Indie Showcase: Dead Again (2018)

The world is becoming a more interconnected place all of the time. The globalization trend has been steamrolling across the plant for many decades now, but its results have often been one-sided. This is especially true for the arts and culture, where it can often seem that creative work from all over the world is trying to mimic the trends from a few mostly Western locations. However, the exact opposite applies for the Dead Again indie film which is about to start its festival rounds. Here�s how the film presents itself:

Dejected by love troubles and job upheaval, Thomas comes upon a mysterious diary and begins to read its haunting tale of love and loss. Besieged by strange occurrences and with no one to trust, Thomas embarks on a treacherous journey to unravel disturbing details about the diary�s author and even his own past.

The director, a graduate of University of California-Riverside's Creative Writing program called Dave Silberman wrote and directed several hilarious, suspenseful, and thought-provoking short films. While teaching English for five years in Korea, he won a top prize in the "Seoul, Our Movie" competition awarded by Park Chan Wook. He created DEAD AGAIN, his first feature film, with a modest budget, total commitment, a bit of basic Korean and a lot of body language.

In this case, a western artist was willing and able to take on the cinematography and culture of a very different place than his own native US. As the trailer shows, Dead Again looks like a cool mixture of the Far East horrors and modern love story, all taking place in the urban, modern setting. There is a strong sense of the local cinematography influences in the film, while the pacing makes the story feel menacing. Thanks to all of this, there is little doubt that the Dead Again will be interesting to the audiences in Asia as much as the western movie-goers. 

Find out more about the film on its Facebook Fan page or IMDb listing. Also, Dead Again will screen on Saturday, April 28th at 1:00 pm in Houston at Worldfest and on Saturday, May 19th at 12:00 pm in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Independent Film Awards.

Documentary: A Lillie In A Valley (2018)

The modern age is seemingly a time of infinite change. From the end of the 19th century to this very day, the world seems to be constantly evolving in an unprecedented manner. But, imagine witnessing the same process almost from the start of the 20th century right through to the present moment. A Lillie In A Valley is a documentary that covers this exact concept through a story of a very special yet very regular lady living in the US. Here's how the film describes itself:

A Lillie In a Valley., �The story of Lillie B. Johnson�, is a non-fiction documentary film celebrating the life and services of Lillie B. Johnson, an African American woman who has been blessed to be on this earth for over a century as she turns 103 years of age. Born on April 16, 1912, Lillie B. Johnson has lived through many countless historical events including segregation and the civil rights movement, as well as lived to witness the inauguration of the first black president of the United States of America; all in which has took place during her lifetime.

As a pillar within the Wheeler County community, Lillie B. Johnson is valued and appreciated by an innumerable amount of family members, friends, and stakeholders within the rural South-East Georgia town. She has touched and influenced many generations of people who have went on to become successful in life. The story has true disposition in highlighting the importance of family as well as uncovering the true essence of what it means to value God, family, and love. This particular film captures the annual birthday celebration as family and friends prepare for the event that takes place on Lillie B. Johnson St.

A Lillie In A Valley Trailer from Dondrea Geter on Vimeo.

Only imagining the life and the events this woman went through it strange, inspiring and terrifying, all at the same time. The documentary about her is using a very clear and direct approach to tell her story, especially when it comes to the people around her. From the horrific legacy of the-not-so-distant past at the moment of her birth to her witnessing of the civil rights movement and the time of hope that came after it, there is no doubt that not many people on this planet share Lillie�s perspective.

Here, the film shows how many completely different generations have risen alongside Lillie, sharing their struggles and achievements with her and her life�s story. Because of the interesting subject matter and a straightforward approach to it, A Lillie In A Valley seems like a very important document for all current and future generations.

First Look: The Shard�s Wave (2019)

One of the most impressive abilities of the science fiction movies and works of art, in general, is to open up our perspective to what the world is and what it could become. Sometimes these visions are grim and terrifying. At other points, they might be uplifting and hopeful. But, in any case, they provide a glimpse into a world that could be a reality even today, just lying in someone�s mind before that same person makes it happen in the future.

The upcoming movie called The Shard�s Wave is precisely this - a film about perception and the future of our minds and souls. The movie is about two souls that are connected to each other through their minds. One belongs to a regular and innocent person, while the other one is something completely different: a criminal. The story of the Shard�s Wave is about how these connect with each other and change their other lives and the lives of people around them

As a sci-fi thriller that will be released both in English and in Tamil, the film looks really promising, even judging by nothing more than its poster that was recently released. See it below:

The film should be out in 2019 and for any additional information check out this Facebook post.

Indie Showcase: Trouble Is My Business (2018)

Some of the best films ever created over the course of the 20th century were purebred noir thrillers. From The Big Sleep to L.A. Confidential, there is no doubt that a classic noir movie can never get outdated in any shape or form. Trouble Is My Business is a new indie film that works in the cinematographic frame of this incredible genre. Here is why the film has to say about itself.

Detective Roland Drake falls for two beautiful Montemar sisters. One woman is dead and the other wants to kill him. �Trouble� is a new feature film that is a love letter to noir. Trouble Is My Business is a dark, doomed romance filled with mystery, murder and betrayal. Starring Brittney Powell and Vernon Wells. Written by Tom Konkle and Brittney Powell. Directed by Thomas Konkle. 

Clearly, the plot is as noir as it gets, featuring all of the well-known elements made famous by all those fedora-wearing detectives of film history. The story of the film is not just tense, but also action packed to the brim with fistfights, knife fights, and gunfights. All of this is noir to its core. In fact, the very name of the movie feels like a big homage to many noir titles, both from the silver screen and vintage detective novels.

Yet, in spite of it having a very noir approach, the film also comes with an interesting cinematography style. It features radiant colors and a very smart use of CGI, which do wonders for placing the film in an engaging world of its own. Clearly, all this points to the fact that no noir fans, even those who only slightly appreciate the genre, should miss out on watching Trouble Is My Business.

Right now, a special two-disc collector's edition of Trouble Is My Business is available for pre-order on Amazon which contains both color and black-and-white versions of the film. Get it right now or visit the film�s official website for more info.

Indie Showcase: Karma (2018)

Friendship and loyalty are things we respect throughout the world and seemingly ever since we became aware of ourselves as a species. However, can both of these ideas push people into horrible decisions and even worse actions? These are the questions that are raised by Karma, a new indie thriller created by SummerTyme Productions. Here�s the film�s synopsis:

It's Ciana's Birthday and she is lucky enough to have six friends to spend it with. After a celebration the seven of them cozy up on the beach to socialize, reminisce, and tell scary stories. Little do they know they're about to endure a real scary story of their own.
When one friend is attacked, the girls turn around and attack her attackers. Murder, mayhem, resentment, and betrayal consume them. With two overzealous cops on their trail as well as the Karma that the girls are enduring, they are becoming more and more frantic about the outcome of their situation and hope they can stop everything before it's too late.

From a simple setup, Karma builds a complex and tense story of how do we deal with our actions and what are we willing to do to protect our loved ones, even when they are clearly wrong. The trailer of the film shows a raw drama unfolding before the lens of the camera, focused more on the plot and the characters than on the cinematographic value.

In whole, the movie seems like a part-documentary, part live-action, which gives it that eerie feeling of seeming close to the audience. This story is not something out of the ordinary, the film tells its viewers. This is something that can happen to anyone, including - you. The same approach really drives it home, especially for such a small indie film. The plot works mainly because it unfolds outside of its budgetary constrictions to provide something that seems genuinely engaging.

Thanks to all of that, the movie appears more than interesting for an independent thriller. Find out more about Karma on its official website or watch it right now at Amazon Prime Video.

Indie Showcase: Badsville (2017)

The noir movie genre is perfect for any period - it might have been born in the early 20th century, but it is still going strong. A perfect example of this is the fact that it works in so many different settings and time periods. In fact, it even works for those films that are apparently outside of real time and space. Badsville is a new indie release that apparently uses the same principle to great effect.Here�s how the film describes itself:

A violent greaser gang is ripped apart when their leader finds love and is determined to leave Badsville - a town where love doesn't exist.

The trailer, which is super-short, does a great job presenting a violent and desolate place where the main character appears and tries to stay above the water. Badsville is pleasantly �clean� in the terms of cinematography - the shots and photography are defined and steady, focusing on the characters. The moment when violence erupts seems to be a crucial part of the life in the fictional Badsville. However, even if the place is non-existent, the dynamic of the life in a place like this feels more than real.

The film is directed by April Mullen and produced by David J. Phillips and Douglas Spain. At the same time, its cast is comprised out of veterans scattered between many new faces. Among them, the excellent Emilio Rivera stands out as an always-interesting presence on both TV and movie screens. All of the elements of the movie show a gritty noir tale that might be unhinged from any real spot in the world but is steadily anchored in the dark emotions that fuel organized crime and violence that keeps it going. Yet, the film shows us, even in the darkness of Badsville, a light of hope shines bright...

The film is now available on Amazon, iTunes & On Demand platforms across USA & Canada. Find out more about it on its official IMDb page.

Short Film Review: Side Effects (2018)

Zombie movies and the genre of comedy are not exactly strangers to each other. Ever since George Romero provided us with the first true vision of the brain-eating (or general human body-eating) brain-dead ghouls, humanity was hooked on this idea and rightly so. Unlike many other genres of horror, zombie one comes with a subtle disclaimer that this is not the most serious topic in the world.

Sure, they can come with truckloads of drama and The Walking Dead as a TV show epitomizes this premise. But, below the surface, we all kind of gets that walking corpses looking to eat the living aren�t exactly an expression of existential philosophy.

Jonathan Vargas as the writer and director of Side Effects, a short zombie movie, did not have any dilemmas about making his premise both zombified and ridiculous. In the movie, a small hustler and self-proclaimed ladies� man ends up in trouble when he can�t repay the money he owns to the wrong people. 

So he reaches out to even more wrong people who can help him with some home-made drugs. Unknown to him or anyone else, these come with a very troubling side effect.

This short film is more of a comedy than anything else. Its characters are a cartoonish version of regular movie stereotypes covering a loser protagonist and his rational best friend as opposed to sexy dealers and sexy enforcers. However, Vargas does not stop there, so he throws in there crazy scientists who are willing to make things in exchange for sexual favors and a zombie outbreak, just to top the previous one off.

From the first moment, the film is at high speed and it never really whines down until the very final shot of the film. Vargas, who is now an accomplished and experienced filmmaker, takes the best out of his cast � all of them really do create many funny moments that are based on dialogue and actor reactions. There are some weaker points in the writing that occasionally might get slightly repetitive, but this might be the particular brand of comedy Vargas was aiming for.

Things like cartoon sound effect and general over-the-top atmosphere definitely point to a film that is wacky before anything else. Of course, comedy is nothing new to Vargas, even though I personally believe that his strongest work so far, like Loyalty or Betrayal, remains squarely rooted in crime drama (which is the genre where he should, in my view, try to go for something feature-length). Still, there is something both uplifting and strongly positive in Side Effects, especially in the twist ending that is very unexpected and even laced with a hint of social critique.

All of this makes the film fun and also something that feels like a great long-term exercise for Vargas. His ability to continue with using his recognizable style, mainly in his writing and camera work, show a film professional. Yet, the willingness to branch out to a less-known territory of hybrid horror comedy tells of an artistic impulse that makes the entire cinematographic craft he possess a tool that makes actual art, not just polished independent short films. I�m certain that this will allow anyone who sees Side Effect to be, if nothing else, amused and entertained.