sub502 Reviews

How Life Is (2004)

Interesting, thought provoking

[9/10 · 9 December 2005]

An interesting developmental step for the Nitro Media team, promising amazing things to come in the future for this crew. Developed in a short time frame on a shoe-string budget, this film is a triumph of kiwi-ingenuity, showing us all that it's talent and creativity that build potential for success, not a massive budget.

** Herein lies spoilers ** The short film traces a circle of interlinked events, and shows us that city life is a mish-mash of inseparable happenings. Often, these events will run full circle, and come back in to our lives. Beginning at an inner-city Wellington coffee shop, the journey begins as a taxi-driver picks up a cup of coffee before going on the road. He tosses his coffee cup out of the window of his car, and so the web of interconnected events begins. In the end, events come around back to the coffee shop, just in time for the taxi drivers return visit for another cup of joe.

Heinous Crime (2004)

So very VERY bad it made my eyes burn

[1/10 · 9 December 2005]

The only thing worse than the diabolical quality of this film is the Director/Creators shameless and pitiful efforts to pass off the total lack of quality or professionalism as being on purpose. I am sad to report that, in an effort to be objective, while looking the short over for redeeming qualities I found none. The story, as it is, is poorly improvised and pointless. The sound is badly recorded, noisy and inconsistent. The camera-work is ineffective and totally amateur. The acting is... well, I wouldn't even call it acting.

The final product, in all fairness and without a word of exaggeration, is the kind of result you'd most likely get if you gave two teenagers with a long police record of disruptive behavior a twelve ounce bottle of vodka each, a broken VHS handy-cam held together with tape, and fifteen minutes to script and film the whole event. To think that this abortive slice of uncreative trash won the Wellington area competition puts the 48-Film festivals' credibility in dispute with the general public.

Should the attempt to make a "bad" piece of film on purpose actually have been the case, the camera-work and acting would have been endearing and funny, not outrageously pathetic to the point of upsetting the viewer. To even make the claim that it was this bad by design shows contempt for the viewing public. The reason it is so bad, in my ever so humble opinion, is because the people who made it where short on the talent stakes, and just plain old lazy.

If you are looking for a clever short that will make you smile, look for the other place getters for the 48-Hour film festival online - avoid this trash like the plague. I give it a solid -8.5 out of 10 .... that's right, NEGATIVE 8.5.