Preparing

So right now I am preparing for a triple booked day this coming Saturday. Starting at 8am until Midnight I will be working on different photo/video gigs. The most confusing seems to be the first one on Saturday at Druid Hill Park, maybe it is just because I haven't had a good chance to look over the directions but it seems like a big race is going on there or something, I don't know I am not familiar with the park so that doesn't help matters but we shall see. The next gig is around 2pm and is a promotional video spot for a self help company, it is contained to being only at the studio so it will not take too long. Finally, I have a christmas party I am doing photos for at 8pm for a car sales place to end the day. All three are totally confirmed which is a rarity and is really nice but the more I think about it the more the first gig scares me with the confusing nature of it.

Random Movie Fact: In the 1961 film West Side Story, the actors in the rival gangs were instructed to play pranks on each other off the set to keep tensions high.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

21 Jump Street Review

On Friday it was me and my girlfriend Ashley's 4 year anniversary and out of the blue we decided to go see 21 Jump Street starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. In the film the two went to high school together and Hill was a nerd while Tatum was a jock. After high school both decide to join the police force and become friends because Tatum can't pass the mental exam and Hill can't pass the physical exam. After getting on the force the two are stuck doing day shift duty at a local park which is the exact opposite of what they wanted to do. One day they come accross a gang of bikers getting high at the park and think this is their big break to get on as a full time cop. After arresting one of the bikers in a hilarious chase scene Tatum and Hill forget to read the Miranda rights. Instead of being fired they are transferred to an undercover operation at a high school on Jump Street. From there they start unraveling a drug operation that threatens to get worse unless they find the supplier.

The film is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller who have worked together on a lot of animated projects but this is the first feature length live action film for the two. I think the technical aspects are all solid in this film which is something I spend some time on if I feel as though it is less than good but in this case nothing really to complain about. The biggest issue of the film is the pace which can be a tad jumpy at times to the point where I literally jumped out of my seat a bit from the sheer unexpected nature of edits. Some of the gags were funny at first but wore thin by the end of there stints. Finally the most annoying character was Ice Cube who at first was hilarious but in some points just got downright annoying with the crazy captain schtick. However he was sprinkled around enough for me to forgive him.

Overall the film is funny and tries to stay away from any cliches of the comedies, maybe at times a little too much which sacrifices story at times. The pacing is hit or miss but overall works very well. The cameo by Johnny Depp is nice and unexpected even if you are expecting it. Finally the acting is solid if you are looking for a good comedy to go to this week, this is the one for you for sure. Go check it out!

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Silent House Review

Yesterday I saw the film Silent House and it was one of those films that I am going to defend against all the negativity I am hearing from people. This film is 88 minutes of one long take that being said for a horror style film this is pretty remarkable especially considering the limitations of lighting for video. The story is seemingly simple but at the same time not at all, especially in the end which is something I will bring up in a second.

Anyway back to the main points first of all is lighting which as I said earlier I think was done fairly well in this movie although some of the points where there is pretty much no light was just a tad bit too dark and almost created a feeling of serenity for viewing which didn't help the tension build. The next point is score which to me was way too campy and kind of ruined the effect of the ambient sound. This film would have been way more engaging with just ambient sound, however I guess the filmmakers felt it would make the film boring for viewers or something. Next up is the acting which at times was good and bad, the worst point was the crying scenes for Elizabeth Olsen it almost seemed as though she was laughing which kind of makes sense if you take into consideration the ending but I feel is a small detail no one will really pick up on. The camera work of the film was a bit too handheld at times and instead of feeling engaging was a bit too jarring for me they could have used a preset in After Effects or something to help make the footage a little less shaky. Now time for the ending which is the most frustrating point of the film...not because it is bad but because so many people are not going to catch onto it. The ending is super duper pyschological and so much so that they average viewer is going to not understand it which will lead people to hate it. As I was walking out of the theater so many people were talking about how dumb the ending was...it is not dumb just as a heads up it is just something you will have to think about for a second, if you aren't willing to do that then don't go see it. Overall I don't think it is a must watch but is an enjoyable film with a good twist ending that to me makes the simple nature of the film even better. Check it out but be prepared to think about the ending.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess