Actually though, I really hate bashing films like Shattered Lives.
The amount of effort, money, time, coordination, and heart that it takes to make a film --- and Carl Lindburgh did virtually everything here --- attests to the fact that he took this effort seriously. It's got to mean something to him....why does it mean so little to us?
Many reasons, actually. Shattered Lives is a good example of a neat "idea" that should never have found its way into a script-writing program. It opens with a (by now) standard montage of a psycho killer in a gas mask hacking up a room full of half-drunk, stoned kids. This might mean something if there was ever any real exposition between the killer (whose identity is obvious from reading any brief summary of the film, unfortunately) and the victims. There are a few, very quick exchanges between the kids and the killer about midway through the movie, but they don't add any kind of clear picture about possible motivations. I understand you don't need any motivation to kill someone if you're a psycho, but there's no suspense or scares to fill that gap. It's like LIndburgh made this movie to say "See, isn't it neat I can make a movie. I can turn the camera on and point it!"
This brings us to the heart of the movie, and the relationship between a little girl named Rachel and her two toy clowns who come to life whenever she's alone with them. The clowns are a problem. They are neither creepy or coherent and their behavior seems to deliberately ape the behavior of many of the ancillary characters in "Twin Peaks," especially the film "Fire Walk with Me." But whereas Lynch's inventions are very multi-dimensional and cryptic --- they're INTERESTING --- these clowns are a drag. They make insipid pantomimes, talk in ridiculous rhyming stanzas, and worse yet, their dialog is slowed down and distorted to the point that it is hard if not impossible to decipher.
In addition, there are some jaw-droppingly bad technical gaffes, the worst of which is a scene where....I kid you not....the aspect ratio changes 2 or 3 times for absolutely NO REASON. It's in a simple dialogue scene. Did someone's license to Windows DVD Maker expire?
It's a real mess, all in all. It starts from a place that you're sure you've figured out, goes on to a LONG sequence that is obvious where it's headed, then leaves you at some place you don't want to be.
Lindburgh needs to take a break from watching movies and dig up an original idea, following that with a screen writing class. Shattered Lives has nothing to offer and is a joke even by the standards of Student Film.
The amount of effort, money, time, coordination, and heart that it takes to make a film --- and Carl Lindburgh did virtually everything here --- attests to the fact that he took this effort seriously. It's got to mean something to him....why does it mean so little to us?
Many reasons, actually. Shattered Lives is a good example of a neat "idea" that should never have found its way into a script-writing program. It opens with a (by now) standard montage of a psycho killer in a gas mask hacking up a room full of half-drunk, stoned kids. This might mean something if there was ever any real exposition between the killer (whose identity is obvious from reading any brief summary of the film, unfortunately) and the victims. There are a few, very quick exchanges between the kids and the killer about midway through the movie, but they don't add any kind of clear picture about possible motivations. I understand you don't need any motivation to kill someone if you're a psycho, but there's no suspense or scares to fill that gap. It's like LIndburgh made this movie to say "See, isn't it neat I can make a movie. I can turn the camera on and point it!"
This brings us to the heart of the movie, and the relationship between a little girl named Rachel and her two toy clowns who come to life whenever she's alone with them. The clowns are a problem. They are neither creepy or coherent and their behavior seems to deliberately ape the behavior of many of the ancillary characters in "Twin Peaks," especially the film "Fire Walk with Me." But whereas Lynch's inventions are very multi-dimensional and cryptic --- they're INTERESTING --- these clowns are a drag. They make insipid pantomimes, talk in ridiculous rhyming stanzas, and worse yet, their dialog is slowed down and distorted to the point that it is hard if not impossible to decipher.
In addition, there are some jaw-droppingly bad technical gaffes, the worst of which is a scene where....I kid you not....the aspect ratio changes 2 or 3 times for absolutely NO REASON. It's in a simple dialogue scene. Did someone's license to Windows DVD Maker expire?
It's a real mess, all in all. It starts from a place that you're sure you've figured out, goes on to a LONG sequence that is obvious where it's headed, then leaves you at some place you don't want to be.
Lindburgh needs to take a break from watching movies and dig up an original idea, following that with a screen writing class. Shattered Lives has nothing to offer and is a joke even by the standards of Student Film.