Author: Take2IndieReview: Mark Lakatos
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YELLOW
There’s an achingly beautiful touch of precision and beauty that comes with personal films. Regardless of culture, politics, or religion, they are bound to resonate on some level with their audience. Afghan writer/director Elham Ehsas strikes a quietly devastating and insightful chord with Yellow, a short film that takes place during the Taliban’s takeover of…
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WAR OF THE WILLS
There’s something uncharacteristically novel about George Dondero’s War of the Wills. A campy intro and a matter-of-fact opening scene set the table perfectly. William Hadeon III’s grandfather has passed away, leaving several million dollars behind in a will for him to inherit. Arriving at the recently deceased estate of Hadeon Sr., it is revealed that…
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JOVI & LOU
Very few indie movies have as much going on in their stories as Jovi & Lou does. Even fewer know how to have this much fun with it. From its ominous opening sequence to its final frame, writer/director Terry Spears has created the ultimate deus ex machina film that invites viewers on a whimsical and…
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RUTH ARAUJO
A costume designer with seven years of experience and an extensive resume, Ruth Araujo has worked on projects with the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Francis Ford Coppola. A UCLA graduate, Ruth has worked on both commercials and films throughout her career, priding herself on providing exposure to underappreciated talent through her craft and…
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Miguel del Campo
Miguel del Campo is a Mexican-born independent filmmaker with a handful of horror-dramas under his belt. He studied filmmaking at UPAEP in Puebla, Mexico, and then at the NYFA’s Los Angeles campus. With a wealth of production experience gained through working on music videos, features, and commercials, he now works at Lionsgate in marketing and…
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VAX
Vaccines and viral outbreaks are fresh in the minds of filmgoers, both as real-life events and as popular premises for films. Vax begins with a cold open, with a whole lot of doom and gloom behind its turbulent malaria outbreak. Geoff (Cade Carradine) and Eric (Rico Ross) from Triple Hills Pharma’s research team find themselves…
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ECHOIC
The strange killing of 22-year-old Gabby Petito shook the United States in 2021, with an unnerving web of lies and conspiracies surrounding the case and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. It was a widely televised and debated affair, gaining notoriety due to the couple’s social media presence. Those who have seen director David Lawler’s previous work…
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DOSED
While its real-life implications are anything but sources of hilarity, Dosed manages to mine a decent amount of comedy from its fictional premise thanks to sharp wit and solid direction by Nadine O’Mahony. Set in a seedy nightclub, Florence (Emily Dilworth) and Polly (Georgia Neath) get their kicks by drugging unsuspecting partygoers and parting them…
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ARE YOU READY?
Something eerie’s in the air as Dylan Guard’s student short Are You Ready? begins. Opening on a suburban backyard, Taylor (played by Jack Riley-Jones) finds himself sitting opposite a faceless figure in a suit and fedora. Struggling to piece together how and why he got there, Taylor recants the night before as the person dressed…