We’ve all had that feeling of not quite belonging, and it’s with good reason that misfit characters are everywhere in fiction — it’s something we can all relate to. In the new web series Stalked from JH Producties, set in Holland, Finn (Jaimy Homberg) is the awkward teenager who doesn’t quite fit in. He dreams of being an actor someday so he automatically can’t be one of the cool kids, and honestly, liking to cook probably doesn’t help much. But his life isn’t all bad, since he has his cat, his best friend Olivia (Myrna Laanen), and an older boyfriend who looks like a model, Jim (Billy Twomey). Sadly, Jim is now back in England for college so they can only talk on Skype.
This is what happens when you go camping just because it’s scary.
Since he’s missing Jim, Finn does his best to keep busy, especially during the week that his parents are gone. He goes to auditions and makes plans with Olivia, including a camping trip, about which Olivia is far too excited, especially since they don’t seem to be going anywhere except the middle of a random field. But hey, whatever floats your boat, as they say, and they seem like they’re having fun.
But there’s some dark stuff happening in Olivia’s life — she’s certainly in need of some distraction, to say the least — and things only get darker for our heroes as the series progresses. At first you might be able to pass events off as being nothing but tasteless practical jokes, and Finn tries his best to do just that, even though it’s a lost cause. The fact is he’s being stalked, and neither he nor Olivia is quite sure what to do about it as they’re both thrown into the midst of this very grown-up problem.
Homberg directs as well as stars and does well at both, creating a charmingly offbeat character in Finn, while Laanen’s Olivia manages to be perky and optimistic without being dreadfully annoying, which is quite a feat as far as I’m concerned. The twist ending isn’t entirely a surprise, but I enjoyed the reveal nonetheless — both leads bring a lot of enthusiasm to their roles and that really shows on the screen. The cinematography could use a little work, but overall it’s a solid drama that I hope predicts great things for Homberg and crew. It’s available on YouTube and well worth watching.
A quick glance at Gofundme or Kickstarter will demonstrate how difficult it can be to get financial backing for an indie movie. No doubt many bad deals have been struck by filmmakers desperate for their ideas to come to life, and possibly also by investors anxious to strike it rich and / or become famous, not that either is all that likely in the world of indie film. The deal struck in Le Sequel, however, may set some sort of record for Worst Repercussions for the Most People, since this agreement sets off a chain reaction that would put the Manhattan Project to shame.
Carlos (Kyri Saphiris) is the hopeful director, veteran of 22 films, searching for investors for his next venture. He finds Dirk (Andrew Tiernan) who represents a group of Nollywood investors from the Nigerian film industry. No, they’re not a bunch of princes trying a new scam; the Nigerian film industry is actually huge, and they’re ready to invest ten million pounds in Carlos’s new film, or so Dirk says. His office says otherwise. But the millions are all for Carlos, as long as he puts up half a million of his own. I’m not sure which is the worst part of the whole thing; the fact that he mortgages his house to raise the cash or the fact that apparently none of this is ever committed to paper, let alone looked over by an attorney.
In exchange for his investment, Carlos expects to return six months later to find a large studio set waiting, ready for him to film his horror movie epic, Le Sequel, follow up to Le Fear. Instead, he finds an old, smelly caravan — which for those of us in the States means an old, smelly RV — along with the most unlikely support crew any film has ever had. Carlos’s people, like cinematographer Jacques (Hadrien Mekki) and production manager Jessie (Leila Reed), seem to know what they’re doing, but not so many of the others. For instance, Africa (Roxy Sternberg) is a special effects “expert” with only boundless, misguided enthusiasm going for her, while makeup artist Queenie (Victoria Hopkins) spends far more time hitting on anyone who’s breathing than doing her job. And I do mean hitting, since there’s absolutely nothing subtle about her come-ons.
But none of these doubtful crew members hold a candle to producer / con artist Efi (Seye Adelekan) who’s been in charge of everything, including the substitution of an old, smelly caravan for an actual movie set. I’m guessing he and the other Nigerian crew members couldn’t make it in the real Nollywood and decided to try their luck in England. He’s full of promises — I’d use another word but I like to keep these reviews family friendly — and often seems genuinely confused when others don’t think he’s come through on those promises. In his eyes everything is wonderful, the movie going along just as it should, and I can’t decide if that makes him enviably optimistic or a total psychopath. Maybe both.
I won’t even attempt to explain how this scene happens.
Take them and the rest of this zany cast of characters, tell them they need to film a no-budget movie in about five days(!), and you’ve got Le Sequel, or possibly a particularly out of control Monty Python sketch with John Cleese at his most hapless as Carlos. Nothing is scripted and scenes frequently dissolve into chaos, but chaos is just the logical result of these situations and the film manages to be completely realistic and utterly bizarre by turns, sometimes both at once. It’s a bold experiment that doesn’t work all the time, but when a scene clicks it really clicks and any unevenness is all part of the charm. Improv can be ridiculously difficult to keep moving, but the cast manages that task beautifully while staying in character besides, and the result is a riveting, crazed, train wreck of a comedy that’s every indie director’s worst nightmare made into film.
Special kudos to Saphiris, who makes Carlos a true Everyman, someone who’s just trying to chase his dreams as we all want to do, and then has to watch this particular dream slip slowly and painfully away into the depths of the most cursed film shoot ever. Meanwhile, Adelekan’s Efi walks the finest of lines between amoral scammer and likable rogue, though I’m still not quite sure how he managed to avoid being strangled. And all the characters (I wish I could mention them all!) help create the wildest of rides, a twisted journey into the darkest, funniest side of filmmaking that will leave you wondering every moment if things can possibly get any stranger — and they will.
Since the events of Under the Flowers, most of the characters have gotten on with their lives, or at least whatever passes for their lives. Not all of them are actually alive, in the strict sense of the term. But for one character, at least, getting on with existing has been getting harder, and in Under the Flowers: Circle of Hell, like Alice, she seems to be having to work harder and harder just to stay in the same place.
Poe (Lauren LaVera) isn’t quite herself these days, and I mean that literally –these days she’s Rose (Amanda Kay Livezey), now much less Goth but also much more confused. If her soul is ever going to be able to move on, there’s a journey Rose has to complete, a journey both physical and psychological filled with dangers of all kinds. Worse, it’s a journey she’s attempted before, without success, and she’s running out of chances. This time she has a guide, Nerissa (Kirsten Lee Hess), which may sound promising but let’s just say that Nerissa doesn’t seem all that invested in Rose’s success.
Careful, or the circle might pull you in…
But there’s a wild card in play: Charlotte (Catherine Kustra), the Halloween Girl herself, who just might be able to help her friend. Her best efforts still might not save Rose, however, and will almost certainly hurt Charlotte — at least if the Darkness (Richard T. Wilson) is to be believed. Even Evil must tell the truth once in a while, right? In the end, though, it all comes down to Charlotte’s decision and Rose’s willpower as she faces her demons one after another. And of course Nerissa, whatever she might be up to, is waiting for her chance.
It’s a satisfyingly scary and suspenseful second series from Mad Shelley Films, featuring plenty of familiar guest stars along with the new arrivals as we follow Rose’s dangerous journey. The two series have a good sense of connection without being too much alike, each possessing its own unique feel while still seeming to exist in the same strange — and not so strange — realms. Best of all there’s still an enticing air of mystery about the characters which should continue for a while, since every answer seems to lead to five more questions. This is easily one of the best and creepiest web series out there, and I look forward to seeing more from the creators’ twisted minds.
It happens to us all. Everyone has things they want and need to do, except somehow, before we know it, it’s three months or three years later and these things still haven’t gotten done. Whether it’s spouses, parents, kids, or just our day jobs, there always seems to be something clamoring for our attention. Things like writing, traveling, or finally turning that spare room into an art studio end up getting put off just one more day in favor of things like putting in overtime to finish the annual reports or helping the kids with homework.
If you’ve ever wondered where all the inspiration has gone, you’ve probably had this look too.
For Gregory (Joseph Fuoco) in the short All Over Again, it’s his music that’s been neglected, his beloved guitar gradually set aside once Victoria (Constance Reshey) gives him the news that they’re expecting. Gregory’s family means the world to him, but as Adam (Mahdi Shaji) grows up, there’s increasingly a sense of something lost that might not be found again. Gregory spends more and more time at The Bus Stop Music Cafe for open mic night, listening to hopefuls performing poetry readings or play their instruments,, even taking young people like Luis (David Andro) under his wing and enjoying the creative energy even if he doesn’t quite feel a part of it. The big question is, will he ever feel part of it again, or is that aspect of his life gone forever?
Despite encouragement from family and friends, it’s a difficult thing to try to get back on that particular horse, and no wonder. Skills get rusty and no one wants to be the person left sitting awkwardly on stage while the audience offers vague applause, or worse, total silence. Booing is pretty bad, but at least there the audience is actually expending some energy. But it can be a big leap to perform on stage, even a small one, and Gregory’s hesitation is palpable.
It isn’t really fame and fortune Gregory is after — though either or both might be nice for a while — so much as the chance to express himself, and while that phrase has been terribly overused in pop psychology, for many creative people it’s a vital and necessary part of existence, without which there will always be a real feeling of loss. This movie demonstrates that simply and capably, moving back and forth from the present day to the family’s beginnings, showing both how one chapter ended and which might, just possibly, start all over again now. Fuoco is completely convincing as Gregory, his expression often speaking volumes as he takes his first steps back to his music. It’s a quiet little gem of a film that reminds all of us it’s never too late.
