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mathewmasongrover
Reviews
The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd (2000)
Meh
Whether or not it is spiritually uplifting is left to the viewer.
However, as a film, everything about it is pretty mediocre, especially the acting. The music and sound design are nauseating too. It is a competent movie with pretty cool costumes and engaging sets, but I'm baffled as to how this has an 8.0 (at least rn).
Midnight Traveler (2019)
Not without its problems
This is a good film.
Some strengths are:
It gives a raw view into the difficult life of refugees by using real footage.
It draws an interesting parallel between the innocence of the daughters and the knowledge of the parents.
It manages to take footage shot completely on mobile phones and turn it into a coherent film.
It effectively develops relatable characters who the audience can empathize with.
Some failures are:
Sure, this movie is only 90 minutes long, but somehow the editor made it feel like 90 years long. I get that it is based on true events and real footage, but that's no excuse for boring editing. There's nothing wrong with making this a 65 minute film at the expense of empty scenes.
The music is nauseating. Every scene ends with an obnoxious crescendo, leading to a jump cut into a new scene. Oddly enough, in a Q and A with the editor of this movie I attended, the editor herself said that the music and sound design were her favorite aspects of the movie. Yeah, the sound design is ok, but the music is trash. Nobody will be looking up the soundtrack and vibing to it. It's trash.
The sound design is mediocre. Scenes that feel like they should be the same volume constantly shift volumes.
The narration is forced, and it feels like propaganda which is a shame.
In all, it is worth seeing if you have nothing else to watch.
Provo's Most Eligible (2019)
Simply not good
I have a feeling this entire show started as a joke... "Hey man wouldn't it be funny if we made the bachelor but we just did it with our single's ward?" But people, you took it too far.
There is nothing of value to this show whatsoever. The cinematography is bland and uninspired. The music is cheap and struggles to match the scene. The characters are milquetoast, and all of their conversations are awkward and devoid of chemistry. The sets are opportunistic with no significant thought or effort put into them. The skits at the beginning of the episodes were unfunny.
And holy Moses, the audio of this show is so, so terrible. You aren't supposed to leave in mic pops or interference. Volume is all over the place too.
Also, the lighting in this show is confusing and terrible. I'm convinced no filters were put on any shots because the characters look like corpses A LOT.
And this is to say nothing of the "plot." There is nothing fresh or creative about making a show that is essentially a Great Value Bachelor. It's like when you copy your friends homework and just change it to make it worse so the teacher won't notice. It's a show that affords clout by purposefully being cringy and mimicking something better.
Last two things: Collin is unattractive and boring, so he sucks as the main character. Also Remington needs to stop doing the "you know I had to do it to em" pose.
The only praise I can give them is that they managed to make a comprehensible season that got 12 sponsors.
All this being said, I'm excited for season 2.
Mr. Bellpond (2013)
An Excellent Film
Although it has its flaws, this is an excellent short film.
I enjoyed many aspects of the film, especially the sets and costumes. Things felt lived-in and real while maintaining their comedic effect.
Another great thing was the color palate; at the beginning of the film when Bellpond is happy and married, the colors are full of reds and golds while during the middle of the film when Bellpond is a hermit, the colors are gray and blue. The gold colors return at the end of the film when Bellpond regains hope... subtle, but appreciated.
The film also incorporated animation in a charming way, and while it was a bit experimental and out there, it was nonetheless effective and enjoyable.
Lastly, the narration and humor were great, and the acting was solid enough.
Ultimately, it manages to sidestep most of the problems many short films have, making it all around professional looking and fun.
However, that's where my praise ends, because there are definitely things that could have been improved on.
Firstly, the soundtrack was ok and fit the film well until the very end. The last song was out of place and off-putting.
Also, the cinematography wasn't anything special, and some of it seemed a bit drawn out. There were a few shots that were incredibly over exposed even for the context.
Lastly, the from a narrative standpoint, taking more time to introduce Yuridia more at the beginning of the film would have given the viewer more empathy for Bellpond and more happiness at his hope.
All around, though, it is an excellent short film and is definitely worth a watch especially because it is free on Youtube.