falexandrou
The movie was awful. We're talking about a very low budget movie, with no scripts and the worst cast ever. The guy who plays Al Brondin or something, is English but can't be convincing as an English man!!! The girl who plays Jessie Saint Claire, wears a wig and it's so fake. I think they bought it from a Halloween shop. Concept was kinda catchy but it was so poor, that i think even the director wouldn't watch it. It was very obvious and the end was like every other movie that wanted to be different. The director followed the "great" recipe that demands actors that can't act so that the cost is low but they're hot, so that the audience is happy. I'd never accept this movie as a thriller. Music was a big failure too. Thrillers should be all about atmosphere and music. This one suffered from the lack of inspiration. This movie sucks big time
Se7en Daze
A series of gruesome murders has brought terror to a small town, and they are made all the more horrible by the method by which they are documented. The killer stalks his victims with a video camera, recording their every move before he strikes; he then sends a tape of the killing to his next victim. Jessie St. Clair (Racheal Leigh Cook) is a young reporter who sees her shot at a big break and goes for it, launching an investigation into the murder of a topless dancer; she is assisted by her cameraman Rob (Kip Pardue) and her producer Jane Berger (Annabella Sciorra). But before Jessie gets any closer to the truth, she receives a videotape in the mail, and she knows she's next on the killer's list. As tensions mount and the murderer closes in, the whole crew begins to suspect one another; the arrival of solitary reporter Albert Bodine (Cary Elwes), sent by the nationally syndicated show "AMERICAN CRIME", only serves to heighten their misgivings. This stylish, suspenseful thriller boasts the excellent digital cinematography of director Dan Mintz, and is sure to keep audiences guessing right up to the end.
jpschapira
I thought this was another movie when I was preparing to watch it, so I was going to skip it. But in the beginning sequence I saw some names (not Kip Pardue, because I already knew he was in it); Rachael Leigh Cook (one of the most beautiful women on earth) and Cary Elwes. The director (Dan Mitz)…Didn't know him, neither the writers (Jack Moore, Jeff Ritchie). Anyway, I got into it.What I found out as I watched it is that is one of those, I don't know if independent or low-budget projects that try to bring some different and original stuff to the table. In that sense, the film reminded me to "My little eye". In a way, "American Crime" is not as good "My little eye", but it's not my intention to compare them or anything. As it happens with these projects, they're not always perfect. The film is flawed, and suffers from script problems, music, cinematography and direction.Writers propose an interesting enough premise to keep one focused for the entire ride, but before you realize, they're not giving any background to the actions of their characters, not even to the killer. It's OK, it's not an obligation to do that, but in this picture you start getting lost in the plot, because you just stop knowing who's who, what's what, why is everything happening in the first place. Big problems right there that remain unnoticed because of the outstanding screen presence given by the cast. I imagine these situations played by a lousy cast of actors…I would have been awful.I must say, first, that Kip Pardue (Rob Latrobe) it's a good actor. If I didn't find him good enough in "Driven", it was for the character he was playing; it was a very clichéd and easy character. But I saw him in other movies, and the kid can do it. Rachael Leigh Cook (Jesse St. Claire) lies between the best young actresses of her generation. Totally underestimated by the industry, she has stepped the lines of independent projects, giving always proofs of the unnoticed talent she is. In other cases, she has taken regular films to the top because of her performances ("Josie and the Pussycats", "Texas Rangers" "Tangled"). This performance is just one more proof. Anabella Sciorra (Jane Berger) is the weakest element of the cast, but that doesn't mean she's bad. Her character hasn't got the depth the others have, and she seems unimportant most of the time. And Cary Elwes (Albert Bodine) as a British investigator with personality problems…He's in top form, with an excellent accent and faces you'll remember.Going back to flaws, Dan Mitz makes mistakes in his own direction and cinematography. This is fault of the script, and it all combines to a major flaw. What can we follow when we're first watching a TV show (American Crime) hosted by one guy, that tells events occurred in real life, supposedly with footage taken from cameras, with personal interviews and people names…But what we see is filmed like a common movie, no cameras, and seems real, not to be shown by the TV show. The crimes in the show are about a guy that follows young women, taping them, and then kills them. Well, the characters get involved and are eventually being chased…And what about the show that was telling everything? At the end, when we have forgotten about the show, another guy talks as if the show was ending. Come on! We also get the actors presented in TV way at the end; looking at the camera.Then we have an easy music, not very trapping. There are these loud sounds with string sounds, but this is not scary anymore, because we can't know what will scare us. There's the obligated "cornfield chase" scene, decently edited by Todd Miller, who had proved his skills in "Joy Ride".As a consolation price, we can only think the characters knew they were being filmed, and that they were in one of those arranged shows, that pretend to be real, but actually never are; and everybody knows what happens.
eheere
I do have a few things to say about this movie. I know how hard this movie was to film - I was in the movie - I was actually a photo extra for Annabella Sciorra. Granted I only worked for about 4 days on this, but it was fun. I know it isn't the best movie, but it's not horrible either. I knew the movie was going straight to video, so what? I actually enjoyed they movie - probably because I was in it. But maybe give it another chance.....be open-minded....And watch "Cookers" - another good movie!Jeff and Dan worked very hard on this movie and so the rest of the crew. I had the best time working on this film and made some truly wonderful friends.
