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6/10
I sort of agree with both of the others... though they did actually make the thing.
lorien-712 May 2006
You know, in one sense anyone may have, and share, their opinion about anything they want, even their own work... but Mike. Oh, Mike.

Now let's be clear - he isn't trying to boost sales (it isn't presently for sale), and his name is clearly emblazoned above the review, so he's not being deceptive or anything, but Mike...

Reviewer "Obliv", who stars as the lead villain, is spot on about the movie. It is quite ambitious. Most Local Filmmakers follow the rule that says to only write what you can shoot. Mike wrote what James Cameron could shoot, and then set out to do it himself on his own hard work, and the goodwill of friends. He edited it on a linear editing system (which means that you're essentially re-recording the shots one after the other. If you realize, 20 minutes in, that you want to fix something at the beginning, your only option is to start over). Much of the acting is wooden (happens in Hollywood occasionally), but not all of it. Much of the story is derivative (Hollywood!), but the mix is int'resting. One scene just works - it involves a guy hunting through wreckage as an alien onslaught continues around him. Its placement in the film, the camera-work, and Mike's use of sound effects made it convincing.

It is unlikely that anyone reading this who does not personally know these reviewers will ever see this film, because it was scored with the music of Jerry Goldsmith. You could call it a "temp track", but it's really probably stuck there, unless the picture undergoes a whole re- edit. But if Mike becomes more popularly known, this might give you a glimpse into his work as a young adult.
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7/10
For its time, a great student film.
mwest46220 June 2003
A group of college students who loved to make movies got together in 1991 to do just that. The result, inspired heavily by The Terminator, is a fast-paced action romp about aliens trying to stop a time travel plot that would end their invasion of Earth. Done quickly for a grade, and with a budget that wouldn't pay for shoestrings, it remains enjoyable to watch more than 10 years later.
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10/10
oh well...
obliv30 October 2006
in my review, i was trying to get people to maybe check out mike's book, since they might be piqued enough by the reviews and descriptions. since I've been called out now, guess that wont happen.

yeah, i was in it. my friend, mike west,who wrote and directed this movie, has since become a writer. he wrote a terrific little book called "the wide game". i posted a review of the film, and mentioned the book. my hope was that someone would come along, read the reviews, and maybe check out the book. since i would seem a completely impartial viewer, recommending something i liked, that would maybe count for something.

well, another friend decided to call me out, and tell the world, essentially, that i was a friend, not an impartial viewer, thus undermining what little sway my comments may have had at all. since they are now worthless, I've deleted them. sorry mike. i tried.

if you are reading this, do check out the wide game, and by all means, vitis www.bymichaelwest.com. if you are a fan of horror novels, a la stephen kind and what not, you'll at least find a lot of likemided folks there, plus lots of reviews of movies and TV, a lively discussion about "lost", and details on mike's other work, which is starting to appear in horror anthologies and the like.
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