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jsemperparatus
Reviews
Firefall: An Epic Family Adventure (2012)
FIREFALL - An Uproarious and Joyous film
My wife and I attended FIREFALL An Epic Family Adventure and were so happy. Firefall was about five groups of people visiting Yosemite National Park to see a last showing of the historic flaming ember 'firefall.' The cinematography was breathtaking! The camera movement was fluid and added so much. All of the characters were round and whole, and we found we really cared about them. Director Sconce's use of bright colors throughout the film added crucial vibrancy. Solid dramatic portions were interspersed with the comedy giving a real roller coaster ride of emotions. The lead actors were fantastic and I particularly loved the characters Stanford James (Greg Tharpe), Hugo Armstrong (Michael R. Tweedy), and the rock climbing Scots (Paul Pavelski and Ryan Hoagland). The score was beautiful by composer James Mierkey, who scored Sconce's last film, STRICKEN. The edit was crisp and perfect, in my opinion. The crowd exploded into laughter over and over, and I sat in awe as we all applauded and cheered the action numerous times spontaneously. You would just recover from a gut wrenching laugh and the film would hit you again. People in the room were crying from laughing so hard. Sconce added funny animal footage to the action all through the film. After seeing the film, I now want to travel to Yosemite National Park myself to see its wonder. Director Matt Sconce took an award winning script to amazing heights in FIREFALL. It was so very entertaining. When leaving the theater I chatted with an older man who said he had never in his life laughed so hard at any film. I guess that says it all. The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is I know IMDb knocks those out of the overall vote. Go see FIREFALL! Go see it! Go see it! Go see it!
Stricken (2010)
A Wonderful Thinker's Thriller - A time well spent.
STRICKEN is a modern, thinker's thriller. When we left the theater after viewing, we, like many other viewers, were so excited and happy. Stricken was like a beloved yet terrifying Alfred Hitchcock film, filled with twists and turns, never allowing you to figure out the story until the triumphant climax at the end. This is no slasher film, but a poignant treatise on honor, loyalty and self sacrificial caring for other people, even when faced with unspeakable evil. A woman sitting next to me was hiding her head under her coat during the film and later told me STRICKEN was, "...The scariest film I have ever seen." The story is deep and the characters very full and round. Stars David Fine (Pursuit of Happiness, Sweet November), and Stephanie French, give powerful performances that pull the viewer in, motivating us to really care about them. The Direction of the award winning script by Matt Sconce shows focused attention to detail. Tasteful camera movement and shrewd use of lighting for conveying mood in each scene are trademark Sconce direction, and the film is very artistic. As Sconce was also the writer of the screenplay, one can see STRICKEN as his canvas for that beautiful work of art. The musical score is beyond masterful, and Composer James Merkey is a 'John Williams' before anyone knows he is a genius. Special effects are flawless and help tell the story, rather than distracting the viewer. Stricken is one of those films that rarely comes along: A great, interesting, and exciting lower budget film that holds its end up with the big boys. One young lady had seen four films before STRICKEN the week we watched it and said, "STRICKEN, by far, is the best film I have seen all week" That says it all.