I saw BITES recently and am still trying to process it. I have seen numerous films by Kevin Lindenmuth and his Brimstone Productions, so I was prepared for the usual extremely low budget effects and z-movie acting. I've even seen him try to handle werewolves before (RAGE OF THE WEREWOLF), which was another project that ended up collapsing under its attempt to be "epic".
BITES is a good film. It really is. It just has faults that can't be overlooked, even in a z-movie... and it once more falters under a misguided attempt to be "bigger" than its budget would allow. Some of the acting is ultra wooden, even by Lindenmuth standards, and the effects are practically nonexistent. When they do show up, they're basically costume shop props. In one scene, a man talks to his "son". Its quite obvious that they couldn't find a child, so a grown man does a hilariously bad kid's voice as the camera tilts upward, signifying the nonexistent little boy's perspective. I was floored by the unintentional hilarity.
The stories, however, are engrossing enough to keep the film moving. This anthology features two short films, each dealing with a very different werewolf curse and how those affected learn to deal with it. The shorts move along quickly and, even though they're both a bit talky, they should keep your finger off the fast forward button.
Most Brimstone movies have all but disappeared from the modern film market, but you can still find most of these no-budget gems on VHS. With any luck, Lindenmuth will sell the rights to a DVD company in the near future and get all of these pre-digital revolution films on the market again.
Until then, happy hunting.
BITES is a good film. It really is. It just has faults that can't be overlooked, even in a z-movie... and it once more falters under a misguided attempt to be "bigger" than its budget would allow. Some of the acting is ultra wooden, even by Lindenmuth standards, and the effects are practically nonexistent. When they do show up, they're basically costume shop props. In one scene, a man talks to his "son". Its quite obvious that they couldn't find a child, so a grown man does a hilariously bad kid's voice as the camera tilts upward, signifying the nonexistent little boy's perspective. I was floored by the unintentional hilarity.
The stories, however, are engrossing enough to keep the film moving. This anthology features two short films, each dealing with a very different werewolf curse and how those affected learn to deal with it. The shorts move along quickly and, even though they're both a bit talky, they should keep your finger off the fast forward button.
Most Brimstone movies have all but disappeared from the modern film market, but you can still find most of these no-budget gems on VHS. With any luck, Lindenmuth will sell the rights to a DVD company in the near future and get all of these pre-digital revolution films on the market again.
Until then, happy hunting.
