-|- HOSTILE DESTINATION -|- a Film by MAH

What can I say, great job!! Again!!! I really, really enjoyed this piece, because it has such a great story and a great take on the genre. You pulled of some really spectacular things on a shoe-string budget. It's just unbelievable. I enjoyed every minute of it. The score, the acting and of course the cinematography and dolly shots were soooooo sweet. Everybody knows to expect great things when watching a MAH film. Keep up the good work.
 
I've gotta give you props for going sci-fi. It felt like a much bigger story than the 6 minutes would allow. The landscapes and stuff just killer. I felt sorry for the scientist, who had to wear a mask that was a couple sizes too small. If you use gas masks again make sure there is a good seal that will prevent fogging. Great Job.
 
Excellent! That was great, loved every minute of it. I have to go watch again with headphones!
Good story, acting all worked for me, sound, VFX, score... all right on and clickin'. Great work.

If there was anything, it would be the fog in the masks....I really wanted to see the eyes for a better connection.

Really enjoyed this film.....tops in my book! Congratulations.
 
Very well done... ALthough I don't realy see the Western in it....

OK, he wears some western clothes... but maybe some little more "Western elements" in it ?


But it was nice done.

Only one detail... When the door closes, the creaking sound, sounds "close", the closing itself sounds further.
 
What a fascinating approach to the genre!

From the start, the film generates an air of intensity, but also ambition. It's a precarious argument to have: can we trust everyone to make peace with others and not allow anger, frustration, and retributive qualities to boil over, or should we, through legislation, construct a new Act that will allow officials the implantation of micro chips to manipulate everyone into docility through a "peace beacon"? The ideas whirling under this film are worth a lot of praise.

Quickly, the film establishes itself as something to seriously consider and explore. The visual effects in the first shot are quite strong, and the sound design, even within the first few scenes is fluid, robust, and detailed.

The cinematography is highly distinct, with a very specific color palette. What's great is that it isn't over stylized--excessive contrast, saturation, color imbalances, and the like--it reminds me of something Soderbergh might have shot around the time he was doing his Solaris remake. Your sequences are set up with great assurance. The camera moves when it needs to, and doesn't when we need to sit still. It's always refreshing to see someone who understands how, when, and why to move the camera instead of some of the capricious tracking and crab dolly shots we find in many films. The motivation for you camera is deliberate, and even though you and I have talked about this before, I feel it's necessary to mention it again.

I was impressed by the acting, both body and voice. These characters could have gone over-the-top so easily and ended up in campy schlock instead of an alternate reality. I suppose the soldier's approach around the corner toward the lead might have been drawn out a little too much, but it's still well executed, particularly in the sound and lighting.

I summation, I think this film is very well shot, cut, mixed, scored, and written. I never felt like I needed more info (what's not to get, or to assume?) and I never felt like I had too much of anything. We didn't need faces to ascribe each character with an identity.

Great work! :thumbsup:
 
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Lawsuit_Boy said:
What a fascinating approach to the genre!
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Nice opening to a review first thing in the morning. :)

Lawsuit_Boy said:
From the start, the film generates an air of intensity, but also ambition. It's a precarious argument to have: can we trust everyone to make peace with others and not allow anger, frustration, and retributive qualities boil over, or should we, through legislation, construct a new Act that will allow officials the implantation of micro chips to manipulate everyone into docility through a "peace beacon"? The ideas whirling under this film are worth a lot of praise.
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Thanks! The other writer (Russ Moore aka conlanforever) and I worked on that premise back and forth quite a bit.


Lawsuit_Boy said:
Quickly, the film establishes itself as something to seriously consider and explore. The visual effects in the first shot are quite strong, and the sound design, even within the first few scenes is fluid, robust, and detailed.
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Thanks! I worked pretty hard on the sound design. My buddy Doug busted his ass on the visual effects.

Lawsuit_Boy said:
The cinematography is highly distinct, with a very specific color palette. What's great is that it isn't over stylized--excessive contrast, saturation, color imbalances, and the like--it reminds me of something Soderbergh might have shot around the time he was doing his Solaris remake. Your sequences are set up with great assurance. The camera moves when it needs to, and doesn't when we need to sit still. It's always refreshing to see someone who understands how, when, and why to move the camera instead of some of the capricious tracking and crab dolly shots we find in many films. The motivation for you camera is deliberate, and even though you and I have talked about this before, I feel it's necessary to mention it again.
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Wow, thanks so much.

Lawsuit_Boy said:
I was impressed by the acting, both body and voice. These characters could have gone over-the-top so easily and ended up in campy schlock instead of an alternate reality. I suppose the soldier's approach around the corner toward the lead might have been drawn out a little too much, but it's still well executed, particularly in the sound and lighting.
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It's really tough being a one man crew and only getting a small window of time to shoot in at the location so this us really nice to hear.

Lawsuit_Boy said:
I summation, I think this film is very well shot, cut, mixed, scored, and written. I never felt like I needed more info (what's not to get, or to assume?) and I never felt like I had too much of anything. We didn't need faces to ascribe each character with an identity.

Great work! :thumbsup:
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:)

Much appreciated. Wish I could write reviews as detailed as this one.

Cheers,

Mike
 
I think this film opens a question that just can't easily be answered - would you rather have peace or freedom? I think that's where the power is in this story.

Great job on the writing Mike and Russ.
 
Marlon Ladd said:
I think this film opens a question that just can't easily be answered - would you rather have peace or freedom? I think that's where the power is in this story.

Great job on the writing Mike and Russ.
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Thanks. We were really hoping people would ask themselves that question after viewing.

Cheers,

MAH
 
Very well executed. I think, however, you were trying to cram to big of a story into too small of a run-time. But it was technically very good.
 
Gorgeously shot, and a well conceived world. Sound design was filled with nice touches, and helped make this place feel real.

I'm not sure that I felt fully satisfied by the end; that I got a full story. I'll have to rewatch it again. I am MORE than guilty of making a few short films that feel more like a chapter than a full book, which is especially difficult for sci-fi.

Having said that, I give you huge props for going full bore on a gritty science fiction western. I figured at least one entry would try that, and I'm glad it was you. That was a hell of a lot of fun, and I look forward to seeing it again.
 
Curugon said:
Gorgeously shot, and a well conceived world. Sound design was filled with nice touches, and helped make this place feel real.

I'm not sure that I felt fully satisfied by the end; that I got a full story. I'll have to rewatch it again. I am MORE than guilty of making a few short films that feel more like a chapter than a full book, which is especially difficult for sci-fi.

Having said that, I give you huge props for going full bore on a gritty science fiction western. I figured at least one entry would try that, and I'm glad it was you. That was a hell of a lot of fun, and I look forward to seeing it again.
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I think I literally just posted my review in your thread 2 minutes before this one. :grin:

Thanks so much! Coming from you that means quite a bit. I had plenty of time left over in this one but I figured it was straight forward enough.
I hate hitting people over the head with stuff and it's all there if one looks hard enough. Love your chapter reference, couldn't agree more.

Glad you want to watch it again. I would love to hear your thoughts after that. Feel free to PM me if you like.

Thanks again.

MAH
 
Interesting concept. Nice pictures, sound and score. This one hit all the beats and was well executed. All around solid offering. That said, this felt like a slice of pizza, now I'd like to have the rest of the pie.
 
Michael, this was a big idea for a short. The look and feel is right on the money. The music did a great job setting the mood as well. I was a little confused with the backstory and the story itself. I don't know that I care that much because it was so cool. The visual effects weren't half bad for this sort of thing. I wish this was 30 minutes instead of 6. I did enjoy watching it so that means your editing was spot on too. Nice job.
 
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Blaine said:
Interesting concept. Nice pictures, sound and score. This one hit all the beats and was well executed. All around solid offering. That said, this felt like a slice of pizza, now I'd like to have the rest of the pie.
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Always leave them wanting more. :evil:

Anthony Todaro said:
Michael, this was a big idea for a short. The look and feel is right on the money. The music did a great job setting the mood as well. I was a little confused with the backstory and the story itself. I don't know that I care that much because it was so cool. The visual effects weren't half bad for this sort of thing. I wish this was 30 minutes instead of 6. I did enjoy watching it so that means your editing was spot on too. Nice job.
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Thanks so much! I'm hoping to do a munch longer, similar piece in the future.

Richard J. Johnson said:
Watched this a 3rd time and this is EASILY top 3. Just a fantastic film.
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Wow. Thanks, Rich.

Marlon Ladd said:
I agree! Nice work!
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Thanks!

conlanforever said:
Thanks. I had a great time working on this script with Mike.

Then he knocks it out of the park!
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It was great working with you. Hope to do so again real soon.

Thanks! Really appreciate all the comments/feedback.


MAH
 
Along the same lines as Blain. I guess, for me, I know/feel when something is good when I don't immediatley find anything wrong with it. This was one of those.
What did catch my attention was the little audio nuances in a positive way. For some reason I loved the audio also.

It did seem short though. I guess that's the idea with these things.)
You keep impressing me with every new venture you undertake Mike.
What can I say?

-Gord.
 
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