tim.diddle

Deep

Well, I liked it.

Fist Full of Mince

One of the more rounded stories overall I thought.

Brian

I would like to update this review.
I did not mean that ONLY the secondary cast are hot. Every character in this film, except the zombies is hot and I would watch any scenes of any of them mud wrestling.

Knuckles Deep

I love it.
A great throwback, great work on the lenses and overall tight post. All the standard boxes are checked.
What resounded well with me is the story at its core is about aging out and becoming irrellevant. An extremely meta approach and very relevant as the film is one big reminder of puppy guts' big win and how much the competition has changed over the years.

For me, a sequel is often not satisfying. I remember with Jack and Jonie 2 it just left me thinking about how good the original was. Oringinality and edging boundarys it what I crave from this competition and although arguably the sequel is technically much better it's hard to make a sequel feel original. The sound design was good but I could feel it wasn't mixed well.

That said, a few years back puppy guts would have wiped the floor. This comp has gone so far and they have achieved all the standards. no visable vfx, no dropped or out of sync sound and a good edit with good camera.

Peformance 4/5
Production 4/5
Production Design 3/5
Post Production 3.5/5
Execution 4/5

Brian

This write up is janky. I Apologise in advance.

Cinetrance is possibly the most criminally underrated team in the 48's.
Many of us know the extraordinary lengths Dan has gone to secure a large team doing all the typical roles you would see on an A-tier production.
Until now I used to squint perplexed at this superflous team with unfinshed parts (in much the same way many of you see my fun but bumbling storyless entries).
In the past, Dans films read like a Chris Nolan film. Nolan' is superb given the time and focus required to unravel his complex ideas. But Nolan would make awful shorts.

But Nolan is finally dead and "Brian" is finally a complete film from Cinetrance.
Dan has done the seemingly impossible. He hasn't cut the fat, streamlined and edged me with glimpses of best bits of meat like every other team. He has finally put all the flavor of the whole sausage in my thirsty little mouth and I am gagging through tears "Yes, Danny, Yes!".

Sure, the Majority of Dans film is a few people chatting in a room BUT production wise everything is there. Special effects, visual effects, stunts, background extras, peformance, anamorphic lenses, setdesign, a lighting team and all the catering, producers, transport locations and care a risky world like this takes.

Faced with a decision to go with the trend or break new ground Dan has done what many of us old timers seek: Something new. For 20 years the competition has been slowly narrowing down a skit and simplify formula.
Eventually the wilder films like "shit chat" have fallen to the sides. It's clear Dan has stuck to his wild idea of a full team that many of us gave up on years ago and finally got it together.

The elephant in the room is the post. Although the edit is SUPERB the grade, sound design and music are all simply not there and it is clear they are supposed to be. In a comp where all those things are called "the edit" I fear the editor won't be recognised. Because of this I doubt it will be the winner, but Cinetrance should be recognised for the what they are: A complete film crew.

His secondary cast are classicly and distractingly beautiful too and a lazier director like me would love to see Kelly and Jono up the front in leading roles. Given the easy option of a love story with a hot young cast the story went deeper and looks at the zombified corpse of a metaphoric and literally dead relationship.

Genius. Fresh but heartbreakingly unfinished.

Peformance 6/5
Production 6/5
Production Design 5/5
Post Production 3/5
Execution 4/5

Deep

I particularly liked the sound design.