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garyvincent
Reviews
Judge Not (2024)
A Heartfelt Exploration of Faith, Compassion, and the Human Condition
"Judge Not" is a heartfelt and dramatic story exploring themes of faith, judgment, and the complexities of human relationships. The film delves into the lives of several characters facing difficult moral and personal dilemmas, emphasizing the importance of empathy, understanding, and the strength found in community and faith.
The movie weaves together multiple storylines. One key plotline involves a character named Jackie, who faces the challenge of being a single mother dealing with the repercussions of a failed relationship. Her struggles are compounded when she discovers she is pregnant, a revelation that sparks mixed reactions from her community and church. Another storyline involves a couple dealing with infertility and their decision to explore adoption, offering a poignant look at the hopes and heartaches tied to the desire for parenthood.
Central to "Judge Not" is the theme of judgment versus compassion. Characters confront their biases and preconceived notions, especially within the context of a religious community. Jackie's storyline serves as a powerful critique of how communities can often be quick to judge without understanding the full picture. The movie also touches on themes of forgiveness, love, and the resilience required to navigate life's challenges.
The characters are portrayed with depth and complexity. Jackie emerges as a strong yet vulnerable protagonist, grappling with societal expectations and personal guilt. The conversations within the church community reveal the tension between moral righteousness and genuine support. The subplot involving the couple seeking to adopt adds layers to the narrative, contrasting their journey with Jackie's predicament and highlighting different facets of family and faith.
The tone of the movie is earnest and reflective, with moments of emotional intensity. The dialogue reveals the characters' internal conflicts, and the inclusion of church scenes and songs underscores a setting deeply rooted in spiritual themes.
"Judge Not" is a compelling drama that encourages viewers to reflect on their own judgments and the importance of compassion. By presenting complex characters in morally ambiguous situations, the movie challenges simplistic views of right and wrong, instead advocating for empathy and understanding.
Nightblade (2016)
Great horror-crime-thriller!
I am a big fan of independent films. I was pleasantly surprised that NIGHTBLADE did not disappoint.
Set in Nashville, NIGHTBLADE is a story about a couple of friends who have drawn apart over the years but eventually came back together. As the girls from Nicky's club "The Pleasure Dome" start getting attacked by a knife-wielding psychopath a Miami VICE-type crime drama unfolds. The script is well written and well acted by all of the talented people who worked on this film.
Kudos to Los Bastardz Productions on an excellent film coming out of the gate. If NIGHTBLADE is any indication of the passion, caliber and direction of their future projects,, I look forward to seeing more films from this gifted independent studio. Definitely worth checking out!
Endor (2016)
ENDOR is intense!
ENDOR is Faustus McGreeves modern adaption of the "Witch of Endor" story from the First Book of Samuel (Chapter 28) in the Holy Bible. The biblical account describes how Saul disobeyed God's explicit instructions and ultimately was destroyed.
In the movie, "Endor" is the Church of Endor, a God-fearing, Bible-thumping church who firmly believes in the fire and brimstone God of judgment of the Old Testament. We are given a glimpse of one of their services during the start of the film, where the congregation is angry over those not in attendance—the heretics who would rather live in sin and hang out at the local bar than live righteously and go to church. During a feverish sermon by the Reverend of Endor (played by Doug Rothgeb), one of the church members – Owen Matthews (played by Darrick Silkman) – abruptly stands and leaves the service. We later learn that he was possessed by a spirit of vengeance and that God will use him to exact judgment on all sinners in his path.
Once Owen's possession is established, the movie follows a young couple – Keira (played by Julia Farrel) and Russ (played by Dustin Smith) – who are on a road trip in Nebraska to visit Russ' family. The story of their young love is well written and acted. A good portion of screen time is given to allow the viewer to feel for these characters and even though ENDOR eventually becomes a blood-bath slasher flick that does not let the horror genre down, this character development is a welcome addition to payoff for the viewer.
We learn that Keira used to be a believer in God, but due to a series of personal tragedies, has become an atheist and no longer believes. We don't completely know if Russ believes or does not, but the fact that he doesn't get killed right away lends to the possibility that he is redeemable.
During a run of bad luck (as is often the case in horror films), the couple find themselves almost out of gas. After stopping by a closed station, they are forced to look for gas at one of the nearby farms. While Russ is looking around the barn for a gas can, Keira witnesses the farmer getting killed by Owen in the pasture.
Owen sees Keira and the chase is on!
What could be considered a slow start is quickly remedied from this point forward. We are led on a very elaborate cat and mouse chase that lasts from the afternoon and throughout the night. Nearly everyone in Owen's path is killed with the exception of a small few, who may be deduced to be believers based on their behavior and dialogue.
While we eventually realize that God's chosen target of retribution is Keira, Owen seems to toy with her and Russ, all the while killing off all of the sinners he encounters in a most brutal way. He uses a lot of farm implements to create a blood bath that will have critics talking about the special effects work of Wetworks for years to come.
ENDOR is intense! It does not disappoint. To prevent spoiling some of the more gratifying scenes in the film, I will not disclose how the film ends or the surprises the couple encounter while hitting the local bar seeking refuge, but I will say
do not miss ENDOR if you are a fan of horror!
I give ENDOR two enthusiastic thumbs up! --GARY LEE VINCENT