The Level (2008 Video) User Reviews

D.O.A.(Dead on Arrival)

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 7 December 2010]

Distortions in reality and only slivers of truth in Jeff and Josh Crook's bloody D.O.A. which centers on a supposedly dead mobster's two bodyguards and how they attempt to uncover who killed their boss and why. From the point of view of Eddy(Paris Campbell), there are a number of possible suspects, including Youngstown mobster Al's own son, Junior(Adam Kidd) and his whore girlfriend, Lexi(Dana Perry). Eddy also comments on his unstable partner, Rock(Robert Haley), a sadist who enjoys inflicting pain and torture on anyone he believes could be responsible for the death of Al(Lou D'Amato). The problem is we are not sure if even Eddy's testimony, spoken as he is being tortured by another using a golf club, is truth or fiction. Eddy does seem to come off as an innocent bystander unable to control Rock's actions as he drowns Junior in a barrel of water wanting to know where this group of redneck bikers(nicknamed the Horde by Lexi)is located, even trying to save Lexi who promises to sweet talk the gang's leader, Spanky(Danny Ray), into letting him join! Lies beget lies as Junior and Lexi, not to mention, Al's own chauffeur, Chester(Chris Ferry), offer their own versions as to what happened to the mobster. What seems to be a recurring truth within every story told is that Al walked into a school bus serving as a meth lab triggering a bomb resulting in an explosion that killed him. It's who got him into the school bus that's more than a bit confusing and suspect. The violence is as ugly as the camera work and characters, repellent and gratuitous to the extreme. How Junior confesses about wiping out a whole bar of bikers by himself, Lexi's details of the Horde as some sort of force of nature(as well as Chester's story regarding a shoot-out with the same dreaded hicks as Al was cowering in fear behind a seat for his life) point out how preposterous each character embellishes to save their own hides. We get Eddy and Rock in a gunfight with Lexi's girl posse(equipped with machine guns for chrissakes)among other eye-opening moments(..like the visit to the "Asylum" where Eddy tries to shock Junior back to life using battery cables hooked to a running engine!)such as a beheading and a face exploding from a shot gun at close range. As expected there's plenty of foul language and nudity to go along with the graphic violence. Not for all discernible tastes, D.O.A.(DEAD ON ARRIVAL)will mostly appeal to those who like their movies as gritty and unpleasant as possible. The movie ends with a tongue being cut out to kind of clue you in on what awaits. Not one single character has any redeeming qualities, so when people continue to kill each other, I imagine viewers will care less.

This is not below average

[bexandbarn · 7/10 · 5 May 2010]

I'm writing this because as it stands it has been given a rating of 4.9 after less than 200 votes. This is absolutely unfair, as this is definitely above average, especially as there are no big names in it and the whole film has a very low budget feel to it. Film makers who clearly have a low budget should be applauded for making films of this quality when there is so much dross around which have millions of dollars spent on it.

Of course, this won't be for everybody. For a start, it is very, very, very violent. The opening five minutes packs a rather nasty punch but should be enough for the viewer to know whether this film is for them or not. If you are put off by the violence, you will hate this movie. If you say 'wow' then you will not be disappointed by the rest of this movie.

The two heavies this story revolves around play their roles superbly and at times, too convincingly. The viewer never knows what actually occurred with different versions of the truth being played out. It culminates in a fairly grizzly finale, but one which is plausible and pleasing (especially for the sick among us).

It's funny, but all the reviews on IMDb are positive. So who are these people downgrading it? And for the record - I'm in no way affiliated with this film, as a lot of reviewers are on IMDb. Check out my other reviews to prove it. This is a tour de force of realistic violence with a good story and excellent acting. A must for gangster film buffs who like their violence grittily displayed.

I made this film.

[flixfan404 · 9/10 · 16 August 2010]

First of all let me thank everyone who has said good things about this movie (on this site and others). My brother and I made this movie on a shoestring budget so that we could do what we wanted. We shot it on short ends and cut the negative in my bedroom with nothing but take-up reels and a frame counter.

I know this film is not for everyone but we're really proud of it. The US distribution deal went into limbo and it seems most people are seeing the pirated version through bit-torrent sites. Whatever. Believe it or not, we made this film because we wanted people to watch it. It has been amazing that it has been seen by people all over the world. That's what it's all about anyway.

Some of the criticism is justified. No film is perfect (especially The Level). But for those who have complained about the low-budget feel or the level of violence I would just like to say, "kiss my ass!" Low budget means someone sweated blood to make it and if you were offended by the violence, then you were not the intended audience.

Again, thank you for all the support. The response we've gotten from around the world has been amazing. It's the life-blood of independent film.

Definitely worth a watch - may contain spoilers

[Jaarus · 7/10 · 5 July 2009]

MAY CONTAINS SPOILERS

I suspect 'The Level' will get compared a lot to 'Reservoir Dogs' in reviews for three main reasons - I couldn't help making comparisons either...

First reason is around the style of story telling. We join the story around three quarters of the way through and it uses character testimony to inform us, the viewer, how things got to that point. Eventually the story passes where we joined it, tying up all the loose ends as it does so.

Second reason is its all about criminals not knowing who they can actually trust (they are all criminals after all) and backstabbing each other when put on the line.. no-one knows who to trust and you as the viewer aren't at all sure which story is the truth.

And finally.... its violent. We aren't talking a non-stop gory bloodfest here... we are instead talking about realistic violence. Which is far more gut wrenching if you ask me (if anyone has watched a little known film called 'Savage Dad', starring Patrick Stewart...just think about the 'wrist' scene) This is definitely NOT one for the kids!! Final scene is a real 'muscles tightening as you watch it' scene.

I wont go into the plot as the plot IS the film... but if you like Mob style thrillers then you will enjoy it - even if it is a bit slow at times.

7 out of 10.

Really good crime drama. Its the sort of film that is real treasure in a wasteland of low budget independent films that are all fake gems. This is the real deal

[dbborroughs · 8/10 · 2 August 2009]

The chance of finding a film like this is the reason I wade into the odd independent films that I seem to suffer through again and again. This is one of those films that makes the pain of films like Garrison and many others worth enduring. This is one of my finds of the year. Its not really the best of the year but a great surprise that really made me sit up and take notice.

The film concerns Eddie. Eddie is a mid-level gangster who's tied to a chair and is being worked over by some unseen people. The people working him over want to know what the story was with the meth lab that blew up in the woods and why there is a trail of dead bodies every which way to Sunday. Eddie decides that the easiest thing to do is to "level" with his torturers and tell them exactly what happened. He begins telling it one way and then is stopped and told to tell it again from the beginning. What he tells is the bulk of the movie.

Bloody, violent and wickedly funny this is one of the best independent films I've seen in a while. The characters come alive and the dialog is the right sort of smart and funny and scary. Its a small scale film that very alive and breathing. I think the film doubly works because the cast is so good. Everyone sells their part and then some. This is important because as is quickly seen no one is ever on the level and everyone is seen to be trying to twist things their own way even as things get more and more out of control. If you don't believe the characters you won't buy what they are doing and accepting what happens is what this film is all about. Paris Campbell as Eddie is amazing as a man stuck in the middle of simple job that suddenly is going horribly wrong.

I honestly had no idea where this was going at times. Okay yes I kind of knew generally how things might go, but at the same time I had no idea about the details. I didn't know what was going to happen minute to minute because things changed so much. Best of all none of it feels forced. Nothing feels arty. Nothing feels unreal.

I've seen this compared to Reservoir Dogs, which I'm guessing is because of how the story is told, but I don't think thats completely fair since both films work wonderfully on their own. (I could also compare this to another film, which I won't reveal because it might by implication, reveal something that need not be known until the movie reveals it. And yes even that is an unfair comparison) If you can find this film see it. This is the sort of film that I really want to talk about but I can't because I really want people to see and discover for themselves. As I said its not the best film of the year but its a real find. Its the sort of film that will fit nicely into the genre of pulp crime films. I can't recommend this film enough.

Thanks to the fans

[cop_poc · 15 December 2011]

My name is Paris Campbell. I am the lead actor in D.O.A. I just wanted to thank everyone for the wonderful things that have been said about the film and about my performance in particular. (negative comments aside.) As was said by Josh Crook earlier, this was done on a shoestring budget but all the performers (and the crew) did their thing. This is significant because our art form is dying right before our eyes. Independent film gives new film makers a chance to show the world their vision through their eyes! This makes it possible for our society to receive art in it's purest form. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Peace

I like it

[acromegalix · 7/10 · 3 July 2019]

Always happy to find a movie I've never heard of with a good script, good acting and good pace. This one is a low budget thriller that will keep your attention all along with many twists and surprises and a global quality of acting and direction. There are some similarities with Usual Suspects in the outline, but enough differences to be considered original in the general theme of torture and lies. I read the comment by members of the crew above, if you still read the chat It still rocks 10 years after, good job !

Decent Hybrid

[chris_john_lynch · 8/10 · 19 February 2010]

Well written small budget flick. No name actors put on a good show. Definitely adult orientated with some great gore and raunchy scenes.

What is interesting is how this film tends to blend both the Crime and Slasher genres together. Not that genre is ever completely static, some films fitting into multiple genres, but rather that The Level combines elements of both the Crime and Slasher rather effectively. Aside from the story being about criminals there are some other more interesting connections.

The plot is reminiscent of not only Reservoir Dogs but a whole slew of other Crime movies: Layer Cake, The Usual Suspects and even Double Indemnity. The quest for the truth is a compelling device that moves these stories forward. The Level uses this device not only for the plot but also as its introduction of Horror. Most of the gruesome violence is even executed via torture, further suturing 'truth-seeking' and horrific violence. What lends this film to Slasher is the extensive mutilation, gore, raunchiness and torture that almost overwhelms some parts of the narrative. Consider Junior's revival only to be re-killed via decapitation.

Low budget Horror movies are often criticized for their weak plot. I mean, for the most part, the plot is just an excuse for the violence; especially in a good Slasher. That is what is interesting about The Level because the Crime genre is the driving force behind the horror.

Overall, pretty decent, especially for its budget.

A story of violence without glorification of the murderers.

[piverba · 8/10 · 15 February 2010]

This is not a film to be forever written in the annals of cinematography but it is poignant tale of violence without glorification of the mob. If there is one distinctive character of this film it's it honesty. Yes, it's about cruelty, murder, vise of all kinds. It is suspenseful and unpredictable. All characters are killed, the assumptive protagonist is turned out to be a liar, similar to others, no better than the others, as it should and must be. He tells the story portraying him a reasonable person, even compassionate. Momentarily we may forget that he's an active participant of the mob, our minds are not ready to deal with complete negativity; we require a redeemer, someone positive, a counterweight to establish the equilibrium. Who triumphs? – yes, you guessed it – the boss - the most ruthless and unpretentious of them all. He's the arch-thug and does not make a secret of it. He can never be accused of being nice, he never thinks nice, nor acts nice, he does not need nor want anybody to think nice of him. He's honest. He rips out protagonist's tong because he would not tolerate lies and deceptions in his domain. This is fitting conclusion of a story of a mobster, who pretended to play the role of a 'good guy'.

Often we are shown films, such as with Steven Seagal, where the protagonist, who demonstrates ruthlessness exceeding that of his opponents, somehow portraits as a positive character, avenging society. The reality is that this protagonist prevails because he was more ruthless than the 'bad guys'. We feel relieved that someone did this dirty job for us, or we feel, vicariously, to be this hero ourselves. Both feelings are deceptive – we are being manipulated to obtain inauthentic relief, like a junkie, offered a fix. Violence, if shown at all, need not to be cathartic, nor feel like pleasure, neither remembered as an agreeable experience. It should feels badly, for it is stupid and self-destructive activity, not to be indulged in.

A better way to dispense with the story like this one is to pluck out the tong of the symbolic story tellers by not patronizing their films. In a way Jeff and Josh Crook did just that with regard to all this Mel Gibson's Hollywood trash. Their violence does not feel good – it feels ugly, pointless and dead; it has no future.

Pretty Decent Flick

[fallguy_jack · 8/10 · 6 July 2009]

I was surprised at how enjoyable this movie was. Clearly not a big budget film, it ended up being quality entertainment.

The story keeps you interested and guessing, so that in itself makes for better than a lot of movies of any budget.

The acting is actually pretty good, especially considering there are no high priced actors, I think we'll be seeing more from a lot of them with this on their reels.

There's definitely some brutal stuff, and some funny stuff.

All in all I don't see anyone who is not expecting an Oscar worthy film being disappointed with watching this.

Tight gangster movie on a tight budget!

[nathan-yeo · 10/10 · 30 July 2009]

Get ready for another gangster movie with flash-backs and tough -talking bad guys, get ready to enjoy it. The cover with a wife-beater wearing beating mook tied to a chair surrounded by gun-waving gangster and gun-molls says it all and didn't disappoint. This movie had more beatings than a UFC card. Everyone gets a chance to sit in the beat seat as this movie unfolds. Its starts off with one beating Hench-man sitting in a chair telling why he had to another goon to a chair and beat him. It kept you guessing even though you've seen all these scenes before, but never like this. The gangster final words are as true as ever and his acting is superb, you realize we've all been taken for a ride. I wanted a nice little cheaply done gangster movie to wash the disappointing "HERO WANTED" out of my retinas these YAHOO's did it. They have a story line which is far superior than their budget.

Casting: these weren't actors these were tough guys impersonating actors acting like tough-guys. I don't know if real life they were COPS or Thugs, i just know they handed a lot of people a lot of misery and told their victims "Just doing my JOB!".

Special effects, no more CGI shoot-outs, unless you're Steven Speil-berg.

I saw some of their other movies and trust me they're carving out a nice little resume for themselves. They're are coming into their own.

If you like this one try "TURN LEFT"

The Lies of the Tortured

[chicagopoetry · 8/10 · 21 January 2010]

I'm surprised that The Level went straight to video because this is actually a very deep and thought provoking gore fest in the lines of Reservoir Dogs. The entire story is told in different versions by people who are being tortured to death. We don't know who to trust and just about everything portrayed ends up being a lie. There are some extremely brutal moments here. Apparently one scene was so gory they had to censor it because they pixelated it into blurriness as a guy was getting his head hacked off with a machete. The acting is decent and the plot is sound. It's as if you took the John Travolta and Lawrence Fishborn characters from Pulp Fiction and made an ultra-violent movie all about them. I don't know if this is a gangster movie or a horror movie. The line has really been blurred here. Fans of either genre should definitely check this one out.

Well worth watching! Reminded me in a way of 1999 movie "Go"

[Austin392hemi · 8/10 · 6 May 2011]

Just as I was going to bed this movie came on Showtime. It hooked me right from the beginning. That Robert Haley dude was scary man. There is just something utterly fascinating about gangster types who have no moral compass at all. This film captures that perfectly. You can tell it was low budget but it is NOT that obvious. Maybe like "El mariachi". Let's hope these guys can keep making movies. The only thing I did not like was we never saw the unblemished truth version of what really happened. I imagined that was coming and then the credits rolled. My feeling was that we would get a version from maybe a private eye or a gang rival who actually maybe watched it all from afar. You have no possible way of knowing what really happened. Yea, maybe that was the point especially with the opening quote but still... it is just a movie.

D.O.A. (Dead)

[englishm-3 · 17 October 2011]

I just watched this movie on Showtime. It was entitled D.O.A. (Dead). I had no idea what to expect, so I watched it with an open mind. The first thing that caught my attention was the voice of the lead character, Paris Campbell. It was resonant, clear and articulate. Even though I had never seen him act in anything else, I could tell immediately that this was a seasoned actor, and that drew me in initially. I am not a fan of excessive violence, but despite that, I was well entertained by the level of acting done by the two lead characters. The whole movie is told through flashbacks, and even flashbacks within flashbacks. I am not a gangster or a criminal, but I could find myself identifying with both of the lead characters, and actually cared what was happening to them as the story unfolded. I loved the camaraderie they displayed, and at no time did I feel like they were just "acting". Everything seemed so real, albeit gory at times. I couldn't step away from the screen until the movie was over, and that is a rarity for me. I was grossed out, but thoroughly entertained. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and just about the time I thought I knew what was going on, they would throw in another twist. 10 out of 10!