User Reviews

A newspaper article about Aash Aaron's other feature film Vigilante.

Outlandish in Paradise Coast style on loan for movie by Renee Redmond film industry reporter.

A FLASHY $286,000 sports car and an exclusive jewelry shop were on loan to local film makers this week, giving them an ideal backdrop to shoot their $1.1 million feature film Vigilante.

A 30 strong film crew set up in Surfers Parade, Broadbeach, focusing on the lead character Luke (played by Robert Diaz), his diamond shop and his flashy black sports car.

The film written and directed by Aash Aaron, will be shot around Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and The Spit over the next three weeks. It is being produced by Aaron's Gold Coast production company Outlandish Films.

Diaz said funding for the revenge-style film has been raised through private investors who wanted to put their money into a rewarding project. "We'll be talking to distributors in Australia and LA next week and we are confident it will make the big screen," he said.

The film should be ready for release between April and May next year. "We're pioneers for the new Australian film industry, making movies that are marketable and profitable," said Diaz. "A lot of film makers make movies they want to see but we're making what the audience wants."

Diaz said they were already talking about making a sequel to Vigilante and encouraged people to get behind the local film industry. "The Gold Coast has welcomed us with open arms and we want to bring more international films to the coast because there's no better place to make movies", he said.

Diaz said Gold Coast businesses had been extremely generous, providing them with locations as well as flash cars, jewels and costumes. "James Frizelle's Audi Centre Gold Coast lent us their $286,000 Audi R8, which is my car in the movie," said Diaz.

Frizelle's sales manager Nathan Grumbleton said the new car was one of about 20 of its kind in the country, but the company was happy to lend it for the movie. Broadbeach's Amore Exquisite Jewellery shop In Surf Parade also obliged, allowing cameras to take over their shop yesterday and actresses to wear their jewels.

Owners Rodney and Anne Lobb said they were excited to be part of the project. "It will be great for the Gold Coast so were happy to get involved," Mr Lobb.

GO TO: http://www.videoviews.org/icu.html for original website review.

VIDEO VIEW review of I.C.U.

As a serial killer terrorizes the town where they're on vacation, three curious lads start snooping on a neighbor in their apartment complex and soon think they've discovered the identity of the murderer. What they don't know is that a sinister mastermind is actually watching them through a series of hidden closed-circuit security cameras.

I.C.U. is an Australian film that takes the whole voyeurism and security camera themes to another deadly level. The story is about a brother and sister who go to spend time with their father as a kind of make-up thing for him not having time to spend with them in the past. The brother brings along a friend and when the father is called out to work at a crime scene the boys get bored and decide to use their camera, binoculars and telescope to spy on people in adjacent buildings. The boys at one point believe they witnessed a murder and when their father comes home them they tell him about it. He doesn't believe their story but goes over the the person's apartment to check it out anyway but when he gets back he is very angry and even strikes his son for what he calls "playing games." It is to late though because while the father was confronting the man he pointed out where his kids are staying so now the tables have turned and the suspect just might be coming to get them. This is Director, Aash Aaron's second time behind the camera and it is a big improvement over his first film "Vigilante." The use of internal cameras and the cityscape plus the pulsating music which fits the film perfectly makes this a different and original take on the thriller genre. The film starts out slow, building the characters a bit before getting to the actual crime but it still has a fast pace with the busy camera work and the brother's friend who has a thing for his sister is great, he provides a number of very funny scenes early on. Once the film reaches the hour mark it gets down to business and quick, the father acting strange when approached by the kids has you scratching your head wondering what he might be up to but you're still not sure at that point what is going on because you seen the suspect in his window. So the film keeps you guessing and it has multiple twists towards the end that are sure to satisfy any fan of the genre. I loved the idea of the whole surveillance thing and it was used to the max and very successfully. The cast, many of whom are first time actors did a great job playing their characters. I.C.U. is a fun film that that went beyond what I expected.

I purposely avoided going into details of what happens after that hour or so mark so not to ruin the film for anyone that might be looking forward to seeing it when it comes out on DVD September 21. The film teaches us that spying on others can be deadly but the I.C.U. is worth keeping an eye out for. A fast paced thrill ride that mixes together a few genres but combined it adds up to big fun. I look forward to seeing what this exciting filmmaker has to offer next as well as what this talented young cast will be doing.

Here is a media article about Aash Aaron's other feature film

Vigilante Article: "Film Makers Fury at 'Destroyed' Vision" By Andrew Potts

A Hollywood style spat has broken out between the creative forces behind locally made film Vigilante.

The $1 million film, shot in December 2007, premiered to audiences at the recent Gold Coast Film Fantastic. However, Varsity Lakes resident Aash Aaron, who originally directed, wrote and co-produced Vigilante, has slammed the final version of the film as it was not what he intended.

"I want to be known i had nothing to do with (the post production version of) Vigilante being put together, "he said.

"The Film is a mess, which is a shame because it was a great project and in the right post- production hands it would be a great Australian film".

Mr Aaron, 38, left the project after a falling out with surfers paradise actor-producer Robert Diaz, his former student.

"It was a difficult working experience and I wasn't happy with the final product at all," said Mr Aaron. "I really want to see the film put together by the right hands to see what could come out of it."

Mr Diaz said a new team was put in place to complete the project after Mr Aaron left the project. "It played well with audiences and we got great feedback."

Mr Diaz has said the film was written with an international audience in mind and he hoped Vigilante would conquer the US film market.

Shot in Surfers Paradise and Southport, the thriller tells the story of a man hunting his girlfriends killer. The film is yet to be distributed locally and internationally.

What I really love about Aussie films is their originality.

We do our own thing with genre films and add our own flavor.

Take ICU for instance, sure Rear Window is an influence, but who has done a film like this before that is about kids spying on people while being spied on.

As well as it being a who done it serial killer thriller and black comedy?

Vigilante was also an original twist on the revenge film.

Luke played well enough by Robert Diaz is a guy punching his way through villains without a real mission because he has no idea who killed his girl friend but because he causes such a nuisance of himself attracts the attention of the bad ass Kazuya Wright who wants to track him down to please his mob boss father.

That was Gold if you ask me!

Cheers Aash, keep pumping these thrillers out!

As seen in the Gold Coast Bulletin Newspaper.

The "Force is With Aash Aaron" He stared in Neighbours and the Starter Wife with Debra Messing and directed his own feature films I.C.U and Vigilante. But if Gold Coast's Aash Aaron went to make a movie about his life he says it would be the next Star Wars saga. "It's the ultimate underdog movie" he laughs. "And its about a far away galaxy much like where I'm at in my head most of the time." Aaron also jokes that he would be played by actor Jason Statham, whose credits include The Bank Job and Snatch. (Yeah he wishes!!!) Aaron's new film I.C.U, a thriller about a sadistic voyeuristic killer stalking the city, was screened at Gold Coast's Film fantastic at Robina Event Cinemas last Friday. Before I.C.U and moving to Queensland Aaron was an actor in Melbourne 15 years ago playing small roles in TV shows. Academy, Time Trax, In Pursuit of Honour , and Pacific Drive. Now he's turned his attention to directing films.

What A Film!

Beautifully shot on the coast, capturing all the dark beauty on offer. ICU builds tension like a guillotine, slamming down in the last act to shock us all! No one could guess who the killer was! Aash Aarron is a master of his craft, writing, directing, editing, -is there anything he can't do? The actors are truly guided by the hand of a master in this film, and it REALLY SHOWS! Unlike Vigilante, this movie was All Aash, and it shows that he can really pump out a classic film when left to himself. The soundtrack was used well, too. This is a true thriller for 21st century kids. I can't wait to see what Aash does next! He's sure setting the gold standard for QLD film!!!