Six Feet Down Under (2016) Episode One Review

My apologies for taking so long to get this review out to the masses, after watching the first episode of Six Feet Down Under, I had to take a break to peel my man panties off the floor and take a shower.

Take everything you love about any Jason Bourne movie, and then trim away all the fat and boring segments that threaten to lull you to sleep, and you may begin to understand just how action packed and ready to please Six Feet Down Under is.

Guy Grundy brings the pain in a way that will leave you a little sore after watching, as you cringe and flex along with the action in the same fashion that you might while watching a mixed martial arts fight on television. Shaun Piccinino may be in need of a quick detach scope, but he excels at kicking ass and leaving without the need to take names for a second matchup. Aaron Schoenke was a bit of a surprise. I’m used to seeing him play some of the fan favorites from the Super Power Beat Down series, such as Joker, Nightwing, and even the web-slinger himself Spider-Man. Gone in this role is the slightly twisted sense of humor and wit, but there is something under that cool exterior that leaves you excited to see where things will lead in future episodes. Hopefully, we will get to see his fighting skills come out to play with the other bad boys of the series. Anthony Appello isn’t just a stand in supporting actor, he has the attitude, acting scraps, and imposing stature to be the yang to Grundy’s yin. Seeing these kinds of things really gets me excited. As one of my greatest pet peeves is a supporting cast that seems so throw away from the start, that you could care less if, how, and when they bite the bullet. Then we have Vernon Wells, of course, I don’t need to say anything more. Yes, he is still Vernon Wells, and yes you should be as grateful as I am to see him on the screen again.

All in all, Six Feet Down Under is for those of us who enjoy fast-paced, hard-hitting action. It’s not for those who are looking for a heartwarming story of a boy and his pony, saving a sack full of kittens from a tree. I’m not saying you’re wrong if that is your cup of tea, I’m just saying that once she goes to bed, you should fire up the internet one last time and go watch Six Feet Down Under before you follow your wife to bed.

Oh don't worry ladies, I'm well aware that there are plenty of action-loving female film nuts out there as well. Keep watching after the credits and you will see that Six Feet Down Under is not just a "Mans World."

Check it out now!

Dead Kansas (2013) Review

SYNOPSIS: In a post-apocalyptic land consumed by "Rottens", a simple farmer and his teenage daughter struggle to survive. Meanwhile, an unruly gang make a plan to kidnap and sell the daughter for their own selfish profit. With the farmer/gang confrontation, a wicked tornado approaching, and "Rottens" everywhere - who will get out alive?

Dead Kansas is a post-apocalyptic film that has a 1970's throw back look, with a twist of excellent writing and witty dialogue.

Although there are "Rottens", don't expect to see too much of the guts and gore of zombies that you might expect. Instead of special effects makeup and CGI, Dead Kansas mostly uses old school black and white point of view camera work to give the impression of the walking dead.

Starring: Erin Miracle, Alexandria Lightford, Aaron Guerrero, Michael Camp, Kevin Beardsley, Joe McQueen, and special cameos by Irwin Keyes & Ben Woolf. Dead Kansas can be found on Amazon Video

Trespass Into Terror (2015) Review

Trespass Into Terror is a fun little adventure into the backwoods, where the rednecks run rampart, and the reckless acts of carelessness can carry a hefty toll.

I'll just start off by saying, the camera work in this film is phenomenal. So very many different angles and shots that you would not expect from a low budget Indie Film. The main cast does a great job in acting, which is good, but also sort of brings to light some of the supporting casts inexperience. While it may take a little more imagination than normal to watch as a fan, it can also add to the atmosphere of the film itself.

It wasn't only the inexperienced actors that had a rough go though. From Shaun Piccinino leaning around the back seat of a car to make sure his face is always in frame or twisting off a missing beer cap with sound effects, to Jared Rice breaking up "coke" on a mirror with a once folded over dollar bill. At one point I had tears in my eyes watching Rickey Bird Jr. try to navigate through a loosely strung barbed wire fence with a rifle as if he were poking a hornets nest with a boombox playing Slayer at max volume.

Now I know what you're thinking, "Jesus is this guy just going to nit-pick every little tiny thing in a film?" Well, yes and no. See, for myself it was an added layer of fun in watching Trespass Into Terror simply because, I have met some of these actors before. So any time I can give them an elbow to the ribs in a loving fashion, I gotta take it.

The film itself is a great little Indie Flick, with some tricky camera work, a beautiful location, and good direction. The only real criticism of the film is that a couple of the supporting cast sound like they are reading off of que cards, but that just comes with the territory when as an Indie Filmmaker, you are kind of stuck with what you have to work with.

I must say, it is great to see D.T Carney in his natural element. The angry redneck, chasing people through the woods. There is no one that does it better!

Trespass Into Terror can be rented or purchased on Amazon Video right now! 

I Was There (2015) Review

I Was There is a short about one mans strange encounter that put his suicidal plans on hold.

Michael Voight plays Charlie, a man whom is at the end of his chosen journey in life, until he finds a mysterious box under an overpass, the contents of which can not be explained. Charlie decides to continue his journey in life and we see him progress throughout the years, happily and content.

There are some major issues that I as a viewer had while watching the short. The major one was that I had to go back and read the description of the film to figure out what it was about. The acting is great, the chosen locations, beautiful. Where the film stumbles is in it's narrative, or lack there of.

Now don't get me wrong, I am a huge supporter of film that doesn't hand feed you the plot with a rubber tipped spoon, but even this one left me scratching my head in bewilderment after the first view.

Does this mean that it is a bad film that you should steer clear of? Absolutely not! In fact, now that you know the plot, watching it will free you up to enjoy the amazing acting, gorgeous locations, as well as the artistic design of the mysterious box and the creature within.

I Was There is a beautifully captured emotionally artistic journey for the viewer that any fan of film should dive into without hesitation. Not only is it a master silent class on acting, but it also has some great cinematography lessons to teach us as well.

Border Brothers (2015) Illegal Scene Screening Review

I was recently granted a limited time, secret knock code, that allowed me access to some scenes from the upcoming Hectic Films movie Border Brothers. I couldn't be more excited to see this film, but this wasn't necessarily the case before I made my way to that shady motel door, mentally repeating the knock code to myself, and trying to watch for movement out of the corners of my eyes. Maybe I was just brought out here to be robbed and have my body dumped in a dark alley? Hectic Films is legit... right?!

Before I was nervously toeing dirty syringes out of the way, and slowly shuffling up to that motel doorway, I was a bit apprehensive about a comedy that deals with illegal immigrants, drugs, and a white pool boy. I was worried that as an Indie Film, it would walk up to the line of decency and then just giggle and jump off the side of the moral mountain and leave us with something so offensive you just wanted to take a shower after watching it. I can happily report that that is not the case at all!

One of the first clips I saw showed me just how perfectly balanced the film is. That white knight pool boy who has the lead role? He's not the brightest bulb in the bundle. Those illegal immigrants who are so easily dropped into an obscure land of language barrier and ignorance that you see portrayed throughout Hollywood and television? They aren't in this film either. The illegal immigrants in Border Brothers are probably one of the greatest things about the film, as they are not the ones being judged, but instead, are doing the judging, in hilarious fashion!

Now, don't be scared off by the lack of offensive material, I assure you there is plenty here. It just manages to stay offensively safe, and never just completely runs off the rails. From a law enforcement officer telling his assaulter that he "Hits like a transgender", to the clueless ranting of a confused and out of his element white guy who never quite grasps that his racist remarks are not just being heard, but also understood.

Border Brothers has a little something for everyone, and I am excited to say, I will be one of the first in line to see it when it premiers!

You can see the trailer as well as help to get this movie finished by checking out the link below:

Mable (2015) Review

Mable Ain't No Mail-Order Cowboy Movie!

Hectic Films has done it again! Taking the world of Indie Film Making by the reigns and spurring fast and hard with it's latest short film, Mable.

The film finds a gang of ranch hands turned thieves pushing hard West with a few items stolen from Mr. Bedford, who had hired them on to work the fields. Among those items, is Mr. Bedford's daughter, Mable (Coryn McBride). 

The story picks up with us meeting Tom Landry (Shaun Piccinino) who meets with Mr. Bedford and company to hear of what has happened. Offering one item of his choosing from what the gang stole, Tom accepts and sets out on his sparrow catching mission. He soon tracks down the gang making camp for the night, and bullets fly. 

From the period clothing, to the grime and dirty dental neglect of the gang, this film pulls no punches and hits hard and fast. Delivering the action you want from a western, without all the ballyhoo you get from films twice as long.

Mable is a fun little whap of Western, that shouldn't be missed!

As The Man Drives (2015) Review

Disturbingly Awe Inspiring!

As The Man Drives is the kind of short film that stays with you, haunting your thoughts, and following you home. It takes a shot of dark noir and blends a little cigar smoke into the way you view the world, if only for a short while. Completely transporting you into the film experience in ways traditional Hollywood films can only dream about with future technology and the biggest record breaking budgets imaginable.

The score is nothing short of mesmerizing and hypnotic. It sets not only the tone and pace of the film, but also grabs you from the start and submerges you so deeply, you might just find yourself drowning in the cinematic experience, and not at all worried about coming back up for air!

D.T. Carney gives a spine chilling performance as the broken Detective Hank, struggling to make sense of just how far he has fallen. His partner, David (Rickey Bird Jr) struggles to give counsel as they make their way out of the city, into the night, where the truth waits with a finger on the trigger.