Exile (2008) User Reviews

Refreshing movie, mostly rough around the edges, but fun for certain

[meritcoba · 25 May 2017]

Granted, this not a good movie in any way, but unlike bad movies, this one contains an interesting idea which, surprisingly, is worked out reasonably well.

The central theme is one that could be taken from Philip K. Dick, or for those more erudite in movies; Blade Runner(or Ex Machina). Dick has a fascination about what is real and what makes someone human or not. Therefore the most interesting character in this movie is Reyna. She is a non-linear android who is activated by Jason, the survivor of a crash who has been blinded. Non-linear means that she is able to think her own free thoughts, which she proceeds to do.

What next follows is hard to demonstrate without spoiling the fun. Reyna depends on Jason as much as Jason depends on her. And since he is blinded he can not see what she tells him she is seeing. While the story develops they seem to grow closer together, but we as the third party, get to see what Jason does not. The conflict starts to develop once it is clear that Reyna will cease to function when Jason dies or leaves, which makes efforts to defend him understandable, but at the same time makes you wonder how he will defend himself from her.

The movie makes a good attempt to develop this dual relationship and at first I was taken in by the apparent straightforwardness of Reyna. How the story finally pans out is for you to see, but I must say that up till the end it got me rooting for her.

The bad part of the movie is not so much that is clearly shows how low budget it is, but that given the choice the movie makers could not resist adding an alien monster for which they had no budget. The lesson to learn here is: if you lack the budget for a good monster, don't have one in your movie. Especially because it was totally superfluous to the movie and could have been easily substituted by something more mundane, as it actually was by having Jason chased by enemies from anther planet.

All in all a movie that is clearly low budget and rough around the edges, but has an interesting central story that certainly merits a remake with a better budget(and some better plot development). At time the movie has serious plot holes and at one time Jason runs out to wave at planes he can not see, but he can now. The script totally forgetting that he is blind. This movie is a bit like a cheap Ex Machinima version. One specific point to make here is that unlike Robots/Androids like say Data, Reyna never expresses the desire to become human. Which is refreshing.

I couldn't get through it.

[kddhr · 1/10 · 7 March 2019]

I think any review over 3 stars is obviously fake. I've seen a lot of bad films, but this is by far the worst ever.

Indie sci-fi dud

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 16 November 2017]

EXILE is an example of your usual indie science fiction flick with the Nevada desert masquerading as an alien planet. This is a virtual two-hander in which a stranded astronaut hooks up with a female android who protects him in a hostile landscape of monsters and murderous soldiers. Mainly this takes place in just two locations (a tiny silver-lined room and the desert) with some brief computer game-level CGI. It's pretty poor, and the brief narrative feels stretched to the limit.

Entertaining indie sci-fi thriller

[TVPowers · 8/10 · 5 August 2009]

EXILE is an entertaining independent movie, a science fiction thriller made by Las Vegas based filmmaker Mike Conway.

Conway's film won't be mistaken for a big-money Hollywood epic, but it looks far more expensive than the actual budget. The photography and location work rival that of films you'll see featured on the SyFy Channel.

The extras on the DVD reveal the clever digital sleight-of-hand that enhanced the minimalistic sets and concealed some production short-comings. It also gives us an idea of how dedicated indie filmmakers can band together, with many of the actors doubling as impromptu crew members.

The relationship of the blind man and the female android is well-written, with a nice "Twilight Zone/Outer Limits" atmosphere and twist. Action scenes are well handled.

The CGI spaceship effects have nice movement and weight to them, marred slightly by a lack of convincing "real world" detail and weathering.

The music, also by director Conway, is well done, and quite fitting for the subject.

Worth a look, especially if you have an interest in independent genre film-making.

Nice, but slightly disappointing

[chanticleer605 · 7/10 · 5 August 2012]

I've been wanting to watch this movie for a long time, and when I did, I was quite happy.

The story is quite interesting--a blind pilot crash lands on a barren and hostile planet and has to rely on a female android for survival. The location is stunning--it conveys the hostile and barren environment perfectly. The costumes were also good, especially those of the Grandlibon troops. Special effects were poor for the most part (forgiveable, since it is a low budget flick) except for the silver Attack Eagles in the sky. The digital gunfire was also more realistic than in the director's previous film. The pseudo-love story between the pilot and the android was interesting. The action scenes were short, few, and somewhat slow-paced, which lead to some disappointment because the trailers on YouTube made it look like a big action flick while it is almost more of a drama. The alien creature was brilliantly designed. However, once we see the full thing and its slimy fur body, then it becomes dismally obvious that it's a guy in a suit (this was because the alien creature wasn't finished and the director could not delay filming, so they had to go with what they had). The back-line for the plot is also very well-developed--perhaps too well developed. I wanted to see the Grandlibon-Kamoorsta conflict explored more. The movie itself was too short for my taste, at only about 78 minutes of running time. The Off World documentary that came with the special features was also too short, less than half the lengths of the documentaries of the director's previous two films. The score was real good, a nice combination of electronic and orchestral sounds and instruments.

Despite the complaints, the movie itself was still really good, especially for its budget. The plot was original, the creature design was great, and you can see that a lot of heart went into this production. It may not be as fun a ride as Mike Conway's previous film, The Awakening, but it's definitely a step up.

Great Low-Budget Science Fiction Adventure

[carbon111 · 8/10 · 28 September 2009]

Considering the budget, this is an amazing film. The Acting is decent, the story was novel and held a few surprises even for an old cinema curmudgeon like myself.

The effects were well above what I'd expected from a low budget indie film and were good enough to help greatly with the suspension of disbelief despite a few forgivable glitches here and there.

Pacing was excellent in this movie and the editing was top-notch, equaling Hollywood quality cuts, transitions and pacing. Mike Conway shows amazing talent in this regard!

The score was lush, varied and nicely-paced as well. Great to hear something of this quality in a film like this.

Exile is well worth a look if you like indie horror/sci-fi films. Pour yourself a cold one, grab a big bowl of popcorn and expect a fun ride!

Surprisingly good! I have lowered expectations for low-budget sci-fi indy flicks... this exceeded those expectations greatly.

[knightscape · 6/10 · 4 August 2009]

OK. I've watched both the film and the doc.

I expect certain things from a low budget sci fi film (possible small spoilers, no plot killers though):

1) Slightly Cheesy costumes check - although, I must say, they weren't all that bad

2) Big Alien who we end up seeing in a slightly disappointing full shot check - although the look at it in the Doc wasn't all that bad... the filter applied to get rid of the fur looked a bit off rather than other worldly.

3) Horrible FX make-up, sadly lacking this stuff was actually quite good.

4) Campy acting - a little bit, but not that bad all around. The actors actually did a good job, which was a nice surprise.

5) Bad CG elements - They were here, and not... um... There were some shots that Stuck out a lot, however most of that was because I watched it on a Mac and am assuming it was color corrected on a PC without the use of the scopes. The blacks were washed out on the non-cg elements, while nice and rich on the CG. The silver fighters in the sky... absolutely convincing! The crash landing ship. Well composited into a great moving plate, but again, the blacks didn't match the plate. The fire was a bit unblended as well in that shot, and perhaps a bit too saturated. This is the worst part of this movie, which makes it really acceptable as a low-budget sci fi indy film in my book.

6) Horrible story, sadly, this was really lacking - from concept to dialog, it was of unusually good quality - darn you for dashing my expectations... Even the ending was good - grrr.

7) Bad Audio nope, almost perfect... I heard off camera noise twice and a stray echo once

8) The music didn't interfere with the story

9) Amateurish camera work - Mostly spot on, some frames that were slightly static, none that were bad in terms of movement.

10) Crappy Editing: good, there were no points I found myself yelling "CUT!" at the screen (I really do that).

Overall, if the color correction had been better, I'd be able to say that I've seen less professional stuff on the scifi(syfy) channel. That was really the only sticking point for me.

So in terms of meeting my expectations, this film is a complete failure except for the color correction gaffes... Which is to say, this is really an exceptional piece of work considering its budget and crew size. Well done! Exceedingly watchable! I even liked the ending, which is really unusual for me to say about an indy flick!

one of the best indie sci-fi movie of 2009

[marcdef-1 · 8/10 · 11 August 2009]

EXILE isn't a big budget summer movie, neither a small Hollywood straight-to-DVD movie. It's low budget film that was written, scored, edited, produced, (along with his wife) and directed by Mike Conway.

15 or 20 years ago, it be impossible make this type of movie on a independence budget from your own back pockets. But with digital effects programs and HD cameras more open on the shopping market. Then, it's is possible. The film crew are made up of friends and family. The film set in his backyard. Yes, you'll see the lack of budget in the movie. But it's the story, the characters, and the acting that really help carry the film to be enjoyable to watch.

A lone survivor of a space shuttle hijacking, blinded in a terrible crash on a hostile plant. His only hope is a strange habitat and a mysterious female android. Written in a way that pay tribute to THE OUTER LIMITS storytelling. It have everything you look for in that style. Action. Horror, Suspense. Drama. And Romance.

Brian Sheridan and Heather Lei Guzzetta did a fantastic job in their roll of Jason and Reyna. Their portray really help carry the movie along, having you feel there a deep bond building between them in very scene, So if you looking for a big action sci-if movie, wait until TRANFORMERS 2 coming out on DVD and BLU-RAY. But if your a fan of THE OUTER LIMITS may it be the 60's or 90's version, then this movie is for you.

Mike Conway just may be the next John Carpenter...

[theslamman · 7/10 · 6 August 2009]

Anyone who is familiar with Mike Conway's work, will immediately recognize this solid effort as his best yet.

This delightful tribute to Sci-Fi classics will have genre fans drooling like Pavlov's dog.

If you enjoy B films, you will be pleasantly surprised by Midnight Sun Entertainment's latest offering: "Exile". Directed & Produced By: Mike Conway.

This film has it all... Clever storyline, good actors, tongue in cheek visual FX and a monster that only a true Kaiju fan could love.

Exile is not your stereotypical example of independent cinema. This film actually has heart. As you will see for yourself, if you choose to treat your mind to some Sci-Candy.

Keep an eye on this guy because like it or not, he's on his way to becoming a Hollywood Director.

Stranded on a planet witha pretty Android ..AND a monster !

[guestar57 · 8/10 · 10 August 2009]

EXILEart

A Mike Conway film. www.midnightsunent.com Truly a unique idea that seems to grab the attention. The aloneness of being blind on a foreign planet and then a savior abeit a cyborg one brings pathos to SyFy. The cast is basically new to most viewers,Except Tiffany Sinclair. The special effects are like fresh and the gore is plentiful to a nasty BIG monster. The locations are amazing and would be very expensive to reproduce in Hollywood. We saw glimpses of Enemy Mine,Terminator and Aliens; Coincidence perhaps…But imagine reproducing any of there moments on SOV budget ? When you hear that its a CGI movie,People get twitchy with over computering and tweaking,On EXILE there is just enough for whatever reason. The natural chemistry between leads( blind pilot and android ) carries the movie through to plots that surprise and give it a a "A-HA" moment when the invaders are slaughtered. Wonder if he will ever get his sight back ? Stand Trial ?

Exile was entertaining for what it was

[fama_h · 7/10 · 18 August 2009]

So I watched this movie with 2 friends and let me say that this movie is really low budget.Me and my friends couldn't help but laugh at the cg intro but the laughing stopped when the story started to get interesting(when the main character meets the android)the dialogue was pretty good and kept us interested and laughing(in a good way)some effects were also really well done and cool like the blood and the alien.Me and my 2 friends who are so used to big budget blockbuster action flicks wanted to see more of the awesome alien.Some shots went on too long in my opinion and started to get awkward and it was weird seeing two different types of cameras in one scene(the quality went up and down it was weird)but with a low budget like this the movie worked out great and kept us entertained.Fast paced action,cool story(got a little rough around the end for me)decent effects will keep you at least entertained enough to watch the whole movie and enjoy it for what it is.A low budget indy sci fi film.

John Carpenter+Roger Corman=Mike Conway

[VinceRocca · 8/10 · 1 September 2009]

If you've seen the trailer, you know exactly what you're getting. It ain't District 9, but it is an excellent flick for its audience. It's better than lots of stuff on SyFy or basic cable for that matter.

I've followed Mike Conways career for a while. I admire his dedication and perseverance. The guy makes movies. He does what it takes. If that means waiting tables, refinancing his house, taking music lessons, or learning a new program he'll do it. It's the kind of dedication that is severely lacking in the indie film world. Most indie filmmakers I meet, expect the studio deal to be handed to them. Mike has built his own studio and I admire that.

Exile is a fun watch. The story is solid and doesn't go in the expected direction. The score is fantastic. The efx are way above par for an un-studio flick. It's an enjoyable quick watch. Grab the popcorn, turn down the lights and enjoy.

Great Alien Scifi movie with a lot of Heart

[gabs_15 · 8/10 · 5 August 2009]

Exile (2009) is a fantastic independent feature from Mike Conway and his Midnight Sun Entertainment studios. The reason for this review is not only to just comment on my thoughts on the film but also (since he was so kind to give me a free copy) to help him promote the film and get it noticed. If we, as true blooded fans of horror and science fiction, want to keep GOOD movies alive then we need to stand together and get the word out there.

So with that being said, here's a little bit about the movie itself. The story is solid. At first glance the 'movie summary' is a little off putting because it is outlandish. But for me that makes it all the better and besides it's sci-fi. So what happens is in the beginning we are introduced into the world (well worlds) of Exile. Three planets. One is populated with people and rich with resources, one is desolate but populated with a strong people, and the third is in the middle as a neutral planet that is really just a big piece of nothing. The no fly zone. After the introduction the action begins. A ship is flying through space and is attacked by the opposite side. Well unfortunately it crashes on the barrain planet and the pilot is blinded in the crash. (Wonderful twist) The rest of the story unfolds from there. Alien creatures that call this planet home come out of their homes to eat every soldier they come into contact with. The blind pilot stumbles upon a female android. The beautiful thing here is that she must have human contact in order for her cells to recharge. With this they build a symbiotic relationship with one another. She sees for him and he's there for her to recharge.

When you watch this (I know you will because its so awesome) you want to keep in mind that this guy's budget was only something in the $35,000 range. And he makes very good use with it. I was especially blown away with the alien creature. That thing looked really hideous and hungry. There's also a good blend of CGI and practical effects to really give it life. And speaking of CGI, this movie can give the Sci-Fi (oops sorry, SyFy) channel a run for its money. The space effects were fantastic. I was all set on this having bad effects but I was really surprised at how well done they were. There were a couple of times that I really wish there wasn't so much CGI (mostly the planet scenes) but it wasn't horrible. And it wasn't for a long time.

What makes this movie different from a lot of movies these days is that this movie has a lot of HEART. You can really tell that a lot of blood and sweat (probably some guts too) went into making this movie. He took out a loan on his house, he did a lot of the post production himself (editing and after effects), the entire musical score was done himself. I really admire that in a filmmaker. It's something that's lost with movies today. It really does show and its something that makes you look past the cheesy effects and (really not so) bad acting.

Go see it. Go see it now. Wait, go buy it. I'm sure he'd appreciate that more.

EXILE-icious!

[magicalvisions_net · 10/10 · 30 November 2009]

I would like to extend a thank you to Mike Conway for sending me his movie EXILE! I thoroughly enjoyed it last night! And I got more involved in the story as it progressed, than I ever thought I would at the start. You kinda get into it somewhere between where Reyna finds the new guy she can serve and where Reyna goes to shoot the little tentacruels in the cave.

The latter of course are made fantastic by the blinking eyes on them! :) Great that you added that.

What I like about the storyline is it's simple. Very simple. But what there is is all the exciting essentials that are needed. Your average indie filmmaker can definitely learn from this movie how to keep it simply exciting.

Yet, very refreshingly it was NOT predictable. One might think from the idea gathered from your poster that you simply have the hollowback formula of letting people crashland on a planet and finding that a monster is offing them one by one until the "Ripley" among them alone escapes with the cat. But, ingeniusly, this was not the case. Reyna and her unpredictability added another dimension to it.

I like the octagonal (not sure if that's right for something that has eight sides) shaped corridor set. I was drawn to walk in it. Your compound set was once again simple without lacking anything - it's all there.

Mike Conway himself plays the music for this movie on his keyboards. In his behind the scenes look he shows how he plays the music on the fly - very talented! It just sooo goes with this genre :) Really perfectly. What do you call this genre? Kinda like the indie squiddly creature fantasy planet genre. Your music really ties it well into a defined idea genre for me that I can feel the vibe of, Mike. Good job! I wasn't quite sure what the "Big Dreams" featurette was doing on the DVD. Perhaps Mike could explain.

Your behind the scenes video is just as interesting. I like the way you made sweet edible festering puss, and how you let one of your actors bash the other's head in with a branch, instead of using a fake branch. The real thing always looks best I agree with you wholeheartedly! :) It was worth the probable brain damage.

Anybody else, if you feel that spirit within you, that good ol' spirit of indie, where good times are had between creative people and the love is shared, make sure you get this movie for your collection of modern-day indie films while it's fresh off the press!