Clean Slate Productions Presents: JOHN ABBOTT MITCHELL

Thanks Dustin! I'm still trying to recover from the dude-ity of your film, then i MIGHT be able to produce a review that's suitable to TDRP.
 
Ben Sliker said:
Thanks Dustin! I'm still trying to recover from the dude-ity of your film, then i MIGHT be able to produce a review that's suitable to TDRP.
Click to expand...

I love it...dude-ity I'm looking forward to it...oh and remember...10 stars and there will be less of it in my next...give me 10 or less...and there'll be more!!! MUAHHAHAHAHA:happy:
 
Good job, again. A couple of really good twists. Really like the ending. That John Abbot Mitchell, he's a bad man!
 
Hmmmm. I actually liked In Pieces better than this one. Perhaps it's not fair to make the comparison but since it IS the same character again I feel it is valid. John was much more frightening and I preferred the narrative style you used in that one to the voice over in this one. I think the claustrophobic feel of the garage also upped the ante in the terror department.

That said, this is still a very good flick. I don't really see it as a story but rather a character study, instead. This felt more like a part of a bigger piece. As an earlier reviewer said, I'd love to have seen even more of his psychosis. I loved the scene of Claire talking to him on the bench and finding out it is all in his head...excellent. The reveal was also killer...no pun intended...really.

The reveals in both movies were great. I really can't decide which is better...probably this one, though.

Very good job on John Abbott Mitchell.
 
Hey Ben,

You know I'm a fan of yours from the comments I've made on both IN PIECES and this new gem. I finally got off my rear to visit your web site but I couldn't get the video to play on your front page and couldn't find any navigation. I'd love to see more of your work so maybe you can clue me in if there's something wrong with my browser. Thanks dude.
 
Blaine said:
John was much more frightening and I preferred the narrative style you used in that one to the voice over in this one. I think the claustrophobic feel of the garage also upped the ante in the terror department.
Click to expand...

Blaine, thanks for the review! I'm actually kind of glad you feel this way. In "In Pieces", John was at the top of his game, completely sure of himself and his accomplishments. Here, he's a little wet behind the ears in the serial killer department, still trying to figure out how he fits into the world, and also dealing with keeping his own mind under control. We, of course, tried out a few new things in this one and it's been really interesting seeing how the audience reacts in comparison to the first film.

Thanks again for the notes! Cheers :beer:
 
Mark Johnson said:
Hey Ben,

You know I'm a fan of yours from the comments I've made on both IN PIECES and this new gem. I finally got off my rear to visit your web site but I couldn't get the video to play on your front page and couldn't find any navigation. I'd love to see more of your work so maybe you can clue me in if there's something wrong with my browser. Thanks dude.
Click to expand...

lol, i guess i need to get off MY rear and fix my website. it was just a one pager that had my demo reel on it. I got the job i made it for ... so bonus for me.

anyone wanna make me a website? anyone? beuhler?
 
conrad_johnson said:
Love love love the way you played with overexposure in the B&W stuff. Shooting this B&W is the only way you can get away with overexposure (color washes out if its in color) but the exposure sets the mood perfectly. I have no negative comments on the photography, it's all perfect to me! Damn im jealous.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Part of my secret is working with an incredible gaffer. The other part is, I'm magic.
 
Well..Well...Well.....)...You have A Place in this Artwork....Get a web-site...if I have not said so before....I Am Very Proud of you Ben)......Thank You for Including me in your Twisted Vision......see you on the bench.......John)
 
Great Flick. Liked it. Nice and depraved. As much as the idea of a stalker/murder fills me with anger and loathing in real life, i dig it on film. I love the fact that you've revisited this character! Awesome. I know the feeling of not being able to get someone you've created out of your head.

con 1: The contrast from the controlled lighting situations (garage and house) to the streets scenes was too much. Switching from something so stylized to the "blandness" of the outside color palatte threw me off. I can understand if you had a thematic reason for that (creepy ass Mother F'er feels out of his element in the sunlight, for example), but it really felt like you just didn't have control of the lighting.

con 2: The character of John was, of course, great and Carrie Ann Hunt as Claire was good in a thankless role, but the rest just seemed like friends you pulled off the set. Once again, could have been a thematic element (i.e. creepy ass mother F'er TOTALLY out of place amongst us young hipsters), but it totally yanked me out of the moment (sorry random bench people).

Overall the film was great. I loved the way you used time as a theme.

Lastly... Why are you so creepy Davis? I'd **** my pants if i sat on a bus stop bench and saw John. Great acting (i hope it's acting)!

Good work.
 
hey bryce, glad you liked the film! :) And thanks for taking the time to write a lengthy review. Here's a little insight to my thought process.

1 - i think you actually nailed the EXACT reason for the switch in style, it's John out in the real world (or how he sees himself out in the real world) vs. John in his own little world, "doing what he does best". Which, to John, the rest of the world would seem pretty bland compared to the little playground in his head.

2 - I felt the problem with giving Aaron and Marie more character is that it detracts from what is most important to the scene, and that's John (and his interaction with his environment). We did this in the first film by literally eliminating everything else. You were forced to pay attention to John. The characters are literally placeholders for a larger idea, and If in this film I got across that A. Marie is a woman and John threatens her, and B. Aaron is a man, and John doesn't threaten him, then I consider it a success. There was no way I wanted anyone getting caught up with who these people are and what their back-story was.

Thanks for the insight, it makes us better filmmakers being able to receive commentary, and then then being able to go back and make our film better. :thumbsup:
 
Ok, the dude, his royal dudeness, the dude-a-rino, Mark Johnson, has inspired me to fix my website and now i have have brand new shiny flash players on it.

Mark, the first vid is for you buddy.

BENJAMINSLIKER.COM
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top