Don't expect a masterpiece. Please. The Other Side is entertaining, semi-original, and for the most part, well acted. Some of the scenes could have been removed, some of the actors could have been replaced, but honestly, with such a low budget, the crew/cast did a great job. The main character especially was well done. His relationship with his girlfriend was portrayed well in some parts but came off a little cheesy in others. Most other low budget horror movies are based around sex scenes/nudity and gore which detracts from the plot a great deal. The Other Side does not indulge in this cliché and is, in this reviewers opinion, a breath of fresh air in a stale genre.
34 Reviews
Very confused how this got over a 7.
mick_260682-122 June 2007
Well I see another film has made it to the over rated list, however this film is to unknown to be over rated. Other than fill 90 minutes before bed, it offered poor, very dry humor with a whole cast of overacting, underacting with a cherry on top.
Maybe I'm being to hash given that this is a low budget film, however a lot of corny dialog and the worst ending I've seen with no thought put into it, I was surprised I finished watching it.
It seems to me they director tried to make this movie something like The Matrix, with agents from hell chasing, shooting, slicing, dicing their victims with perfect precision but whenever the main character was shot at they just seemed to....miss (maybe divine intervention I don't know). This seems to be typical step for any action movie these days.
Well as I stated in my title, I am very confused how this movie got over a 7, it has been my understanding that this is a pretty high score for IMDb. Maybe I under appreciate this movie or miss understood its greatness but I know what I like and I didn't like this.
Maybe I'm being to hash given that this is a low budget film, however a lot of corny dialog and the worst ending I've seen with no thought put into it, I was surprised I finished watching it.
It seems to me they director tried to make this movie something like The Matrix, with agents from hell chasing, shooting, slicing, dicing their victims with perfect precision but whenever the main character was shot at they just seemed to....miss (maybe divine intervention I don't know). This seems to be typical step for any action movie these days.
Well as I stated in my title, I am very confused how this movie got over a 7, it has been my understanding that this is a pretty high score for IMDb. Maybe I under appreciate this movie or miss understood its greatness but I know what I like and I didn't like this.
BOUNTY HUNTERS FROM HELL
nogodnomasters18 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
If someone who is spiritual wanted to create a horror movie, this would be it. Apparently coming back to life from the dead is quite common. What I don't understand is how the body regenerates once you escape hell and climb back into it. How is it that it is only young people at the funeral home? How is it that dead women all wear tight black pants with spiked boots? Are they all skilled in martial arts?
The chase scenes had a "Terminator" quality to them. The movie was too complex for what they were trying to do. Coming back from the dead and trying to avoid the Reapers is movie enough, but they added a twist in a dead, now alive, guy's (Sam) missing girlfriend. If that wasn't enough, they blindside you with an incredible plot twist, involving his brother, the dead girlfriend, and a once dead oriental man, who apparently has eluded the reaper for quite some time now.
This is a low budget film. Normally I judge low budget film the same as a $200 million dollar film. In this case I thought this film was worth the view so you can see the quality film $15,000 can get you. The script needed some tightening up, but I liked the concept.
The chase scenes had a "Terminator" quality to them. The movie was too complex for what they were trying to do. Coming back from the dead and trying to avoid the Reapers is movie enough, but they added a twist in a dead, now alive, guy's (Sam) missing girlfriend. If that wasn't enough, they blindside you with an incredible plot twist, involving his brother, the dead girlfriend, and a once dead oriental man, who apparently has eluded the reaper for quite some time now.
This is a low budget film. Normally I judge low budget film the same as a $200 million dollar film. In this case I thought this film was worth the view so you can see the quality film $15,000 can get you. The script needed some tightening up, but I liked the concept.
ultimately a huge disappointment
lysergic-acid24 June 2007
i just watched this film, and although it's received some rave reviews on here which piqued my curiosity initially, i was thoroughly disappointed by this horrible, horrible movie.
ignoring the poor production value, The Other Side still totally blew. the acting, special effects, dialog, and plot were all cheesy and sub par. so i really can't understand why there are people giving this film such high ratings or raving on about it with blatant over exaggerations about the performance by the cast and the directing.
this film is not the least bit original, the plot is unimaginative, and the film makers show no signs of talent and little creativity. Hollywood already has an overabundance of derivative action movies if that is what you're looking for (nothing wrong with that, i love many of them too). there is just absolutely nothing exceptional about this cinematic failure.
good films can indeed be made on a low budget. Population 436 for instance is a good example of how good writing, acting talent, and good directing can make a great movie without a huge budget or even exceptional production value. however, The Other Side does not deserve the same kind if praise and will no doubt be relegated to the $.99 bin at a discount video store.
save yourself the time and money and skip this film. this movie gives indie films a bad name. don't be deceived by the mouth-frothing astroturfers giving rave reviews that are full of stock quotes paying lip service to the film and comparing the director to the likes of Robert Rodriguez--pfft... yea right. it's these types of film industry sycophants that turn film criticism into simply adverts or marketing mouthpieces for the movie studios.
it seems that no matter how bad a film is, studios can always find some hack to give them positive reviews to quote on the DVD. this is unsurprising, but the way this trend has infected IMDb lately is somewhat disturbing.
i predict the IMDb rating to drop from 7.7 as of right now to well below 5 as more people seeing the film and give their honest ratings.
ignoring the poor production value, The Other Side still totally blew. the acting, special effects, dialog, and plot were all cheesy and sub par. so i really can't understand why there are people giving this film such high ratings or raving on about it with blatant over exaggerations about the performance by the cast and the directing.
this film is not the least bit original, the plot is unimaginative, and the film makers show no signs of talent and little creativity. Hollywood already has an overabundance of derivative action movies if that is what you're looking for (nothing wrong with that, i love many of them too). there is just absolutely nothing exceptional about this cinematic failure.
good films can indeed be made on a low budget. Population 436 for instance is a good example of how good writing, acting talent, and good directing can make a great movie without a huge budget or even exceptional production value. however, The Other Side does not deserve the same kind if praise and will no doubt be relegated to the $.99 bin at a discount video store.
save yourself the time and money and skip this film. this movie gives indie films a bad name. don't be deceived by the mouth-frothing astroturfers giving rave reviews that are full of stock quotes paying lip service to the film and comparing the director to the likes of Robert Rodriguez--pfft... yea right. it's these types of film industry sycophants that turn film criticism into simply adverts or marketing mouthpieces for the movie studios.
it seems that no matter how bad a film is, studios can always find some hack to give them positive reviews to quote on the DVD. this is unsurprising, but the way this trend has infected IMDb lately is somewhat disturbing.
i predict the IMDb rating to drop from 7.7 as of right now to well below 5 as more people seeing the film and give their honest ratings.
You Can Run, But You Cannot Hide
claudio_carvalho16 July 2008
After his graduation in Business from Columbia, Samuel North (Nathan Mobley) returns to his hometown in Athens County to meet his beloved fiancée Hanna Thompson (Jaimie Alexander). Sam calls Hanna, who work as waitress at the Montana's and he schedules the encounter "in their place" nearby a waterfall. Hanna never arrives and Sam is killed by the driver of a van and sent to Hell. However, there is a breach and many lost souls escape from the Pit including Sam back to the world of the living. While they are chased by the hunters from the hell called Reapers, who can switch bodies when they are killed and are called Switchers and leaded by the powerful Changeling, Sam finds that Hanna is missing and he is the prime suspect. Sam is helped by the former thief Oz (Poncho Hodges) and the former adulterer Mally (Cory Rouse) from the other side that believe they can find redemption helping Sam, and by his friend and policeman Peter (Stephen Caudill) and discovers the identity and the motives of the assassin.
"The Other Side" is a great supernatural story disclosed in a fast-pace and lots of humor. This low-budget movie has a great development of the plot and characters, using the principles of faith, redemption, sin, heaven and hell and excellent performances of the unknown cast. If it is true that Gregg Bishop made this movie with only US$ 15,000.00, I would like to give additional congratulations for this lesson to Hollywood with one of the best indie movies ever. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Anjos da Morte" ("Angels of the Death")
"The Other Side" is a great supernatural story disclosed in a fast-pace and lots of humor. This low-budget movie has a great development of the plot and characters, using the principles of faith, redemption, sin, heaven and hell and excellent performances of the unknown cast. If it is true that Gregg Bishop made this movie with only US$ 15,000.00, I would like to give additional congratulations for this lesson to Hollywood with one of the best indie movies ever. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Anjos da Morte" ("Angels of the Death")
One of the *worst* films I have watched
blackbird110028 June 2007
This movie can be summed up in one simple word - 'garbage'! The acting was some of the worst I have ever seen. I could have sworn I was watching a high school rendition of some poorly written script. Aside from the 'Coronation Street' style of acting (actually it was worse than that) the plot was disjointed and the only other thing it catered to was to introduce the viewer to an attempt to pull you in and keep you captive 'action movie' style via a full on gun fest and a massive body count!
Guns, guns and more guns. The only thing missing was an RPG. Oh wait.... there *was* a grenade - just not rocket propelled. I don't mind a good action flick with some gun work but not at the expense of the story line.
If poor storyline, poor acting and 'loads' of bullets flying around is your scene then this is the movie for you. Failing that - give this one a wide berth.
Guns, guns and more guns. The only thing missing was an RPG. Oh wait.... there *was* a grenade - just not rocket propelled. I don't mind a good action flick with some gun work but not at the expense of the story line.
If poor storyline, poor acting and 'loads' of bullets flying around is your scene then this is the movie for you. Failing that - give this one a wide berth.
Great Mind Creates Great, Imaginative Film
gavin69421 November 2007
Sometimes death is the end. But sometimes, it is the beginning. In the tradition of "Ghost" and "The Crow" (though very original), "The Other Side" is the story of a man who runs from death in order to solve his own murder and help find his kidnapped girlfriend. But with the police and the reapers after him, does he stand a ghost of a chance?
According to the Internet Movie Database, USC film school graduate Gregg Bishop (who wrote, directed and did pretty much everything for this film) financed "The Other Side" himself with $15,000 (the profits from his film "Voodoo"). One has to comment that this film looks amazing for the budget. Some special effects used far surpass what other, bigger studios have tried to pawn off on their viewers, and the overall acting and story are quite impressive.
I have to say that hell ("the pit") looks cool. Bishop skipped the fire and brimstone and torture route and went straight into the dark, lonely isolation sort of underworld. Not only does this probably correlate better with the Bible, but I think it personally makes for a more terrifying punishment. Confined, alone in darkness for eternity. That's pain.
This film has lots of blood. We're talking "Kill Bill" levels of blood, "Izo" levels of blood. Every gunshot makes a good splatter. And I couldn't be happier about this. While much of the film was more action than horror (the only real "horror" aspects are the fact we have corpses coming back to life), the horror fans will likely appreciate the blood and excessive flesh wounds.
Jaimie Alexander appears in this film, although not as prominently as the cover of the film might imply. Her appearance in this film not only probably helped her career (this predates "Rest Stop" and "Hallowed Ground", as well as her leading roles in "Kyle XY" and that other show), but it helped sell this film. After it was filmed, but before going to DVD is when Jaimie broke through into the mainstream, giving this film an added star it probably hadn't counted on. And with looks that are a cross between Katie Holmes and somebody actually attractive, her presence is a big plus for everyone.
The humor in this was subtle but appreciated. I loved the character of Mally the Adulterer. His womanizing antics were amusing, his one-liners were funny, and I thought the scene where he smokes multiple cigarettes was classic (he's dead -- why not?). There was also a great visual gag involving a neighborhood watch sign that might have been the best thing in the entire movie. I' ma sucker for intelligent and clever humor.
I could make some complaints (aside from the obvious budget constraints). Like, was I really supposed to believe the reapers were 30-50 years old (as reported by the news anchor)? These ages seem a little funny, as I would have put them more in the 25-30 range. In fact, everyone in the film seemed a little young. But this in no way took away from their acting or ability to relate to the audience.
I recommend you check this out to see how to make a film with a limited budget, because I dare you to find anything else on this level. There may be some minor drawbacks, and I thought the twist was a bit hard to accept, but the themes were great and the plot was smooth. Gregg Bishop is a man who knows how to tell a good story and make it look how it should. I eagerly await his next feature film.
According to the Internet Movie Database, USC film school graduate Gregg Bishop (who wrote, directed and did pretty much everything for this film) financed "The Other Side" himself with $15,000 (the profits from his film "Voodoo"). One has to comment that this film looks amazing for the budget. Some special effects used far surpass what other, bigger studios have tried to pawn off on their viewers, and the overall acting and story are quite impressive.
I have to say that hell ("the pit") looks cool. Bishop skipped the fire and brimstone and torture route and went straight into the dark, lonely isolation sort of underworld. Not only does this probably correlate better with the Bible, but I think it personally makes for a more terrifying punishment. Confined, alone in darkness for eternity. That's pain.
This film has lots of blood. We're talking "Kill Bill" levels of blood, "Izo" levels of blood. Every gunshot makes a good splatter. And I couldn't be happier about this. While much of the film was more action than horror (the only real "horror" aspects are the fact we have corpses coming back to life), the horror fans will likely appreciate the blood and excessive flesh wounds.
Jaimie Alexander appears in this film, although not as prominently as the cover of the film might imply. Her appearance in this film not only probably helped her career (this predates "Rest Stop" and "Hallowed Ground", as well as her leading roles in "Kyle XY" and that other show), but it helped sell this film. After it was filmed, but before going to DVD is when Jaimie broke through into the mainstream, giving this film an added star it probably hadn't counted on. And with looks that are a cross between Katie Holmes and somebody actually attractive, her presence is a big plus for everyone.
The humor in this was subtle but appreciated. I loved the character of Mally the Adulterer. His womanizing antics were amusing, his one-liners were funny, and I thought the scene where he smokes multiple cigarettes was classic (he's dead -- why not?). There was also a great visual gag involving a neighborhood watch sign that might have been the best thing in the entire movie. I' ma sucker for intelligent and clever humor.
I could make some complaints (aside from the obvious budget constraints). Like, was I really supposed to believe the reapers were 30-50 years old (as reported by the news anchor)? These ages seem a little funny, as I would have put them more in the 25-30 range. In fact, everyone in the film seemed a little young. But this in no way took away from their acting or ability to relate to the audience.
I recommend you check this out to see how to make a film with a limited budget, because I dare you to find anything else on this level. There may be some minor drawbacks, and I thought the twist was a bit hard to accept, but the themes were great and the plot was smooth. Gregg Bishop is a man who knows how to tell a good story and make it look how it should. I eagerly await his next feature film.
A true masterpiece of modern horror, and I'm lying
randomStuff1011 August 2007
The problem with the movie is it *looks* too much like a film school project. And so the only people who like it are the crew, friends, relatives, and suckers who want to "support the industry" by being positive... not unlike the support you give a 3 year old child who vomits in your lap.
The positive reviews you see here on IMDb are obviously fake, from said crew and people involved. It's not hard to get your mum to write nice things about the terrible movie you worked on. That's exactly where the positive reviews come from.
This movie is simply awful.
The hell visions in the beginning... overdone. The uninteresting scenarios such as the creep giving those girls at the café a hard time. Come on! It's not that hard to create better, more dynamic and curious scenes than this.
And just when I thought the bar was as low as it could go, Cory Rouse stepped on the set and opened his mouth. His material wasn't great to begin with, but his delivery was worse.
Not bad for $15,000, but then again... it's quite bad.
It seems the next generation of good filmmakers are not exactly bursting out of the film schools are they.
The positive reviews you see here on IMDb are obviously fake, from said crew and people involved. It's not hard to get your mum to write nice things about the terrible movie you worked on. That's exactly where the positive reviews come from.
This movie is simply awful.
The hell visions in the beginning... overdone. The uninteresting scenarios such as the creep giving those girls at the café a hard time. Come on! It's not that hard to create better, more dynamic and curious scenes than this.
And just when I thought the bar was as low as it could go, Cory Rouse stepped on the set and opened his mouth. His material wasn't great to begin with, but his delivery was worse.
Not bad for $15,000, but then again... it's quite bad.
It seems the next generation of good filmmakers are not exactly bursting out of the film schools are they.
Not bad at all!!
dustinhunter7077 October 2007
OK now I liked this movie unlike a lot of the straight to DVD movies that I have watched, it had some great action along with some good fights as well. I really liked the whole escape from Lucifer's bounty hunters idea, this movie had a little bit of something for everyone, it had action, humor, thrills, and even sadness towards the ending. I liked the movie although I thought the ending could have been a lot better if it was given a little more thought. Altogether I give this movie a 7 out of 10 because I enjoyed it, I have seen theatrical films that could learn a thing or two from this film even though I wasn't a big fan of the ending. I would recommend this to action fans and those who like thrillers because this movie is certainly not disappointing.
The other side is fail
poopiscrispy24 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I give it a three. This movie is very unoriginal.
Spoiler alert.
The supposedly artistic scenes are unoriginal and seem like they are supposed to freak you out, but makes you yawn. Bodies struggling behind a sheet of plastic has been done over and over. Many unoriginal aspects in this movie.
I am not drawn into the characters. It does not make me actually care what happened to Hanna.
Vince Canlas's (Cain) acting was especially bad. Oz's last scene was really corny.
What's that? You meet your sweetheart in heaven in the end? Yawn.
Couple good things: Nathan Mobley's(Samuel North) acting wasn't bad.
The scene in the junk yard: The actor that plays the first body out of the hearse looks like Johnny Depp. Yum.
Spoiler alert.
The supposedly artistic scenes are unoriginal and seem like they are supposed to freak you out, but makes you yawn. Bodies struggling behind a sheet of plastic has been done over and over. Many unoriginal aspects in this movie.
I am not drawn into the characters. It does not make me actually care what happened to Hanna.
Vince Canlas's (Cain) acting was especially bad. Oz's last scene was really corny.
What's that? You meet your sweetheart in heaven in the end? Yawn.
Couple good things: Nathan Mobley's(Samuel North) acting wasn't bad.
The scene in the junk yard: The actor that plays the first body out of the hearse looks like Johnny Depp. Yum.
Great, great movie!!!
renagadefilm17 December 2005
A friend got me into the sneak preview of this movie recently and first thing I want to say is: it's fun as Hell (excuse the pun). I can't remember the last time I had so much fun in a movie. While it isn't a straight horror film (I'd call it more action-adventure/horror), The Other Side has it's share of thrills nonetheless.
Here's the 411: The hero is killed and goes to Hell. He escapes from Hell with a couple of souls to solve the mystery of who murdered him. But Reapers are sent to kill the fugitives and bring them back to the Netherworld. And here's the deal with the reapers: these are vicious demons. Agents of death. They don't mess around and will snap your neck without thinking twice about it. Also, a word about he action in the movie: it's intense! The Reapers are reminiscent of The Terminator where you have a villain that just keeps coming at you and can't be stopped. The girl that was sitting next to me was balled up in her seat covering her eyes throughout the whole movie.
The acting overall was surprising good considering I've never heard of any of the cast. The guy who really stood out to me was the actor that played Mally, Cory Rouse. This dude cracks me up. He should have his own show. Other notable performances come from the lead actor Nathan Mobley and the girl who played Hanna, Jaimie Alexander.
My friend and I were talking after the movie about how you could tell that this director knew what he was doing. He knew where to put the camera, he knew how to move the camera, he knew how to pace the story. He made an extremely entertaining movie that, at the end of the day, is simply "a great story well told".
I give it a 9 out of 10.
Here's the 411: The hero is killed and goes to Hell. He escapes from Hell with a couple of souls to solve the mystery of who murdered him. But Reapers are sent to kill the fugitives and bring them back to the Netherworld. And here's the deal with the reapers: these are vicious demons. Agents of death. They don't mess around and will snap your neck without thinking twice about it. Also, a word about he action in the movie: it's intense! The Reapers are reminiscent of The Terminator where you have a villain that just keeps coming at you and can't be stopped. The girl that was sitting next to me was balled up in her seat covering her eyes throughout the whole movie.
The acting overall was surprising good considering I've never heard of any of the cast. The guy who really stood out to me was the actor that played Mally, Cory Rouse. This dude cracks me up. He should have his own show. Other notable performances come from the lead actor Nathan Mobley and the girl who played Hanna, Jaimie Alexander.
My friend and I were talking after the movie about how you could tell that this director knew what he was doing. He knew where to put the camera, he knew how to move the camera, he knew how to pace the story. He made an extremely entertaining movie that, at the end of the day, is simply "a great story well told".
I give it a 9 out of 10.
Surprisingly entertaining
chrichtonsworld28 June 2007
"The other side" succeeds in creating a suspenseful action movie! Personally I would like to have seen more of the "Hell" dimension where the main character escaped from. I think they didn't show it because of the low budget. For the most part it isn't noticeable that this is a low budget production. The acting is even decent. The unknown cast are fairly convincing in their roles. I think they did what they could. I do think it is a shame that we don't learn much more about "the reapers" and "hell". That would have shifted the focus more and would be more interesting. In stead it is used as a sub plot. The mystery is all about the main character girlfriend's who is missing. This story line is certainly thrilling. Although sometimes the action scenes are more distracting and pointless and get in the way of the mystery. But to be fair the action scenes are nicely done. And there is enough eyecandy to keep the male audience happy. The female reapers (in black leather) sure are hot and dangerous. Because of the main character and the mystery about his girlfriend you get sucked in to the story. The fast pace really helps and is one of the reasons that make this into an entertaining movie. Worth watching!
Big Deal! Pah!
NardacBlefscu17 February 2008
Competently produced but uninspired indie that has inexplicably garnered some fantastic write-ups. This is basically a SciFi channel picture original except it doesn't want to make you kick anybody in the face but so what? The filmmakers basically made a Jesus-flick type movie so if you watch this thinking it's going to be "Hell's Escapees vs Demon Bounty Hunters" and non-stop action with sh*t blowing up, you're gonna be hella disappointed; they basically shove that into the back ground after the first half hour and the movie turns into a Lifetime Network "women's mystery" that will try your patience something awful. This up there with Joe Caranhan's BLOOD, GUTS, BULLETS & OCTANE as one of the inexplicable Park City hits that makes you worry about all the thin air up there that's turning everybody into mush-headed idiots. If you end up renting this, just prepare to be underwhelmed. SKIP IT.
A must see for people who like bad movies
rbseaking15 February 2012
I bumped my rating to a 3 after seeing the budget for this movie was 15k. They did make a bad but not horrible movie for that kind of dough. I mean at least it's not Heaven's Gate. The acting was sub par, the action sequences were particularly bad and the writing was yawn inducing. You have to suspend disbelief when watching this type of movie but in this case you have to suspend intelligence also. If I had the hour and a half back I'd take my dog down to the park and videotape him pooing on the grass. Don't believe the rave reviews you've been reading here as this movie is like an after school special from the 80's blended with a direct to video action flick starring Don Swayze and Frank Stallone.
It's not about quality, it's about . . . quality
danvhay11 January 2011
When people say a low-budget movie is crap, others argue back, "well, they only had so much money." Well, I disliked this movie, and it had nothing to do with production value. It doesn't cost money to write a good screenplay, only time. If a special effect looks bad or a shot looks off, THAT is a result of money, and I forgive that. When the acting is bad, the dialog deplorable, and the plot convoluted, that is NOT due to budget. I read a review of this film that went into detail about the plot of the film. It did a better job of describing the movie than the movie did in executing it. One major quibble I had with the plot is that it ignores what could have been an interesting subplot: The "heroes" in this film are souls that have escaped from hell. This implies that all the escapees have been damned, but we are supposed to root for them. We don't meet ONE escaped soul that is portrayed as someone who deserved to be in hell. Instead, it infers that all in hell are really nice folks who just did one little thing wrong. Should we be rooting for people who did something worthy of being sent to hell? This movie ignores this little point, which I don't think is so little. This film wants to be THE TERMINATOR, and rips off many elements, right down to the score that accompanies every action sequence. The person that I saw it with, however, enjoyed it, but clearly from a so-bad-it's-good perspective. But my feeling is, this filmmaker was trying to make a great underground film, and didn't. If he set out to make a low-budget spoof, maybe I would have enjoyed it more. But I don't think he did, so I didn't.
If this is what can be done for $15,000...
LaoagMikey15 July 2017
I am writing this from the viewpoint that this movie was made for $15,000 not from the perspective that it was made for a Hollywood Blockbuster budget. For that budget, this is probably the best movie I have ever seen. Normally, I would have expected this would have cost about $200,000 to make.
As for the movie, it begins as a manic mess. The cuts are mostly just a blur. Some of them are on screen long enough to actually see. Some aren't. I am not a fan of cuts of less than 2 seconds. The brain cannot comprehend and remember anything shorter so it is a waste of film. A lot of film time was wasted with too-short cuts.
The story comes together after all the short cuts, slowly. After about 30 minutes, you finally have some idea of what the film is about. I prefer having some backstory up front. Yeah, it is old-school-routine but it was routine for a reason, and that reason has not gone away: To involve the viewer. Without it, some people will just hit stop and walk away wondering what they wasted the time and blacklist the writer/producer/director. Not a good thing.
To the good side, the cinematography was good. Lighting and sound were good. This is Hollywood quality production for cheap. Good job. Just the story is a little wonky but we can live through that. Somewhat like Chain Reaction, it is a big chase movie with a small mystery plot to hold the scenes together. And they tip the ending way too early.
The most interesting and original idea is that there is a back door to hell and people can get out. Interesting, if there were such a place.
The worst part of this movie and many others is that the dialog is too soft and the music is too loud. In the theaters, it is probably illegally loud. At home, it means constantly jacking the sound up and down. Really annoying. -1 star for extreme dynamic range.
Summary: Worth a watch. Exceptional for the budget!!
As for the movie, it begins as a manic mess. The cuts are mostly just a blur. Some of them are on screen long enough to actually see. Some aren't. I am not a fan of cuts of less than 2 seconds. The brain cannot comprehend and remember anything shorter so it is a waste of film. A lot of film time was wasted with too-short cuts.
The story comes together after all the short cuts, slowly. After about 30 minutes, you finally have some idea of what the film is about. I prefer having some backstory up front. Yeah, it is old-school-routine but it was routine for a reason, and that reason has not gone away: To involve the viewer. Without it, some people will just hit stop and walk away wondering what they wasted the time and blacklist the writer/producer/director. Not a good thing.
To the good side, the cinematography was good. Lighting and sound were good. This is Hollywood quality production for cheap. Good job. Just the story is a little wonky but we can live through that. Somewhat like Chain Reaction, it is a big chase movie with a small mystery plot to hold the scenes together. And they tip the ending way too early.
The most interesting and original idea is that there is a back door to hell and people can get out. Interesting, if there were such a place.
The worst part of this movie and many others is that the dialog is too soft and the music is too loud. In the theaters, it is probably illegally loud. At home, it means constantly jacking the sound up and down. Really annoying. -1 star for extreme dynamic range.
Summary: Worth a watch. Exceptional for the budget!!
Not as bad as I expected.
poolandrews9 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The Other Side is set in Georgia where Hanna Thompson (Jaimie Alexander) works as a waitress, after her boyfriend Samuel North (Nathan Mobley) returns home after a long absence the two plan on meeting up that very night to rekindle their relationship. However Hanna never turns up to the arranged meeting place & Samuel becomes worried, then a white van suddenly rams Samuels car over a cliff with him still inside sending Samuel to his death. Samuel then wakes up in a hospital having escaped the pit in Hell, meanwhile three evil Reapers are sent from Hell to reclaim those who have escaped the pit & Samuel is on their hit-list along with anyone else who has managed to escape including Oz (Poncho Hodges) & Mally (Cory Rouse) who decide to help Samuel find Hanna & solve the mystery of her disappearance & hopefully find redemption which will keep them out of the pit & Hell for good...
Edited, written, produced & directed by Greg Bishop who is also credited as playing Reaper Number 4 I wasn't expecting much from The Other Side, so I saw that it was on telly & the on screen guide made it sound alright so I decided to record it & watch it when I was really bored & so I did. While I can't say The Other Side is anything better than average it did have some promise & with a bigger budget, decent actor's & proper special effects The Other Side could have been a bit of a sleeper hit. The script is a little loose with various genres all mixed together sometimes in very awkward fashion, from supernatural horror to action film to thriller to murder mystery & even tragic love story by the end The Other Side tries to put as much plot & action on screen as it can & it almost succeeds in being a great little film that no-one has ever heard of. Almost. For all it's enthusiasm & willingness The Other Side falls just short, there are too many unanswered questions like how is it so easy to escape from Hell? Multiple times as well. How did Oz & Mally know that Samuel was at the graveyard? The evil Reapers feel like they were modelled after Terminator's & while the set-pieces try hard like the rest of the film they fall a little short & fail to really excite or stay in the memory for that long. Overall The Other Side was much better than I expected but then again I expected a complete Turkey so anything even half decent was going to impress.
The film looks pretty good although one has to say there are several scenes which are very badly lit, the photography is decent enough & there's none of that horrible shaky hand-held crap although the film does cut between shots quite quickly but I suspect that was because of the budget rather than an artistic choice. There's not that much blood or gore but there's some blood splatter, some gory gunshot wounds, a scythe through someone's chest, a huge shotgun blast through someone's body, a guy has his head pulverised with a huge pneumatic drill (off screen) & there are some alight shoot-outs & fights which are probably as good as the makers could do on the budget.
Amazingly the budget for The Other Side was apparently just $15,000 which means everyone basically worked for free, director Bishop apparently financed the film himself with profits from his animated short Voodoo (1999). Filmed in Atlanta in Georgia. The acting isn't great, I have seen worse I suppose but it's not going to win anyone any awards.
The Other Side is surprisingly quite good, it's not great & I don't think I would want to see it again but for what it is & made with the limitations it was it's better than it has any right to be. Not a bad little time waster & you could do a lot worse.
Edited, written, produced & directed by Greg Bishop who is also credited as playing Reaper Number 4 I wasn't expecting much from The Other Side, so I saw that it was on telly & the on screen guide made it sound alright so I decided to record it & watch it when I was really bored & so I did. While I can't say The Other Side is anything better than average it did have some promise & with a bigger budget, decent actor's & proper special effects The Other Side could have been a bit of a sleeper hit. The script is a little loose with various genres all mixed together sometimes in very awkward fashion, from supernatural horror to action film to thriller to murder mystery & even tragic love story by the end The Other Side tries to put as much plot & action on screen as it can & it almost succeeds in being a great little film that no-one has ever heard of. Almost. For all it's enthusiasm & willingness The Other Side falls just short, there are too many unanswered questions like how is it so easy to escape from Hell? Multiple times as well. How did Oz & Mally know that Samuel was at the graveyard? The evil Reapers feel like they were modelled after Terminator's & while the set-pieces try hard like the rest of the film they fall a little short & fail to really excite or stay in the memory for that long. Overall The Other Side was much better than I expected but then again I expected a complete Turkey so anything even half decent was going to impress.
The film looks pretty good although one has to say there are several scenes which are very badly lit, the photography is decent enough & there's none of that horrible shaky hand-held crap although the film does cut between shots quite quickly but I suspect that was because of the budget rather than an artistic choice. There's not that much blood or gore but there's some blood splatter, some gory gunshot wounds, a scythe through someone's chest, a huge shotgun blast through someone's body, a guy has his head pulverised with a huge pneumatic drill (off screen) & there are some alight shoot-outs & fights which are probably as good as the makers could do on the budget.
Amazingly the budget for The Other Side was apparently just $15,000 which means everyone basically worked for free, director Bishop apparently financed the film himself with profits from his animated short Voodoo (1999). Filmed in Atlanta in Georgia. The acting isn't great, I have seen worse I suppose but it's not going to win anyone any awards.
The Other Side is surprisingly quite good, it's not great & I don't think I would want to see it again but for what it is & made with the limitations it was it's better than it has any right to be. Not a bad little time waster & you could do a lot worse.
A great low-budget first
evileyereviews5 November 2010
Some talent simply cannot be held back. Made with a reportedly scant $15G, this low budget thriller made great purchase for director Greg Bishop's bid for funds on his next project. He was not to be denied. The Other Side is by no means a perfect flick, but for those interested in seeing the raw talent of a burgeoning director this is a great place to be. The story was solid, told with appropriate flair and humor. A tad religious at times, it was necessary for the story and to have made it less so would have been a weak compromise. With the budget in mind, the effects were decent enough, with no lack of blood flow. The acting was a mix of cringe-worthy pain and solid effort, but nothing so bad as to detract from the story. The puissance of direction is not to be checked, beaming through with talent that will surely find many more a project. In short, this was a low budget thriller housed in a shoddy body but with a hearty soul.
Genruk of Evil Eye Reviews
Genruk of Evil Eye Reviews
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kosmasp17 September 2023
No pun intended - Gregg Bishop: he did one of the funniest zombie comedies I have seen: Dance of the Dead. He did not write the script for that one and Jaime Alexander was not part of that either (the latter being a bit sad - at least for me). She seems to be a bit of a go to woman for him, has appeared in a few things he did - one of them being this one right here.
That said, the movie is a bit ... well there may be a bit too much cutting, a bit too much story. It is tough to follow and there are too many characters for its own good. I assume it was well intended, but it is quite confusing at times. Where (or when) are we? And what is the movie trying to tell us? Not to mention the weird (almost non reaction) to people doing stuff that normal humans are not able to do ... if this is supposed to tell us that what we see is not real ... well the movie does not the best job in being clear about it.
Still there is something interesting here - and if you forgive the flaws and all the insanity that is going on .. you can be entertained ... maybe even understand what the movie is trying to tell us/you.
That said, the movie is a bit ... well there may be a bit too much cutting, a bit too much story. It is tough to follow and there are too many characters for its own good. I assume it was well intended, but it is quite confusing at times. Where (or when) are we? And what is the movie trying to tell us? Not to mention the weird (almost non reaction) to people doing stuff that normal humans are not able to do ... if this is supposed to tell us that what we see is not real ... well the movie does not the best job in being clear about it.
Still there is something interesting here - and if you forgive the flaws and all the insanity that is going on .. you can be entertained ... maybe even understand what the movie is trying to tell us/you.
Actually enjoyed it!
trojanrabbit9723 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I would not have wanted to pay six bucks to go see this in a theater. But for a film that I picked arbitrarily while browsing through Hulu on a day off from work, I have to say I really enjoyed this film. Yes, it borrows from other works, but that's not wholly astonishing for someone who's just getting started in any artistic field. There's a little bit of "The Crow" here, a little bit of "The Matrix," and a little bit of "The Prophecy," among others.
Maybe I'm a little lenient on low-budget films, but I disagree with those who are harshly critical of the acting. No one's getting so much as a Saturn Award for their work here, but I have seen worse acting in much bigger movies.
There were some problems with the plot that are reminiscent of things you've seen in a zillion other action movies, like the lack of cop cars during extended gun battles in town, but two shots get fired at the end of the film in a country house and they come with sirens a-blazin'.
Why aren't the cops keeping tabs on the phone calls of friends and family of their primary suspect while he's on the run? Everyone but law enforcement seems to know how to reach him.
All things considered, though, this wasn't a bad way to kill a couple of hours, and I think the director has a promising career.
Maybe I'm a little lenient on low-budget films, but I disagree with those who are harshly critical of the acting. No one's getting so much as a Saturn Award for their work here, but I have seen worse acting in much bigger movies.
There were some problems with the plot that are reminiscent of things you've seen in a zillion other action movies, like the lack of cop cars during extended gun battles in town, but two shots get fired at the end of the film in a country house and they come with sirens a-blazin'.
Why aren't the cops keeping tabs on the phone calls of friends and family of their primary suspect while he's on the run? Everyone but law enforcement seems to know how to reach him.
All things considered, though, this wasn't a bad way to kill a couple of hours, and I think the director has a promising career.
Utterly Forgettable
fasteryoufool25 October 2010
I had had this in my queue on Hulu, and it disappeared. I figured I'd put it on one night when I'd drunk too many beers and fell asleep before the end or something, so I decided to re-watch it. All the way through the movie, I kept remembering the scenes. Got to the end and went "Oh... I've seen all of it." I just didn't remember any of it.
Production values were good and the writing was well enough done. The acting was very good, and the story was alright, if a bit weak. It tries to be original, but in all truth, it isn't terribly. Boy escapes from hell to find who murdered him and why... finds out his fiancée was murdered too, and in the end there's a totally predictable plot twist.
It was just forgettable.
Production values were good and the writing was well enough done. The acting was very good, and the story was alright, if a bit weak. It tries to be original, but in all truth, it isn't terribly. Boy escapes from hell to find who murdered him and why... finds out his fiancée was murdered too, and in the end there's a totally predictable plot twist.
It was just forgettable.
Great film
freshadam31 January 2006
I love scary films, I was lucky enough to see a pre release showing of this one. I loved almost everything about it, the special effects look amazing and very high budget, the gore is absolutely amazing and the plot is gripping and clever.
The only down side for me was that there was too much of a focus on religion. Not everyone is a Christian, and I don't think that you can appeal to a mass audience with such an emphasis on it. Other than that it was perfect. The acting is great, especially from the leading man, and the cop is really hot.
I'm delighted that this will be shown at Sundance, I think we can probably expect to see amazing things from this Director.
The only down side for me was that there was too much of a focus on religion. Not everyone is a Christian, and I don't think that you can appeal to a mass audience with such an emphasis on it. Other than that it was perfect. The acting is great, especially from the leading man, and the cop is really hot.
I'm delighted that this will be shown at Sundance, I think we can probably expect to see amazing things from this Director.
Quality No-Budget Thriller
Rathko3 March 2010
A no-budget indie thriller from Atlanta, Georgia, that has the appearance of having been filmed in the local community by a bunch of friends in their spare time. The inexperience of all involved is evident; the direction, writing, editing, and acting, all reveal a certain level of self-consciousness and it's clear that for many of the performers, it's their first time in the front of the camera. Everybody has to start somewhere, though, and a movie such as this has to be judged by different criteria than the more professional and experienced competition—on imagination, originality, and ambition.
The central premise of 'The Other Side' is actually pretty cool – a bunch of damned souls escape from hell and must evade the Reapers sent out to reclaim them. It's a shame that the specifics of this scenario are never really spelled out as it's by far the best thing about the story. The screenplay is tightly structured, unusually so for a film of this kind, but much of the dialogue is excruciating, a fact not helped by the inexperience of the actors. Luckily, the likable lead, Nathan Mobley, inspires enough sympathy to make his character's plight meaningful. Gregg Bishop displays some real talent as a director and choreographs some pretty solid action sequences, particularly in an attack on a hospital and later, on a motel.
The reapers, however, are pretty insipid and never seem particularly threatening. I realize that when you're working with such a low budget you don't always have the luxury of casting who you'd like, but really? There was nobody better? Nobody available in the whole of Atlanta that was actually scary? These are hell's bounty hunters but they come across like slightly irritated officials from the IRS. Beside the completely nonthreatening antagonist, the bad dialogue, the completely uninspired photography, and a few too many shots stolen from 'The Terminator' and 'The Matrix', the biggest problem is with the music. As is so often the case with low-budget movies, the score is a major handicap. Nothing destroys the mood of a scene faster than crappy music, and 'The Other Side' has it in spades. If you can't afford a quality score, then don't have one at all. Invest the money in quality foley work instead. Look at 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre' - they inspired terror with nothing more than the sound of screeching metal.
'The Other Side', considering its non-existent budget, is actually pretty good and offers a far more satisfying viewing experience than many films with one hundred times the budget (I'm looking at you 'Deadline'). For all of its occasional nods to other movies, the story is fresh and original and told in a tightly plotted script with several genuinely thrilling action sequences. What more can you ask of such a movie. Worth checking out.
The central premise of 'The Other Side' is actually pretty cool – a bunch of damned souls escape from hell and must evade the Reapers sent out to reclaim them. It's a shame that the specifics of this scenario are never really spelled out as it's by far the best thing about the story. The screenplay is tightly structured, unusually so for a film of this kind, but much of the dialogue is excruciating, a fact not helped by the inexperience of the actors. Luckily, the likable lead, Nathan Mobley, inspires enough sympathy to make his character's plight meaningful. Gregg Bishop displays some real talent as a director and choreographs some pretty solid action sequences, particularly in an attack on a hospital and later, on a motel.
The reapers, however, are pretty insipid and never seem particularly threatening. I realize that when you're working with such a low budget you don't always have the luxury of casting who you'd like, but really? There was nobody better? Nobody available in the whole of Atlanta that was actually scary? These are hell's bounty hunters but they come across like slightly irritated officials from the IRS. Beside the completely nonthreatening antagonist, the bad dialogue, the completely uninspired photography, and a few too many shots stolen from 'The Terminator' and 'The Matrix', the biggest problem is with the music. As is so often the case with low-budget movies, the score is a major handicap. Nothing destroys the mood of a scene faster than crappy music, and 'The Other Side' has it in spades. If you can't afford a quality score, then don't have one at all. Invest the money in quality foley work instead. Look at 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre' - they inspired terror with nothing more than the sound of screeching metal.
'The Other Side', considering its non-existent budget, is actually pretty good and offers a far more satisfying viewing experience than many films with one hundred times the budget (I'm looking at you 'Deadline'). For all of its occasional nods to other movies, the story is fresh and original and told in a tightly plotted script with several genuinely thrilling action sequences. What more can you ask of such a movie. Worth checking out.
Exceeded my expectations
dorotka2427 October 2008
There are piles of low budget, poor quality horror films at the local rental store, and I've been through dozens of them. What makes them bad is rarely the special effects, but the writing and acting.
The Other Side appeared from the cover to be a horror movie, but played more like a straight up action film with a strong supernatural current running through. There were some horror elements, but they pretty much took a back seat to the action.
The acting and script were surprisingly good, with an interesting story to support them. Some of the special effects were inferior, but I can always let that slide if the other elements are handled well. I felt the character interactions were believable, as were their reactions to the crazy situations. I've seen many horror films that throw their characters into remarkable circumstances and there is minimal system shock - as if they'd somehow been desensitized or done this before, even though they had not. If a character is unimpressed and minimally affected by his or her circumstances, then how am I supposed to be terrified?
One of the biggest criticisms I have for the film was with the opening. We are served with a barrage of images that take snippets of events which occur throughout the film and toss them together in a sort of collage that lasts only a few minutes. This was an apparent "Pulp Fiction" or "Memento" type of moment I suppose, with the attempt to inject some art into the film. It did not work - the entire first few minutes should have wound up on the cutting room floor. My stop-button finger was definitely twitching and if it had gone on for much longer then I probably would have missed the rest of the movie.
Fortunately I stayed and found the experience to be entertaining and worthwhile. This one will not win any awards and probably doesn't have a wide appeal, but the horror fans of the world like me should be pleased.
The Other Side appeared from the cover to be a horror movie, but played more like a straight up action film with a strong supernatural current running through. There were some horror elements, but they pretty much took a back seat to the action.
The acting and script were surprisingly good, with an interesting story to support them. Some of the special effects were inferior, but I can always let that slide if the other elements are handled well. I felt the character interactions were believable, as were their reactions to the crazy situations. I've seen many horror films that throw their characters into remarkable circumstances and there is minimal system shock - as if they'd somehow been desensitized or done this before, even though they had not. If a character is unimpressed and minimally affected by his or her circumstances, then how am I supposed to be terrified?
One of the biggest criticisms I have for the film was with the opening. We are served with a barrage of images that take snippets of events which occur throughout the film and toss them together in a sort of collage that lasts only a few minutes. This was an apparent "Pulp Fiction" or "Memento" type of moment I suppose, with the attempt to inject some art into the film. It did not work - the entire first few minutes should have wound up on the cutting room floor. My stop-button finger was definitely twitching and if it had gone on for much longer then I probably would have missed the rest of the movie.
Fortunately I stayed and found the experience to be entertaining and worthwhile. This one will not win any awards and probably doesn't have a wide appeal, but the horror fans of the world like me should be pleased.
For a low-budget film, The Other Side is very impressive
TheLittleSongbird2 September 2012
I wasn't expecting it to be perfect in all honesty. Part of me was hoping it would work, but part of me was worried that it would be another movie that had great potential but fell short. On the most part it works. There are flaws I found with it, the reapers didn't seem that much of a threat and I would've liked to have learned more about them, and Nathan Mobley is a rather bland lead. The script is mostly snappy and certainly entertained me with its subtle humour but it also could have been more even in tone, sometimes it jumps around various genres and part of you wishes that they just stuck with just one or two. On the plus side, and there is a lot here that's good, for low-budget($15,000 apparently) The Other Side looks very impressive. I did like the focused photography and the atmospheric scenery. The score could've been generic, but was actually wonderfully brooding in places, while the story is mostly compelling and goes at a cracking pace. It also has well-choreographed and never tedious action sequences and poignant drama that doesn't threaten to slow the film down. The characters are on the clichéd side but they are also quite likable. The directing and acting are above average as well, Jaimie Alexander is appealing but the best was Cory Rouse who seems to be enjoying himself immensely as Mally. All in all, I was impressed with The Other Side, it could've been better but you could do with far worse. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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