Synopsis
Two young friends move from Tennessee (where one lives in dysfunctional household andthe other in a deeply conservative one) to Hollywood, where they dream of making films. Theolder of the two gets there first, and is making a film about people who have delusions aboutmaking films (got yer postmodern hall of mirrors thing happening here) and, of course, hisfunding dries up. There isn’t much here that hasn’t been done before, but the execution is nicelydone, and the performa…ces are solid.
Audio
This may be a very low-budget film, but the sound is as good as that for much moreexpensive features. The music, in particular, has a powerful mix. The sound effects aren’t bad,but the do take a back seat to the dialogue (which is crisp and clear).
Video
A nice 1.85:1 widescreen transfer. Whatever picture difficulties there are (occasionalmurkiness or harsh contrasts), are a function of the limited budget, I would say, rather than of thetransfer or the skill of the cinematographer. The colours do generally look very nice,however.
Special Features
The extras would put some major releases to shame. The commentary (by writer/directorAnn Lu, DP Neal Fredericks and fan Robert Napton) is articulate, interesting, and does a nicejob of explaining both the artistic goals of the film and the technical details of its making. Themaking-of featurette is something of a first, for me: it really IS about the making of the film, andis very informative, rather than being an extended trailer. Also on offer: three delted scenes, biosof cast and crew, a still gallery, the trailer and a TV spot. The menu is scored.
Closing Thoughts
Not revolutionary, but an honestly felt film, backed up by a solid array of extras.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentary
- Making of Featurette
- Trailer and TV Spot
- Bios
- Deleted Scenes
- Still Gallery
