DEADLANDS -The HPotD MEMBER REVIEW Thread.

[Bunker65]

Firstly, let me say that I am far from a professional reviewer ;). I’m just a huge fan of the genre that enjoys all types of zombie movies with the works of George A. Romero being my favorites.

With that said, I will attempt to give you my impressions of Deadlands which I was fortunate enough to win in the HPOTD competition. I will not give away any details in terms of the movie. You'll need to get your own copy for that :D.

In my humble opinion, Deadlands is a great film & DJ, LC & everyone involved in making it should be very proud of the film & their efforts in bringing it to fruition.

One of the criteria I use in determining if I like a film is “Do I want this to end”. With Deadlands I can tell you that the answer to that question was a resounding “NO”.

While there were a few actors in the film that were not that great (which is to be expected from non professionals), I felt that mostly everyone did a great job.

The FX & makeup were great. It’s amazing the job that was done with the lack of budget that DJ was working with. Kudos have to go out to those responsible for the FX & makeup.

Any of you that have downloaded the soundtrack will be very impressed that the music fit in really well with the film. It blended in nicely & didn’t take anything away from the film which can sometimes happen with soundtracks.

Just in case, I'm going to use the spoiler tag here. I don't think it's a spoiler since what's listed below can be seen in the trailer. I just want to make 100% sure that I don't give anything away :cool:.

My favorite scenes were at the traffic jam. I loved the far shots of the zombies approaching & the mayhem that they caused when they arrived. Very memorable scenes :cool:.

I was very, very impressed & have to give everyone that worked on the film a big thumbs up http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/1055.gif. http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/1356.gif

I highly recommened Deadlands to everyone. Pre-order your copies NOW :D. Heck, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel already http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/698.gif.

[LouCipherr]

Bunker - first, congrats on winning the Deadlands competition! You've got your copy over a month before everyone else ya lucky dog. :p :D

...and I want to say thanks for the honest review. The more people that see it, the more good feedback we're getting. Yes, we knew some of the acting would be a sticking point, but such is life when you're as restricted budget-wise as we were. Look, I did my best Keanu Reeves, but not one told me he couldn't act 'till AFTER principal photography was done! :lol: (i hope ya'll realize I was kidding about the keanu thing.. lol)

Regardless, we appreciate the review and your honesty. I'm glad you enjoyed it - and I'm glad it left you wanting more. Mission accomplished! :elol:

LC

[DjfunkmasterG]

Bunker - first, congrats on winning the Deadlands competition! You've got your copy over a month before everyone else ya lucky dog. :p :D

...and I want to say thanks for the honest review. The more people that see it, the more good feedback we're getting. Yes, we knew some of the acting would be a sticking point, but such is life when you're as restricted budget-wise as we were. Look, I did my best Keanu Reeves, but not one told me he couldn't act 'till AFTER principal photography was done! :lol: (i hope ya'll realize I was kidding about the keanu thing.. lol)

Regardless, we appreciate the review and your honesty. I'm glad you enjoyed it - and I'm glad it left you wanting more. Mission accomplished! :elol:

LC

Ditto. What Lou Said.


In all seriousness, yeah the acting leaves a lot to be desired. I even admit that, but We tried to make up for it with cinematography, lots of action and zombie carnage. The majority of us have never acted before except for Dave Cooperman and a few other people in the film. Unless you include my stint in LAND, but all BS aside, i just wanted to make a zombie film everyone could enjoy and try my best to make it look and feel as cinematic as possible... which is where LD-50 came in. That man deserves mucho credit for DEADLANDS in the cinematography area.

Anyway, thanks for the positive review and glad ya liked the film. :D

[Danny]

k, dont expect anything mighty proffesional but here goes.

deadlands: the rising, reviewed by Danny Smith

i got this in the mail, signed, from dj's site this morning and have only just had the chance to whatch it ,so heres my thoughts.

when the film begins i was a little dissapointed at first i thought "oh man with all the good i heard its looking kinda cheap", however when you give it a chance and look past the "made by a bunch of buddies with a camera" look to it you realise thats part of the charm and vibe to the movie.
the best example i can use is the opneing montage bit, which has a style a LOT like bam margeras directing in the film haggard, they both look and are written in the same kind of way, it doesnt have those kind of "because we have to stand and fight!" kind of lines that most horror films have the dialogue seems a little more real, people falter a little and though some peopel really seemed to have trouble in parts other characters like the guy in the trucker hat for example (ill say no more but youll no him when you see it) realy acted in a believeable way. and thats when you remember "this aint a hollywood mtv teeny-bopper flick and it WAS some freinds with a few cameras and thats why it rocks". you can quote me on that one.

and while that doesnt make it look to special it means certain points, like one bit were they drive down a highway look more like a first person view and segments in the car at the start reminded me a little of the film 'a bou de souflle' they were simple shots, simple scripts, but at times this makes it seem a little more...not real exactly but kinda like and episode of cops....with zombies.

budget wise its damn impressive since it cost less to make than clerks yet the money was spent in a much wiser way here cus it does look at least on par with something you would see on the horror channel and easily better than the likes of redneck zombies.

acting wise i had a few gripes, but hey when you aint acting with drama student pre maddonas you get more freedom so the acting can take a little hit in places ,for example some of the soldiers were a bit overacted, but more in depth characters like the ones played by gary and his...i dunno ,sidekick maybe were pretty good, and a little bit like dante and randal at parts (though i do believe gary IS the evil twin of the bald guy from ghost hunters:shifty: ).

so acting wise and gore wise this film was okay ,in fact in places i really laughed at the bits i dont think were meant to be funny but because they were realistic, case in point.
the two male protagonists are about to be accosted by zombies gary makes the statement "master of the obvious", but i really didnt find it a funny joke, then when the zombies appear you hear him, albiet not very well say "**** me runnin'!", and then he tear-arses it back to his car, its the little things like this that get the laughs, some i aint too sure if they were jokes or goofs, another example is when they are shooting bottles near the beginning someone yells a really muffled "jesus christ" when the guns go off, or something like it, so it once again comes back to the whole idea of indie films being made for fun not the moolah and that really shows in this film.

while its nothing award winning for a first film its damn good and my only gripe was the fast paced build up and such and abrupt ending but since its without a doubt at least the first of two parts i can let that slide.
people may (and since i mean ciritics i use the term "people" very loosely:lol: ) bad mouth certain portions of the film because it sounds like a conversation between buddies (and it probably started out that way).
but let me say this ,there aint no token black guy, no "oh crap youve been bitten" scene and no "isolation scene" which gives this a much bigger sense of scale than something set in a single cramped location, cus what greater form of isolation is there than being the few people who arent dead for miles around?

this is a dvd i plan to show to my freinds on halloween and i do look forward to a ,sequel, adn since this was only his first film i think we can definatly expect to see more from this director.


Deadlands: the rising is unusually fast paced for a zombie flick and reminds me a little of 28 days later (yes we've got runnin' zombies here folks) but thats part of its charm its a fun, fast film that really makes you feel like your in the movie with such down to earth charcters, so heres hoping good luck for wetnwildradio films in any future films, and id give it at least 8 out fo ten, probably 9 but i just would have preffered a longer ending myself but hey it makes contagium look like a pile of ****.

and thats allways good.


Danny smith ,2006

[DjfunkmasterG]

k, dont expect anything mighty proffesional but here goes.

deadlands: the rising, reviewed by Danny Smith

i got this in the mail, signed, from dj's site this morning and have only just had the chance to whatch it ,so heres my thoughts.

when the film begins i was a little dissapointed at first i thought "oh man with all the good i heard its looking kinda cheap", however when you give it a chance and look past the "made by a bunch of buddies with a camera" look to it you realise thats part of the charm and vibe to the movie.
the best example i can use is the opneing montage bit, which has a style a LOT like bam margeras directing in the film haggard, they both look and are written in the same kind of way, it doesnt have those kind of "because we have to stand and fight!" kind of lines that most horror films have the dialogue seems a little more real, people falter a little and though some peopel really seemed to have trouble in parts other characters like the guy in the trucker hat for example (ill say no more but youll no him when you see it) realy acted in a believeable way. and thats when you remember "this aint a hollywood mtv teeny-bopper flick and it WAS some freinds with a few cameras and thats why it rocks". you can quote me on that one.

and while that doesnt make it look to special it means certain points, like one bit were they drive down a highway look more like a first person view and segments in the car at the start reminded me a little of the film 'a bou de souflle' they were simple shots, simple scripts, but at times this makes it seem a little more...not real exactly but kinda like and episode of cops....with zombies.

budget wise its damn impressive since it cost less to make than clerks yet the money was spent in a much wiser way here cus it does look at least on par with something you would see on the horror channel and easily better than the likes of redneck zombies.

acting wise i had a few gripes, but hey when you aint acting with drama student pre maddonas you get more freedom so the acting can take a little hit in places ,for example some of the soldiers were a bit overacted, but more in depth characters like the ones played by gary and his...i dunno ,sidekick maybe were pretty good, and a little bit like dante and randal at parts (though i do believe gary IS the evil twin of the bald guy from ghost hunters:shifty: ).

so acting wise and gore wise this film was okay ,in fact in places i really laughed at the bits i dont think were meant to be funny but because they were realistic, case in point.
the two male protagonists are about to be accosted by zombies gary makes the statement "master of the obvious", but i really didnt find it a funny joke, then when the zombies appear you hear him, albiet not very well say "**** me runnin'!", and then he tear-arses it back to his car, its the little things like this that get the laughs, some i aint too sure if they were jokes or goofs, another example is when they are shooting bottles near the beginning someone yells a really muffled "jesus christ" when the guns go off, or something like it, so it once again comes back to the whole idea of indie films being made for fun not the moolah and that really shows in this film.

while its nothing award winning for a first film its damn good and my only gripe was the fast paced build up and such and abrupt ending but since its without a doubt at least the first of two parts i can let that slide.
people may (and since i mean ciritics i use the term "people" very loosely:lol: ) bad mouth certain portions of the film because it sounds like a conversation between buddies (and it probably started out that way).
but let me say this ,there aint no token black guy, no "oh crap youve been bitten" scene and no "isolation scene" which gives this a much bigger sense of scale than something set in a single cramped location, cus what greater form of isolation is there than being the few people who arent dead for miles around?

this is a dvd i plan to show to my freinds on halloween and i do look forward to a ,sequel, adn since this was only his first film i think we can definatly expect to see more from this director.


Deadlands: the rising is unusually fast paced for a zombie flick and reminds me a little of 28 days later (yes we've got runnin' zombies here folks) but thats part of its charm its a fun, fast film that really makes you feel like your in the movie with such down to earth charcters, so heres hoping good luck for wetnwildradio films in any future films, and id give it at least 8 out fo ten, probably 9 but i just would have preffered a longer ending myself but hey it makes contagium look like a pile of ****.

and thats allways good.


Danny smith ,2006


Hey Hellsing, thanks for the kind words... We appreciate it and are glad ya liked it.

One thing I have to say though... as far as your comment "while its nothing award winning for a first film "

Actually DEADLANDS won for BEST ZOMBIE MOVIE at the fright night film festival. Sorry I just had to point that out. :p Otherwise great review... sorry you felt it looked a little cheap in the beginning. The only scene in the film I feel is very cheap, as far is look, is the cop at the door scene. It is something we were going to re-shoot but never did.

[Danny]

not cheap exactly, it seemed more like a home movie, but i guess thats added realism.

and did you have to qote the whole thing?:D

[LouCipherr]

and did you have to qote the whole thing?:D

:lol: :lol:



Anyway, yes, thank you very much for the review. I love hearing what other people have to say about the film, even if the review isn't "glowing" (believe me, we don't expect people to think this is the next LOTR franchise.. :lol:). Even the negatives I look at as positives because it shows us where we will need to improve for part 2.

...and that means part 2 will be even leaner and meaner than part 1.

The way I look at it is, if Dj and crew can pull this off with $9k (the rest of the $15,000 budget went to equipment) then just imagine what part 2 is going to be like. Let's just say I've seen most of the script, and all I can say is... :elol:

[DjfunkmasterG]

:lol: :lol:



Anyway, yes, thank you very much for the review. I love hearing what other people have to say about the film, even if the review isn't "glowing" (believe me, we don't expect people to think this is the next LOTR franchise.. :lol:). Even the negatives I look at as positives because it shows us where we will need to improve for part 2.

...and that means part 2 will be even leaner and meaner than part 1.

The way I look at it is, if Dj and crew can pull this off with $9k (the rest of the $15,000 budget went to equipment) then just imagine what part 2 is going to be like. Let's just say I've seen most of the script, and all I can say is... :elol:


I should also note, drooling zombie and Under The Bed Director Lonnie Martin will most likely be doing a polishing of the script for DEADLANDS 2. I have been talking to Lonnie over the weekend via email and we have been sharing notes back and forth over the script.

Lonnie is so far enjoying the concept of the new script and will be polishing some of the rougher areas. The main story remains faithfully intact as that is the essence of DEADLANDS 2.

Lonnie will most likely begin work on the script in his spare time once I send him my completed 2nd draft. I started re-writing the script for DEADLANDS 2 once I found out who would be returning for sure.

So far, Melisa Breiner-Sanders and Dave Cooperman are slated to return in the film. As far as original cast members like myself, Lou, his wife, Movie child and brother are still in debate on how much participation in front of the camera we want to do. I have been very vocal that I only want to return as director and only to do a small cameo/bit part in the 2nd film.

Although I am trying to convince Lou to return, I respect his decision if he wants to remain behind the scenes. If we all do return it will probably be on a limited basis and just enough to advance the story to the next level.

[Andy]

i know DJ been after this one so here it is, the Andy review this time.

Before i start, i just want to say a few words.

Of all the staff here, i am the newest and probally least known within the community, ive only been here about 10 months and generated alot of contraversy with the members for all the changes and such i've brought in with me. even had a spat with DJ at one point. lol, i like to think thats very much behind us and we get on well now, but still, imagine my suprise when he sent me a copy of deadlands and asked me to review it.

OK onto the review, i dont get to see many independant movies.. so i was kinda skeptical when i first opened up deadlands: the rising and pressed play, but i was very pleasently suprised. i thoroughly enjoyed this movie and thought it was VERY professionally made. the story is really good and beleivable, the script i thought was well written from the light hearted beginning to the finale which did make me jump. i also loved the ending. but i dont want to go too far into that, for obvious reasons.

I love the soundtrack, its perfect for the movie and i thought the acting was really good for the most part, again you can tell these guys arn't professional and some parts are overacted, but its forgiveable.

i beleive DJ was working on a very tight budget and i think he's done a excellent job with the resources available, the zombies all look great and the gore scenes are worthy of romero himself, this DVD is definatly worth, what is it, $15 of anybodys money. seriously.

you can see the hard work and dedication thats gone into this movie and the award it won was well deserved i thought. i look forward to the sequel.

well thats it, sorry if you were expecting some long novel but ive never written a review before, so i kept it short and sweet :), if you want a quote, i would call this movie a slice of pure fried gold.

[LouCipherr]

Thank you for the review, Andy, and thanks much for the kind words. We really do appreciate 'em. ;)

Dammit, I'm still waiting for the "dear god I can't stand this movie!" review and it STILL hasn't happened. What's wrong with you people? :lol: (just kiddin'.. and if ya do it for spite now that I said that, i'm gonna have MinionZombie hunt you down and force-feed you an overdose of HPotD, ya got that!?! :lol: :D)

[Andy]

sorry its so short and didn't really add anything that hasn't been said before. but i couldn't think of anything better to say lol, never written a review before.

was a excellent movie though, i really enjoyed it. i rank it alot higher than most "hollywood" movies ive seen lately.

[MinionZombie]

I'm just gonna add in (again) that I loved Deadlands, it's so pure of independent filmmaking heart that it literally brings a smile to my face when I think of it or spy the DVD sitting on my DVD shelves, honestly, it really does, that spirit is so pure and I love that most about the film.

Also, indeed, I think I forgot to chit-chat about the music - but yes, it was great, worked really well (and after listening to the commentary, it was confirmed my ears were not kidding me into thinking it sounded reminiscent of Alice In Chains). Also - stick the DVD in your computer, go on PowerDVD, skip to the credits, speed the playing up to 1.5x - it's the dance remix of the themetune! :cool::D Seriously, go do that and dance a jig, that final track was my favourite (and the dance version is funky too :))

[DjfunkmasterG]

I'm just gonna add in (again) that I loved Deadlands, it's so pure of independent filmmaking heart that it literally brings a smile to my face when I think of it or spy the DVD sitting on my DVD shelves, honestly, it really does, that spirit is so pure and I love that most about the film.

Also, indeed, I think I forgot to chit-chat about the music - but yes, it was great, worked really well (and after listening to the commentary, it was confirmed my ears were not kidding me into thinking it sounded reminiscent of Alice In Chains). Also - stick the DVD in your computer, go on PowerDVD, skip to the credits, speed the playing up to 1.5x - it's the dance remix of the themetune! :cool::D Seriously, go do that and dance a jig, that final track was my favourite (and the dance version is funky too :))

I just tried it... needs a little more bass, ut yeah you're right it has a dance quality to it. However, my background was a DJ. Plus i wanted it to have a groovy beat because I cover the films 3 major themes in the song. :D

[cooperzombie]

k, dont expect anything mighty proffesional but here goes.

deadlands: the rising, reviewed by Danny Smith

i got this in the mail, signed, from dj's site this morning and have only just had the chance to whatch it ,so heres my thoughts.

when the film begins i was a little dissapointed at first i thought "oh man with all the good i heard its looking kinda cheap", however when you give it a chance and look past the "made by a bunch of buddies with a camera" look to it you realise thats part of the charm and vibe to the movie.
the best example i can use is the opneing montage bit, which has a style a LOT like bam margeras directing in the film haggard, they both look and are written in the same kind of way, it doesnt have those kind of "because we have to stand and fight!" kind of lines that most horror films have the dialogue seems a little more real, people falter a little and though some peopel really seemed to have trouble in parts other characters like the guy in the trucker hat for example (ill say no more but youll no him when you see it) realy acted in a believeable way. and thats when you remember "this aint a hollywood mtv teeny-bopper flick and it WAS some freinds with a few cameras and thats why it rocks". you can quote me on that one.

and while that doesnt make it look to special it means certain points, like one bit were they drive down a highway look more like a first person view and segments in the car at the start reminded me a little of the film 'a bou de souflle' they were simple shots, simple scripts, but at times this makes it seem a little more...not real exactly but kinda like and episode of cops....with zombies.

budget wise its damn impressive since it cost less to make than clerks yet the money was spent in a much wiser way here cus it does look at least on par with something you would see on the horror channel and easily better than the likes of redneck zombies.

acting wise i had a few gripes, but hey when you aint acting with drama student pre maddonas you get more freedom so the acting can take a little hit in places ,for example some of the soldiers were a bit overacted, but more in depth characters like the ones played by gary and his...i dunno ,sidekick maybe were pretty good, and a little bit like dante and randal at parts (though i do believe gary IS the evil twin of the bald guy from ghost hunters:shifty: ).

so acting wise and gore wise this film was okay ,in fact in places i really laughed at the bits i dont think were meant to be funny but because they were realistic, case in point.
the two male protagonists are about to be accosted by zombies gary makes the statement "master of the obvious", but i really didnt find it a funny joke, then when the zombies appear you hear him, albiet not very well say "**** me runnin'!", and then he tear-arses it back to his car, its the little things like this that get the laughs, some i aint too sure if they were jokes or goofs, another example is when they are shooting bottles near the beginning someone yells a really muffled "jesus christ" when the guns go off, or something like it, so it once again comes back to the whole idea of indie films being made for fun not the moolah and that really shows in this film.

while its nothing award winning for a first film its damn good and my only gripe was the fast paced build up and such and abrupt ending but since its without a doubt at least the first of two parts i can let that slide.
people may (and since i mean ciritics i use the term "people" very loosely:lol: ) bad mouth certain portions of the film because it sounds like a conversation between buddies (and it probably started out that way).
but let me say this ,there aint no token black guy, no "oh crap youve been bitten" scene and no "isolation scene" which gives this a much bigger sense of scale than something set in a single cramped location, cus what greater form of isolation is there than being the few people who arent dead for miles around?

this is a dvd i plan to show to my freinds on halloween and i do look forward to a ,sequel, adn since this was only his first film i think we can definatly expect to see more from this director.


Deadlands: the rising is unusually fast paced for a zombie flick and reminds me a little of 28 days later (yes we've got runnin' zombies here folks) but thats part of its charm its a fun, fast film that really makes you feel like your in the movie with such down to earth charcters, so heres hoping good luck for wetnwildradio films in any future films, and id give it at least 8 out fo ten, probably 9 but i just would have preffered a longer ending myself but hey it makes contagium look like a pile of ****.

and thats allways good.


Danny smith ,2006

Hi Danny,

This is Dave Cooperman. I played "the guy in the trucker hat" in "Deadlands: The Rising." Thank you for the favorable comments on my part in the film! I'm especially glad you had a good time watching it. One of my main priorities is to always respect the viewpoint of the audience. It's so important to assure the viewers can believe the characters they're watching. If the audience can escape for an hour or two and get absorbed into a good flick, then the actor's goal is a success. I owe a great deal of thanks to Gary Ugarek, Brian Wright, Thomas Fant and the whole ensemble that made "Deadlands" possible. Gary presented me with a wonderful opportunity to be involved, and the time was right, so things really worked out well for the production. If you were able to get a few laughs, all the better, even if they weren't intended as such. The idea is to put on a show people will enjoy and recommend to their friends. With Halloween right around the corner, the timing couldn't be better for you to share "Deadlands" with your buddies. While you're at it, try to invite some girls over too. I was really impressed with how many girls enjoy the horror/zombie genre, particularly after Gary recruited people to portray zombies. I would say the extras came to an even ratio of men to women, and everyone had an awesome time. For the shelter scene, there must have been about 100 people who came out to donate their time for the sake of the film. That kind of energy and enthusiasm is infectious. I have no doubt the teamwork atmosphere resulted in a much better outcome. The shelter crowd was just super, because I was really losing my voice because they were so loud and obnoxious! After about the fourth or fifth take, my vocal chords were noticably running out of juice which really couldn't have made me happier. Great crowd!!! Gary did a great job of doing what he could within the budget to develop the characters and transition into the action scenes with his own style and vision of a zombie film. The makeup artists were second to none to provide some scary good attacks. Top notch all the way. So thanks again for watching and posting your comments. Don't forget there will be a sequel to the film, so stay on the lookout!

DC

[Danny]

i was just happy dj didnt end up making another "trapped in a building" zombie movie, and no "oh crap youve bee bitten" scene, that alone makes it stand out from the ever growing crowd of romero clones.

that and the zombies could run, oh what would zombie man say?...:lol:

yeah i didnt give a gleaming review but im a guy who tells it like it is without any sugar coating, and i gave it a good score in my mind for a good film and i look forward to the second one, my prediction for deadlands to is you trucker hat character either A: goes all rambo ash style with a chainsaw or B: goes nuts and becomes a 'human' enemy like the psycopaths in dead rising.

cus the more you stray from the zombie film pack the better it'll get guys.

[Danny]

yeah spot on review, told you mine would be ****ty, but yeah for £8 you be hardd pressed to find a better movie to watch for halloween, especially a horror made this side of 2005.

[LouCipherr]

and after listening to the commentary, it was confirmed my ears were not kidding me into thinking it sounded reminiscent of Alice In Chains.

Not sure if you knew MZ, but that "alice in chains" sounding song was a song my band cut back in 2001 called "Mystic Shadows". I was HUGE into Alice in Chains, and my singer had his feet stuck in the classic rock mud (not that there's anything wrong with that). He didn't really think Alice in Chains was all that 'till I started playing him some of the tracks that weren't on the radio - then the bug bit him, and Mystic Shadows was born. :D

Mystic Shadows, by the way, was written about a bad acid trip the singer had. :lol:

[MinionZombie]

Aye yeah I think Dj said about that in the commentary, well not the acid trip bit, but that it was you guys' band.

Hellsing ... I think you've been schmokin' too much HPOTD-cheeba-cheeba ... it's 2006. :D

[DjfunkmasterG]

Actually I was thinking the cast could run around and kill all the zombies with dildo's. Then after whacking their skulls in with rubber penises, they could all go to the local Arby's, fire up the meat slicer and have roast beef sandwiches, then off to the porn shop with the free quarters they lifted from the register to watch some Porn on demand in the $.25 jack me booth.

That is what you call compelling entertainment. :D

[DjfunkmasterG]

Did I mention it in the commentary?


Amazing how you can make a film and remember 90% of every detail from every shooting day, but one 70 minute commentary and your completely clueless. Is this the start of senility? :confused:

[MinionZombie]

Nah, I do the same thing, I've done commentaries for "my NIGHTMARE", "Trapped" and "VHS", but can't remember a damn thing I said in any of them. The first was just me (sat in my off-campus res while my housemates were downstairs watching the football), the second was me and Ben "that living bloke in Trapped who was also in Smack Addict and VHS" Connell and the third was me and Gareth "that bloke in my NIGHTMARE, Smack Addict, the end of VHS and IAZM aswell" Knox.

No doubt it's because you spend so much time "within" the experience of filmmaking that you remember 90% of it, but sitting down to do a commentary is just bish-bash-bosh once through (usually anyway) so you don't really tend to pay as much attention.

[Adrenochrome]

Very nice!! We both enjoyed it tremendously!
Where to begin.......hmmm
The only complaint I have; in a couple of areas it was difficult to hear what was being said (opening narration by Michelle was the most difficult to hear).
The acting is what I was expecting so, I was fine with all that (it wasn't "bad") - the guy that "locks himself in the bathroom(?) in the shelter" gets my vote for best actor.:D
I love the plot! I wont say it is "Typical horror movie" (and I'm glad it's not!) but, it has you hoping things turn out ok.
The zombies: wow VERY impressive work!
The music: I love this most of all. Great work there, guys!
The ending: PERFECT!!!
My girlfriend and I sat and discussed it for at least an hour after viewing it. (Gary, she sends a *kiss to the bald head" your way;) )
the cricket bat found in the supply run, NICE "shout out" to Shaun of the Dead?
The scene toward the end; the talk at the table between Gary and Brian is my/gf's favorite scene in the movie - adds to the "realism of a zombie flick".
I loved the gore! The "throat rip" to the girl stuck in the traffic jam was excellent.
I love how it ended with the zombies lurking in the dark up to the house where the survivors are staying - walking up to the door and.......RUN CREDITS!!! Classic ending!

Patiently waiting for Part II,

Tom


P.S.
one more complaint. Someone left the "y" out of "everyone" on the back cover....:p Now what kind of shoddy work is that!!!??? Man!!!:D

[Danny]

the guy that "locks himself in the bathroom(?) in the shelter" gets my vote for best actor.:D

damn dj it seems across the board this guy upstaged you:D



P.S.
one more complaint. Someone left the "y" out of "everyone" on the back cover....:p Now what kind of shoddy work is that!!!??? Man!!!:D


mine said "the world as we know it is coming to an-" but hye they might be valuable some day :lol:

[Adrenochrome]

damn dj it seems across the board this guy upstaged you:D




mine said "the world as we know it is coming to an-" but hye they might be valuable some day :lol:

DJ's (and Brian) acting toward the end, at the table, was very nice - and convincing. But the "locked room guy" was really good!
about typo: My girlfriend said the same thing - 1st release Limited Edition Directors Cut with a typo!!!! Yes!!!

[DjfunkmasterG]

DJ's (and Brian) acting toward the end, at the table, was very nice - and convincing. But the "locked room guy" was really good!
about typo: My girlfriend said the same thing - 1st release Limited Edition Directors Cut with a typo!!!! Yes!!!

trust me they will be very valuable, about as valuable as used chewing gum squahed into the sidewalk. :lol:

Anyway... Dave is a professional actor who I was lucky enough to get to work for food and screen credit. I have to pay him for DEADLANDS2, but he is well worth it. Do you guys remember the 3 people arguing in the shelter, thw two guys fight and the girls breaks them up? Well the girl is actress Melisa Breiner-Sanders, and she too is coming back for DEADLANDS 2... Now I know you guys are scratching your heads going... "How is that possible, the shelter was wiped out and they only showed Dave survive?"

You're exactly right we only showed Dave leaving the shelter in one piece... however, doesn't mean everyone died. :sneaky:

Melisa will have a much meatier role in DEADLANDS 2, and I am in talks with notable scream queen Debbie Rochon to possibly do a day on DEADLANDS 2. Her and I are going to meet at the festival in Wisconsin and talk about it. Hopefully she will agree to a small role. :D

[MinionZombie]

Cor blimey guvnah, things are certainly going great guns for Deadlands 2 while Deadlands is still fresh out of the grave ... so-to-speak, in a zombie related way. Strike while the iron's hot though, that's the idea, I've been reading the script (although it's an earlier 80-something page version) DL2 and it's friggin' great thus far, currently on page 58 (told you I was a slow reader :lol:). That 20 pages leading up to page 58 had me gripped and I simply cannot wait to see how it comes out on screen, because if it's anything like how I vaguely thought of it in my head, it'll rock balls! :cool:

[Fulcifan91]

I too have a short unfinished version of the script, looking very very good. I cannot wait.

[Mike]

Hi Guys,

This morning my copy of Deadlands arrived in my mail box, perfect timing for a Friday the 13th screening!!

Here is my review: (sorry for writing a bible :) )

DEADLANDS: The Rising

A review by Michael Facey

I would like to start by saying wow! This film widely exceeded my expectations and then some. Normally with a low budget indie film, the story and quality of the product nearly renders them unwatchable, but I am pleased to say this film is definitely the exception. What Gary Ugarek and team managed to produce is an amazing production that had me hooked right until the end. Deadlands is a film, I will recommend to my friends and colleagues in the Australian industry simply because it works as a film, it is technically proficient and it tells a good story. What amazes me is what the team was able to achieve on its limited budget. To put it into context of my own personal experience, I have produced short films and Commercials typically on budgets of $10,000 Australian Dollars. For these guys to make a feature on $15,000 US is by no means a small feat, and I applaud them on their efforts.

The most enjoyable aspect of the film for me was the story, music and camera work. I have heard complaints about for first twenty minutes of the film being boring but I honestly believe that this helped drive the film forward to its conclusion. The slow build up introduces all of the character whilst creating a sense of dread for what is going to happen. I never once felt bored during the first act of the film. The last forty minutes flies by almost to quickly but the natural progression of pace works for me.

The cinematography was amazing, there are several sequences that have been lit perfectly and really do the film justice. The composition of shots is also extremely effective.

The music in the film was the selling point to me. Every note in the entire film really drove the atmosphere of each scene and it is obviously something the guys put a lot of work into.

The special make-up fx was also simply breathtaking in places, and this also really drove the story home with some nice gore effects (especially in the feeding scenes).

Ugarek’s direction in the film for a first time director was above par on what I have seen so called “Professionals” deliver. He mixes the right balance of story over fx and action as well as demonstrating a knowledge in finding the perfect shot to tell the story.

Unfortunately this film is without its flaws but many of them are forgivable due to the relative inexperience of the crew.

As mentioned in other reviews, the acting at times is extremely weak but it has been well documented that no one had any real acting experience so this can be forgiven, although I would recommend on future productions that more time is spent prepping the actors through the beats of each scene, to make there dialogue and actions appear more natural and fluent.

At times the editing did detract from the film. In my experience the best edits are the ones that are invisible, while this is the case for the most of the film there times where there are unintentional jump cuts in the action and the occasional flicker of black where the footage hasn’t matched up in the timeline. But again with practice, the editing style of Ugarek will flourish.

At times the sound was extremely poor especially in the mixing between several shots. There are moments when the atmos surrounding a dialogue track changes during the scene and there are also occasions where the audio is distorted.

One of the biggest problems for me was the progression of the story. Throughout the entire film, it felt like it was building up to a conclusion only to abruptly end. While the ending did work for me, I also felt let down simply because the film didn’t end up going anywhere, there was no character arch to follow and no conflicts were resolved.

Despite the films flaws (and lets face it, every film has them) I did find Deadlands to be extremely enjoyable and it now proudly sits in my DVD cabinet next to the Romero dead films, and I cannot wait to see the sequel.

Gary I wish you were in Australia because I would love to collaborate on a project with you, as on this film you have demonstrated a talent in making films and I can foresee a future in the industry for you and your team. Congratulations guys.

Another thing, I love the DVD cover, the entire packaging is of such a high calibre you certainly wouldn’t know it was a home job.


Overall I rate this film 8/10

[TwoGunBob]

Deadlands is an independent film written, directed, and starring Gary Ugarek. The film’s running time makes it fall somewhere between a featurette and a full length film. It could be considered a full length featurette if such a thing existed. The run time could have used another half hour so as not to leave the film so open ended for what is a decidedly unsatisfactory non-ending. As it stands the plot line is almost serial like in that it leaves feelings that the movie was rather a collection of spliced together episodes of a television series with no real resolution in mind.
Gary Ugarek openly admitted that the acting was amateur and probably the biggest weakness in the film. Viewing of the film shows that there are indeed weaknesses in the acting that will be reviewed from the worst cases to arguably the best the film has to offer.
At the worst end of the spectrum, the extras inevitably miss their marks every time. They tend to gush with that over enthusiasm towards portraying exaggerated emotion or stilt their few lines horribly. Very little surprise they tend to blow their lines. They are, after all, people off the street given lines and then having a camera on them for the first time in most cases.
It can be easily hazarded that Gary worked with the crowds on the various panic scenes throughout the film. Usually in the independent films when a crowd is supposed to act panicked or frightened they tend to do this ludicrous bunny hop style of jogging that just looks awful on film and destroys any tension a scene may have. There are a few remnants of ‘bunny hoppers’ that can be caught on camera but the work that went into getting the crowds to respond with real running and panic can be appreciated. Likewise, Gary gave good direction to the various zombies as they act reserved as they should for the most part. There are a few that can be caught mugging for the camera a bit but on the whole they tend to act the part of a mostly mindless horde.
The group of actors at the survival shelter are stiff. Stiff to a degree I would swear there is a Plan 9 from Outer Space moment when a few actors are reading their lines straight from the script. There were moments of eye drift to a table out of frame as if actors were searching out the next line. It’s all very wooden acting that borders on being painful at times. Most of the survival shelter scenes could have benefited from a great deal more rehearsal to get all those involved more comfortable with their roles. The shelter scenes tend to diffuse any tension growing and are a big weakness within the framework of the film.
Gary Ugarek and Brian Wright do most of their scenes together and collectively work off each other. One of the larger issues between these two that form the traditional ‘buddy team’ of the film is that when one is on his mark the other is not. Neither one ever blows their lines at any point and its obvious they rehearsed them to a good degree. Mostly one or the other falls short of the mark rather than being guilty of the more painful overacting. As Brian and Gary converse it feels they are retelling a good conversation they had a long time ago rather than a dynamic conversation, it suffers for lacking a spark of enthusiasm towards the conversation. There are portions of scenes where the two actors hit their mark and it works. With a lot of practice and devotion to the art of acting the two as actors could get it right eventually. As it stands the two don’t flub their lines and don’t overly stilt the dialog. If anything, they understate all element a little too much and favor a more deadpan delivery which is preferable to angst inducing and cringing overacting. It’s just too detached from the goings on. It feels too much like two best friends in real life acting as two best friends and taking remembered snatches of good conversations and going through the motions a second time. More often than not Brian Wright hits his lines more than Gary Ugarek. Of the two whom spend most of their screen time together Brian hedges Gary out as the better actor.
Dave Cooperman shines although he stands out more in that he is acting in the shelter scenes where most people are reciting dialog. He separates out as a greater juxtaposition as Cooperman is conveying emotion and the crowds around him are not really reacting to him as they should. Among other actors Dave Cooperman would have been excellent but as it stands the extras and actors in the scenes with him tend to drag him down. A capable actor that can deliver lines and convey emotion. His presence did save the scenes he is in from being far worse than they could have been.
Connor Brandt is a child, not a child actor by any stretch. As it stands he has none of the typical actor child annoying traits that usually plague any film. He isn’t cute and precocious, rather he is just a child. This works as it doesn’t draw attention and the sympathy for him as a child in a world gone mad generates naturally.
Michelle Wright is arguably the star of the film. I’m going to step out of review mode for a few seconds on this note. She is the star of Deadlands in my opinion and possibly the greatest asset to the film. There may be some who look and think ‘oh, she is overweight what is this? How can she be the star?’ and other asinine and childish comments that reflect the gross standards of today’s society. I’d suggest these people keep their attitudes to themselves as she is an attractive woman that was an excellent choice to be the feature of the film. Putting aside her relationship with Brian I’d like to think she was chosen for bringing ability to the table when the film was being made. That said…
Michelle Wright hits her mark more than any of the other actors in the film. There are a few lines where she overshoots a hair and conveys too much emotion but overall she gets the reactions proper and recites the dialog in a believable fashion. She made an excellent ‘everywoman’ and was easy to empathize with overall. As said, a few lines here and there miss but overall she is the most consistent actor in the film.
Overall the acting ranges from adequate to good with Michelle Wright and Dave Cooperman to downright abysmal among some of the extras. It overall shows a lot of first time acting and several scenes could have used a lot more polish and retakes but time was always a factor with this film.
The overall film and cinematography suffers akin to the style used in Terror from the Year 5,000. There is too much visual telling with the camera rather than gaining forward momentum at times. Shots could have been shortened as it’s not necessary to show every door opening, every entry and exit from a vehicle. The scenes tend to have too much silent set up where actors are taking position to do their dialog and action rather than picking up where the action and interaction takes place. This leaves quite a few dead spots where a few seconds pass where nothing important is happening. Once again this acts to diffuse any building tension. Some of the shots are the typical ‘director takes a road trip around town with his camera running’ that stands out from the memories of the Thor film Zombie Nightmare. Rather than setting mood they feel more like padding at times. As a standard the filming through the city and landscapes has to be really spectacular to set and enhance a film’s mood. The footage in Deadlands doesn’t do much to enhance the film as a whole.
The scenes which feature Gary Ugarek in front of the camera rather than behind it are not as tight as when Gary was actually directing. It would be advantageous to him to stay off camera in any future endeavors as there is a notable change in style to a lower level when he steps out from directing.
Most of the shoots are fairly pedestrian. There is seldom any camera wobble and the director of photography and Gary know how to frame a shot successfully. Most of the shots are straight forward, framed and shot with little movement. It tends to weaken, as mentioned, when Gary is not actively directing but acting. Thomas Fant, the director of photography, is capable. No doubt working with minimal equipment was a hamper but his work on keeping everything from turning into an amateur ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’ moment is to be applauded. The camera work never falls into ‘handi-cam mode’ with a palsy shake or any of the usual earmarks of an amateur film.
The overall plot is straight forward. Bad thing happens (terrorist attack), dead rise, people get scared, mayhem ensues. The film follows the first day efforts of various people to survive and in some cases just get back together. The first quarter of the film is given to establishing the roles of the various lead characters. It seems the scenes with Gary and Brian are more devoted to explaining why they have guns at the start of the apocalypse rather than their roles as best friends. Michelle Wright carries the opening with believable dialog and concerns establishing her as the aforementioned everywoman. Scenes involving Brian and Gary as characters seem a bit forced to establish them as survivor types. The scenes between the two never break out into an all out testosterone tough male fest but the scenes have an aftertaste of trying too hard to make the two seem a bit hard and chiseled in the face of doom. Perhaps a bit too much writer/director vanity comes in to play as it’s apparent Gary Ugarek envisions himself as a bit of the hero of the apocalypse.

[TwoGunBob]

The establishing scenes do drag at times but there’s nothing to really pull them down at this point. Once the mayhem begins and the extras show up is where scenes begin to flounder and the story suffers. As mentioned above, the action scenes avoid the usual badness that plagues smaller productions. It also shows the glaring limits of the budget. While there is gore at times there is a great deal of extra zombies mobbing with no special effects in place. In particular one actor rather falls to pieces in a decidedly comical fashion. Mostly the choice of shots to disguise this particular special effect are poorly chosen and are unintentionally a bit humorous. There is one particular throat ripping scene that excels and if the rest of the attacks had featured similar items of note it would have really elevated the film. This should have been the watermark to judge the effects by rather than the highpoint however.
The zombie make up itself ranges from good on the featured zombies to minimal on the second and third row zombies as is typical of a film this stature. There’s no particularly ground breaking appliances and it’s the usual assortment of extras showing up to be zombies as Gary Ugarek tries to avoid filming the ones that showed up with mohawks stuck into the air and other distracting issues that draw too much attention to the extra under the make up rather than the zombies as a mob.
In a lot of cases the zombie attacks are a bit stiff but less so than other films of a similar caliber. This doesn’t necessarily make them good so much as mediocre and not entirely laughable. It is impressive that a character manages to hold off the living dead with nothing more than a flimsy particle board door and a eye and hook lock that I’ve seen infants break. To be fair the zombie never really tried pulling on the door so much as playing patty cake with it.
The main overall issue is one of pacing. There is simply too much time spent filming the set up and resolution of each scene with the camera rolling while actors move to their marks to start interacting. This seems prevalent in scenes involving Gary and Brian more so than scenes set with Michelle which fairly clip along at an acceptable pace at times. The scenes involving the mother and son survival theme seem better written and planned for.
As a tangent, the costuming chosen for the characters seems too average in this case. While the actors are supposed to represent the average men and women in the midst of chaos, the actors should still stand out from the extras when it comes to wardrobe. Michelle Wright’s choice of costume causes her to rather blend in to the film rather than standing out more. Likewise, Brian Wright and Gary Ugarek dress predominantly in black which also causes them to just blend in. Even as the every Joe and Jane the characters should have more distinguishing earmarks to make them stand out and set them apart in the film. It’s a part of the psychology of film but could have gone a way towards a visual establishment of character.
Another issue with costuming is that the film does advance the timeline and there is very little sense of movement within the characters’ looks. A certain time has passed and things are bad yet the characters still look fresh as a daisy. It’s a minor issue but could have gone a long way towards giving a feeling of momentum and movement. As it stands it looks like perhaps more like 48 hours went by rather than the extended period of time the film suggests. There’s just no sign of any aging which could have helped with this point of the film.
I will make a note that Gary’s dialog to Brian about the state of things could have been nicely capped if it all related to his loneliness as Michelle is the only female they apparently had contact with over a period of time.
Overall the film could have benefited with more focus, perhaps exclusively on Michelle Wright’s character and her trials and tribulations rather than cutting between all the various characters. Her scenes rank as the best produced while the survival shelter really bogs down under the weight of so many extras and no strong identifiable heroic character. In between are Gary and Brian’s scene and the traffic jam. The traffic jam has decently choreographed action but once again relies on extras to do most of the acting work which waters it down. Once again, there is no identifiable strong lead so the scene comes off as very matter of fact and not as pointed with detail in relation to the film as a whole.
The film doesn’t really have much to set it apart and isn’t breaking any new barriers in the living dead genre of horror films. It doesn’t try to be clever with it like the film I, Zombi which ultimately backfires nor does it completely bore someone to death like The Dead Hate the Living! It works with smaller production values but tries for a larger approach which rather overextends the resources of the film and causes a mixture of good and awful which leaves a decidedly mediocre product. The extensive use of untrained extras brought the acting level down and brought some wincing moments to the film to be certain. Overall it was a film with potential that could have been improved by more focus on the characters and a smaller scale of operations.

Personal notes (Where I can use *I thought* *I think* *I perceived*)

The film neither completely sucked nor ascended to heaven to walk among the gods. Certain parts were indeed awful but other parts had clever shots and acceptable acting for a first time endeavor. Unfortunately these come together in a head on collision which leaves Deadlands as an independent exercise in mediocrity. I expected Gary to be a horrible actor but he was just mediocre. Brian started mediocre but seemed to warm up to the camera as the movie progressed. The order of scenes shot may not be as chronological as it seems but all the lead actors seem to improve as the movie progresses. Brian Wright gets a warmer tone to his voice and Gary Ugarek becomes almost natural in his delivery. Neither are going to get Oscars for their performances but its obvious they started learning about acting as well as film making as the movie progressed. Michelle Wright was given what I consider to be the hardest role in the film and pulled it off with a good deal of aplomb especially for a first time actress.
The extras killed me, though. Dave Cooperman was literally drowning among them in my opinion. Probably more should have been done to establish Cooperman’s character as a bit more heroic in the face of things but I see him as the principal character for the scenes outside of Michelle/Connor and Gary/Brian scenes.
Did they ever go back and get the poor dog?
The film was not entirely horrible and doesn’t rank in as the worst I’ve ever seen. It’s better than Day of the Dead 2: Contagium and done for pennies on Taurus’ dollars. Given my ‘history’ with Gary ‘DjfunkmasterG’ Ugarek it is expected that I would trash the film but it’s just not bad enough for that. I could have made a review spouting that the world’s most fragile lock held back a horde of undead, okay I mentioned it, or gone on about minor details that are noticeable but the idea was to be honest and not mean spirited. Overall it’s taken me longer to write this than watch the film. In the end Deadlands in neither horrible nor great. I give it a four out of ten which really isn’t bad for a first time endeavor. Although I might be cutting it some independent slack as some people call it. It didn’t totally bore me but also failed several times to amuse me.

The Good-
Michelle Wright
The Throat Ripping
Harry Knowles guest appearance
Throat ripped victim as a zombie
Nice cherry Mustang (not as cool as a Phantasm hemi-Cuda but hey)

The Bad-
The mob on the cop scene and zombies playing cat’s cradle with his jelly guts
The extras carrying scenes
National Guard
Needed gunshot squibs and plenty more gunplay

The Ugly-
No gratuitous and unnecessary nudity
The eye hook lock of doom
Gary and Brian endorsing getting drunk and then playing with guns
The message about the bars struck me as calling me dumb…

Alright, I’m out. People may accuse me of being too forgiving and smooching true independent posterior when I should totally lambaste it but it was simply an alright effort by a couple of guys that like zombies. By comparison I gave Meat Market (a Canadian indie film from 2000) a seven out of ten so you can make of that what you will. It’s nothing spectacular in either the good or bad category. I’d say check it out if you’re a living dead completist or want to see what happens when a couple guys shell out some bucks and decide they are going to get off the sidelines and make a movie.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Another thing, I love the DVD cover, the entire packaging is of such a high calibre you certainly wouldn’t know it was a home job.


Overall I rate this film 8/10

That artwork is by HPotD member chukrok. The guy did a F-in amazing job on it and I love it. I had a giant 4ftx5ft poster made of that art and it is sits between my DAWN poster and SHAUN poster. :D

Chuk did a great job.

Thanks for the awesome review. Glad ya liked the film. And if I am ever in th eland of croc's and kangaroo's I would love to collaborate with you. There is two other people on this board I would love to collaborate with, Axlish and Minion Zombie. I would love to get a whole Four Rooms style film made, all about zombies.

Thanks bro... I will let Lou know about the good news he is up in Pennsyltucky skiing, snowboarding, snorting HPotD or something. I know he is w/o internet and must be going mad.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Welcome to HPotD TGB.

Thanks for your review on the film. Not too negative, not praising it, but at least you enjoyed some parts of the film.

Does Zombie-Nation know you're here? :lol: I hope they don't get mad at you. Welcome, all the same hopefully you stick around. HPotD is a great place.

[TwoGunBob]

Being a fan of Pat McGoohan's The Prisoner I try to be a free man and all. No one cares where I roam, it's usually the places I roam that wish I'd crawl back to whatever shoggoth pit that spawned me.
I watched Deadlands again last night with a less critical eye since I wasn't taking notes for the overlong review (which was almost as long as my Hills Have Eyes review elsewhere) and found it alright. I decided that Brian actually warmed up pretty quick to the camera, quicker than I realized.

Really, on the second viewinf my two big suggestions:

1. Work hard with the extras, although if you're doing Deadlands part Deux you'll have less extras to wrangle since most of them are chow. I realize extras are a pain to control though and getting them to act anything (scared, pissed, concerned, etc.) is hard.

2. Stay behind the camera. You're a better director than actor. I think you know this though. As I said, your acting wasn't god awful at any point and Brian pulled ahead a bit on catching the hang of the acting.


Oh yeah, kudos for scoring the film rather than going for the 'tear your guts out metal' that usually surfaces when indie film makers start using their best friend's band instead of a score.

[Fulcifan91]

Welcome TGB. You get the 'longest deadlands review' award. Congrats :D

[TwoGunBob]

Well, I never do reviews half-arsed. I'm also critical as hell of any film. Dj probably knows I seldom have kind things to say about any film made after like '86. Usually I try to stick with stuff like Zombie Lake or Bianchi's Burial Ground cause those are ones everyone likes to see drug around in the muck cause they are funny films. Deadlands actually fared pretty will given my usual venom.

[axlish]

TwoGunBob, PM me your address, I want to send you a screener of my film to review. Great job.

[DjfunkmasterG]

He will give you an honest review. :D

[DjfunkmasterG]

Hey everyone, all of the reviews from HPotD members will be put into this thread to help clean up the DEADLANDS forum.

Thanks

Gary

[LouCipherr]

...I watched Deadlands again last night with a less critical eye since I wasn't taking notes for the overlong review (which was almost as long as my Hills Have Eyes review elsewhere) and found it alright. I decided that Brian actually warmed up pretty quick to the camera, quicker than I realized.

...Oh yeah, kudos for scoring the film rather than going for the 'tear your guts out metal' that usually surfaces when indie film makers start using their best friend's band instead of a score.

::whispers:: Shhhhh, Dj, don't tell him Mystic Shadows was recorded by my band.. :lol: :D

Actually, it fit well with the opening montage of scenes so we didn't see it as much of a big deal and we really did want at least one 'song' to put in the movie as opposed to 100% scored, but no "songs" if that makes sense. The rest of the film was scored by Dj and I added some guitar work here and there, but with the exception of Mystic Shadows and one other instrumental song (the empty after-the-slaughter traffic-jam "moody" piece - that was something I had for years but it never found a "home" 'till Deadlands) it was all Dj, and I think he did a fantastic job of scoring. ;)

As far as my acting - you really think I warmed up to the camera? I still felt a tad uncomfortable with some of my performances here and there, but there were times when I stood back and went "wow... that felt so weird when we were doing the take" but upon review of the shot it actually turned out pretty damn good. Sometimes I surprised myself. I don't aspire to be an actor by any means, but it's at least nice to know I didn't come off as a total dufus. :lol: Dave Cooperman still remains my favorite actor in Deadlands. ;)

TGB - thanks for coming over here and posting your review. We do appreciate it, and I'm glad you found some enjoyment in the film. ;)

Also - to the rest that have been reviewing the film, thank you. I have been on vacation and haven't had a chance to personally thank everyone who has purchased and viewed the film, but your comments and encouragement for ways to make things even better the next time around are greatly appreciated and do not fall on deaf ears. ;)

LC

***edited to say: y'know, I noticed something on a few of the reviews I feel should be addressed since most people seem to have missed it. When Dave locks himself in the bathroom in the shelter and uses the eyehook to lock the door, there actually is a reason why the zombie can't get in. First, zombies dont know how to work doorknobs and door handles in our movie :lol: and second, did everyone miss the fact that the door opens into the shelter and not into the bathroom itself? In other words, the door opens OUT 'twards the zombie in order to get into the bathroom. The door does not 'push in' to the bathroom, so our zombie friend just pounded on the door relentlessly to get in but never would be able to do so not because of the eye-hook in the bathroom on the door, but because the door opens 'twards her and she couldn't pull the handle - or wasn't smart enough. ;)

Just wanted to clarify that because it's been brought up quite a few times, but I think some people missed the fact that the door opens out and away from the bathroom, not in, so the eyehook wasn't even necessary to keep the zombie out.

[Fulcifan91]

Yep, I too was going ot bring that up Lou, but I am not to good with words, so it would have probably been confusing, good way of putting it though.

I still laughed my ass off at the part where it says "TWO HOURS LATER..." and he unhooks the tiny dman thing.

[LouCipherr]

I still laughed my ass off at the part where it says "TWO HOURS LATER..." and he unhooks the tiny dman thing.

Hey, Dave was scared! :lol: Would YOU have left that bathroom with all the sounds of flesh being consumed outside? Sheeeit, I would've waited FOUR hours! :lol:

Yeah, I just kinda wanted to point out that fact 'cause apparently a lot of people are missing what's actually going on with the door and lock, and many have brought it up in their reviews. Just wanted to provide some clarification. ;)

[MinionZombie]

I never noticed which way the door went ... I just found the li'l latch lock hilariously funny.

[DjfunkmasterG]

everyone laughed at me for how fickle the lock us... I didn't care. Since you guys found it funny think of it being un-intentional humor that worked out to be funny.

I would love to take credit for the comedy genius of the sequence, more like stupidity is what I take credit for, but there was no where else for him to hide out in the damn place. :lol:

[MinionZombie]

Ach, damn Dj, now you've let the cat out of the bag, you coulda just kept assuming responsibility for a classic bit of zombie comedy side-joking. :D

[LouCipherr]

I never noticed which way the door went ... I just found the li'l latch lock hilariously funny.


Why does this not surprise me? :lol: :lol:

[MinionZombie]

As a nation, apparently the British aren't an observant bunch, so in that respect it's not surprising ... and yet I watch films so intently, guess you're always gonna miss the little details - you take doors for granted really. I just loved that latch lock...:D

[DjfunkmasterG]

I would disagree their MZ... Shaun of the Dead is a perfect example of how observant you are/can be when needed.

Here is my take on the zombie door latch lock thingy.

Everyone has seen so many zombie films they expect zombies to do what ever Romero, or O'Bannon showed them they can do, including opening doors or breaking through them.

See my zombies are like a cross between the democrats and republicans. While the republican side is Hunt, Kill, and Eat everything alive, they also have a tree hugging quality to them as they know the door is made of wood, and wood is our friend. We don't want to hurt wood for without wood there would be no shelter.

My zombies know this and although being dead and dumb (Much like the republican party) they have a small bit of intelligence (democrats) and they know they musn't destroy everything see... better to make it an ally.

See if you leave the building standing you allow the human a place to hide, so preserving the building is preserving the quality of a former life... now once the human is inside the building they are trapped, and all the zombies have to is grab the salt, pepper , and some italian seasoning, surround the building, and it is dinner time.

So be like your fellow DEADLANDS zombie... hug a tree as it may be your ally during a zombie apocalypse.

[LouCipherr]

Uhhh... ummm... Dj, I think the medication has finally kicked in. :lol: :lol:


tree-hugging zombies? What's next? I know! Screw Deadlands 2, let's make "GREENPEACE ZOMBIES" next! WOOHOO!! :lol:

[Danny]

starring tom green and erckle:lol:

[DjfunkmasterG]

Uhhh... ummm... Dj, I think the medication has finally kicked in.



:D YES IT HAS, and it is GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_15_2.gif

[MinionZombie]

Not quite what I meant - indeed, in our films we are observant more often than not (we make so few movies, we have to make them really count, hehe). Nah I meant the public, in general, are fairly unobservant - not dimwitted, but for example, when a crime happens nobody won't have really seen anything - that's what I was meaning - there was a bit in the paper about it t'other day.

[Danny]

just heard the commentary for deadlands , was it just gary speaking?, cus if so good one dj about the "and if you make a zombie movie leave out the damn thrash metal no one wants to hear that".

that line is a friggin' legend!:lol:

[LouCipherr]

hahaha, yeah, that's Dj doing the commentary. :D

We did a group commentary (Brian, Gary, Michelle, Lisa (producer) and Dave Cooperman) but that is being held for a future relase.. maybe when Tempe distributes the movie next year, they will put BOTH commentaries on there. That would be nice. :)

[Danny]

they should cus even though theres a fe winterseting tid-bits and funny comments no-one can listen to one guy talk about something for over an hour non stop without it getting a litle draggy.

[DjfunkmasterG]

they should cus even though theres a fe winterseting tid-bits and funny comments no-one can listen to one guy talk about something for over an hour non stop without it getting a litle draggy.


You saying I am boring? Huh? huh? :rockbrow: :lol: J/k

As far as my Metal comment

If you have to score your zombie film with METAL MUSIC... get the F U C K out of the BUSINESS. If you can blow money to shoot a movie and have access to audio equipment write a decent score. It takes the same amount of time and sounds ten times better.

I don't mind one or two songs here and there, but an entire movie with it, pisses me off and I have ejected many a DVD and put them right back in their DVD cases and or sent back to BB online because I can't stand people whom think scoring a zombie film with thrash metal makes the film terrifying... it makes it horrible and shows the people behind it have zero talent.

[Danny]

or even worse rap metal COUGH!-RESI-COUGH!:barf:

i want to whatch a horror movie dammit not hear some 20 sumthing who just becuase hes black he thinks hes a hard case tellimg me some **** like "if your ready for more then hit the floor!"

what the hell does that even mean?!?:eek:

[DjfunkmasterG]

or even worse rap metal COUGH!-RESI-COUGH!:barf:

i want to whatch a horror movie dammit not hear some 20 sumthing who just becuase hes black he thinks hes a hard case tellimg me some **** like "if your ready for more then hit the floor!"

what the hell does that even mean?!?:eek:


it means... that he is asking you if you are ready for some more... then you should hit the floor. And hitting the floor is like a dancing metaphor.


Hey that rhymes :D

I should be a rapper

A little bit of this,
a little bit of that.
some zombiez in da house
trying to bite down on my nutsack

The apocalypse is here
you gotta grab your gear
a 9mm and case of bud beer

What is that you hear
a moan and groan
you pick up the phone
yet theres no fvcking dial tone

they claw at door
they wanna get some more
so put your head between you legs
and get your ass on the floor.

DjfunkmasterG is in the Hizz house

Peace out BITCH! :evil:

[Fulcifan91]

hahahahaha.

[MinionZombie]

ROFLZOMBIEZ

The line about biting down on nutsack is great, love it!

HPOTD Hippity Hop? ... stay tuned...

[DjfunkmasterG]

I was tired when I wrote that... It was way past my work day bedtime.


Part 2

The Rising has arrived
are you dead or alive
with only a hand full of bullets
and a gun at your side

Your scared and alone
no one to call on the phone
you hope and you pray
you make it to the next dar

Everyone has had enough
it's time to get tough
If you step out the door
sh!t is going to get rough

You think the coast is clear
so you make a mad dash
til my zombiez take you down
and take a bit out yo ass
your screaming in pain
the attempt was in vein
now your shamblin up the road
in every other lane

If anyother thing I hope this
taught you a lesson
never out run a zombie unless
you carry smith & wesson
now I must leave, my job here is done...
the night is leaving, a new dawn has begun

you're in a new world and ya know it's here to stay
cause my zombies and my looterz are here to rule the day
one last lesson to the victims in the house, listen up
they ain't your family or your friends... they really don't give a fvck
if anything I said sounds really lame,
then you better think again before
a zombie eats your BRAINSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/DonOfTheDead3/Tarman.gif

[LouCipherr]

Oh dear God, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease NO MORE RAPPING!! :lol:

That's it, I'm gonna break out the leather jacket, jeans, Les Paul, Marshall, and show you how sh*t's done you... you.. hell, I dunno what to call you, but anything I can think of is non-politically corect, so.. well.. bite me! :lol: :lol:


:D

[DjfunkmasterG]

Oh dear God, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease NO MORE RAPPING!! :lol:

That's it, I'm gonna break out the leather jacket, jeans, Les Paul, Marshall, and show you how sh*t's done you... you.. hell, I dunno what to call you, but anything I can think of is non-politically corect, so.. well.. bite me! :lol: :lol:


:D

Come on Lou, break me that funky ass beat, with some hard driving guitars.

I said a hip hop... the zombies don't stop... :lol:

[LouCipherr]

What do you think I am, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave?! :lol:

Rap and rock DO NOT MIX! :lol: :lol:

[Danny]

amen that to that slash needs to kick 50 cent in the nuts.

[TwoGunBob]

Rap and rock DO NOT MIX! :lol: :lol:

Rap rock is the next wave of the future. You can bet on it. It'll be a smasah-up beat down with good old K-Fed teaming up with Kip Winger to bring down the house.

Although, the Judgement Soundtrack was a nice mix of curious bands. Sir Mix-A-Lot and Mudhoney, Faith No More and the Boo-Yaa Tribe, Slayer and Ice-T. But that's more of an exception rather than a rule I think.

[deadwrtr]

What do you think I am, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave?! :lol:

Rap and rock DO NOT MIX! :lol: :lol:

Hmmm... well, tell that to The Beastie Boys and Run DMC... they had quite the success with mixing traditional electric guitars and rap together. DMC and Aerosmith... Walk this Waaaaay!