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Jack 5

Cleveland, Ohio, UNITED STATES


Joined December 23rd 2008

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Come talk about movies of all types- from the strange to the disturbing.

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Tilsammans (Together)

January 24th 2009 17:07
This is a truly great film that comes to us from Sweden. Originally released in 2000, it has received no less than 14 different awards. It is set in 1974 Stockholm, and tells the story of a mother who leaves her alcoholic husband, taking her two children with her to live at her brother's commune. The film is humorous, lively, well-paced, and painfully real at times. For a full synopsis, and other fun facts, visit the Internet Film Database.

The production values are true to the time period in which the film is placed. It is shot on grainy low quality films,and the scenes rely mostly on natural lighting. All in all, it really felt like a movie from the seventies, which presented a very consistent tone throughout the movie.

The writing and acting are both exceptional. The plot elements are simple, even ordinary, being centered on human dramas, but they are such a diverse blend of human issues that it adds life to the characters and colors their interactions. The story revolves around the life of the commune, and so it is more like a conglomeration of supporting characters than a film driven through a singular protagonist. If you watch the film, chances are, you will find yourself resonating with each of the characters on some level.

The wide cast of characters allows for a great variety of social themes to be touched upon- teenage angst, young love, open relationships, political ideals, sexual orientation and exploration, alcoholism, growing up, getting old, and family values. Of course, the real spirit of the movie is conveyed in the title, which is the importance of togetherness to human beings.

This film is remarkable in that it manages to be a feel good movie without being sappy or saccharine. For those who like independent films and dramas that focus on acting and characters more than dramatic events to move a story forward, Together will not disappoint.
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The Haint starring Troy Mink

January 5th 2009 19:23
The Haint is a one-man stage performance by Troy Mink. He portrays 13 different characters, all without changing costume or makeup. The production is minimalist- no sets, props, makeup, or costumes are used.

In the small imaginary town of Midway, Tennessee, a local murder has taken on ghost story status, producing the legend of "Bloody Mary." Each of the characters is portrayed as if they are being interviewed for a documentary. The style is an interesting format, and provided a good vehicle for a production with only one actor.

Troy Mink delivers a brilliant performance. He has an expressive face and demeanor, and portrays each of the characters uniquely. The minimalist production values make for smoothe and speedy transitions from scene to scene, which Mink makes effortlessly as he jumps from one role to the next. Troy's performance is certainly the best quality of the movie.

The biggest weakness of The Haint was the humor. The script relies heavily on the use of humor, and I personally didn't really find it that funny. I was certainly impressed by Mink's ability to show so many facets of himself, but I found myself struggling with the comedy more than laughing.

Overall, I found it to be a bit slow, and I considered turning it off a few times, but Troy Mink's acting made me stick it out. For anyone who is a fan of monologues or one-man shows produced with minimalist values, I definitely consider it a work worth seeing.
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Like solid action and dark themes? Don't miss Gabriel

December 28th 2008 01:27
Gabriel is a 2007 film that comes to us out of Australia. It's billed on Netflix as a "dark actioner." Be assured that it is both, but pleasantly so.

The archangel Gabriel visits a place called Purgatory, where the souls of human beings wait out their time before they go to Heaven or Hell. Gabriel's purpose is to continue the eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil for control of purgatory. The forces of evil, called the Fallen, have controlled purgatory for a very long time, and are on the verge of winning the battle for good. Gabriel is the last of the Archangels to come and take up the quest in the name of goodness and light- all the others have been killed or gone missing. Throw in an angel-turned-prostitute, and you have most of the major plot elements.
For a full synopsis of the plot (and other fun facts), check out the entry at the Internet Movie Database.

The action in the movie is high-paced, well-choreographed, and flashy without being over-the-top. There are a lot of guns involved, so if you're a fan of some bullet action, you won't be disappointed. Martial arts are used often and to good effect throughout Gabriel, and in many of the shots you can see it's the actors themselves performing the moves. As one might expect from a film with this subject matter, the action sequences follow in the trend of "matrix-style" action films and cross over into the realm of impossibility, but the creators didn't go too far with it. I found the overall effect to be exciting to watch, without trying too hard.

The mood of the film is dark, as promised, so anybody out there with an inner goth will certainly appreciate the sets and costumes of Purgatory (black leather trenchcoats are all the rage there). That being said, the costumes are intricate and fitting. The sets are also complex and detailed, and accentuate the darkness of the movie.

The performances overall were strong, and were bolstered by a logical plot and strong dialogue. I particularly liked Dwaine Stevensen in the role of Sammael. He's got a very compelling face, and his delivery of the lines really conveyed the part. I'll definitely try any other movie I find with him in it.

The movie also has some depth to it. In the midst of the violence, there is some soul-searching going on, about life, morality, purpose, and free will. There's also some attempt to explore what it means to be human- complete with feelings and urges.

Overall, I give the movie a "thumbs-up" (do I have to pay Roger Ebert to use that term?). I would watch this movie again. I consider it a success, and shows that you can take an old tired theme and still tell a good story with it. It's all about how you do it.

Watch Gabriel Instantly on Netlfix! Your text goes here
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In the mood for something a little... different?

December 23rd 2008 23:03
Welcome to Off-Beat Movies. This blog is intended for those of us who are looking for something more than just the next Hollywood blockbuster. There is a whole world of films out there, from all sorts of countries, as well as a thriving independent film community in the US. Some of these movies are strange, others are deranged, and others are just really cool.

This site is dedicated to those movies that stray from the beaten path. Be it from odd content material, strange themes, or of-the-wall cinematic techniques, any movie that deviates from the Hollywood formula


[ Click here to read more ]
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Recent Comments

Comment by Jack 5
on Movie Review: Dragon Wars: D-Wars (2007)

December 29th 2008 14:12
Pretty honest appraisal of the movie. I agree that the human interactions in the movie were far from riveting. I also liked the premise of the story a lot, but found that the dragons are what kept me watching it.

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