"An Enchanting Twist Of Peccadilloes" - A ZazaCast Film

I saw the previous postings after I'd made my comments. And I did notice the chloroform :wink:

As a one man show I definitely have to hand it to you. I'm no stranger to that kind of operation... I just make sure beer is supplied. :beer:
 
puckthemad said:
I saw the previous postings after I'd made my comments. And I did notice the chloroform :wink:

As a one man show I definitely have to hand it to you. I'm no stranger to that kind of operation... I just make sure beer is supplied. :beer:
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I like the way you think! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch & comment on my films!:thumbup:
 
It must be a good experience to do a second time a fest entry and learn from your own mistakes from the fest before. I miss for myself still this experience. In your case it's nice to see how much better is this one in comparison with your TimeFest entry. The story works very well and your DP-work is quite enjoyable :thumbup:. I like the Santa Claus character :Drogar-Love(DBG):, but the main actress seemed to me a little bit rigid in her acting.

Susanne
 
Thanks for the comments Susanne. I guess I have to take blame for the 'rigid' acting... but the character is trying to be more proper than she really is...after all, she's a murderess. You see the more natural aspect of her character in the end when disposing of Rasputins body...evil laugh.

I'm looking forward to your next entry...they'll announce the next one any day now!
 
This is so baffling.

My personal take is that the performances were well matched - Two incongrous characters thrown together for tea and repartee, both with a refined dialogue of days gone.

Certainly one can see the irony!

Phil is the stronger actor with some years under his belt, but Giselle really held her own, especially in the second half. That look as Rasputin is dying is priceless. There are three distinct mood changes in her face.

Actually my fave is in the first part where Rasputin tells her she spent her insurance windfall well, and Giselle has that little turn of the head that just spells pride and fear. Let's see Meg Ryan beat that!

Mandy played a low key figure that would only show her true colors in the end. We don't really take any notice of her until after the kill. That was her job, and she did it well.

Actors want a staring role, and it's a tough calling to play a forgettable character on purpose - like Boo in To Kill A Mockingbird - which launched a brilliant acting career.

Think 'Scent of a Woman' and the restaurant - tango scene with Lieutenant Slade and Donna. All sit-down, clever banter, no guns or exploding cars. Just a good mental wrestling match.

It's all about finesse, and I refuse to resort to zombies.



The story is in the title - one sin begets another, and the cycle continues on into eternity.

A kill here, an extortion there, another kill here, a revenge there ...

Toss in a twin with their mysterious connections, and you really turn things catywumpas.

Anyways, that's my rant. In short I am really proud of all the performances in this film. No doubt you will see them in future fests!



aw
 
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Good job! I really enjoyed this one.

*SPOILER*



I was hoping the biker would come out victorious, but I guess it's more realistic this way. When will men ever learn? lol.

**

Not too much to critique. I would probably move the camera more, but that's a personal preference....

Just had an idea: It would be interesting to see how other director's would handle the same material. That might be a good idea for the next Fest: Everyone has to use the same script!

Anyway, good work. Look forward to your next one. :beer:
 
I really loved the story just wasn't too keen on the acting, seemed way over the top on Giselles part, maybe I just didn' see the character develop over the course of time allowed. Mandy however was awesome and I liked her attitude in the end. Phil had an odd acting style which seemed out of place in the story. I don't know I have a huge headache from watching all of these films and trying to be positive as well as constructive. Of course never mean so please don't take it as such. I loved the location and the film was well shot.
Pauly
 
Maximus said:
Good job! I really enjoyed this one.

*SPOILER*



I was hoping the biker would come out victorious, but I guess it's more realistic this way. When will men ever learn? lol.

**

Not too much to critique. I would probably move the camera more, but that's a personal preference....

Just had an idea: It would be interesting to see how other director's would handle the same material. That might be a good idea for the next Fest: Everyone has to use the same script!

Anyway, good work. Look forward to your next one. :beer:
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Thanks for the comments & glad you enjoyed the film. I agree with the camera movement part...and there was quite a bit more of it, but the good movement always seemed to end up in the worst acting takes? Go figure... so yes, next time I want to get the actors for more than one day & make sure I get all the movement i originally wanted.:)

pauly_the_hitman said:
I really loved the story just wasn't too keen on the acting, seemed way over the top on Giselles part, maybe I just didn' see the character develop over the course of time allowed. Mandy however was awesome and I liked her attitude in the end. Phil had an odd acting style which seemed out of place in the story. I don't know I have a huge headache from watching all of these films and trying to be positive as well as constructive. Of course never mean so please don't take it as such. I loved the location and the film was well shot.
Pauly
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Thanks Pauly... I know that headache feeling...lots to watch here. Please know that I REALLY appreciate your taking the time for my film.:dankk2:
 
Joey:

I loved the opening sequence, some camera movement and a lot of movement in the shots. Well done.

I found myself longing for some of that movement in the interior shots. The acting in my opinion is so-so, and the conversation seems to be a little forced/out in the open. There might not be anyone else in the inn, but I get the impression that it's a "public room" if you will, and they seem to be discussing their private business a little loudly. I would think they would be a little more discreet with their dialog and the viewer should have to read between the lines a little.

Good shot where Santa passes out. Loved the location and the twist at the end where Santa's brother shows up.
 
John LaBonney said:
Joey:

I loved the opening sequence, some camera movement and a lot of movement in the shots. Well done.

I found myself longing for some of that movement in the interior shots. The acting in my opinion is so-so, and the conversation seems to be a little forced/out in the open. There might not be anyone else in the inn, but I get the impression that it's a "public room" if you will, and they seem to be discussing their private business a little loudly. I would think they would be a little more discreet with their dialog and the viewer should have to read between the lines a little.

Good shot where Santa passes out. Loved the location and the twist at the end where Santa's brother shows up.
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Thanks again John for the comments, they are most helpful!:dankk2:
 
Hey Joe. I thought this was a decent short. It helped tremendously that I understood it. A task in itself, hehe. I liked the story. The ending tied everything up quite nice. I also understood the beginning where it starts with him assuming he's witnessed something bad although I read it threw some people off. Understandable I guess.


Phil Donahue's role was my favorite. The 'Twins for life' tattoo and the look on his face at the end was pretty good also. I don't think he was coming over for dinner, hehe.
I'm curious, was that his real hair in the primary role and he got it cut for the last bit? Or was that prop hair?

No big problems with this one, not that there's no room for improvement ofcourse. Some of the other's acting was off in bits for example.
Overall I enjoyed it. (I still have yet to see your other vid. Working through the zips still.)
Thanks.
 
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Raptor365 said:
Hey Joe. I thought this was a decent short. It helped tremendously that I understood it. A task in itself, hehe. I liked the story. The ending tied everything up quite nice. I also understood the beginning where it starts with him assuming he's witnessed something bad although I read it threw some people off. Understandable I guess.


Phil Donahue's role was my favorite. The 'Twins for life' tattoo and the look on his face was pretty good also. I don't think he was coming over for dinner, hehe.
I'm curious, was that his real hair in the primary role and he got it cut for the last bit? Or was that prop hair?

No big problems with this one, not that there's no room to improvement ofcourse.
Overall I enjoyed it. (I still have yet to see your other vid. Working through the zips still.)
Thanks.
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Thanks Raptor....and yes, that's his real hair! He's a wild man (great guy to work with). Glad you understood the story and enjoyed...let me know what you think of TWISTED!:dankk2:

I really appreciate you taking the time to watch.
 
First of all, I always have a hard time critiquing somebody else’s work, since I don’t have any of my own. But in the end, we all want to be better filmmakers, don’t we? So… here goes.

Rasputin steals the film! His rough look and a touch of kind-heartedness make him every film watcher’s favorite; he’s like Pooh the Bear, who’s been searching for honey 20 years too long. I also like the fact that his name give’s away the fact that he’s most likely going to die at some point.

You really should think about getting him involved in your other projects. He might turn out to be the Morgan Freeman of this century.

As to the other actors, I’m sorry to say but… there’s a lot too wish. They simply don’t match up. The way they deliver the dialogues strips it of its beauty. It hurts to watch.

I really like the beginning, when Rasputin arrives into town and steps on the children’s ball. And although it’s a great scene (beautifully composed and with fine editing) it seems to go against his character. I just don’t see the point in him being mean.

And one more thing, the title is simply magical! But it’s not cut out for this film.
 
I enjoyed the film and there's certainly a marked improvement since Timefest. The opening scenes were good, drawing one into the film and the cinematography and production quality on the whole were pretty good throughout.

I'm afraid the story didn't really work fully for me though. Although Phil Donahue steals the scenes as Rasputin, the character doesn't really come across as someone engaging in extortion - he seems much too gentle and cuddly! He comes across as very natural though so I think the problem lay more with the direction or script. Stephanie's character, on the other hand, seems rather forced. For most of the film they seem to be much more a stuck-up young girl put out by a rather agreeable biker, rather than a murderess and an extortionist engaging in a verbal duel (yes, I've been back through the thread!).

I think this was an ambitious project and certainly a good exercise in dialog, acting and the nuances of directing. Somehow I think you just missed the overall tone of the thing, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. :)

Jason
 
What up Joe... I finally got around to watching your flicks (and I'm gonna review them both here)..
Both Twisted and AETOP are very similar in their structure - and it also proves to be their biggest flaw. Both films are basically two people taking about something the audience isn't privy to until the very end, where the topic of conversation is finally revealed and used as the "twist ending" or "button."
There's an inherent problem with this technique, and I've been guilty of committing it in the past as well... Your audience loses interest REAL quick when A) they're watching talking heads and B) they don't know what the conversation is about. You can see how that might be a problem...
Another problem also arises...because the dialogue leading up to the reveal is so vague, it's harder for people to retain it. I'll admit, when I watched Twisted, I had to go back a bit and figure out what the Alien thing had to do with all the political stuff the dudes were talking about...
So I guess my advice is, for your next film, try something that is a little more action oriented and try not to rely on dialogue as much. I don't mean action as in 'action movie' action, I just mean let there be a physicality to what drives the story. I have people go places, look for things, overcome obstacles... conflict is key in motivating your story.
Okay, I'm getting preachy here....
ANYWAY... congrats on making a film... TWO films! That's pretty hardcore... and yeah man, keep it up. Learn from these films and perfect your craft!
-M
 
Pawel Tomasz Dlugosz said:
First of all, I always have a hard time critiquing somebody else’s work, since I don’t have any of my own. But in the end, we all want to be better filmmakers, don’t we? So… here goes.

Rasputin steals the film! His rough look and a touch of kind-heartedness make him every film watcher’s favorite; he’s like Pooh the Bear, who’s been searching for honey 20 years too long. I also like the fact that his name give’s away the fact that he’s most likely going to die at some point.

You really should think about getting him involved in your other projects. He might turn out to be the Morgan Freeman of this century.

As to the other actors, I’m sorry to say but… there’s a lot too wish. They simply don’t match up. The way they deliver the dialogues strips it of its beauty. It hurts to watch.

I really like the beginning, when Rasputin arrives into town and steps on the children’s ball. And although it’s a great scene (beautifully composed and with fine editing) it seems to go against his character. I just don’t see the point in him being mean.

And one more thing, the title is simply magical! But it’s not cut out for this film.
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Thanks for the review! I guess the story needs some work in your view? Glad you liked Rasputin, he's a great guy to work with and I do plan on casting him in future productions.:beer:

...now get out there and make a film...so I can return the favor.:dankk2:
 
I liked this but like Pawel I thought that the ball popping was out of place and some of the dialog was not convincing.

It was enjoyable though. Well done.
 
Horncastle said:
I enjoyed the film and there's certainly a marked improvement since Timefest. The opening scenes were good, drawing one into the film and the cinematography and production quality on the whole were pretty good throughout.

I'm afraid the story didn't really work fully for me though. Although Phil Donahue steals the scenes as Rasputin, the character doesn't really come across as someone engaging in extortion - he seems much too gentle and cuddly! He comes across as very natural though so I think the problem lay more with the direction or script. Stephanie's character, on the other hand, seems rather forced. For most of the film they seem to be much more a stuck-up young girl put out by a rather agreeable biker, rather than a murderess and an extortionist engaging in a verbal duel (yes, I've been back through the thread!).

I think this was an ambitious project and certainly a good exercise in dialog, acting and the nuances of directing. Somehow I think you just missed the overall tone of the thing, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. :)

Jason
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Thanks for the comments...these will be most helpful!
 
blindbuzta said:
What up Joe... I finally got around to watching your flicks (and I'm gonna review them both here)..
Both Twisted and AETOP are very similar in their structure - and it also proves to be their biggest flaw. Both films are basically two people taking about something the audience isn't privy to until the very end, where the topic of conversation is finally revealed and used as the "twist ending" or "button."
There's an inherent problem with this technique, and I've been guilty of committing it in the past as well... Your audience loses interest REAL quick when A) they're watching talking heads and B) they don't know what the conversation is about. You can see how that might be a problem...
Another problem also arises...because the dialogue leading up to the reveal is so vague, it's harder for people to retain it. I'll admit, when I watched Twisted, I had to go back a bit and figure out what the Alien thing had to do with all the political stuff the dudes were talking about...
So I guess my advice is, for your next film, try something that is a little more action oriented and try not to rely on dialogue as much. I don't mean action as in 'action movie' action, I just mean let there be a physicality to what drives the story. I have people go places, look for things, overcome obstacles... conflict is key in motivating your story.
Okay, I'm getting preachy here....
ANYWAY... congrats on making a film... TWO films! That's pretty hardcore... and yeah man, keep it up. Learn from these films and perfect your craft!
-M
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Excellent...thanks for the comments, these are great to have. Both of these films were an exercise in shooting a conversation, as you noticed, but very different in style. I have to agree and disagree with some of your comments at the same time. As another viewer stated, it seems there's a fine line between being sly & spoon-feeding the plot to the viewer. I personally enjoy the intellectual side...I like to figure things out on my own..and that was the idea, so I guess I was successful there.

I remember watching "Memento" for the first time...and the second time...and the third, forth & fifth times until I could understand what the hell was going on! THAT's my kind of movie. Action is good...if it fits the film (and I'm sure to explore that soon), but action just for the sake of action? I guess that's the beauty of all the different styles of movie making around here. What might work for one director, doesn't for another.

Can't wait to hear what the next fest will be so I can put all of these great comments & observations to good use. Thank you for watching & taking the time to critique the films! Cheers:beer:
 
Carrying on the tradition from Timefest, the AIM sessions have returned, a live stream of whatever may come out of our heads as we watch your films. Here are Ben Sliker, Brad Mate, and Justin Kuhn's thoughts on "An Enchanting twist of Peccadilloes."

Since for some reason, since we couldn't get Adium, AIM and iChat to all agree with each in one chat room, we had to go to an online chat room for the 3-person chats. After almost being molested by a forty year old man in a chat room for "privates" (ben read private chat), we managed to hop on to the chatzy client, which worked well. Note: Never search "free chat" in google and expect what you are looking for.

Ben: FROM THE DIRECTOR THAT BROUGHT YOU TWISTED
Ben: rdy?
Kuhn: ready
Jebus: yep
Ben: 3
Ben: 2
Ben: 1
Ben: go
Jebus: again with the titles
Jebus: PHIL DONAHUE?!
Ben: what a dickhole.
Kuhn: they didn't really react to the ball being squished
Kuhn: why'd you let this guy in your house
Kuhn: oh it's a resturaunt.
Ben: this is like 10x better than twisted already.
Jebus: yes
Ben: awful eyeline.
Jebus: the women are a little stiff.
Kuhn: I wanna cast this guy in Serial Santa
Ben: GET AWAY FROM ME FREAKAZOID.
Ben: let's tone down the rhetoric there zaza
Ben: PEOPLE DONT TALK LIKE THIS...
Jebus: no kidding
Kuhn: two more plates of biscotti please.
Ben: i think these people know each other
Jebus: this is all im seeing between the acting and the script "we're reading lines right now"
Ben: SANTA LIKES BOOBIES
Jebus: lol
Kuhn: who doesn't
Kuhn: here comes santa claus right down santa cluas lane
Ben: can we just serial kill this guy?
Jebus: poisoning is pretty easy actually...
Ben: tell that to romeo
Jebus: good job retard
Ben: SANTAS GOING DOWN
Kuhn: his milk and cookie gave him food poisoning
Jebus: .....
Ben: ok ... so there was some stuff that happened ...and then santa died.
Jebus: ....
Kuhn: and then he has a twin
Kuhn: an evil twin or was he the evil one?
Ben: who both ride harleys to deliver presents
Ben: just for clarity
Kuhn: spastic.
Jebus: i like how he's smart enough to switch plates but he doesnt switch glasses. that makes sense...cuase people dont poison by drink.....cause that isnt the most obvious way of doing it....
Ben: he was blackmailing her cause he knew she killed her husband ... but is blackmail was that he wanted dinner ...the exact way she killed her hubby ...
Jebus: i would have gone with money...
Ben: that's cause you are old school
Ben: food is the new crack
Ben: and mcdonald's the dealer
Jebus: how was the chloroform bottle a big reveal?
Jebus: i dont get why thats such a shocker
Kuhn: I missed it
Ben: yeah ... why would they knock him out after poisoning him to death?
Jebus: i'd love to know why he titled it that way. great title...had nothing to do with the film
Ben: unless they just used it as the poison
Jebus: what would the peccadilloes be in this film?
Jebus: they used it as the poison
Jebus: i think a double murder is a bit more than a peccadillo
Jebus: so is blackmailing
Ben: lol
Jebus: so again i ask...where's the peccadilloes
Ben: cause "an enchanting twist of heinous murdering *****" didn't have the same ring to it.
Ben: that's all i got ...
Ben: final thoughts?
Jebus: where are these slight sins or faults?!
Jebus: thats my final thought
Kuhn: little confusing.
Jebus: acting stiff, dialog a bit unrealistic
Kuhn: had promise initially though
Ben: ok den

We liked this one more than "Twisted", the production value was higher in our minds and the story made a bit more sense (other than our obvious gripes). It's part of the director's job to make sure that the viewer can believe what they are seeing on screen, and the delivery of lines is a big part of that. That's my challenge for you next time, I'd like to see an engaging and realistic conversation between two people. DO IT! GO ZAZA GO!

Like I said in your other thread, keep it up, there haven't been many multiple entries in the history of DVXuser fests, that alone should be applauded. :beer:
 
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