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Reviews
Omega (2013)
Machinima gets some things right, some wrong
I've followed the filmmakers behind Omega since 2011 with Halo: Faith. They have done some great things but Omega is not one of them even with many good moments.
Binged on all 10 episodes last night so here are my thoughts.
The acting in this show except for a few characters is terrible. The story feels rushed through the first four episodes before slowing down and allowing us to explore the characters instead of filling it with dumb action. I read an interview with the director as he's from my home town and he said something about how they needed action in each opening minute and clearly that guideline didn't work.
Machinima seems to give their audience no credit. We're not a bunch of dumb kids, we can understand complex stories. Why are all Machinima shows so simple and childish? Omega, Halo FUD, The CLAN, Good Cops, Game Over. This isn't stuff that's as good as it could be.
Just look at the stuff the people behind Omega made before and after it. Why is Machinima forcing talented people to produce lame stuff? I'm ranting but anyone who knows Machinima would agree.
Episodes 1-4: 4/10 Episodes 5-10: 8/10 Overall: 7/10
Another Earth (2011)
The most overrated film of the year
"Another Earth" is tedious, monotonous, pretentious...need I go on? Full of lacklustre performances, while Brit Marling holds her own for most of the film, William Mapother is an absolute embarrassment on screen. I wanted my money back for his mediocre performance alone.
There is absolutely no sense of wonder, the writing is unforgivable, and the direction is that of a high school media student.
The biggest disappointment is that this film could have been absolutely remarkable in the right hands. An interesting (albeit, scientifically ridiculous) premise could have made for a great film. Unfortunately, it was in the hands of a filmmaker who wouldn't know what to do with a spoon and a bowl of cereal.
Don't let the Sundance win fool you, this is just a fatigued marketing scheme. Look at what the film was up against (essentially nothing, with barely any films even qualifying in its category) and you will soon see why "Another Earth" is the most overrated film of the year.
If there's any sign our Earth will end in 2012, it's the filmmaking seen in "Another Earth".