Fade (II) (2008)

A quiet exploration of the philosophies of freedom and existence set in the guise of a minimal science fiction tale, ala Solaris or 2001: A Space Odyssey. Chloe374 lives a bland and ... See full summary »

Director:

Christopher Michael Beer

Writer:

Christopher Michael Beer (screenwriter)

Stars:

Adia Morris, Emily Fradenburgh, M. Scott Taulman

Cast

Credited cast:
Adia Morris	...	Chloe
Emily Fradenburgh	...	Anna
M. Scott Taulman	...	Man in Gas Mask
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mariska Baranczyk	...	Worker
Randy Baranczyk	...	Two
George Val Beer	...	Attendant
Michael Cook	...	Worker
John Edel	...	Worker
Derrick Flewellen	...	Worker
Matt Franta	...	Worker
Martelle Hawkins	...	Worker
Erik Hoover	...	(voice)
Larry Kaplan	...	One
Pamela K. Kaufman	...	Mother
Hannah Kritzeck	...	The Leader

Storyline

A quiet exploration of the philosophies of freedom and existence set in the guise of a minimal science fiction tale, ala Solaris or 2001: A Space Odyssey. Chloe374 lives a bland and unquestioning life in an underground facility governed by Orwellian forces. When she is given charge of a disobedient resident, her curiosity is spurned, and she decides to explore the forbidden outside world in order to discover meaning for her life. Shot as part of the director's university thesis.

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 June 2008 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Lanesboro, Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Falling Up Sky Pictures, Walden Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

Low budget gem!

I'm really into artsy indie films, and a friend of mine met the director in school and told me about this, so I bought a copy. I have to say that for a first project this is really good. I've seen a lot of indie movies, but it's nice to see one that's so smart and really seems to be trying to be different from all the other ones.

The synopsis is really no-frills: a woman named Chloe374 lives and works in an isolated hospital type of building without windows or plants or any other color decor than gray and white. She monotonously lives a very simplistic lifestyle, passing out pills, cleaning things, etc. Things seem to take a turn after she is supposed to 'fix overpopulation.' After that, she meets a very fiery woman named Anna, and they share a few brief hours before Anna is to be 'fixed' herself (and there are some interesting nods to Anna being a lesbian). Then Chloe decides to leave the building and venture into this massive forest where she grows lonelier and hungrier with each passing day. At one point, she meets a strange man in a gas mask, who leads her even further into the forest. And then comes an ending that isn't really anything of a shocker, but I won't spoil it anyways because it needs the rest of the movie to build up to.

A lot of people probably don't like this, and I'm not surprised...there's actually a comment on the box that compares it to Gus Van Sant's Elephant, so that should be enough of a warning for people if you've seen that. It feels like an art project rather than a movie, and because it is so low budget, some people probably don't like the lesser quality. But for those of you who are into this kind of thing, I really recommend it. It's really philosophical, and really visually spectacular.