Gorehounds Unite!

 Cheesy Nuggets Productions presents Emily M. Hagins' PATHOGEN.....Sorry about that I just love to say Cheesy Nuggets. Its a great name for a production company and its fitting for an independent horror film production companys name.

 Now when I first found out about pathogen I didnt know anything about the filmmakers at all (I actually didnt know anything till I popped it in tonight). The film was directed by a 13 year old woman......the 2 things we're sorely missing in the film industry these days and especially in the Horror Genre. So its great to know that we have some talented women directors waiting in the wings!

 It took this group of filmmakers to do what I didnt think was possible anymore, and thats have a hope for the future of the genre and the youth of our generation as well (hey Im not that old either....Im in my late 20's but still). How many younger people(I refuse to call them kid's...They are filmmakers regardless of age) do you know that are out there making films and show this much respect for film. Hell at their age I was sitting in my room with my buddies playing Sega Genesis or causing trouble!

 Now as you all know when I review a film I judge it on what it has based on the budget used,etc. Now this film obviously was made for very little money and is by no means perfect. Ill start with what I liked about the film....

 The first thing I have to commend is the fact they made a feature length with little to no money, Thats a huge undertaking and hard to achieve. Now youll notice right away that the filmmakers didnt just go and make a film to fit their budget....this isnt like most low budget horror films in that its not just set in 1 or 2 sets and a small cast of characters. This film had so many great locations that I cant believe they got for this film. I was really impressed with the fact that they shot in a real high school, A real grocery Store, and a few other places most people will never get the chance to shoot in without a large budget. The locations lend the film an look of credibility and makes it look like they had alot more budget than they did.

 Emily Hagins (director) has a real eye for using the camera as the shots of the water going into the drain and the shot from underneath the garbage bag were beautifully shot. Shes very good at framing shots as well..although you notice some problems her style is just starting to develop and I'm excited to see her skills fully developed.

 Another thing I noticed was that alot of these kids could really act! They were better than the adults that were in the film.....of course theres a few scenes where you can tell they were laughing or cracking a smile but they were few and far between. The actual plot of the film was alot better than I would expect from an indie film as well, It wasnt just your normal Military versus the Zombies film. It was an intelligent script and had some nice homages to Night Of The Living Dead/Cabin Fever/ 28 Days Later. You could feel a real respect for the horror genre in this film.....this is either from having really cool parents or sneaking movies they werent supposed to see and watching them. 

 Now I want to focus on the things that could be improved on if they want to keep making films. The first thing I noticed was there was alot of camera shake at times and I think it would makr the film look that much more proffessional if it hadnt been like that. Its as simple as using a tri-pod for some of the shots and that should take care of it for them (in fact if this was because they didnt have one Id like to try and get them a used one...any of you out there have a used one for cheap?)

 The next thing they need to concentrate on for their next film is actually in the writing process.....and that is dialogue. Many times in the movie I noticed characters saying the same points more than once when the audience knows already about that plot point.I cant remember exact instances that happened but for example a character says "there was a mass murder at the college" and goes into detail when the scene before showed everything the character just described.

 Id also like to see a little more characterization in the beginning so you get to know and care about the characters more. That and fleshing out plot points.....there was a subplot about the girl dreaming about what was about to  happen and they explored it as far as talking about it being a premonition. I would have liked to see that plot played for a little more effect than just explaining it away.

 She manages to get pretty good performances from most but you can tell they have alot of screen chemistry as they are all friends in real life (I think anyways) and with more experience she will be able to pul that out of them. The make-up ranged from really good to bad, no doubt due to the budget restrictions but I never would have thought lettuce and honey could look so good as an effect.

 The last point Id like to give her is when filming use more differing angles as when they are all framed similar it loses alot of the locations natural charm as well as makes it more noticable when theres a bad performance or effect. Use more shots edited together with close-up reaction shots and what not. It breaks it up and makes it more interesting to look at! This brings me to a similar problem with the editing and this may just be a result of the software used. There were alot of cuts where it was just an abrupt cut to the next scene.....add more fades and different types of cuts.

  This is a film that should be shown to all filmmakers and to kids of all ages to show that if you have a real passion for something no matter your age or skill level you can get it done. I showed this to my 6 year old nieces just to show them they can do anything they want and to be honest girls nowadays dont have many very good female role models....these girls are just that.

 These women will have very bright futures if they continue on the path they are on and keep honing(spelling?) their acting,directing,etc skills. I for one cant wait to see what they do in the future and where they end up. In Emily M. Hagins' I believe we may have the next Sofia Coppola or Penny Marshall. Just look past the material and you can see that shes destined to be a great director.

 I went into this movie with low expectations and hoping to just laugh a little and as hokey as it sounds I came out with hope. While the film may not be the best thing youll ever see it does what it set out to do and that is be entertaining and it does just that.Pathogen is an intelligent well thought out horror movie with plenty of tense moments as well as a few good laughs thrown in for good measure. The perfect film to grab a buddy and a beer and have a blast!

 Just remember go into with low expectations,looking to have a little fun and the considerations Ive stated above and youll have a blast.......I know I did.

 Go to their myspace page now and buy the film or just check them out:  http://www.myspace.com/pathogenmovie  

 RATING:

 3 out of 5 Severed Heads