Skyline
Movie Blurb by Shale
November 12, 2010
This was my main movie to see this weekend having watched the trailers for some time. Then I found out they didn't pre-screen it for reviewers - usually a bad sign. Well, those reviewers that did log in gave it an aggregate of 15% who liked it, while 75% of audiences liked it. I saw it today and am still debating what I thot of it.
So, let me start debating it with myself while I write this blurb.
It opens right on the action in Los Angeles at 4:30 in the morning with earth trembling and blue light coming thru the cracks, waking our protagonist Jarrod (Eric Balfour) and Elaine (Scottie Thompson). When Jarrod goes to check it out he looks at the beautiful blue light, which draws him in and makes changes to his body.
Jarrod Blinded By the Light
His buddy Terry (Donald Faison) pushes him back and he returns to normal. Then the movie goes to flashback where Elaine and Jarrod are traveling from NY to LA to visit with his old buddy Terry. They and a bunch of others are all partying in Terry's penthouse and after the party, when most have gone is when the strange lights start dropping from the sky.
Penthouse View of LA
Thru a telescope that Terry had for peeping, they see that thousands of people are being lifted by these beams into the huge, hovering ships. The next day LA is mostly deserted and our small group of Jarrod, Elaine, Terry, his wife and his mistress (who the wife just found out) and Oliver (David Zayas) the building security are thrown together trying to survive and escape.
Elaine & Jarrod Confront the New Reality
Not only are there huge space ships hovering but smaller mechanical bots (similar to the ones in Matrix) go thru the city picking up stragglers who have not been sucked up to the ship.
Badass Space Ships Trash LA
There are also huge beasts running about and the overall feel of this movie is Cloverfield. The military does show up and attacks the main ships, the flying bots and the Cloverfield Beasts, and as with Cloverfield, no real explanation of what they are or what they want is put forth. As the movie unfolds we do get an idea of what the aliens are after by what they are doing with the humans they have taken, but still no clear explanation.
This is an indy film with little-known actors. I read that the physical production of this movie cost half a million dollars with the special effects taking another 10 million. The effects were good, done by Hydraulx; the company of Producer/Director Greg and Colin Strause. But the story seemed lacking and the ending was totally anticlimactic. However, you felt it was set up for possible sequels and I later read that the Strause brothers were planning to do that.
So, if you are into seeing an old fashioned space invader horror flick like I watched in my youth (saw the 1953 War Of The Worlds in theater), with good special effects then this could be a fun hour and a half for you. Or wait for the DVD.
Movie Blurb by Shale
November 12, 2010
This was my main movie to see this weekend having watched the trailers for some time. Then I found out they didn't pre-screen it for reviewers - usually a bad sign. Well, those reviewers that did log in gave it an aggregate of 15% who liked it, while 75% of audiences liked it. I saw it today and am still debating what I thot of it.
So, let me start debating it with myself while I write this blurb.
It opens right on the action in Los Angeles at 4:30 in the morning with earth trembling and blue light coming thru the cracks, waking our protagonist Jarrod (Eric Balfour) and Elaine (Scottie Thompson). When Jarrod goes to check it out he looks at the beautiful blue light, which draws him in and makes changes to his body.
Jarrod Blinded By the Light
His buddy Terry (Donald Faison) pushes him back and he returns to normal. Then the movie goes to flashback where Elaine and Jarrod are traveling from NY to LA to visit with his old buddy Terry. They and a bunch of others are all partying in Terry's penthouse and after the party, when most have gone is when the strange lights start dropping from the sky.
Penthouse View of LA
Thru a telescope that Terry had for peeping, they see that thousands of people are being lifted by these beams into the huge, hovering ships. The next day LA is mostly deserted and our small group of Jarrod, Elaine, Terry, his wife and his mistress (who the wife just found out) and Oliver (David Zayas) the building security are thrown together trying to survive and escape.
Elaine & Jarrod Confront the New Reality
Not only are there huge space ships hovering but smaller mechanical bots (similar to the ones in Matrix) go thru the city picking up stragglers who have not been sucked up to the ship.
Badass Space Ships Trash LA
There are also huge beasts running about and the overall feel of this movie is Cloverfield. The military does show up and attacks the main ships, the flying bots and the Cloverfield Beasts, and as with Cloverfield, no real explanation of what they are or what they want is put forth. As the movie unfolds we do get an idea of what the aliens are after by what they are doing with the humans they have taken, but still no clear explanation.
This is an indy film with little-known actors. I read that the physical production of this movie cost half a million dollars with the special effects taking another 10 million. The effects were good, done by Hydraulx; the company of Producer/Director Greg and Colin Strause. But the story seemed lacking and the ending was totally anticlimactic. However, you felt it was set up for possible sequels and I later read that the Strause brothers were planning to do that.
So, if you are into seeing an old fashioned space invader horror flick like I watched in my youth (saw the 1953 War Of The Worlds in theater), with good special effects then this could be a fun hour and a half for you. Or wait for the DVD.
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