Jim Brennan
VHS Member Old Skool
I went to see a film called "Ink" last night. It was written and directed by Colorado filmmaker Jamin Winans, who brought us the well-received short "Spin" a few years back.
This movie is a gem. A very ambitious project for such a low budget, it has a large cast, many locations and very effective visual effects. More importantly, it has an interesting and inventive story line, memorable characters inhabited by capable performances and a great pace to the editing. It takes us on a surreal journey back and forth between our world, and that of the title character, Ink. Ink is a neophyte Incubi, part of a race of beings that bring us bad dreams and are invisible to humans. When a Storyteller (part of the race of people who bring us good dreams) encounters Ink trying take the last step to becoming a full-fledged Incubi by kidnapping a little girl, a great battle ensues. We are carried between realities, through time and along a great ride that I know I won't soon forget.
There are a few relevant twists that I wont mention here, which unfold effectively along the way. They never seem forced to me, but act as a slow realization. This is one of the things that was most impressive about the film: It was made by a confident and capable director who lets the story reveal itself as it should, trusting the audience to make the necessary connections. A rare trait among independent filmmakers who are either too obtuse and obscure in the delivery of their art, or who err on the other side, dumbing down their story to ensure the audience "gets it". Winans does neither and lets you feel a part of the process with his confidence in your abilities as the viewer. The ending is satisfying without being overplayed, and there was enough going on through out making me want to see it again to look for more.
It's not a perfect film, but my quibbles are as much my personal taste as anything else. And those critiques are too small to mention here.
It is currently only playing in Denver as they search for distribution. But the film was recently picked up by UTA and screened at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, where it was reviewed by Ain't It Cool News, being dubbed the new "IT" movie. References were made to Brazil, Donnie Darko and The Matrix. You can read the review here
As an indie filmmaker myself, I look at this film as a gift. It has proven to me what can be done on a low-budget and limited resources when you have a great script and take the time to do it right. I don't know what the budget was, but being a part of the same film community that Jamin Winans is, I'm pretty sure it was ridiculously small for the type of production value he delivers. He wrings good performances from the all-local cast through out. And while none were outstanding to me, a few performances are really good, and none are that red flag you almost always see in an indie film. You know the one. It reminds you that this is being made by a low budget cast and crew somewhere. The action sequences are very effective, interestingly shot and edited without looking like they are the focus of the film. In short it looks, smells and feels like the thing we all strive for: a "real" movie.
Folks, you are going to be hearing about this on. I guarantee it.
http://www.doubleedgefilms.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1071804/
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39874
This movie is a gem. A very ambitious project for such a low budget, it has a large cast, many locations and very effective visual effects. More importantly, it has an interesting and inventive story line, memorable characters inhabited by capable performances and a great pace to the editing. It takes us on a surreal journey back and forth between our world, and that of the title character, Ink. Ink is a neophyte Incubi, part of a race of beings that bring us bad dreams and are invisible to humans. When a Storyteller (part of the race of people who bring us good dreams) encounters Ink trying take the last step to becoming a full-fledged Incubi by kidnapping a little girl, a great battle ensues. We are carried between realities, through time and along a great ride that I know I won't soon forget.
There are a few relevant twists that I wont mention here, which unfold effectively along the way. They never seem forced to me, but act as a slow realization. This is one of the things that was most impressive about the film: It was made by a confident and capable director who lets the story reveal itself as it should, trusting the audience to make the necessary connections. A rare trait among independent filmmakers who are either too obtuse and obscure in the delivery of their art, or who err on the other side, dumbing down their story to ensure the audience "gets it". Winans does neither and lets you feel a part of the process with his confidence in your abilities as the viewer. The ending is satisfying without being overplayed, and there was enough going on through out making me want to see it again to look for more.
It's not a perfect film, but my quibbles are as much my personal taste as anything else. And those critiques are too small to mention here.
It is currently only playing in Denver as they search for distribution. But the film was recently picked up by UTA and screened at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, where it was reviewed by Ain't It Cool News, being dubbed the new "IT" movie. References were made to Brazil, Donnie Darko and The Matrix. You can read the review here
As an indie filmmaker myself, I look at this film as a gift. It has proven to me what can be done on a low-budget and limited resources when you have a great script and take the time to do it right. I don't know what the budget was, but being a part of the same film community that Jamin Winans is, I'm pretty sure it was ridiculously small for the type of production value he delivers. He wrings good performances from the all-local cast through out. And while none were outstanding to me, a few performances are really good, and none are that red flag you almost always see in an indie film. You know the one. It reminds you that this is being made by a low budget cast and crew somewhere. The action sequences are very effective, interestingly shot and edited without looking like they are the focus of the film. In short it looks, smells and feels like the thing we all strive for: a "real" movie.
Folks, you are going to be hearing about this on. I guarantee it.
http://www.doubleedgefilms.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1071804/
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39874