HORROR: Y2K- Shut Down Detected
REVIEWER: Shane Gavin
RATING: A
REVIEW:
Heres a film I'd been busting to see for a long time. Based on the
screenplay of a feature film comes a short film with a budget of 2,100
dollars and a production that looks all, or more than 200 thouasand dollars.
The film has been made over an extended period of time and the FX alone
took 160 nights to do. It is directed by John Gonzales, Trent Shumway and
Slava Siderman. The directors are best know for being "Black
Russian Films".
The film plays on the common fear that many people had at the turn of
this past century and as we enter the present century. The film is set
in a genetic science laboratory at just prior too and after the MIDNIGHT.
The computers are not Y2K compliant and some serious bad ass gene splicing
starts to occur and some sub-species creating monstrosity emerges from
the beakers. It's quest is simple, to multiply and take over the earth,
but first it has to try and take on the pesky humans that work at the facility
where human DNA is being put through its paces in more than one way.
The Heroes in this film are likely and unlikely. The first hero is the
unlikely one, the Mercenary Hacker, that kind of goes a little ape trying
to defend himself against the disaster that he could not prevent with his
computer hacking skills. The hacker is called Neil and he is portrayed
by Jason Fenton, when Neil puts down the keyboard and swaps it for
an axe get ready to be soaked in the blood of the damned. The likely hero
is Richie a Security Guard, played by model/actor Leonard Clifton (Amistad,
My brothers Keeper). The security bored to death with his job and failr
unhappy with the fact he is working on new years eve. The character come
into his own when he is faced with the grizzly task of shooting the crap
out a superhumanoid DNA enriched humanoid that really wants to kill him.
Clifton as an actor continued to impress I kept an eye out for him yesterday
whilst watching Amistad and was impressed by the differentiation in both
of his roles. The other hero is Megan although I'm sure she would come
into her own in a full version of the film, she only seems to be Neil's
better half in this film. Megan is portrayed by Ellen Horn.
The other hero in this film is called SPECIAL EFFECTS. Now I hear you
say how can the SPECIAL EFFECTS be SPECIAL in a 2,100 film? Whoaah!!!..
When you see the film you just will be eating those words. Until recently
I have not been a fan of CGI, as I was a fimr believer it robbed the industry
of many other workers, but really the advancements of CGI have meant that
a brilliant EFFECT can be achieved at a lower price for the producers of
INDIE film like Y2K. The most amazing FX sequence is by far the underground
car park, where the DNA monster takes flight after a fleeing human, smashing
car windows as it goes. However CGI is not he only FX type used keep an
eye on the screen and their is plenty of SFX make-up to keep fans of gore
and scar-tissue.
The only folly of the film is the fact that it could only be made at
2,100 which most likely limited the directors to a 22 minute film. However
this makes more than a fascinting show reel for Hollywood access or for
getting bucks from producers. In comparison with early short films from
the likes of James Cameron, this clearly rates high on the same kind of
quality scale.
As an audience member I have enjoyed watchin the video over and over.
I've seen it at leat 6-7 times and shared it with friends who have also
sat back in a stunned silence. For this reason I give it the 2 thumbs and
a rating of A. A for Anyone who has the money should give it to these guys
because you'll most likely double it. :)
A
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