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12 Kilometers (2016)
Spielberg, Carpenter and Landis Walk Into a Bar...
12KM was a real technical achievement. The fact that this film's effects were all practical makes it clear that there is an over-reliance on CGI, VFX, etc., in the industry today. These can become a distraction to good storytelling. 12KM does not suffer from this affliction. Sound mixing was fantastic. No dialogue was lost, music was present, but not overwhelming, and the subtle SFX accented everything wonderfully.
Though lots of questions remain at the end of the film, the father son relationship at the center of this story arc brought the short to a very natural conclusion and kept me engaged. I definitely want more. In many ways 12KM feel like a vampire film to me.
The color palette, slow pushes on character intros, use of light really harkened back to Raiders for me. Lens flares at just the right moment accent very deliberate camera movement. It is as if Carpenter and Spielberg said "let's put The Thing inside the Well of Souls" and then Landis chimed in "throw a little bit of Kessler's werewolf transformation in there for me please."
This is something to be proud of. Tere needs to be a 12KM feature!
Any critique I would offer would be minor and rooted in personal taste. It would have no relevance on how good I think this film is.
Christmas, Again (2014)
A New New York Classic
Rarely a film come along that captures the grit and nuance of a city's unique personality. "Christmas, Again" presents a touching drama that extends beyond the mainstream glitz and holiday glamor most associate with New York City during the most busy and commercial of holidays. Like its spiritual predecessors "Chop Shop" & "Man, Push, Cart," "Christmas, Again" peeks into one of New York's largely unknown indigenous communities in a near documentary fashion to tell an intimate story of love that viewers will embrace; regardless of their city or origin. There are plenty of films which cheaply capitalize on the Big Apple's Christmas draw; the same draw that brings tourists to the city by the thousands. But, few tourists venture away from Times Square or Rockefeller Center to truly get to know the depth of New York City. Similarly, I encourage viewers to venture into "Christmas, Again" and enjoy an intimate view of Christmas in New York not often seen.