Cinema Conissure
1 Entry and 24 Reviews
Entries
Reputation
Sub-Par Cinema Society
Reviews
The Odyssey
So glad I didn’t go see it in theatres.
I got a better version for free tonight!
(Also I love your team intro)
I have a buddy for that
Loved the use of colour and the cludo board.
I also loved that you planned to assasinate Joel at the end.
very good film!
Cover Your Ears
I loved this film. one of my favorite to come out of Christchurch this year. i laughed so loud when he killed that random girl. amazing comedic timing.
Who is Mr Pickles?!
This film unfortunately didn't hit as hard for me as your first one. Although it did have my favourite moment in the whole comp so far, that being the monsters “get ready with me”. Video. SO FUNNY! I feel like the second video would have been better if you maintained the found footage through into it. There is no rule to say your film can’t be more than one genre, in the same way your first film was both found footage and horror comedy, your second film could have been escape and found footage. I also think found footage would have been really cool for the people getting picked off one by one.
Other than that a lot of my notes from the first film stand, you have room to improve in all areas, as is to be expected in school teams, but your ideas and comedy are great. Keep improving and come back next year stronger and more expirenced.
Cover Your Ears
I reken you were robbed of the finals with this film. It was definitely better than a few that made it in. But that’s just how it goes sometimes. The real winners are announced in the fake awards anyway.
Campaign
Loved this!
The use of elements was hilarious yet again this year. Love your humour and films!
The Mob
Loved it. The music was great as was the production. The twist with the sheep being the mob boss was also very fun. Some
Classic Dennistribe wackiness. Your acting also improved this year, both in your leading and supporting cast. In terms of story I think it was well told. It’s tricky to tell a good noir story in 5 minutes and I think you pulled it off very neatly. If I had any notes I’d say you could have some more fun with the types of shots and camera angles you are using, and well as playing around with lighting, especially in a genre like noir.
Overall very good.
Well done!
Misplaced Death
This film was the best out of both the heats so far and its not even close. Your premis was entertaining, the physical comedy was perfect, and the visual shorthand was very clear and clever.
An issue that I noticed a lot of the school teams (including my own) have fallen victim to is having too complecated a plot line. The films in your heat were often really funny, but often really hard to follow too. You managed to tell an interesting and comedic story while also never losing the audience, and i think its that which really secures your film as the best so far.
Elijah's Ladder
This film is one of the very very few films in the festival that has made me feel anything. You can tell how deeply personal this film is and it demands the audiences respect and attention because of it. I loved the metaphor of the staircase and the way we found things along the way, like we were getting a tour of someone else’s life. If I had one note, and it is a small and subjective one, Im split on if I like that he reaches the top of the stairs. I understand why it that choice was made seeing as it’s the culmination of the events of preceding, and the conclusion to the story. But it also has the underlying implications that he gets married and that’s the last interesting or notable thing that ever happens to him. That’s the end of his story. I think a different way to do it is just have him get off the stairs at that floor, in a “this is my stop” kinda way, but have the stairs keep going.
All in all an amazing film and truly a piece of art!
The Mob
on behalf of Sub-Par Cinema Society, we have decided you are our (friendly) rivals. After you took best school last year it is our soul goal to perform better than you this year. I cant wait to see what you have made this year. I hope you have brought your A game. May the best film win.
( I love both ur prior films and its cool to see you back this year. I hope you had a great weekend)
Brunch Solstice
Whoever directed this must be super charismatic and handsome.
And the guy in the floppy hat was an amazing actor.
Also that soup looked delicious and expertly made.
Great Job!
The Little German Boy and the Cave
Loved this! By far the most unique film of the heats so far. I love the use of mixed medium in this and The Road less Traveled. My favorite part by far was the shockingly clean animation of the little german boy punching babayaga in the face. It was hillarious after so much raw puppetry and gave the same vibes as when animations suddenly cut to rotoscope.
Your story was a little hard to follow but the characters carried. I especialy love that "The Cave of Infinite Exestensial Terror" is never shortened or abreviated.
I can tell you loved making it and i loved watching it.
The King of the Playground
This is the quintessential School film.
It had a clear story and a fun idea. The acting was great (especialy that of the dragon)
really felt like childish dramatics.
loved it.
RED RAIN
I loved this film. One of my favorites of the heat to be sure. The comedy was on point the whole time (the reveal of the third wife was perfect, me and my friends are still joking about it) and the use of extreme blood and gore to a comedic level was great.
In terms of story, I loved the fact that he litteraly killed his concince. when i watched that i coudn't help but grin at how clever it was. The story was a little tricky to follow but thats simply the nature of the 5 min max time, and i think you got everything in very well considering.
I also loved the mostaches worn to the screening. 10/10.
Reputation
Sub-par rep here. Thank you DennisCheif for the Victory. That makes the score 1-1. Next years film will take the lead.
For those wondering, the fight scene at the end was intended to show our Noir lead kidnapping our victim, which then leads to the interrogation in the garage. We were hoping it would bridge the timeline between the flashback and interrogation a bit, as well as further showing our lead do terrible things to feed his paranoid fantasies.
However if we are being fully honest. That scene is only there because we really wanted to do a fight scene. We didn’t even know where we were gonna put it until we were in the edit. And even if it is a little confusing I’m still glad we did since it was great fun to film. We got to do fight choreography and folly for the first time. And what is 48 hours about if not having fun and trying new things?
Thank you all for the positive feedback. Can’t wait for next year!
THINGS
Last year my favorite film by far was Sweets by Disqualified Tim. And this year seeing your one, I'm beginning to suspect that I have a thing for surrealist black and white films that taking place in strange lands that seem to be cobbled together, staring a cast of strange and wonderful characters. particularly when said film's title is a monosyllabic plural noun.
I love every choice you made.
A Product of My Imagination
Hi chestertravis,
I suppose now that I think about it your film does have the themes of destructive desire and moral ambiguity and so forth. That’s my bad.
I suppose my suspecting you pre-plan is a testament to how good your writing is. I apologise for jumping to conclusions and thank you for clearing things up.
Again, your film is amazing and congratulations on making the short list.
Flat Meeting
I love the progression of your team intros over the years. Like everyone is slowly being picked off one by one. Its kinda sad but in a fun way. You need to get to the point where you say "I am rip focus" really sadly.
The film was also cool I suppose.
A Product of My Imagination
This was undeniably a great film. The concept, writing, humour, acting, set, cinematography, and editing were all top notch. I have no doubt you will get all the praise you deserve for it from people more qualified than myself.
My one note is the genre. It feels very slapped on. It feels like, (and I suspect this may be the case), you went into the competition already decided on the story you wanted to tell and then found ways to fit your genre and elements into it. Some of my favourite films have been ones that really lean into their genre, such as Spoiler Alert last year, or Miss-Take this year.
I was really excited this year to get the same genre as a team with as high a production value as your team, and see how our films matched up given the same starting point. So imagine my disappointment when you have all but thrown the genre away, keeping it only enough not to get disqualified.
It begs the question of what motivates you to do the 48 hours? If you enjoy the challenge then why not lean into it fully? Go into it with no plans and build off the genre and elements provided. Part of what I personally love about 48 hours is the chaos of improving and inventing on the spot.
But if that’s not your cup of tea that valid too! If you just enjoy 48 hours for the format, and because it gives you motivation and justification to make a short film you wanted to make anyway, then just make that film! I think your film this year would have been better had you just fully abandoned the noir genre rather than trying to shoehorn it into your lead’s internal monologue. You would get disqualified but who cares? You would still make an amazing film, everyone would still see it. And you would still have a great weekend with your team.
Now if there is a secret third option that motivates you please do share it. I’d love to hear.
To finish I’d reiterate that your film this year is amazing. I loved the premise, the humour, and the twist at the end which seemed perfectly justified but I didn’t see coming at all. I hope to see you next year.
The Mis-Take
This is an amazing film. I suspect this will be the best One Shot films this year. You really understood why scenes are usually filmed in one shot and fully leaned into it. Unlike some of the other one shot films where the one shot feels like a hinderance to the story telling, I can’t imagine this specific story being told in any other way. 10/10 use of genre. Also ofc the choreography and acting was top notch.
Also, this is clearly an Ara team, but I’m not sure if this is NASDA or screen and filmography or a mix or whatever. Anyway, if you are at least partially NASDA, I’m disappointed you didn’t do musical, because it’s so rare to see people lean into the musical genre properly, and we all know for a FACT, that the NASDA students can sing and dance. Seeing that would be magical.
If you are in fact not NASDA, then I have no notes and your film was perfect. Great job! I hope and expect to see it in the finals
Exploring an abandoned prison... at 3am *GONE WRONG*
I really like this one. Best use of found footage so far. I laughed out loud at all of the youtuber-isims you had, especially the sponsor of today’s video. Overall it was one of the better videos in the heat. It was unfortunate obviously that your set was neither an abandoned building, nor 3am, but I think that and some of your other production hardships were helped by your genre and the fact that it’s medium aware anyway. Your acting and writing has space to grow too, but that just comes with practice. Overall a very good film. Great job and I hope to see you back next year!