Okay, I want to set the record straight. A lot of people on here have said this is the best movie ever. This is not true. A lot of people have said that this is the worst movie ever. This is also not true. It all comes down to realizing what we are watching.
And what we are watching is the best of a bad situation. It's painfully obvious this move was on a shoestring budget. IMDb Pro says the budget was 80K. I find that impossible to believe. Unless, of course, all the 80K went to the actors. I find this hard to believe, but not impossible.
This movie was doomed to be hated by tons of people. In the industry, there are two types of stories, high concept and low concept. Liar Liar is a high concept comedy. It's the story of a lawyer who's forced to tell the truth. There are only a few people who can pull off high concept comedy. Jim Carrey is one of those people, so the movie works, but still falls short because the premise is high. The movie Slackers is considered low concept. It is a character driven movie about people and not events. Low concept movies tend to work better because it's not as easy to disappoint the viewer. Dark Heaven is definitely a high concept film. So, being low budget, it is extremely difficult to live up to the idea. So, that explains one of the reasons why there are so many negative comments.
Also, the special effects were great in some parts and significantly lacking in others. This leaves the viewer with a sense of confusion. When we see a movie, we're expecting it to be consistent. That explains another reason for the negative feedback.
The acting jumps around from decent to tolerable to atrocious. I have no idea why this would happen. My only advice is that if a scene turns out bad, re-shoot it. If you don't have the money, then wait until you have the money and re-shoot it. Also, the dialogue tends to be a bit confusing and unrealistic at times. I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers. Yet another reason.
One thing I really don't like is when a movie leads the viewer by the hand. Even big-budget Hollywood films fall prey to this, so you can't really gripe about it too much. I know if the movie didn't lead the viewers by the hand the people who said, "It was too easy to figure out, I hate it!" would have said "I didn't get it, I hate it!" I personally don't like it, but it doesn't make the movie bad.
The story really needed some progression. The whole movie is too linear. Yes, everything is explained with annoying clarity, but I felt like I was walking a straight line on level ground. And, of course, after my journey, I ended where I started, feeling like I hadn't just watched a movie. Great movies leave you feeling something when it's over. You feel like you've been changed, if even for a brief moment. Yes, life goes on at the end of all movies, but I shouldn't be thinking about what I'm going to have for dinner as soon as the end credits start to roll.
In the end, this movie is decent. I commend the people involved for pulling it off and making the movie at all. Thousands of movies will never be shot, and you simply have to give a hand to anyone who can make it. Making a movie, even a bad movie, is extremely difficult and takes lots of dedication and hard work. You can't chastise someone for getting it done. So, give it a watch, it's worth that, at least. You're not going to be overwhelmed or anything significant, but it is pretty creepy. However, I wouldn't spend the last of your paycheck on it. I, also, bought this from the bargain bin at Wal*Mart. So, if you have $6 to buy it or $2-$4 to rent it (depending on where you rent), it's worth watching. Just remember one thing, low budget! You can't go into a McDonald's and expect a 12 ounce steak with fried potatoes. You're getting a hamburger; don't be surprised when it tastes like a hamburger. Enough said.
And what we are watching is the best of a bad situation. It's painfully obvious this move was on a shoestring budget. IMDb Pro says the budget was 80K. I find that impossible to believe. Unless, of course, all the 80K went to the actors. I find this hard to believe, but not impossible.
This movie was doomed to be hated by tons of people. In the industry, there are two types of stories, high concept and low concept. Liar Liar is a high concept comedy. It's the story of a lawyer who's forced to tell the truth. There are only a few people who can pull off high concept comedy. Jim Carrey is one of those people, so the movie works, but still falls short because the premise is high. The movie Slackers is considered low concept. It is a character driven movie about people and not events. Low concept movies tend to work better because it's not as easy to disappoint the viewer. Dark Heaven is definitely a high concept film. So, being low budget, it is extremely difficult to live up to the idea. So, that explains one of the reasons why there are so many negative comments.
Also, the special effects were great in some parts and significantly lacking in others. This leaves the viewer with a sense of confusion. When we see a movie, we're expecting it to be consistent. That explains another reason for the negative feedback.
The acting jumps around from decent to tolerable to atrocious. I have no idea why this would happen. My only advice is that if a scene turns out bad, re-shoot it. If you don't have the money, then wait until you have the money and re-shoot it. Also, the dialogue tends to be a bit confusing and unrealistic at times. I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers. Yet another reason.
One thing I really don't like is when a movie leads the viewer by the hand. Even big-budget Hollywood films fall prey to this, so you can't really gripe about it too much. I know if the movie didn't lead the viewers by the hand the people who said, "It was too easy to figure out, I hate it!" would have said "I didn't get it, I hate it!" I personally don't like it, but it doesn't make the movie bad.
The story really needed some progression. The whole movie is too linear. Yes, everything is explained with annoying clarity, but I felt like I was walking a straight line on level ground. And, of course, after my journey, I ended where I started, feeling like I hadn't just watched a movie. Great movies leave you feeling something when it's over. You feel like you've been changed, if even for a brief moment. Yes, life goes on at the end of all movies, but I shouldn't be thinking about what I'm going to have for dinner as soon as the end credits start to roll.
In the end, this movie is decent. I commend the people involved for pulling it off and making the movie at all. Thousands of movies will never be shot, and you simply have to give a hand to anyone who can make it. Making a movie, even a bad movie, is extremely difficult and takes lots of dedication and hard work. You can't chastise someone for getting it done. So, give it a watch, it's worth that, at least. You're not going to be overwhelmed or anything significant, but it is pretty creepy. However, I wouldn't spend the last of your paycheck on it. I, also, bought this from the bargain bin at Wal*Mart. So, if you have $6 to buy it or $2-$4 to rent it (depending on where you rent), it's worth watching. Just remember one thing, low budget! You can't go into a McDonald's and expect a 12 ounce steak with fried potatoes. You're getting a hamburger; don't be surprised when it tastes like a hamburger. Enough said.