RELEASED IN 2004 and directed by Eric Small, "The Dust Factory" is a drama/family/fantasy about two young teens (Ryan Kelley and Hayden Panettiere) and the boy's grandfather (Armin Mueller-Stahl) who enter into a strange dimension parallel to the real world. Will they live or will they die?
Imagine mixing "Carnival of Souls" (1962) and "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (1983) with DC Comic's Strange Sports Stories and you'd have a good idea of this movie. Being a family-friendly film, it lacks horror, but there are enough strange things going on and it arguably borders on horror.
The relationship between Melanie (Panettiere) and Ryan (Kelley) is the heart of the story, with Gramps offering sage counsel. While it's neither great nor bad, seeing Panettiere when she was so young (14 during shooting) is a treat. She's just a joy to watch. Moreover, there are some imaginative visuals, like the teens in the field with the circus tent in the background, and the story certainly reaches for depth in its reflections on the nature of death and bereavement.
THE FILM RUNS 1 hours & 20 minutes and was shot in Oregon (Portland, Hillsboro & Mount Hood).
GRADE: B-/C+
Imagine mixing "Carnival of Souls" (1962) and "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (1983) with DC Comic's Strange Sports Stories and you'd have a good idea of this movie. Being a family-friendly film, it lacks horror, but there are enough strange things going on and it arguably borders on horror.
The relationship between Melanie (Panettiere) and Ryan (Kelley) is the heart of the story, with Gramps offering sage counsel. While it's neither great nor bad, seeing Panettiere when she was so young (14 during shooting) is a treat. She's just a joy to watch. Moreover, there are some imaginative visuals, like the teens in the field with the circus tent in the background, and the story certainly reaches for depth in its reflections on the nature of death and bereavement.
THE FILM RUNS 1 hours & 20 minutes and was shot in Oregon (Portland, Hillsboro & Mount Hood).
GRADE: B-/C+