Topic: Makin' Movies
When I helped make Secret Identity Crisis in Portland, OR last summer, I didn't have a chance to stay and see any of the screenings of our of the other films in the 48 Hour Film Project, especially to see how other people handled the Superhero genre we drew.
Well, stupid me, it never previously occured to me to look on the web to see if any of those filmmakers posted their work. Today I went "duh" and started searching YouTube. I found tons of 48HFP films listed, but was able to quickly narrow it down by searching for "48 Hour Film Project Portland 2007".
I then tried looking specifically for Superhero genre films. Only one from Portland was there (The Passing), but there were a total of 17 2007 Superhero shorts from various cities.
I watched them all (click here to see the full list).
If you're interested in checking out the films on YouTube, here's my ratings:
KnightFall *** (Houston) Interesting idea, but the execution was flat. The first of a lot of people sitting around and talking films.
Superheroes *** (L.A.) A married superhero couple sitting in bed and discussing how they've fallen out of the limelight.
Captain Buffalo ** (Buffalo) Son of a superhero, who inherited the jero identity, drives around in his Secret Identity and talks about not being a hero and about the city of Buffalo. Blah.
Icarus ** (Minneapolis) I appreciate that these things are made fast, but for Pete's sake, don't use an unaltered iPod as some powerful mystery device. Any plastic box with a button glued on it would be better. Slow. Tedious. And for God's sake, stop crossing "the line" (a cinematographic rule).
Liberal Man: The Suitcase of Destiny **** (Denver) One of the two best ones. A cute idea about an ultra lefty superhero pitted against extreme right baddie "Neo-Connie". Bad supersuit.
Truth Be Told ** (Providence) A weak idea badly done. The villain is a plagiarist...well, someone who sells knock offs of Harry Potter. A few funny ideas, but otherwise flat.
SuperherOs *** (L.A.) A guy gets a superpower as a prize in a cereal box. It's an idea that deserved better execution than it got.
The Passing ** (Portland, OR, and ergo had to use the same elements we did.) Murky both visually and plot-wise. I almost didn't get what happened at the end because the way it was shot I wasn't quote sure what happened. I rewound it 30 seconds and then I got it.
Oak Pine Willows Superhero Rehabilitation Center ** (unknown city) A nice idea, but it's just people standing around, talking. And can't anyone make a halfway decent supersuit?
Clever Girl v2.0 * (St. Louis) I hated this one. It's clumsy, and there's this weird and pace-wrecking use of cominc book style cards. Someone discovered PhotoShop...
Farm Force! *** (Boston) This was made with a bunch of school kids. It's dumb as a box of rocks, but at least it was cute and has a sense of humor.
SideKick *** (San Diego) A guy who's father dies by a spoon (don't ask) applies to be a superhero sidekick. The interview process is the best bit.
Simply Amazing **** (Asheville) The best one of this lot. The family of an aged superhero wants him to hang up the cape, but he doesn't know what else to do. Does he still have it? One good (probably rented) costume.
We Could Be Heroes *** (Boston) Villains attend a seminar to try to become heroes. A good idea, but the script lacks punch. Oh, at least we FINALLY see some costumes!
Fallout ** (San Jose) A super-deed goes whong and the superhero corporation has to do damage control. More people sitting around a desk.
The Visionary ** (St. Louis) This one had promise, but it's just bogged down by weak performances.
Saving Angela * (Buffalo) Seriously, I get what they're trying to do, but the way it's done it just comes across as someone trying to make an art film without any idea of what they're doing. Maybe there's symbolism here I'm missing... I doubt it.
Ego aside, I think our film is better than practically every one of the ones I saw, in terms of tempo, story and overall production value. Wish I could see more!
