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Feedback (2002)
Solid low budget sci-fi action
9 February 2004
I'm a big fan of underground films, and I had heard a buzz on this one from a friend who saw it at some film festival. I have to admit, this little flick is better and more original than the majority of big budget blockbusters that have unlimited resources out there.

I keep seeing this sort of concept rehashed in current movies. Most recently, it was the "Butterfly Effect" and before that "Final Destination" that flirted with this plot line. From what little info there is on the net about this movie, it seems that Feedback was conceived and shot way before these others. That scores points with me - it's just cool to see an indie production being one step ahead of Hollywood.

As an aspiring filmmaker myself, I really was impressed with the level of production on this film. I'm not sure what the budget was, but my guess is that it was a "maxing out a credit card" affair, like Kevin Smith did with Clerks. And for whatever they paid for this movie, they got solid production and pretty decent acting in return. What really struck me as good was the soundtrack work. Lots of Ministry meets Nine Inch Nails techno laden stomps, but then the instruments know when to quiet down during the more dramatic moments. That was impressive. Also, the "real punch" sound effects made my stomach churn. I could feel the fists hitting flesh!

I also really liked the low tech approach, on the whole. I mean, this movie throws out the big retarded effects. Geez, the "flux capacitor" is replaced with a phone so huge, it looks like a joke someone picked up from some 70 year old grandma's garage sale! Seriously, I like this low-fi approach, and halfway wish Hollywood would focus on the script (for once) and not on spending money aimlessly.

Feedback is solid. I thought it was worth the time.
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Gollum is done masterfully
9 February 2004
Finally! The wait to see Gollum is over, after merely a snippet appearance in the first film. And I have to admit, they did him justice. These films are so far fetched (the whole wizards and warriors thing) that if the level of effects drop for just a second, the entire story can eat itself because the viewer is pulled out of that world. Bad effects can make or break a film like this.

Luckily for Peter Jackson, the verdict is in, and his team did an EXCELLENT job every frame of this movie. This is done better than my imagination when reading the book! Every frame belongs in a museum, as true works of art. Effects are amazing - character work rivaling Yoda and other digital characters we've seen, and pushing the envelope. Every setting is pristine. Every facet was done properly, and the viewer is immersed the whole time. I'm very impressed with the level of work this New Zealand crew was able to crank out, and will check out future offerings from the "Weta" kiwi contingent based on this film alone. Technically flawless.
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One Special Effects powerhouse to rule them all!
9 February 2004
This much anticipated closer to the LOTR trilogy represents the end to a 10 hour roller coaster ride is the perfect ending to a series of films that offers the first timeless epic since Star Wars. Let's hope the next incredible trilogy doesn't take another 25 years to come along!

The climactic fight scenes in ROTK set it apart from the previous two films. It's very accessible to mainstream audiences because of the mass amounts of action and thrilling special effects. If I had to choose my favorite of the three, this is definitely the one. This is the series of loops at the end of the roller coaster, which snap your neck into whiplash.

The performances are stellar. Gollum is rendered to perfection by the digital artists working for Director Peter Jackson. If this is what they're capable of, I can't wait to see King Kong!
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