one if it is, there are some outstanding comic relief performances by the likes of the Commander (Chris Gooley) and a lesbian strip club attendee, Ms. Graves (Marylee Osborne, who was also great in 2016's Nothing Good Ever Happens, which shares a number of cast members present here). It’s almost like the four main characters are the straight men for the rest of the cast of oddballs. There is a great moment between the Commander and a stripper (JoAnna Lloyd) that I knew was trouble beyond the fact of orientation that would eventually (and it does) – er – come out. However, by the vengeful third act, the bits of humor is wisely left behind. However, it should be noted that the comic bits are a good way to be the yin of the violent yang, lulling the viewer in with false expectations. Love that.

Noah Shane

There is a subtle commentary that crops up on occasion about living in the strongly Red state of Ohio, including about what is allowed in strip clubs, some political elbowing, and even some jabs at the politics behind religious institutions. And that doesn’t even include the Trek vs. Wars conflagration.

This is the first movie as director for Clevenger, who is a long-time Ohio-based actor. He’s worked with some of the more interesting directors in the area, like Henrique Couto and Eric Widing, among others, which is a good school to attend with experienced mentors. One of the hardest things to learn, though, is excising, especially as also the writer, as this film is overly long at nearly two hours, but luckily it stays pretty interesting throughout. I can easily see some things that could have been shortened, like the D&D game and some of the strip club material. For example, as much as I enjoyed the Ms. Graves scene, it really didn’t contribute to the overall story; it would have been a great “extras” segment on the disc.

Burkman

Speaking of the disc, I watched a “festival screener” that according to the director, “is missing a 20-minute epilogue that delves into the family’s past a little more.“ As much as I thought this film could have been edited a bit more, I would have still liked to have seen it. And for a first time director, that is a compliment to his work.

Meanwhile, the “thank you” section of the credits is worth a read.