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growler2022022
Reviews
Abduction of the Fourth Kind (2022)
Lots of work needed to save this thing
This film literally fell into my lap after reviewing another film, so I watched it and I was surprised that this film won as many awards as it did through some independent film festivals that obviously shell out an award so long as someone pays for it. This film is a train wreck that never left the station. As a matter of fact, there wasn't an engine to get the entire thing moving down the track. First, there is no arrangement with continuity and lacks required film formats associated with film productions. I know that this is an indie film, but at one glance the cinematography is unbalanced, the lighting is atrocious (if any was used) and the visual effects are very elementary, often seen in low budget amateur hour films. There was definitely no stylized screenplay and many of the actors just simply couldn't act. Aspect ratio was all over the place and the music, along with the myriad use of stock footage was just absurd at every level. Apparently there was some funny dialog that was presented, but I guess I missed the punchline to all of the jokes.
Next, there is some vivacious grandstanding by several obviously untrained actors, many of whom never took an acting class in their life. Either the Director wanted the actors to perform the way they did, or he just accepted what they brought to the production. Directors should always demand what they want and never just settle. And there was a lot of settling that was done in this film. In one series of scenes, the editing was horrific, especially where an important character is talking to several people, but the camera never pans back enough to show the entire setup of the scene. The camera pitch setups are also all over the place, set low, set to medium shots, and then some silly angles.
Finally, the money shot was so dull and very poorly constructed with bad practical effects that looked like some kindergarten class put it together. The plot and story are truly nothing to get excited or altered about, save to say the film concerns a conspiracy theory about aliens and the COVID vaccine shots. Where the film hinted that something big would have to present itself, this film just couldn't deliver. I reviewed this film just to review local films produced in Texas. If this is the best that San Antonio has to offer in award winning science fiction films, maybe there's a good reason why the real film industry is located in Austin, TX. I'm giving this train wreck a failing grade. I'd say, do a lot of reshoots with some real talent in the cast, write a better script, hire some real camera men and start all over. This film was done even before it started.
A Call in the Dark (2017)
Not a Completed Film
Another one of Ramiro Avendano's one minute and twenty second shorts that went no where. There was a fine idea behind this short that could have taken it to an all new level. The camera work and lighting is okay, the acting is barely noticeable and the shocking ending was anything but shocking. Put together over a nights work, there was some interesting film work that was shot but not used by the amateur director because...well...it would have made the film a little better during the end credits.
It has to be mentioned that at least three of the actors in this film are noteworthy professionals who have long resumes of working on truly successful films and many of those attributes come from working with well trained film crews and well educated directors.
How this short film got released on IMDB as a feature film, still eludes me, but if you ever meet up with Ramiro, as him to watch the full film which does not exist.
Zombie Reign: Revelation (2016)
THE ACTORS DEVOTED A LIFETIME TO THIS PIPEDREAM
One of the worst productions to never see the light of day and for good reason. This projects director, Ramiro Avendano, may have had great foresight to write a script that was seen by many under his amateur leadership as a mind blowing thriller but this entire production was led and managed by a self centered leader that wanted all of the attention to himself, which seriously damaged and hindered any progress this project might have gained during its five year attempt to form as a film.
Many actors doubled as crew will tell you that hours upon hours of film was shot, but only a cool looking trailer with tons of explosions, old footage, and well placed CGI was produced and released to tease the cast and crew along for another change in production. The constant changes in the script and change in direction of the main story caused delay after delay, forcing a well scripted rise in drama between the actors and extras who once supported the project. The director, the cast and crew endured months of bad reviews and trolling over the directors refusal to release this film in its entirety to its critics, the cast and its crew.
In the end, a badly produced film was released to some family, friends, and crew. The director tried to claim that a third party ruined the sound during editing, but already having a reputation for never releasing the film work to anyone else to handle, the truth was that Ramiro Avendano failed to complete production on this film project and lacked the ability to get the task of editing the film to professional spectator prior to its release.
But kudos do go out to a handful of actors that volunteered their acting prowess to the film project, probably some of the most talented Indie actors in San Antonio provided their talents to impress possible fans; to bad that their work will never be seen by anyone other than Ramiro Avendano himself.
Sector 17 (2017)
Again, Hard to review what doesn't exist
This film exists only as a trailer. The director went on to try and add a few scenes to make it a complete film but a ton of local actors jumped ship from the project and it was never completed. As a matter of fact the entire project has never been seen by anyone outside of the small circle of local actors who believed that bigger ventures were just around the corner.
The trailer was badly directed, badly acted, poorly edited and the lighting & sound are atrocious and there is no way that this project will get released s a film or ever be completed.
Blade: Remix (2018)
Hard To Review What Doesn't Exist
This was supposed to be a fan trailer, but apparently after claiming that big Hollywood "was interested in a series," the director went on to try and add a few scenes. The entire project has never been seen by anyone outside of the small circle of local actors who believed that bigger ventures were just around the corner. This trailer was badly directed, badly acted, poorly edited and the lighting & sound are atrocious and there is no way that ANY Hollywood executive would ever consider this film trailer for anything except a fan trailer.
Keep in consideration that this fan trailer was apparently entered into a Chinese-American Indie film contest, that also didn't legitimately exist, and some actors won awards and the filmmaker won "best director" for the full feature film that does not exist.
The Legend of DarkHorse County (2014)
Not Even Close
I'm not part of the clique who participated in the production of this amateur film production; so expect an honest film review without spoilers.
This movie was extremely low budget. There is nothing in this film that worth bragging about or making any real mention of. With the exception of the better known actors, none of the cast had real training in acting or performing as a seasoned professional in front of the camera. Scenes are poorly set up and/or performed by the lower accredited names. The cinematography was horrible, the better parts were used in the trailer, and there is no drama where it's supposed to be. The editing was terrible, leaving little room for the film to stay fluid; I honestly think that a "sizzle reel" was extended with several extra scenes and some inconsistent stock footage that was shot somewhere else and during a different season.
Post Mortem - There's nothing good about this film. The film is full of cliches and the story writting is unreal and unoriginal. There are no performances that stand out, save a few friendly faces you've seen before in legendary tv and film roles. Its far to obvious that the leading lady has never handled a real gun in her life and has yet to have felt recoil and act it out properly. Leave it to some local bad acting talent to hype their personal bad films to try and hype this pile of crap.
Jacob (2011)
A little disappointed, not what I expected from the best in town
I guess I'm not on the local bandwagon in Houston. The movie had its good moments and a lot of bad. First off, the writing for the film was shallow, filled with parts of never ending dialog which slowed the delivery. The elements of the real story never surfaced on screen & I was left to hope that the violence would pick things up, which it did. Some of the actors in the film made me think, 'why was that person even in the film?' Many of the actors brought to the film lacked any real acting talent to give substance to undeveloped characters. There were parts in the film where the lighting was just plane awful. Another thing was the sound, it was not there when it needed to be.
If the movie was presented as a rough cut, then why was it released? The heart of this film could make it a local masterpiece? Surely, there are other ways to fund and promote this film project. This film is far from perfect and perhaps far from the solid leadership required to present a completed film to it's local fan base. The producers in charge of marketing and presenting this film failed to bring a real winner to Houston after all of it's hype. I surely hope this film has mild success in it's distribution.