Synopsis
Teenage rites of passage during the summer vacation at the beach. The protagonist is a quiet, decent sort, but his close friend is a domineering alpha male who bullies everyone around him into doing whatever he wants. He is clearly pulling his companions toward serious trouble. The story builds to one night when the boys use each other’s homes as alibies: they are supposed to be having a sleepover, but in fact are out looking for girls. Things go wrong.
The storyline itself isn’t s…mething that we haven’t seen before, even if it is dressed up with some fancy editing. But the performances and dialogue are very strong. These teenagers feel alarmingly real.
Audio
The 2.0 track pumps out the surround, but overcompensates for the film’s limited means. The result is an indiscriminate use of the rear speakers, with massive wraparound occurring with the dialogue. The sound is clear and big enough, but the voices coming out of the wrong places are very distracting.
Video
The picture is a bit raw, but let’s factor in the very low, low budget this indie had. The aspect ratio is 1.66:1, non-anamorphic, with some slightly rough matting on the top of the frame. The colours are fine (within the limits of the source material), and there is no edge enhancement, but we are clearly a long, long way from Superbit here.
Special Features
Writer/director John Sullivan’s commentary gives a full account of how he managed to pull the feature together. Also here is a neat little short by Sullivan, “Pizza Guys,” which demonstrates some real flair on a shoestring. The menu’s main screen is scored and has a slightly animated title.
Closing Thoughts
Watch it for the acting and the characters, and the gritty, raw look to the film actually works in its favour./p>
Special Features List
- Director’s Commentary
- “Pizza Guys” Short Film
