This movie came out in festival a year ago and premiered on DVD in November, 2007. I am writing this review in August, 2008 so I am not going to bore you with what the film is about. If you want to know that, you can read one of the fifty reviews already online. Besides, I like to be surprised, don’t you?
What I want to address is the fact that Blood Car is one of only a handful of films that epitomize what one expects from the freshman outing of every film school graduate from NYU to USC…but hardly ever gets.
Firstly, the writers took a theme ripped from the headlines so the audience can relate immediately to what is going on. This makes the ridiculous and surreal aspects of the story plausible and you actually find yourself relating to them. In other words they got a high concept idea together and then collaborated on it, stayed on point and wrote a solid three act screenplay that even has the main protagonist taking a journey. A cracked journey, but a journey never the less.
Next, they assembled a cast together that could act. How refreshing. Nothing makes a story work like a cast that is believable. Even a mediocre story, which this is not, can be salvaged with great acting. Most of the performances are well done and understated. Unlike a Rocky Horror Show or Little Shop of Horrors, this is not a musical. And the actors do their jobs very well for the tongue in cheek comedy that Blood Car presents.
Thirdly, director Alex Orr appears to know how to direct and Adam Pinney and company know how to shoot and edit. Blood Car could be the foundation movie for a film school class titled “Cinematic Storytelling 101”. This movie has all the look and feel of a final exercise. The attention to detail for a feature film that, depending who you believe, cost $14,000, $25,000 or $125,000 to make is remarkable. The shots are mixed to keep interest, create emotion and move the story along. Not once did I get the impression that cuts were made just to experiment. Each one is intended to get a reaction, and does. Even the gratuitous inserts of naked girl’s from the waist up humping in cars… work.
The transparency of the shots is excellent for any film, much less a ultra low budget first one; the borders at beginning and end, created by the actor looking into the camera, balance the action in between. Composition and shape within the frame of the camera is exemplary. And the judicious use of fades, sound effects, music and many other cinematic storytelling devices are also well done.
In conclusion, Blood Car is a film that should be in every cinephile, student filmmaker, editor and screen writer's library. The Special Features on the DVD only add to the value of this little gem. It also isn’t a bad way for the average Joe to spend seventy-six minutes either.
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Sounds interesting. Thanks for the review.