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6
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10 |
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10
= Highest Rating |
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Guest
Review by Troy
Howarth |
A
cameraman/special effects artist (Joe Pilato) is horrified to
discover the true nature of the low budget horror film he is
working on...
In the 1970s,
before the local government got too greedy and essentially killed
it, the Pittsburgh film making experience was quite a promising
scene (believe me, I'm allowed to take such digs; I live very
close to the 'burgh). The international success of maverick
George A. Romero had proved that it was, in fact, possible to
make great films with tiny crews, even tinier budgets, and by
shooting in the homes and back alleys of friends and families
in the then burgeoning steel-town community. Romero's success
rubbed off on his collaborators, as well, with the director
offering his assistance to friends who wanted to take a crack
at making their own films. One such work was Effects,
a heretofore "lost" horror movie directed by Dusty Nelson and
produced by John Harrison (director of the recent Dune
miniseries, he cut his teeth for Romero on pictures like Dawn
of the Dead and Creepshow),
Pasquale Buba (now a veteran of such massive productions as
Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York
and Michael Mann's Heat, he too
learned his chops working on Romero flicks like Martin
and Knightriders), that overcomes
its sometimes amateurish execution through the sheer inventiveness
of its storytelling.
The setup is
a simple one: a somewhat naive young cameraman/special effects
artist (perhaps he wears two hats because that's how it was
done in Pittsburgh — everybody knew how to do a bit of everything,
and was only too enthused to lend a hand wherever possible)
discovers that the horror film he is working on is, in fact,
a snuff movie. The story takes a number of intriguing twists
and turns, but director Dusty Nelson's chief accomplishment
is to blur the line between the movie and the movie within the
movie to such an extent that we can't be sure what's happening
when, or indeed if the young protagonist is simply paranoid.
The film gives a very accurate portrayal of guerrilla filmmaking,
while at the same time working as a surprisingly nihilistic
horror movie. The film within the film is directed by an amoral
sadist, played with poker faced humor by co-producer Harrison.
Harrison's character evokes the image of the artist as a madman,
but the casually sadistic way in which he is depicted raises
him to an almost Sadeian level of heartless, soulless cruelty
and depravity.
First time
director Nelson does a commendable job with very tricky material.
Handled poorly, Effects could easily
have succumbed to the hypocrisy that damaged the not-entirely-dissimilar
Cannibal Holocaust, for
example (the comparison is, I feel a valid one: both operate
as films within a film meant to comment on the process of filmmaking
itself; both have sadistic, dilettante directors; and both seek
to blur the line between reality and fantasy). As it stands,
however, the film is admirably straightforward in its approach
— the characters have traits that make them likable or unsympathetic,
yet always interesting, and one can't help but become fully
immersed in Pilato's plight as he realizes the true horror of
the film he's participating in. The film doesn't have much in
the way of style, but there's a raw, gritty texture to it that
actually enhances the snuff movie aspect. The improvisational
flavor also feeds into this aspect in a very effective manner.
Performances are surprisingly solid — Pilato, fresh off a small
role (mostly cut from the release print) in Dawn
of the Dead and later to become a cult favorite for his
foul-mouthed, apoplectic portrayal of Rhodes in Day
of the Dead, makes for a likable and believably bewildered
protagonist. Harrison, glimpsed as the zombie who gets a screwdriver
to the ear in Dawn, gives a wonderfully
chilling, laid back performance as the amoral filmmaker, while
Tom Savini (already a cult film sensation due to his FX and
acting work for Romero in Martin
and Dawn) steals a few scenes as
a coked-up actor who relentlessly tries to seduce Pilato's girlfriend.
Crude as all
hell, but intelligently told, Effects
is a key chapter in the Pittsburgh Film making experience of
the 1970s.
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Synapse's
release of Effects represents its
home video debut. Acquired by a small time distributor who went
bankrupt after giving the film a handful of showings, Effects
went out of circulation in a mire of red tape and legal entanglements
soon after its release in 1980. Fans of Romero, Savini, Pilato
and the genre in general have long inquired about this title,
and Synapse is to be congratulated for not only making it available
— but for making it a proper SE in the bargain. The 1.78/16 x
9 transfer looks as good as Carl Augenstein's cinematography will
allow. Shot on 16mm, very often with only available light, it
sometimes has the look of a home movie, and a few shots are noticeably
out of focus, but that was very much a "shoot and make do" kind
of movie — and, as noted, such amateurish touches actually enhance
certain aspects of the picture. The image is consistently grainy,
but that's the best it's going to ever going to look — this is
not a film to marvel over its cinematography. Print damage is
minimal and detail is as sharp as the material will allow. The
mono soundtrack suffers from defects in its recording — some dialogue
is a little muffled and hard to make out, but overall it gets
the job done; Harrison's creepy music score has definite presence.
Extras include a commentary with Harrison, Nelson and Buba, a
60 minute making-of titled AfterEffects, a photo gallery,
incisive liner notes by Michael Felsher, and two short films by
Nelson, Buba and crew: Ubu and Beastie. The commentary
is laid back and relaxed, and it's obvious that all three men
are proud of the film and simply beaming with joy that it is finally
being released.
Good as the commentary
is, it's outdone by the outstanding featurette. More than being
a making-of, it's a testimonial about making movies in Pittsburgh
in the 1970s. Just about everybody connected to the film is interviewed,
with a large chunk of the material coming from a poolside reunion
Harrison organized that includes Joe Pilato (doing his best to
cope with a sore throat by swigging on brandy) and George Romero.
Romero and Pilato both have a couple of very funny moments (Romero's
reaction to a crew member knocking over a stand had me rolling),
but they also provide some real insight into how it was done "in
the old days." Those who didn't make it to the gathering, including
Savini, are interviewed separately, their memories included among
the comments. Clocking in at 60 minutes, it gives one as good
a sense of the making of an obscure low budget indie horror film
as any documentary I've ever seen.
This is definitely
one of the finest releases Synapse has ever produced.
11/18/05 |
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