The Crucifix

S

Slice

Well-known member
I like to start by commending everyone who completed a film.

I love this site and all it's members, if not for this place I would probably still be working on my first short.
 
I just watched The Crucifix...seems like I'm the first to review it...

I liked it up til the point where the ghost (?) appears. Up til then it was very nice, liked the filters and the scratches/grain, liked your colors and editing. You had some nice angles and frames too.
The girl was PRETTY GOOD! I also loved the part with they boy!! and the dream-past where she witnesses the murder.
When the ghost appears I was put off by the music. Industrial stuff like this one were not the best choice in my opinion. It made me feel like I was playing Doom / Quake.....
I LOVED the drowning! You just dont expect it!

But the story was not solid. There are a lot of question marks here and there. It could be a hell of an episode for a tv series though (as an idea).

Good stuff all in all....
 
Thanks for the feedback.

The Music........This was not how the piece was originally intended to be scored, time was running out and I did what I had to do.

The story........ For me, a five minute short is more about asking the question than giving the answer. I think trying to squeeze 80 minutes of back story and character development into a five minute short hurts the overall feel. I prefer making a short that is more like a trailer than a movie.
 
VersuS, you're everywhere!!!! I just wanted to thank you for contributing so much. I haven't watched The Crucifix yet, but have moved it up on my list "to watch" because I saw this thread and your thoughtful comments. Now I'm going to have to try to forget about "the drowning" because I'm expecting it now :)

Slice, I appreciated your comments and kind of like that approach (asking the question without trying to give all the answers. I'll use that frame of mind when I watch your short.)
 
Matt Sconce's Review of The Crucifix
SPOLIERS POSSIBLE!

Script
I did not understand the significance of the crucifix and this is probably a key point in the story. It was a bit disjointed and I got confused a little. the substance was there though. I thought the girls character was the best developed in this short.
Acting
The girl acted well. The guys were okay and the priest was pretty good. I think you found something there though with that girl. She was believable
Cinematography
There were some great shots in this film. The drowning scene was really good, as were several others. You were able to maintain a pretty creepy atmosphere.
Editing
The editing probably could have helped the story with the flashbacks. I got confused sometimes during them, but that might just be me.
Score
Time constraints probably hindered this area for you but what you had worked. I think with the right sound track, this movie will rise a whole level.
Overall Impressions
I think this was a good short. And I actually cared about the girl by the end, and hoped she lived! Good job!
 
I actually liked this movie, but man.. the score ruined it for me.

I'm confused by the end and who was killing the girl, but like Matt said, I felt for the girl and didn't want her to die.

I liked some of the hidden/blocking that you guys did to reveal other characters. Looking forward to your next films!

cheers,
/j
 
Review | POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! I watch the movies first time around strictly for enjoyment, second and third for review.

Just caught the crufifix. Great effort.

Story - I can see where this totally fits into horror. What I dunno is if what I saw was a snippet of a larger movie or what? A lot of slack in the subject matter. None of the characters were worth any emotion. I could've cared less if the gal died or not and she did. Okay. I just didn't feel the story at all.

Direction - Nice over the shoulder shot on the bible. Some nice closeups, particularly when the larger guy turns into a demon. A little too many low angels on the feet for me.

Acting - The chic was okay. I didn't even hear what anyone was saying. Your priest looked the part.

Cine/Lighting - Nice lighting in the church. Could've had a bit more creatively. Night scenes were bright enough to see what was up.

Editing - Neat things done with the editing, but it couldn't save the content. I liked the freeze frames, but they belong in a trailer, I don't think they work in a short.

Sound - I really disliked the hardcore scoring. I didn't hear a lot of foley or anything at all. Sound was a downer.

Special Effects/Art Direction/Wardrobe - Weird looking veins in the face. Cool deal there.

Scariest Moments - When the kid appears. Kids are scary.

Overall consensus - It seemed either rushed or underdone. But it was a great effort and had some nice visuals at points. Thanks for exhibiting!
 
Guys WOW a killer priest don't think I've seen that before.

Some nice editing here (scratchy effect was cool, might nick that for future films :) ), like what you did with the overall feeling of the film. Got me interested straight away.
You guys Irish??

That kid looked way scary, more of him please.
Must agree on the score, but liked a few of the foley's.
Good job!
 
Very nice looking film. Started off pretty good but then the whole thing melted down into a complete mess. I was pulling for this one because the craft was excellent. High marks in the photography department.

It sure did look pur-ty!


John G.
 
I'll agree with much of what was said above (in the interest of time...gotta vote tonight). In general, you just didn't deliver the story very effectively. It looked nice for the most part, but just didn't feel it told a good story.
 
I didn't connect with this one very well. The story wasn't very coherent. A lot of stock characters and inexplicable flashbacks and action. The cinematography didn't really work for me. The actors did look interesting and the costumes were nice. The action wasn't very believable (Priest hanging the old man). The score tried to overpower everything but wasn't able to make up for the areas that were lacking. It seemed like you used a very visual approach. Not much dialogue, heavy voice-over but the story just wasn't compelling enough.

Keep honing your craft. You have potential.

Take care.
 
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