Fresh meat

Marlon Ladd said:
Zaza!!! Are you kidding me right now?? That was awesome! You can tell that you've been finished with this film for as long as you have. Everything was pretty much spot on and you got plenty of coverage and all the extra shots you needed. I'm very, very impressed. Love your dolly shots and the two greatest cinematic moments in the film were the bicycle wheel spinning as the truck drives off and seeing the silhouetted bad guy standing in the barn door the first time. Love your style and editing for this film. Outstanding job. So glad to see it when filmmakers show growth and you most definitely have by leaps and bounds. You should be proud and seriously, did you shoot this on the dvx???
Click to expand...
Geesh, thanks Marlon (you're probably my favorite male actor in this fest by the way, but I'll get to that in your thread), your comments mean a lot to me. You never know what you're going to get when you use Craigslist actors, a single stock DVX100b (yes, it really is just the good old DVX) and a ZazaSlider of course. You all know how it is, you have a vision of what you'd like to get but it doesn't always turn out as planned. I got lucky and was able to pull it off this time (I think, I hope). Another interesting point (or not), the ONLY sound captured to tape that was used was the van tire driving along...everything else was ADR, again for what I think is that 70's feel.

Matt Harris said:
marlon took the words outta my mouth, real growth from you as a director. I really liked the film and especially liked the 70's exploitation vibe you went with.
Click to expand...
Thanks Matt... but my favorite part is the bad guy standing in the barn door...and that all came from hearing your tune, it was just the perfect fit! Thank you for allowing us all to use YOUR music, that is extremely generous of you and a Godsend for a lot of us. (not to mention all you poster work, etc.) Cheers to YOU!
 
Although it was a 'grind' to get through...I dug it! More thoughts later but I think you nailed it! Very '70's exploitation feel, with plenty of laughs. Nice job Joe!
 
Matt Harris said:
marlon took the words outta my mouth, real growth from you as a director. I really liked the film and especially liked the 70's exploitation vibe you went with.
Click to expand...

I want to third the quote...I have seen all of your films and when I sat down playing this on my big screen with the speakers jacked up.....man I felt like a kid again. From the moment you put up the new ZazaVision shot and how it bleeded through to the vegetation and panned into the field........I was hooked.

This is your seriously your best film and I love it.
 
It was a huge and brave step to decide to shoot it the way you did and with the DVX of all things. Doesn't get any more courageous than that and again, you pulled off your vision without compromise. That's what makes directors.
 
SPOILERS. PLEASE STOP READING IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THIS SHORT.

What I liked: Zaza, really solid job. Had I not read that you did most of the audio in post, I wouldn't have known. As I was watching, anticipating for him to eat her (the fresh meat), I suddenly realized that "meat" might have been a double entendre. Kinda grossed out by the title after that. Of course I really liked the 70s feel to it, too. Great job with that. Also, you nailed the creepiness of the whole thing. I felt ... dirty ... after watching this. Which I think is normal for this kind of movie.

What I didn't like as much (take this with a grain of salt, as it's just an opinion): I will say that it did feel a little drawn out to me. I think it could have been a solid minute or two shorter. Also the ending kind of threw me with her reveal. If she was a monster, why did she hang around so long? Why did he yell and not swing?

Small things.

All in all, this is your best work yet. Solid entry.
 
Hawk Teflon said:
What I liked: Zaza, really solid job. Had I not read that you did most of the audio in post, I wouldn't have known. As I was watching, anticipating for him to eat her (the fresh meat), I suddenly realized that "meat" might have been a double entendre. Kinda grossed out by the title after that. Of course I really liked the 70s feel to it, too. Great job with that. Also, you nailed the creepiness of the whole thing. I felt ... dirty ... after watching this. Which I think is normal for this kind of movie.
Click to expand...
YES...success. If you don't want to take a shower after watching the film, I failed. ;-)

What I didn't like as much (take this with a grain of salt, as it's just an opinion): I will say that it did feel a little drawn out to me. I think it could have been a solid minute or two shorter. Also the ending kind of threw me with her reveal. If she was a monster, why did she hang around so long? Why did he yell and not swing?
Small things.
All in all, this is your best work yet. Solid entry.
Click to expand...
Feeling a little drawn out is a good thing...I wanted to impart a feeling of torture and hopelessness. The flashbacks hopefully helped to show his process of 'cleansing'. This is a story of Jehovah's quest to rid the world of evil, even if the evil isn't so evil. Jamie is just your everyday vamp living right along with the rest of us, but even a contained monster can only take so much before they crack....and the hunter becomes the hunted.

As far as swinging the cleaver, he simply didn't have time and didn't expect to see her directly behind him in that split second.

Thanks for watching & commenting, I'll be getting you your film this weekend!
 
Hey Zaza, I wanted to throw some more out there. Again, my favorite of all your films. The coloring and texture was excellent. I loved the SFX make-up and even the finger nails on the close-up of the hands was done and really worked. The shots were excellent and I liked the B-Roll that filled everything in. What I wanted to commend you most on though was you taking a risk. Not just using the DVX but more specifically the rape scene. This is one of those areas that can go wrong quick if not done right. You took a risk...more than one and it clearly paid off.

I would like to see this film turned into a feature. It looks like one of those cult classics.
 
Jared Brownlow said:
Have you seen the Australian movie, Wolf Creek? Your movie seems to have taken a bit of inspiration from it.
Click to expand...
I have not, but I'll be looking it up on Netflix tonight. I did just happen to see an Australian film called "Noise" that was really good.
 
Joe! I really think this is your best yet, by far. The scene on the bike was really well done. I have a script that requires a "spinning bicycle tire" like yours, and I would have shot it very much like you did. It's a very powerful image and you nailed it. Great opening to the movie.

The guy standing in the entrance of the barn was great, too! Loved that shot.

My main critique is that less is more. Kill your darlings. I would hack a good minute or two off this edit. Keep things moving. When we start to see the same image(s) over and over again they lose their effectiveness. That's my only gripe with this short. Everything else is spot on.

One of the best in the fest. Well done. Perfect for HorrorFest.

My advice, cut this shorter and send it off to other festivals.

Good luck!
 
Solid entry Zaza. Don't know that I can really add much other than echo what others have said. But I really liked the 70's exploitation feel, I think you nailed that aspect. To me though this definitely seemed to drag on a bit and think it could be much more impacting with a few minutes shaved offed the edit. I really liked the intro and end music and the spinning wheel shot.
I did however think the lighting in the barn was too bright, now I don't mean overexposed, I mean it all felt too bright for the mood of what was happening. I also got a little lost with the reveal at the end. Overall though a nice entry that really felt like a 70's exploitation film.
 
Thanks so much for viewing and commenting, it is most appreciated! Lots of great films this fest. :thumbup:
 
Hey, Zaz, finally getting the computer to cooperate.

Seems I recognize the actress from Miss Laid?

Love the 'mars invades' title opening. Kinda threw me back to 50s/60s sci-fi creep stuff.

Not really diggin' the opening with the flower sniffing and such. Reminds me of a Stay Free commercial. I think too, you can chop a few seconds from the ride/follow. The hit is pretty much telegraphed, so just get to it! Love the hit 'n scream, and the spinning wheel. Nice sound on the clicking.

Sweet job on the make up, scrapes and road burn.

Nice spook on the eye. Yikes! But why is her lip bleed missing in that chained-leg scene?

My rod, my staff? Funny.

Bits of choppy edit very effective.

Wow, cool ending. Not sure what made her like that - or she already was? - but nothing beats sweet revenge.

Nice job, Joe. I think an adjustment up front, maybe a metaphor of sorts, is needed, but this has creepy written all over it.

Alex
 
But why is her lip bleed missing in that chained-leg scene?
Click to expand...

That is the first of three flashbacks, when she awakes after being picked up by the van... pay closer attention Alex! :evil:
 
Yes, well your work always demands close attention - in a good way. I know I'll need to watch it a few+ times to catch all the Zaza-isms. Where have I seen those gnomes before? Seems they were in another film??

And - what exactly did she bite? Is it what I think?
 
All I've seen in the last week are after effects screens. Probably way past the point of healthy.

Im gonna carve out some time to watch this and others. Hopefully soon!
 
So was this a set up or did he just happen to capture a monster that enjoys being tortured and raped before she eats? You certainly got that grungy vibe all sticky over this. Story was a little slap dash, but a good Zaza effort. You know you're a freak right? And I mean that in a good way. :)
 
Chris_Keaton said:
So was this a set up or did he just happen to capture a monster that enjoys being tortured and raped before she eats? You certainly got that grungy vibe all sticky over this. Story was a little slap dash, but a good Zaza effort. You know you're a freak right? And I mean that in a good way. :)
Click to expand...
Thanks Chris...and yes, I've been told that all my life. Maybe this will help:

It was a beautiful summer morning in the Backton County Township,
a day like any other, and Jamie decided to take a leisurely bike ride.

Jehovah was a religious man, raised in a strict puritan home by an
abusive mother, and he had a mission to cleanse the world of its sinners
& ‘evil doers’, no matter how twisted his methods may be.

Bike ride gone bad, Jamie finds herself held captive and the center
of Jehovah’s cleansing ritual. Little did she know of the horrors that
awaited her... horrors that bring out the beast within. Driven to the
very edge, she gives in and the hunter becomes the prey.
 
ZazaCast said:
Thanks Chris...and yes, I've been told that all my life. Maybe this will help:

It was a beautiful summer morning in the Backton County Township,
a day like any other, and Jamie decided to take a leisurely bike ride.

Jehovah was a religious man, raised in a strict puritan home by an
abusive mother, and he had a mission to cleanse the world of its sinners
& ‘evil doers’, no matter how twisted his methods may be.

Bike ride gone bad, Jamie finds herself held captive and the center
of Jehovah’s cleansing ritual. Little did she know of the horrors that
awaited her... horrors that bring out the beast within. Driven to the
very edge, she gives in and the hunter becomes the prey.
Click to expand...

Dude, that is sick! If I read that as a potential renter or buyer, I would nab it up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top