I had heard mixed reviews about this film. However, all seemed to think it was interesting and worth a watch. I'm glad I did, it was not the best indie film I've ever seen. However, it was very original, which is tough to do nowadays in any genre. There was just enough comedy to provide the perfect amount of levity to an otherwise scary film. It was shot beautifully, and the art department did a bang up job. The performances were a bit uneven. I actually thought the supporting cast were more talented than the leads. That tells me that the direction was good, it was just an issue of some of the talent not being up to par. Overall its worth a watch, I give it a 7 out of 10.
5 Reviews
Really enjoyed this after Halloween fare,Scary & Funny !
guestar5712 November 2014
Stars: Lynn Lowry,Bill Oberst Jr.,Jessica Cameron,Devanny Pinn and Melantha Blackthorne.
Directed By : Adam R. Steigert.
Taking place between Halloween and Thanksgiving gives this flick a inspiring step off point.
The premise was so original,the script opened up for performances that took the actors ( some very well known) to places we had not seem them go with humor no less.
At first the casting of Oberst and Blackthorne as parents,Blows the mind,Then you can see Ohhh,This was a part that they don't get offered enough.
The comedy was pretty inspiring considering that the sheer horror moments,get more attention.
Directed By : Adam R. Steigert.
Taking place between Halloween and Thanksgiving gives this flick a inspiring step off point.
The premise was so original,the script opened up for performances that took the actors ( some very well known) to places we had not seem them go with humor no less.
At first the casting of Oberst and Blackthorne as parents,Blows the mind,Then you can see Ohhh,This was a part that they don't get offered enough.
The comedy was pretty inspiring considering that the sheer horror moments,get more attention.
A Grim Becoming- 'Reaps' In the Benefits of Brilliance
victimsofretail-483-63344 November 2014
Often I find that watching Independent Films is like Forrest Gump's proverbial box of chocolates, in that you never really know what you're going to get. I have been fortunate in finding some pleasant surprises, and when that occurs I praise them in reviews. I am inclined to publicly praise things I find remarkable, magical, wonderful
but fear that when something really, really super-duper good comes along, the praise may fall flat if praise is usually what I give, so here, today, the fear is realized. For here, today, I am writing about 'A Grim Becoming', the new, absolute gem of a Film from Deftone Pictures Studios; that demonstrates the pure capacity for genius from Director Adam Steigert; that shows the depth and range of acting talent from Stars Michael Sciabarrasi and Brandon T. Williams; that combines the home-grown talent of the Buffalo, NY community melding with Independent-Film greats of Los Angeles in seamless manner; that heralds the little guy
the underdog
the little engine that could; that celebrates the spirit of Halloween with such entertaining spirit it can be celebrated every year at that time but could be played on my DVD player over and over again regardless of what time of year it is. Though I could spend a thousand words in absolute praise of this Film, it can be perfectly summed up in three words: IT'S
THAT
GOOD.
The main plot follows Raphael (Brandon T. Williams), a star Architect who is upended from everyday life, first following the untimely passing of his nephew and then witnessing the work of a Grim Reaper at the scene of an accident. Not having the time to confront death head-on in figurative manner, he actually confronts 'Death', of the four-horseman variety. Brilliantly portrayed by Michael Sciabarrasi, this character of 'Death' is at-once terrifying and cartoonish, dressed in Victorian tux-and-top hat with cigar ever-present, and calls himself "Magoo". Raphael learns that because he has seen a Grim Reaper at work, he must himself become one it's an unwritten rule that is, begrudgingly, his curse to bear or find a loophole around, and Magoo is there to make sure Raphael meets his new fate or face consequences even worse. Throughout Raphael's reluctant new assignment is a wonderful combination of laugh-out-loud zaniness, horrid deaths, creepy family members, asinine competitors, distractingly beautiful assistants, suicidal mourners, inept reapers, stoned archangels, fainting hotel clerks, horny seniors, enough blood to fill an ocean and a scene that will forever change your outlook on peanut butter. Add to that some visiting Stars of the Independent Horror-film genre that brilliantly play outside their comfort-zones, such as scream-queens Devanny Pinn and Jessica Cameron, legends Bill Oberst, Jr., Lynn Lowery and Melantha Blackthorne, and TV paranormalist Britt Griffith ('Ghost Hunters') to enhance the gifted local talent Deftone usually thrives in, and it all adds to what is truly a masterpiece. 'A Grim Becoming' also has the things an Adam R. Steigert Film is known for he gets above-and-beyond level performances from his Talent, combines horror with heart, has eight things going on at the same time but never feels that way, and exceeds whatever level of expectations you had. Yet here going in, the level of expectation was supreme, with a blend of people and plot-lines ubiquitous and convoluted ...from all walks of life and level of mood going in countless directions, but it all comes together perfectly, with a feel both horrifying and hilarious, and can rival a film made on the A list. Of all the Independent Films I had the pleasure of seeing, and even the Hollywood Movies I have ever had the pleasure to watch this here film, 'A Grim Becoming' moves to the very top of my list, and could indeed be my favorite film of all time. It gets 10 out of 10 from me.
The main plot follows Raphael (Brandon T. Williams), a star Architect who is upended from everyday life, first following the untimely passing of his nephew and then witnessing the work of a Grim Reaper at the scene of an accident. Not having the time to confront death head-on in figurative manner, he actually confronts 'Death', of the four-horseman variety. Brilliantly portrayed by Michael Sciabarrasi, this character of 'Death' is at-once terrifying and cartoonish, dressed in Victorian tux-and-top hat with cigar ever-present, and calls himself "Magoo". Raphael learns that because he has seen a Grim Reaper at work, he must himself become one it's an unwritten rule that is, begrudgingly, his curse to bear or find a loophole around, and Magoo is there to make sure Raphael meets his new fate or face consequences even worse. Throughout Raphael's reluctant new assignment is a wonderful combination of laugh-out-loud zaniness, horrid deaths, creepy family members, asinine competitors, distractingly beautiful assistants, suicidal mourners, inept reapers, stoned archangels, fainting hotel clerks, horny seniors, enough blood to fill an ocean and a scene that will forever change your outlook on peanut butter. Add to that some visiting Stars of the Independent Horror-film genre that brilliantly play outside their comfort-zones, such as scream-queens Devanny Pinn and Jessica Cameron, legends Bill Oberst, Jr., Lynn Lowery and Melantha Blackthorne, and TV paranormalist Britt Griffith ('Ghost Hunters') to enhance the gifted local talent Deftone usually thrives in, and it all adds to what is truly a masterpiece. 'A Grim Becoming' also has the things an Adam R. Steigert Film is known for he gets above-and-beyond level performances from his Talent, combines horror with heart, has eight things going on at the same time but never feels that way, and exceeds whatever level of expectations you had. Yet here going in, the level of expectation was supreme, with a blend of people and plot-lines ubiquitous and convoluted ...from all walks of life and level of mood going in countless directions, but it all comes together perfectly, with a feel both horrifying and hilarious, and can rival a film made on the A list. Of all the Independent Films I had the pleasure of seeing, and even the Hollywood Movies I have ever had the pleasure to watch this here film, 'A Grim Becoming' moves to the very top of my list, and could indeed be my favorite film of all time. It gets 10 out of 10 from me.
Cinematically Correct
Envision-Pictures9 May 2017
As for a lower budget indie.. this film takes everything with great ease. Cinematography is absolutely beautiful. The acting is par. The story is easy to follow, which is always good for a horror film. Set locations were also very interesting. Overall good production!!!! Good work to the cast/crew!
"A Grim Becoming" is Awesome, Enjoyable, Intelligent, and Worthwhile Fun!, A Film Review By Alec Frazier and Autistic Reality
alecfrazier6 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Death has many faces. Death is often a frightening, intimidating concept. Death is the destroyer of worlds. And, in the film "A Grim Becoming", Death is named Magoo. Of course, this is no laughing matter to Death, who is not familiar with earthly animation.
A promotional banner for"A Grim Becoming", courtesy of the film's website. The film "A Grim Becoming" is a dark comedy set mostly in the fictional town of Metzburgh, New York, with some scenes set in Buffalo, New York. Overall, the premise for this film is so ingenious that one can't help but wonder why it hasn't been made already. The film explores how someone becomes a grim reaper, what their powers are, the politics of life after death, and how death manifests itself in our world. It follows a young architectural executive, Raphael Stockford (Brandyn T. Williams), as he is granted the powers of a Grim Reaper. This poses a great problem though, because he really doesn't want to kill anyone. In this film, the Grim Reapers are employees of Death (Michael Sciabarrasi). Death is a ghastly gentleman dressed in Victorian garb with an ever-present cigar. He takes his job quite seriously, and is not to be toyed with. Nonetheless, he often finds the oddities of everyday human life quite comical. Raphael is coming to Metzburgh from his hometown of Buffalo to take care of final affairs for his nephew, who has just passed away, leaving behind a scarred girlfriend and a saddened family. However, the family is quite out of its gourd with their own problems and quirks. Add to this ever present mix Raphael's office life, which is an absolute nightmare, and the other guests at his hotel, who are just having a devil of a time trying to get laid. Throw in a zombie, the truth about the JFK assassination, and pot smoking Angels.
You may be asking at this point, "Isn't this too much for one film?" Absolutely not! The film is quite well-made by DefTone Pictures Studios, Inc., which is based in Hamburg, New York. In fact, the film, directed by Adam Steigert, is on the level of some of the smaller films made in Hollywood. The premier took place at the historic Hamburg Palace Theater in Hamburg, New York, and there was a question-and-answer period afterwards. The love that the filmmakers have for the film shows through in droves. All of the movie was filmed in Buffalo, New York, by local acting talent and a local production crew. With museums, historic landmarks, a vibrant comic book scene, and excellent independent filmmakers, Buffalo has great potential as an art town. The film clearly shows as an independent flick, but the quality is superb. The film manages to tackle the philosophy surrounding death as well as excellent humor at the same time. The film is terribly funny! The film manages to draw on the hip vibe of current day pop culture in a way that a bigger, Hollywood-made film is not able to genuinely capture. You feel like you are friends with the characters in this film. You don't just feel for them, but you feel like you could BE them! The acting is wonderful, the sets are spot on, and the character development is genius. A local community came together to create this masterpiece!
I will admit that when I went to see this film, I had had correspondence with Brandyn T. Williams, Michael Sciabarrasi, and Adam Steigert. However, attending the premier with them has cemented a friendship among local businessmen. Local businessmen who are, indeed, awesome people on the personal level. On a personal level, I, Alec Frazier, appreciated the film tremendously. My business is a disability rights firm called Autistic Reality. Autistic Reality has also come out with a book, a literature review called Without Fear: The First Autistic Superhero. A big part of our firm's business is appreciating realistic standards, as opposed to irrational expectations or setting the bar too low, or too high. We also have a healthy ideal of what fun should be. Fun should not be afraid to be politically incorrect, and should play to the human element in us all. In our mind, fun should be awesome, enjoyable, intelligent, and worthwhile. It should be awesome in that it fills you with wonder. It should be enjoyable in that it fills you with joy. It should be intelligent in that it makes you think. It should be worthwhile in that it should be worth having. My firm, Autistic Reality, would full heartedly like to endorse "A Grim Becoming" as meeting our criteria of awesome, enjoyable, intelligent, and worthwhile fun! We give this film our highest recommendations! We also would like to give the best of endorsements to Brandyn T. Williams, DefTone Pictures Studios Inc., and the Hamburg Palace Theater. This movie has just become an annual Halloween tradition in my house. Buy a copy! You will be glad you did!
A promotional banner for"A Grim Becoming", courtesy of the film's website. The film "A Grim Becoming" is a dark comedy set mostly in the fictional town of Metzburgh, New York, with some scenes set in Buffalo, New York. Overall, the premise for this film is so ingenious that one can't help but wonder why it hasn't been made already. The film explores how someone becomes a grim reaper, what their powers are, the politics of life after death, and how death manifests itself in our world. It follows a young architectural executive, Raphael Stockford (Brandyn T. Williams), as he is granted the powers of a Grim Reaper. This poses a great problem though, because he really doesn't want to kill anyone. In this film, the Grim Reapers are employees of Death (Michael Sciabarrasi). Death is a ghastly gentleman dressed in Victorian garb with an ever-present cigar. He takes his job quite seriously, and is not to be toyed with. Nonetheless, he often finds the oddities of everyday human life quite comical. Raphael is coming to Metzburgh from his hometown of Buffalo to take care of final affairs for his nephew, who has just passed away, leaving behind a scarred girlfriend and a saddened family. However, the family is quite out of its gourd with their own problems and quirks. Add to this ever present mix Raphael's office life, which is an absolute nightmare, and the other guests at his hotel, who are just having a devil of a time trying to get laid. Throw in a zombie, the truth about the JFK assassination, and pot smoking Angels.
You may be asking at this point, "Isn't this too much for one film?" Absolutely not! The film is quite well-made by DefTone Pictures Studios, Inc., which is based in Hamburg, New York. In fact, the film, directed by Adam Steigert, is on the level of some of the smaller films made in Hollywood. The premier took place at the historic Hamburg Palace Theater in Hamburg, New York, and there was a question-and-answer period afterwards. The love that the filmmakers have for the film shows through in droves. All of the movie was filmed in Buffalo, New York, by local acting talent and a local production crew. With museums, historic landmarks, a vibrant comic book scene, and excellent independent filmmakers, Buffalo has great potential as an art town. The film clearly shows as an independent flick, but the quality is superb. The film manages to tackle the philosophy surrounding death as well as excellent humor at the same time. The film is terribly funny! The film manages to draw on the hip vibe of current day pop culture in a way that a bigger, Hollywood-made film is not able to genuinely capture. You feel like you are friends with the characters in this film. You don't just feel for them, but you feel like you could BE them! The acting is wonderful, the sets are spot on, and the character development is genius. A local community came together to create this masterpiece!
I will admit that when I went to see this film, I had had correspondence with Brandyn T. Williams, Michael Sciabarrasi, and Adam Steigert. However, attending the premier with them has cemented a friendship among local businessmen. Local businessmen who are, indeed, awesome people on the personal level. On a personal level, I, Alec Frazier, appreciated the film tremendously. My business is a disability rights firm called Autistic Reality. Autistic Reality has also come out with a book, a literature review called Without Fear: The First Autistic Superhero. A big part of our firm's business is appreciating realistic standards, as opposed to irrational expectations or setting the bar too low, or too high. We also have a healthy ideal of what fun should be. Fun should not be afraid to be politically incorrect, and should play to the human element in us all. In our mind, fun should be awesome, enjoyable, intelligent, and worthwhile. It should be awesome in that it fills you with wonder. It should be enjoyable in that it fills you with joy. It should be intelligent in that it makes you think. It should be worthwhile in that it should be worth having. My firm, Autistic Reality, would full heartedly like to endorse "A Grim Becoming" as meeting our criteria of awesome, enjoyable, intelligent, and worthwhile fun! We give this film our highest recommendations! We also would like to give the best of endorsements to Brandyn T. Williams, DefTone Pictures Studios Inc., and the Hamburg Palace Theater. This movie has just become an annual Halloween tradition in my house. Buy a copy! You will be glad you did!
See also
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