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The Wide World of Mystery: The Werewolf of Woodstock (1975)
Possibly the most popcorn-fun werewolf movie ever made!!!
I don't know why the other reviews are so savage. When I first heard about this film I vowed to track it down and the month-long effort paid off handsomely!
Briefly, a crusty old farmer who hates rock music has just put up with the Woodstock festival, and now that it's over he takes his rage out on what's left of one of the empty stages. But when lightning strikes him and nearly burns him to a crisp it also ignites a transformation in him. Meanwhile a band shows up intent on recording "live at Woodstock" even though it's AFTER the big festival has ended, and their hippie chick member played affably by Belinda Balaski, ends up being pursued by the Werewolf. She hates him for killing her dog, but she kinda digs him for BEING a dog (no, really). Even MORE meanwhile, the police are investigating the crime and making spaghetti sauce.
To say the internal logic of this is skewered is an understatement, but that loopy quality only makes this that much more fun. Ultra-low budget, filmed through a coke bottle, but with engaging performances from a very talented cast who seem to be having as much fun as you'd imagine. The "disappearance" of this film is a bit of a crime, but hopefully now that it's been re-discovered it might get some traction.
I've watched it something like ten times since we tracked it down, and I could easily watch it as many times again.
Night Chills Theatre (2016)
One of the shows I NEVER miss
There are a lot of Horror Host series out there and they all bring some charm or other to the mix, but few command my attention as much as Vincent Grimmly in Night Chills Theatre. I make it a point to drop ANYTHING I am doing when his show is on because it's guaranteed laughs. Frequently inventive, always cleverly written, and with a delightfully deadpan approach that never fails to elicit a smile. Do yourselves a favor and check this show out! Tell 'em Joe sent you.
Friends Don't Let Friends Date Friends (2014)
A strong fledgling film
FDLFD follows Della and her friends as they work their way through small-town romantic entanglements, all of which seem to fly past Della. Created and Directed by Rhonda Parker as a student film it is impossible to say there are no weak spots in the script or the acting, but the overall tone of the film, the fairly unique approach of a making a romantic comedy with no real action sequences lends a warmer feel to the production.
Shortcomings can be forgiven easily because the main characters are engaging and the relationships, and the pangs from the relationships, are believable. This does not have the feel of a vanity project. Every once in a while genuine laughs slip in and liven the film up. Comedy is a difficult thing to master, subtle comedy more-so.
Extremely small-level indie projects like this that rely on character and require time to play out are a rarity, and should be encouraged.
I am impressed with this film and, for the sake of transparency, I am proud to have been one of the fund-raising contributors, albeit on a small scale. I want to see what Rhonda comes up with next.
Scope of Practice (2014)
A surprising film showcasing a solid subject matter and a tight directorial feel....
I recently had the opportunity to catch a theatrical screening of the short film "Scope of Practice" by fellow WNY filmmaker Brandyn T. Williams. The film did NOT meet my expectations (see the last paragraph for more on that point...) and it occurred to me that something needs to happen.
Brandyn needs to leave Buffalo... seriously...
He needs to go as far away from here as possible and get properly reimbursed for his work in a market that can and does support artists. Most of us here that waste precious pixels on storytelling are busy escaping our lives for a short bit by making fanciful and popcorny stories. Nothing wrong with that at all... It's fun, it entertains, and it lets us leave some sort of mark on the world that we existed as opposed to useless paperwork at a useless office.
Brandyn's film, a carefully crafted piece of storytelling, wisely avoids excess and builds credible characters with what probably involved some real directing of the actors. Performances that are very believable and warm encourage a confident directorial style that ignores flourish in favor of pressing the one constant drumbeat... of a man facing a hard choice to be what he had always grown up to be... someone who won't let it happen.
The film benefits greatly from the use of higher-end camera equipment most of us couldn't hope to afford, but even if it had been shot with a DSLR the effort to involve actual emergency vehicles and police vehicles, crane camera-work, recognizable public locations, etc... and to film those things in a very calm, measured manner, reserving flourish for only one or two quietly impressive shots, makes this piece of film all the more satisfying.
I had a real concern watching this that it might become a tired after-school-special type of affair, heavy on emotional context but without substance, but where a lesser director would have played on our heartstrings for the plight of Arlynn Knauff's abused housewife, Brandyn focuses instead on his surrogate character and the internal conflict of knowing the right path, but being pushed far from it. It's a theme that deserves exploration in a full feature.