~Spoiler~
Effects is a lost movie from the late 70's that just got an official release, almost 25 years later. Was it worth the wait? You be the judge. The film is about a cinematographer, Dom, who ventures to a secluded spot to film what he thinks is a low-budget horror flick. But it may be a snuff film. It's almost impossible to figure out what's going on for a long time. For the first hour, I was not into it. It was a boring drama where nothing was happening. But something was going on beneath the surface that you may not realize until the end of the film. I sure didn't. I was positive that I was going to hate Effects. The last 30 minutes are pretty incredible and once you piece together this outlandish puzzle, it's a pretty good effort. The whole piece has an experimental feel to it. Dusty Nelson does a lot of things other filmmakers wouldn't dare try. And I feel like he leaves a few things out which may confuse people and limit his audience. But at least he's giving us credit for being smart, a lesson could be learned here. The acting is way above par. Joe Pilato is fantastic in the lead, he's very meek and innocent. A complete turnaround from his character in Romero's Day of the Dead. Tom Savini is another recognizable face who plays a very unlikable character, quite well I might add. And finally, John Harrison (composer for Day of the Dead) plays the director, or the manipulator as the film's alternate title suggests. He's one of the coldest characters I've seen in a long while. Like I said before, the last 30 minutes features the meat of the movie. The frenzied camera-work is perfect for ours and Dominic's bewildered state. After shooting a fake movie, he finds himself being hunted in the middle of nowhere. And they're filming it all. He's gone from cameraman to star. The ending is very disquieting and leaves you plenty to think about. Very few movies make you reflect on everything you've just seen and second guess character's motivations. Some people were in on it, some people thought they were in on it, but only Dom is completely innocent. So I have to give Effects a thumbs up for audience participation. This is not popcorn fluff where you can turn your brain off. So if you're looking for a slasher movie, stay away.
Effects is a lost movie from the late 70's that just got an official release, almost 25 years later. Was it worth the wait? You be the judge. The film is about a cinematographer, Dom, who ventures to a secluded spot to film what he thinks is a low-budget horror flick. But it may be a snuff film. It's almost impossible to figure out what's going on for a long time. For the first hour, I was not into it. It was a boring drama where nothing was happening. But something was going on beneath the surface that you may not realize until the end of the film. I sure didn't. I was positive that I was going to hate Effects. The last 30 minutes are pretty incredible and once you piece together this outlandish puzzle, it's a pretty good effort. The whole piece has an experimental feel to it. Dusty Nelson does a lot of things other filmmakers wouldn't dare try. And I feel like he leaves a few things out which may confuse people and limit his audience. But at least he's giving us credit for being smart, a lesson could be learned here. The acting is way above par. Joe Pilato is fantastic in the lead, he's very meek and innocent. A complete turnaround from his character in Romero's Day of the Dead. Tom Savini is another recognizable face who plays a very unlikable character, quite well I might add. And finally, John Harrison (composer for Day of the Dead) plays the director, or the manipulator as the film's alternate title suggests. He's one of the coldest characters I've seen in a long while. Like I said before, the last 30 minutes features the meat of the movie. The frenzied camera-work is perfect for ours and Dominic's bewildered state. After shooting a fake movie, he finds himself being hunted in the middle of nowhere. And they're filming it all. He's gone from cameraman to star. The ending is very disquieting and leaves you plenty to think about. Very few movies make you reflect on everything you've just seen and second guess character's motivations. Some people were in on it, some people thought they were in on it, but only Dom is completely innocent. So I have to give Effects a thumbs up for audience participation. This is not popcorn fluff where you can turn your brain off. So if you're looking for a slasher movie, stay away.