The Tunnel

I was very surprised by the quality of this film. I saw it with a number of rowdy kids at le Palais Rouaze during Cannes this past May. I think Troma studios was the one showing it. Anyhow, it was fascinating. The sparse dialogue with Lloyd Kaufman was fantastic, especially for people who comprehend French. It was highly original and rather haunting. Le Tunnel est le rêve de l'amour et de la mort. Recommended! 10/10

The only thing i think of when seeing this film is The Shining, which The Tunnel really reminded me of. The droning sounds and great sound design made it even creepier. Lloyd Kaufman's scary teeth (made for the movie?) and his hypnotizing eyes freaked me out. This is one for your nightmares. Not really horror, but not really easy to shake from your mind either.

Some guy was ranting on a message board about this film months ago, and I was recently able to acquire a video from a friend of a friend who really loves Troma but hates this film.

I have to say that "The Tunnel" struck me. While the production quality is relatively low, and some of the handling of the cast seems haphazard, uneven, or sloppy (Kaufman), the film does have a certain dark, freakshow style that I happened to find fascinating. The direction, at times seems a little awkward, with a lack of attention to pacing. Even in the 15-minute version, it didn't pick up enough speed into climax, and rather droned its way into a thud.

Unlike previous posters, however, I did find the story just interesting and unique enough to keep me thinking, and I felt that this film suffered perhaps more from ambition than pretention. It seems to be reminiscent of French absurdism, and not just in Kaufman's rather pathetic Blacque Jacque Shellacque impersonation, but in the ideas expressed in the film.

Paul, the main character, is struggling with his mortality, in ways which are not so clearly explained(an asset?). Is the point of "The Tunnel" that there is no light, or that there is no tunnel? Existentialist or Nihilist?

And on a final note, I was rather impressed with the work of Casey Wickson in the film as the lead character. I don't know that I would've made it through this film if not for his performance, which seemed genuine, and a familiar face for someone who apparently hasn't done much else. When Paul speaks, there is pain in his voice, and my gf said she would've cried if he had more than three sentences to speak. If acting is in the eyes, then this guy might have it, although he did seem young for the part.

The story here seems solid, perhaps even excellent, but the direction (or lack thereof) slows it, and, at times, takes you away from it. If you're looking for a "little too weird for its own good think-piece", then you might want to check it out. I give it a 7.5/10, mostly on its apparent intentions and a singular performance.

I had the unfortunate experience of seeing the Tunnel earlier this year. From the start, the film plays like the pretentious dream child of a self indulgent director. Not only does it try, not very succesfully, either, to rip off auteur of weird David Lynch, but goes one further by trying to replicate the famous bathtub scene in Stanley Kubrick's cult hit, "The Shining". For instance, towards the end our character ends himself in a room that seems suspiciously similar to "The Black Lodge" from David Lynch's Twin Peaks. From there Lloyd Kaufman, whose performance seems to replicate a certain midget's from Twin Peaks, starts to attempt obscurity by way of French Dialouge. The film itself, plays like Eraserhead for kindergardeners. What is the worst, is that the cast itself isn't bad. The main actor Casey is quite good, as is Lloyd Kaufman. I don't know if I would say the same for the star of American Movie. In closing, a waste of a half an hour, or thirty minutes if you unfortunately get the longer version.

Really cool, and different. I ordered the dvd-r through the web, and expected an amateurish film. I was more than pleasantly surprised. It's one of the best short films I've seen in the last few years, and kind of goes past being a short. Unique, well-done, and filled with detail. If you like to think when you see a scary movie, then don't pass this one. I still have yet to see the full 35 minute one, and now I can't wait to see it. Unfortunately, we don't have it up here. I bet it's fresh though!