Ryan McDonald Films

The Contract: Short Film

2015-01-29T09:40:00.002-08:00

This short films is the end of an era that I call, "The College Years." Those are films that I filmed, shot, or wrote while attending film school at University of Central Florida, or even before then at Valencia Community College. These films include:

- The User
- The Question
- User Friendly
- Contains Magic
- Doppleganger
- Honey, I'm Home
- Sad But True
- Tuesday Morning

. . . and now finally The Contract.

I first come up with this idea back in 2008 while attending a screenplay writing class at the University of Central Florida. I needed to come with 10 ideas that might make potential short films. Of the ten, I conceived Tuesday Morning, Sad But True and The Contract.

Obviously, inspired after a viewing of The Seventh Seal, The Contract is about wealthy man on his death bed makes a deal with the Grim Reaper, but some deals can't be broken.

Hope that you enjoy the short! Comment welcome.

Sad But True - 10,000 hits on Youtube!

2014-04-22T10:56:00.001-07:00

My short film Sad But True has made it to the 10,000 hit mark on Youtube.

Some videos don't make it passed 500, let alone all the way to 10,000.
Thank you everyone that helped work on the film, and everyone else that
has watched, shared, and liked it.

Filming "Never Shared" Promo

2013-12-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

Never Shared is the first feature film from writer and director Jason White. It revolves around two couple who in an attempt to have a fun game night, find themselves in bitter arguments the reveal the secrets of the past from both couples.

Two weekends ago we set aside some time to film a scene from the movie and a few snippets within the script to use for promotional material to build funding for the film.

The promo stars Rod Carlson, Flo Donell, Michael Solarez, and Pamela Beheshti. The film is, in a sense, a talkie - much like Who's Affraid of Virgina Wolf and Carnage by Roman Polanski. The characters are consistently drinking throughout the scene, which in turn adds to heighten the arguments and conversations.

The promotional trailer for the film should be completed soon, and if the film reaches it funding than filming the full feature will shortly be around the corner. In the mean time you can keep up with updates by following @MakeItMatterPic.

The rest are several pictures that I took over the course of the two day shoot. Stay tuned for updates on the production.

If you are a filmmaker in the area and would like to help with the full shoot, or if you are also interested in film-making and would like some more experience on set - than shoot me an email or message and we will be sure to add you to the list.

Never Shared Promotion Cast and Crew

Ex. Producer	Jason White
Producer	Ryan McDonald


Director	Jason White

Writer	Jason White

Director of Photography	Thom Rockwell
Camera A Operator	Jackson Kerbs
Camera B Operator	Noah Wilcock
Camera Operator	Matt Johnson
First AD	Jake Heart
Second AD	Ryan McDonald




Script Supy	Brandie Rich
Sound	Jaison Costly
Boom	Jack Powell

Grip	Matt Johnson
Sound	Jaison Costly

Hair & Makeup	WhitneyJean Smith
BTS Photography	Levi Easley

Godsend/ 2nd Camera	Richard (Matt's Friend)


The Players
	Rod Carlson
	Michael Solarez
	Pam Beheshti
	Flo Danelli


Special Thanks	Jody Chapman
	Only in Ogden

Look Who's Talking - Short Film

2013-09-18T13:57:00.002-07:00

Enjoy! Comment below.

1 DAY!

2013-09-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

New Short Film - Look Who's Talking

2013-08-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

Last year, and the beginning of this, we filmed the new super short film Look Who's Talking. At the time my intention was to make something quick, fast, and easy. However, this film was more challenging that initially imagined.

One obstacle is the that in the short story, 4 minutes of screen time, we have both a dog and a baby. Two things that are often, "No, no's," to the filmmakers guide to success. Working with the dog went really well. Heck, we just used mine.

And working with the baby was exceptionally easy as well. It was finding one that would work that was the real challenge. The first few candidates that we had eventually all fell through. We finally we able to find Mitchell Benjamin Thomas via a casting notice by Jessica Diekman, an amazing casting rep.

None the less the film is nearly ready, almost a year now in the making. Course there were some on and off periods as I was adjusting to newly found parent hood and working on my feature length screenplay The One You Feed.

I drawn up a few ideas for the marking campaign, and am currently working on setting a release date.

So be on the look out and let us know what you think.

Marketing for The One You Feed

2013-06-04T15:43:00.002-07:00

Thinking about how I might market this to prospective viewers and inverters, and sitting here at my desk, I sketched out some ideas that I have for the marketing campaign.

The color bar with the title The One You Feed is similar in reference to the previous marketing ideas that I had posted. I would drop the "two wolves" myth story and in place add the words - Love, Hate, Joy, Anger, Jutice, Revenge. Which One Will You Feed?

Then have two track-able QR code boxes, one listed, "Love," the other listed as, "Hate." Each QR code would lead to a separate 30 second trailer would play on the users smart device - one themed with love and the other hate.

So, yes, we would need to create two style of trailers, but it provokes the view by asking the question and then adds the pay off of a different video at each link.

The two types of videos would also help support the doppelganger/duality theme that is present throughout the story.

Another thought I have on this would be flyer hand outs that look similar to this -

This is a bare bones sketch and the final product would have more imagery on it, but the basic concept is present. The front would prompt the question, "Which One Will You Feed." Then the back side would offer the same two QR codes that lead to the separately themed videos.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

All are welcome, stay tuned for another homework assignment as well as a much needed update on where the script is.

Homework - The One You Feed

2013-05-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

This weeks homework assignment is Cameron Crows Vanilla Sky, a remake of the Spanish film Open Your Eyes.

A film about revenge?

- No

A film with guns?

- No

An explosions?

- No.

So what gives? Well, Vanilla Sky doesn't have the same traits as other will be later Homework assignments will. It's not really a crime thriller, it doesn't have a killer gang, and a dead wife with a vengeful husband.

The film starring Tom Cruise, is about a millionaire playboy who has everything he wants and also thinks he can have it all, including his best friends date to a party while still entertaining another girl on the side.

The films deals with consequence of choices, a theme that is currently very present the first draft of The One You Feed. The film also has two female leads, one blonde and one brunette - showing their contrast to each other, and our film will have the same.

One scene that has always has an impact on me is one in which Tom Cruise meets Penelope Cruz in the park. He has just been in a car accident with Cameron Diaz, at first is lost as to how he woke up in the park. In that moment, he finds that he is in a dream. That he doesn't actually have Penelope with him, and they are not together.

I love the idea the scene because it shows that even after you have lost someone, you may continue to dream about them. In that dream everything seems real, and your significant other is with you again. However, soon you will wake up and what was a wonderful dream is now a nightmare, because in reality that person is gone forever.

A scene similar to this will be in The One You Feed - but of course different and more in the context of our storyline.

Here is a trailer for the film, and be sure to complete your homework assignment before next weeks assigned film.

Janus - The One You Feed

2013-05-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

Though I had previously owned Armageddon and The Rock on Criterion (I know big art house films right?) DVD, I had never been exposed to so much foreign and hard to find films than when working for my Bachelor in Film.

Many of the films that we watched came from the Criterion collection, and most of them all begin with the Janus image above. Seeing the Criterion's Janus film symbol before every movie left a lasting impression. There are several storytelling narratives that are simply my favorite, one being stories that are told in non-linier form, time traveling is another, and duality.

For those that are not aware of who Janus is, here is what Wikipedia has to say -

"In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus (Latin: IANVS) is the god of beginnings and transitions,^[1] thence also of gates, doors, passages, endings and time. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past. The Romans named the month of January (Ianuarius) in his honor. Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict, and hence peace and war."

The Janus symbol inspired me so much that during my time at the Univeristy of Central Florida I made a a short film called Doppleganger, in which I named my main character Janus, a man with a split personality that talks to his dog about possibly killing his wife.

The myth of The One You Feed obviously deals with the internal struggle of duality, good versus evil. In writing the script I have attempt to add several scenes that are, in a sense, duplicates of previous scenes. There are things that happen twice. Hitchcock did this in his film Shadow of Doubt and also in Vertigo. Not that my story needed any more duality in it, but I thought that following in the same feet steps wouldn't hurt either.

In the script, John's wife Linda is killed in a brutal attack. The only distinct item that John can recollect from one of the thugs is a tattoo. I had long thought the tattoo to be a cross of some sort, knowing in my heart that I would change the design later to something more distinct. Something that we as the audience, and John, will recognize later when bumping into that thug again.

I scratched my brain for a long time about what that symbol could be, the tattoo that the thug has on his arm. I even researched gang tattoos in the hopes of finding something that would work. Then it finally dawned on me - Janus. A symbols of duality and a mise en scene that I was toying with anyways.

It was perfect, I thought. The character will have Janus tattoo. But what would that actually look like? Would that look plausible? After doing a little Google image search I found this image below - a person with a Janus tattoo on their wrist.

Ehh, not really what I was looking for. What do you think?

I am sure that the tattoo fulfills this person lifestyle and completes them, maybe. But it's not aggressive enough for a thug character. Right? Doing a little more Google image search, "Janus Tattoo," I found the image below.

More perfect than I could imagine. Dropping the facial feature and beard from the image and making it skulls gives it just the edge that it needs. And it seperates it from the Criterion image so it doesn't look like the Thug is a huge art house film fan.

Audience, I think I just found my tattoo for the thug character. By the way, the thug character's name is Emil. The name is in reference to Robocop. You know, the guy that says, "I know you. You're dead. We killed you!"

But more on that later - as it will be one of the homework assignments in the coming weeks.

Please, let me know what you think, like, dislike and also please show your support by liking the Facebook page.

Regards,

Ryan McDonald

Homework - The One You Feed

2013-04-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

In a new section called the "homework" that is required for my feature film The One You Feed.

Along the way of writing the screenplay I have add many nick-knacks inspired by other films. Some parts are just lines of dialogue; others are entire scenes that have been inspired by these movies, and some are films where the visual style, sound track, or themes that are inspiring The One You Feed movie.

First assignment in The One you Feed homework is Michael Mann’s 1981 film Thief.

Thief follows Frank Hohimer, played by James Cann, a professional criminal thief with multiple fake front business operations. Frank also works independently from any gangster organization. But a onetime gig, with a local Mob tie may have the pay out that Frank needs in order to retire and go legitimate with his new girlfriend/wife. If successful, Frank could continue his life free of any criminal association.

Fans of Michael Mann’s will see the similarities in the character mentality, the “Don’t be attached to anything that you are not willing to walk out on in 60 flat if you spot the heat around the corner.” We also see Mann’s attention to detail and the authentic nature of his characters and films compared to typical Hollywood – crap.

The last third of this film is my favorite part, and it has a very profound influence on the ending for The One You Feed.

Last I checked, this film was available via Netflix instant stream.

Coffee for the Day - River Boat Gamblers; The Wolf You Feed

2013-04-22T07:46:00.002-07:00

Coffee of the Day? I think so.

Album teaser featuring the song "Gallows Bird" from the new Riverboat Gamblers album The Wolf You Feed out 5-22 on Volcom Entertainment.

So far, I dig the sound. Perhaps they would be interested in allowing the movie to feature a song of theirs. I could work with that.
Check out their website as well. http://www.theriverboatgamblers.com/

Movie Review: UP

2013-04-17T15:13:00.002-07:00

In writing a review for Disney/ Pixar’s film UP, one could easily express the film in as few of words as, “Wow.” Pixar has masterfully done it again, and fans for the animation production house will not be disappointed. As the trailers for the film suggest, UP is about a lonely and grumpy old man, named Carl, who embarks on a wild adventure by lifting his house from the ground with thousands of helium balloons. However, the plan goes a little awry when Carl finds Russell, a young boy scout, still latched onto his porch. This is only a basic description for the movie, and what you don’t see in the trailer is an emotional and richly dense film that at various points in the narrative won’t leave a dry eye in the theater. As an audience we’ve come to expect great things from Pixar, and it should come as no surprise that this review regards the films as great, even above great. Pixar consistently continues each year, not just have the best animated films, but often times one of the best films of the year. UP, is no exception. Director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.) and the rest of the Pixar team have really set the bar high for what great animated films can be. In regards to the 3-D, it is phenomenal. But it isn’t like other 3-D films you have seen. It doesn’t resort to basic eye popping gimmicks that make you dodge away from the screen. At times these things can be disruptive. What is great about UP in 3-D is the depth that you see in the image itself, which is in not normally there in 2-D, and is greatly enhanced with a film about a man traveling with his house high above the surface of the Earth. In 3-D or not, the film still has a very heartfelt and adventurous story that can be seen with or without the glasses. If you are a fan of Finding Nemo and Wall-E, than you will certainly love UP.

A+

Terminator Salvation: Ryan's Commentary

2013-04-17T15:12:00.002-07:00

It’s been a little over a week since Terminator Salvation (T4) was released into theaters. Since then the reviews for it have been a little wishy washy. It seems that either people loved it, or they hated it. I for one loved it, and I am not sure why other people didn’t. Not that I am unsure of why they hated it, I am well aware of their arguments. I just don’t understand their stand point. SPOILER ALERTS, as I share with you my comments on Terminator Salvation.

Instinctively, when an audience watches a sequel film the first thing they tend to do is compare it with the previous films of that franchise. T4 is obviously not as good as T2. But did we really expect it to be? T2 is not just the best film of the franchise, but very possibly the best action film ever made. I don’t think that is too much of a bold statement. T2 is masterfully done, and really can anything top it? The first Terminator is like the first Toy Story. It always gets good props for the being the first, even though it has been surpassed by many other films. So if we can’t judge T4 with T1, and T2 is just to amazing to compare with then T3 is all we have left. (Sorry about all the T’s, but it is wonderfully much easier to type this out that way.)

What I like about T3 is the action, but the action alone can’t save the film. What I don’t like about T3 is how closely it mimics the previous two films of the franchise. It is too formulaic with the previous films. If you don’t believe me, than allow me to convince you by placing T2 and T3 side by side. In both films two terminators travel back in time to save/kill John Conner. The Bad terminator hardly talks, and acquires clothing from the first human it comes across (police office and female shopper, respectively) Arnold finds clothing from the first bar he comes across, the different here is that in T2 is was cool. In T3, it is goofy and cheesy, “Talk to the hand.” In the mean time the narrative address the other two characters of the film who we have yet to meet, John and Sara in T2 and John and Kate in T3. The bad terminator catches up to John first only for the Arnold to come in and save the day. After then next scene is the, “Who are you and are you from the future,” talk. Which then leads to the, “We have to go a suicide mission to save our parents.” Arnold declines, then the kid/kids override that by, “Ordering,” him too do so. I’ll stop here to save you and I the bore of being too redundant. But I hope you get the message.

What I like about T4, is that it is new and refreshing. Not just a new movie, but a new approach to the franchise. The film doesn’t operate with the same formulaic tactics as the other films do. Instead of mimicking them, it only echoes from their past events. It operates on it’s own, again becoming fresh and fun but also being true to it original sources.

As far as McG compared to James Cameron in directing, of course it would be nice to have seen Cameron direct another Terminator film. But if he isn’t than, as a fan, I would rather McG take over so that there at least is another film.

If you have not seen the film, then I recommend you do so. It is in not as amazing as the second installment, but is certainly better than T3. If you liked Wolverine at all, this is movie for you. Because the action and special effects are incredibly better.

And on a final note: I loved the Bale rant and thought it was awesome. It made me want to see the movie more. I even the love the Remix of it. It's genius, and you can download the MP3 here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTihsJQHt48

Movie Review: Taking Pelham 123

2013-04-17T15:10:00.002-07:00

If you’ve seen more than one Tony Scott film than you all ready know the drill: Fast pace photography set to either rock in roll music or a Harry Gregson-Williams score (his 7^th Scott film). The Taking of Pelham 123 is no exception, it mixes just the right amount of both rock in roll music and a film score with that stylized Tony Scott pacing. In this remake of The Taking of Pelham 123, Denzel Washington re-teams with Scott for the fourth time as a MTA dispatcher who is thrust into a hostage negotiation situation as John Travolta has high jacked a New York City subway train and demands $10 Million in one hour. The bulk of the movie is the performance of Travolta and Washington batting it out over the radio. It is a cross between the tensions from Crimson Tide with the buddy cop friendship from Die Hard. The depth of the story all but ends on this one idea, the hijacking, then bring in James Gandolfini (his 3^rd Scott film) and John Turturro to help with the tension in the story.

The weakest aspect of this film is the lack of sophistication and ingenuity surrounding the heist itself. This isn’t like The Inside Man, where the hostage takers are constantly one step ahead of the police. Travolta’s character is a cross between his characters in Swordfish and Pulp Fiction, only with a little more crank and steroids.

This helps give the film the edge that other heist films lack, and is actually the strongest aspect of this movie. Travolta doesn’t just threaten to kill hostages, he kills hostages. His plan doesn’t consist of a Plan B, because Plan B is reinforcing Plan A; which is killing hostages. Travolta’s character is dangerous and on the edge, just enough where we need him to be to keep the suspense alive. Denzel Washington’s character isn’t a police officer or a hostage negotiator. He’s just another guy, stuck in an extraordinary circumstance.

This movie is fast, hard hitting, and on the edge. Every gun shot, car crash, and even the dialogue is like a punch in the stomach. What is refreshing about this film is that it doesn’t rely on special computer effects to entertain. It has classically good film making that is still suspenseful and hard hitting. And has just enough high jacking to echo the past events in New York, but not so much to take from the fact that it is just a movie. Really, just another Tony Scott roller coaster, but it is hard not to love it!

Grade: B

Movie Review: Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

2013-04-17T15:08:00.001-07:00

If you enjoyed the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, then you should enjoy Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen as well. They share many similarities beside both being sequels. For one the action is more spectacular, the sounds are louder, almost every character from the first film appears again in the second, and even The Fallen looks like a robotic version of Davy Jones. The film is also bigger, as select portions of the film have been shot in 70 mm and allow for a ceiling to floor experience in the IMAX theater. Those who saw The Dark Knight in IMAX will surely understand what it might look like to see Optimus Prime battle against Megatron in full IMAX.

The new film starts off two years after the last one. Optimus Prime and a team of soldiers now rummage around the globe looking for remaining and hiding Decepticons. All the while, Bubblebee still watches over Sam Witwicky, again played by Shia LeBeouf. Only this time he is leaving his home and headed off to college. Things get a little more complicated as the Decepticons fight to capture Sam as his brain has been taken over by a sliver from the energy cube from the first film.

The action in the film is stunning and everything is larger than life, just as it should be (or we would expect to see from a sequel). It seems hard to argue for a stronger or stable story line in a Michael Bay film. Because who really goes to see them entirely for their story lines. What we really want to just see things blow up. However, the film sacrifices a lot of “could be great moments” for the sake of corny jokes and possibly to sell more toys. Though the concept of the Transformers does come from a toy brand, Hasbro, and of course a sequel would guarantee more robots, it doesn’t mean that it should abandon the robots that were enjoyable the first time around. Ironhide is all but non existent in the new film, and though Bubblebee is in many scenes but he is being over shadowed by two small, rapping robots names Skid and Mudflap. It is almost the equivalent of the multiple costumes and bat mobiles in Batman & Robin; namely their only to advance product sales and not really there to help advance the story.

You know how a movie can be really great, but then have annoying and whinny characters throughout, such as Jar Jar Binks or John Hannah’s character from The Mummy? Welcome to Leo Spitz, played by Ramon Rodriguez, and the return of John Turturro’s character, Agent Simons. These characters where good enough for about one scene, but once the film picks them up it never wants to drop them off. They aren’t engaging or interesting at all and are simply there for comic relief. But when you have close to four character, (Skid, Mudflap, Leo Spitz, and Agent Simmons), all there for comic relief it counter acts it’s own purpose. These characters should be there in small doses; instead they come off distracting and at times unbearable to watch.

It wouldn’t have hurt for the film to take it’s self a little more serious, as much at least as the first film had. When the action does come around it is destructive and crushing, but at the same time it is almost too little too late. The more intense parts in the film could have multiplied a little more, and the corny comic moments toned down.

But again, it is hard to argue over story and character arch in a film directed by Michael Bay. However, we’ve seen intense and dangerous spectacles from him before. It just isn’t present in this film. For the large part this film is fun, and mainly action for action sake. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, may not be Bay’s best film but it is still better than Pearl Harbor, and possibly even The Island. The best part of the film is in the middle, when Optimus Prime defends off Megatron and two other villains in the forest. The action is on spot on, the intensity level is up, and if you see it in IMAX, Prime is standing is on six story screen in front of you.

Grade: B -

Movie Review: Public Enemies

2013-04-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

If anything can be said about Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, is that it is hardly a sensationalized version of John Dillinger’s life. Depp plays Dillinger as having a good time robbing banks and breaking people out of prison, but the film itself doesn’t portray these acts of crime and violence as fun, daring, or morally acceptable. Depp’s character never stops to celebrate his victories or dance in glory. Unlike The Godfather or Goodfellas, where the audience is rooting for the criminals the entire time, Public Enemies does not take the same stance. Instead the movie portrays the tragedy of a man who has no other vice then to rob banks and the consequences of those actions.

Christian Bale plays, Merlvin Purvis, a newly appointed FBI agent assigned to hunt down American’s number one public enemy, John Dillinger. Again, the film does not try to glorify the hay days of the 1930 and the fun and excitement one might get from day to day gun battles in the street. Purvis is a torched character, who seems to long for something besides massacring criminals on the street, in a sense he feels genuinely afraid of Dillinger – or afraid of failing to arrest him.

Like Mann’s film Heat, this has a dramatic narrative and lanced in between are hard hitting, and terrifying at times, gun battles. Where in other films, characters might be dodging bullet left and right, here Mann creates greats tension in the feeling that anyone of us might get shot. Many of the angles from the gun battles are looking down the barrel of a Tommy gun – like a third person shooter game. Mann does tend to keep the camera a little to close to the action and drama on screen. It would have great to see a few more wide angles. However, the aestitic of the film is how close and shoulder lever the camera always is in respect to the characters, creating of feeling of being a part of the action or another character in that location.

This film is certainly a great film, with rich characters that probably are best brought to life through Depp and Bale. The only fault to this film, is that narrativly it holds it’s character entirely at arms length. Unlike Heat or The Insider, where we are drawn into the characters and their psyche, this film never lets us in. If it were not for Depp and Bale, we might even be a few more steps back then we all ready are. The perspective for the audience isn’t as an audience member but as an observer who might be there watching them now. Public Enemies does have great acting and a lot of violence. It is entertaining and fun to watch, however Mann who usually puts out A+ material, falls a little short here. But still, Public Enemies is better than many of them films out there today.

Grade: B

Movie Review: District 9

2013-04-17T15:06:00.003-07:00

The first thing that you would notice about District 9 is that it isn't your typical Hollywood summer film with aliens. In fact it isn't a Hollywood film at all. District 9 doesn't have the usual Hollywood mega star like Will Smith nor a director like Steven Spielberg attached who brings a $200 million budget to boot. Instead it stars first time actor Sharlto Copley and is helmed by first time director Neill Blomkamp, and possible the only reason why they have a budget of $ 30 million is because of producer Peter Jackson. But regardless of the things that District 9 doesn't have in comparison to Hollywood summer films, it does offer a story that is fresh, exciting, and original to Sci-fi films today.

Many critics are comparing District 9 as a cross between Independence Day and The Fly. But I would say tone down the Independence Day part and stir in a little more City of God. In the film, a large alien space ship stops over Johannesburg. When the humans make contact they find the ship is occupied by hundreds of aliens, or Prawns as they call them, sick and dying inside the ship. The humans have removed the Prawns from the ships and brought them down into District 9, a segregated area from the city where the Prawns can be treated and cared for. That was twenty years ago. Today, the Prawns live in poverty and because so, like our own human behaviors, have turned toward looting and crime. The government, in fear of violent demonstrations by the public and Prawns, seeks to evict the Prawns from their homes in District 9, and move them to an area outside the city. The rest of the story is largely different that the first and second trailers that were released. Peter Jackson and the marketing team have done well with masking the true storyline under what appears to be an alien invasion film.

The movie is violent, harsh, and really a lot of fun. It challenges the Hollywood alien conventions, adds a message of social functions, and then asks a lot of moral questions about how we as a society treat "outcast" or people who are absent from the norm. Many parts of the film reflect the horrors of human history over the last 100 years, with the Nazi concentration camps and experimentations on humans, to the segregation (and often violent) society in the southern states of the US. The real question is how would we respond if aliens were stranded on earth? How would they function in our society and would we allow them to mix in? How would big business react to the profit possibilities of new technology? And how far would the government go to control new weaponry?

Even if it was said that this film cost $120 million it would be outstanding, but the fact that it is roughly the cost of a cheap Hollywood horror film is amazing. There is a robot sequence in the film with CGI that is comparable, if not better, that Transformers 2. The film is put together really well, and utilizes the best aspects of document style photographing without being uncontrollably shaky and hard to register. The action takes a second to develop, but once it starts it dangerous and gruesome. But that is the power of the film, to be a completely fictional piece with aliens and spaceships and yet feel real enough to make people wince, laugh, and even applaud when the film is over.

Grade: A

Book Review: The Road

2013-04-17T15:05:00.002-07:00

I normally do not sit down and take the time to read. Though I do enjoy it, I usually enjoy watching movies more. In turn it usually takes me about 6 months to read recreationally through a book. Not that I am a slow reader, or that I don't read often. Most of what I read is pressed upon me by school, and everything else usually falls to the waist side. So, with a two week break from collage I thought I could challenge myself to enjoy a good read in the normal time frame that people take to finish a book. I picked The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

This is the second novel by McCarthy that I have read, the first being No Country for Old Men, and at this point McCarthy is really becoming a favorite of mine and I could see myself picking up other writings of his. The Road is a popular choice. Not only did McCarthy win the Pulitzer Prize for it, but it is also regarded by many, such as Entertainment Weekly and Oprah, as one of the great novels in the last twenty-five years. I believe it to be as well.

The Road is an extremely bleak novel about a father and his son who travel south, on foot, down a road in a post-apocalypse nightmare. The father and son are constantly hungry, tired, and cold. The book never reveals the name of the two characters, where they are, what year it is, or where they are even from. In place McCarthy goes into great detail to define the horrible environment they live amongst. Everything is grey and wet. When it snows, the snow is described as ash following from the sky. The world that we know of only exist in a dream, and though it is never clear what exactly happened to the earth, it is clear that we hope it never happens in our lifetime. The father and son are isolated, but yet they are never alone. They are in constant fear of stumbling into other survivors who might steal what little they have or at worst cannibalize them. Their hope is to survive long enough on the road to make it to the southern coast, as they don't believe they can survive another winter in the north.

Structurally, The Road is very different from any novel that I have ever read. There aren't any chapters to the book, and instead all the actions are sectioned apart in small paragraphs. Usually, I end a reading season as soon as I reach the end of a chapter. But without them, I found it easier to continue from page to page and hard to put down the book. Also, like No Country for Old Men (and I can't say for McCarthy's other novels) the book doesn't punctuate the dialogue. As I mentioned before none of the characters are listed by name. They are the man and the boy, and it makes it easy to imagine the characters in any shape or form –or even as yourself. I find all these elements fascinating, and love how it breaks the convention and structure of any of the previous novels that I have read. It helps set apart this novel apart from others, and gives it a unique style that I am not sure exists elsewhere.

There is film adaptation being released this fall. Of course, the book has an impression on me that I am sure the movie can not recreate. I will review the film first as a stand alone film, and then second as the adaptation. However, I am grateful that I read the book now.

Grade: A

Movie Review: Inglorious Basterds

2013-04-17T15:04:00.003-07:00

Quentin Tarantino, who has about explored (or even exploited) every film genre up this point and now tackles war films with his seventh outing Inglorious Basterds. Tarantino's film is loosely based from a 1970's film about a renegade team of Jewish soldiers whose mission is to execute or mangle any and every Nazi soldier they come across. Brad Pitt stars as Lieut. Aldo Raine, a moon-shine maker who leads the Basterds in their escapades. Eli Roth plays the Bear Jew; a nickname given to him by the Nazi's and is known for excessive use of a wooden baseball bat when dealing with captured Nazi soldiers who are unwilling to divulge secret information. As Pitt's character Aldo Raine explains to one captured soldier, "We ain't in the prison taken business. We in the Nazi killing business. And cousin, business is a boomin'."

The film also carries a sub-plot, about a Jewish cinema theater owner, played by Melanie Laurent, living secretly in Nazi occupied France. In an earlier part of the film, she witness's her entire family get massacred by the Nazi's. Later as a theater owner, the Nazi's approach her about premiering a German exploit film where a German officer kills three-hundred French soldiers in the course of three days. The movie is expected to be a huge success, and in attendance for the premiere are four highest ranked officials in the Third Reich and even Hitler himself. Laurent's plan and the Basterds as well (though working separately) are to burn the theater down while all of the German high command sits in attendance to the film premiere.
This film is full of Tarantino authorship. Much like his past films he incorporates non-linier narrative devices, title cards that represent separate chapters to the film, and lengthy dialogue scenes that end in powerful and quick acts of violence. The best parts of the film are the dialogue scenes where great tension is built as characters fight to remain composure when speaking to the Nazi characters (mainly the one nicknamed The Jew Hunter), and try not to give themselves away. There are great performances here from the non American actors who in main scenes are speaking more than one language. There are least four languages being spoken in the film; English, German, French, and Italian. Actor Christoph Waltz, who plays Col. Hans Landa (or The Jew Hunter), speaks all four of those languages, which is an impressive feat.

This film is not like other war films, as it isn't trying to be historically accurate or gritting and realistic. When watching the movie, you can clearly see that you are in the world of a Tarantino film and like the trailer for the film noted, "You haven't seen war, until you've seen it through the eyes of Quentin Tarantino." It is mainly a character and dialogue driven film, and when the violence does manifest it is sharp and shocking, but also in a sick way kind of a funny. Eli Roth beating a Nazi soldier in the head with a baseball bat is hard to watch, but it isn't Hostel or Saw type violence that is raw and unpleasant. Tarantino is talented enough separate and distinguish the moments of when it is expectable to laugh or sit in shock. This film is very entertaining, and fans of his past work will love it. Others, who may be unaware of Tarantino (though I don't know that is possible these day) will be in for a treat, as this film is unlike Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red line, and the hundreds of other war films that came out after those successes. This film is almost two and half hours long, but it is entertaining enough that it never feels like it crossed the ninety minute mark.

Grade: A-

Movie Review: Gamer

2013-04-17T15:03:00.003-07:00

First off, let's be honest with ourselves and recognize that Gamer is clearly a B-Movie action film. It isn't Schindler's List, and it's intentions are not to win any academy awards. Like Big Trouble in Little China, a great film or great B-Movie film that we all love yet we realize that it is what it is which is entertainment and fun. Thus, Gamer, directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the directing due that brought us Crank and earlier this year Crank 2: High Voltage is entertainment for entertainment sake. Based from the director's previous work you can gather what I mean when I say that Gamer is a B-Movie film.
Like Crank, Gamer is a lot of preposterous action and scenarios hyped up on crack and rotating around the screen at a few thousand miles per hour. Gamer, is set in the not to distant future where the concept of video games such as The Sims and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare have been traded to the extreme realism of users being able to control other human beings. Here, Gerard Butler (300, Rock N' Rolla) plays Kable, a death row inmate controlled by video game users that act out real life multi-player combat scenarios. If the inmate survives thirty rounds then they are released back into population. Kable, with twenty-seven wins, is the only inmate with the possibility of actually winning the game. The concept is a cross between Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and The Running Man.

Neveldine/Taylor direct the film like a modern day Roger Cormen flick. They pack as much action as a low-budget film will allow and then increase the speed and pacing of the film, which in turn increases the perception of the action. They do this very effectively and honestly it helps the film out a lot. Everything is over the top, but because it is consistent throughout the film the acting and pacing never feel corny or out of place. The movie probably could have been reserved for a straight to DVD release, but really it is too much fun for the small screen. This film has a lot edge to it, and the filmmakers are obviously aware of the type of film that they are making. Gamer, is like a straight to DVD action film only amped up to number eleven. It paints an interesting depiction of a society that is so hooked on technology and consumerism and that is it eager to pay pay-per-view prices for real life America gladiator fighting with assault weapons.

Again, this movie isn't the smartest, nor dumbest, film but it was entertaining and blast to watch on the big screen with a crowded theater. Anyone who plays multi-player games will certainly enjoy the logistics of the film.

In reality probably a C would represent the film well, but I had enjoyed it more than that; Grade: B
Not as good as Crank but not bad either.

Video Game Review: Beatles - Rock Band

2013-04-17T15:02:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in my review for Guitar Hero 5, I've played most of the Guitar Hero series excluding only Smash Hits. I've played Rock Band in passing, while at other people's homes but never really played a set list from the Rock Band genre until now. I picked up The Beatles: Rock Band last Wednesday (09/09/09) and have probably played it three times over since. Of, course most of us assumed the game would be great because of course it is The Beatles. The Beatles were a major, if not the greatest, influence to Rock n' Roll. But without going into a detailed history of the band, we'll just continue with the idea that it would hard to make a horrible Beatles video game, because it is The Beatles.

But what really sets this game apart from Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Metallica are the set list and the narrative layout in the story mode of the game. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Metallica have great, and hugely popular, tracks from the bands on the game. However, Guitar Hero likes to block book all the songs by giving only so many Aerosmith or Metallica songs per every 5 generic (or not so worthy) sets. The Bealtes: Rock Band is all Beatles, and I love it. Concerning the set list, most of the songs are their mega hits songs. Possibly the only songs that I am really missing on here are Let It Be and Hey Jude. Other than that, the songs are fantastic picks. And even the songs that I wasn't aware of before, such as I Want You (She's So Heavy), are becoming favorites of mine now.

Adding the story line to the set list is where The Beatles: Rock Band rises above the other band games. In the other games, more notably Guitar Hero: Metallica, you would play the game as a rising band playing opening act to concerts for the all ready existing Aerosmith and Metallica. Aside, from a few videos and maybe a couple of houses that the band played in during their early years, the existent of the narrative is not focused on the band at all and instead is focused on you and your video game band. In The Beatles: Rock Band, you play as The Beatles the entire time, and you begin where they began and with what songs they had at the time. As the game progresses, you follow The Beatles from their success on The Ed Sullivan Show, though their studio period, and ultimately their final performance on top of the Apple Recording studio building. Having the game follow the real life time line of the band almost makes it more personal and even sad at the end when you know that you are playing the band during their last moments together.

The games also includes over 100 rare Beatle photos with commentaries, and some video clips that include behind the scenes footage of The Beatles rehearsing for The Ed Sullivan Show and footage for the documentary Let It Be. Basically, the game is a great companion piece to any person interested in The Beatles. The game has certainly re-sparked my interest in the bands music.

For game play I only have one complaint, I wish the game was a little harder. I know that seems weird to say, but I got five stars on the all the song the first time I played the game (on medium). I can only play on medium with any guitar game, but the medium speed for The Beatles: Rock Band is like the same speed for any easy mode speed on Guitar Hero. However the game makes up for this with the achievements, and the challenges that are unlocked during story mode. The developers have set the game up nicely so that in order to garner more achievements you'd have to play the game a few times over. Which sounds tasking, but really it's a lot of fun to play and was worth taking the time to do so.

Personally, this game is one of my favorites in the guitar video games category. Though I wish the speed of the songs and the rhythms were a little more complex, the game makes up for it with the set list and the narrative. Though this game is animated, it feels less cartoonish and more down to earth than the Guitar Hero series. I think it has set a good standard as to what future games in this genre can shoot for.

Grade: A

Movie Review: Zombieland

2013-04-17T15:01:00.002-07:00

I just walked out of an early screening for Zombieland, which doesn't open until October 2nd. These days it seems everyone is into vampires, but for me it is always zombies. The problem with vampires is that there are only a few things that can kill them; Stake in the heart, sunlight (traditionally), etc. But with zombies anythings goes so long as you aim for the head.

In the new film Zombieland, Jesse Eisenberg plays a former college video game nerd, named Columbus, who is one of only a handful of survivors living in a post-zombie apocalypse. Columbus, survives mainly based on a set of rules that he has developed such as rule #2: Double Tap - which is dropping two shots into a zombie just to be sure that they are really dead before they jump back up and bite you.

In Zombieland, Columbus meets Tallahasse (played by Woody Harrelson), another survivor who is good at one thing and one thing only: Killing zombies, ( he even makes the comment that business is booming). Along the way they join up with Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, two sisters who have survived on only one rule - trust no one.

I wish that I could say that there is more to the story than four people traveling across Zombieland. However the movie isn't a perfect ensemble. The story is a little thin, and lacks a drive or a goal for the characters to strive for, besides obviously staying alive. There is probably even a clear half hour, near the middle where there are no zombies to be seen at all. This movie is a comedy first, and a zombie film second. Most all of the gags are comedic and if anything does scare you then it was meant as a joke to the audience.

However, this film is absolutely hilarious. The running gag of the rules to surviving Zombieland hardly gets old and are in all the right parts of the film. And something about a zombie getting ran over three or four times by an SUV is just as funny as it gets. There is also an amazing cameo by Bill Murray playing Bill Murray as the main characters take refuge in his mansion.

Another spectator leaving the theater said that they thought it was the best zombie they had ever seen. I wouldn't go so far as to say that. But it was a lot of fun and hilarious at the same time. The narrative is a little lean, but the comedic timing is near spot on and with just enough blood and gore to wet the appetite.

Grade: B

Opens: October 2, 2009

Movie Review: Paranormal Activity

2013-04-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I saw a preview screening of the film Paranormal Activity. Now, if you haven't heard of the film that's okay. This film originally premiered at Slam Dance two years ago and has since been picked up by Paramount Pictures. It is being release today, but in select cities. However, based from what I saw last night, this film has the potential to steadily grow and could easily be exhibited in more cities and find an audience. If you have heard of the film, and have heard the rumors about it being scary as hell - well those aren't just rumors.

Paranormal Activity is about a young couple who have recently purchased a video camera with the intent of capturing on tape the paranormal activity that seems to being haunting them at night. Night after night they set the camera on a tri-pod and let it record. In the morning they discover on the tape sounds of footsteps, slamming doors, lights flashing, and even the sheets freely moving. On the surface this may not sound that scary, but considering the visual aesthetic of documentary style filming and soon sheets and blinking lights become more terrifying then any slasher flick in the last decade. The effects in this film are very subtle and spot on.

The strength of the film isn't just the aesthetics, though that is a big part of it, but the two characters (Mica and Katie) are characters that you can actually care about and relate to. Filmed on a micro budget with a skeleton crew, this film is a good blend of The Amityville Horror (original) and The Blair Witch Project. The actors hold the camera and shoot each other moving around. The camera isn't just a fly on the wall observing actions as they happen. The characters not only interact with the each other and the paranormal but also with the camera. The camera isn't meant to be hidden and is a part of the story, and thankfully it is not uncontrollably shaky like The Blair Witch Project or a Paul Greengrass film. Many times the lead character, Mica is holding the camera talking to his girlfriend Katie while she stands against a giant bathroom mirror. In the same frame you see Mica holding the camera and her being filmed by it, basically in front of the camera and behind it. And because you can see all 360 degrees in frame, and you don't see a film crew in sight, it sells the idea that these are real people shooting a real home video.

This film is a little chatty, and it serves great purpose for developing the characters. As their paranormal problem strengthens, the tension between the couple grows and soon the dialogue portions and the mid-night scares become one and the same. This film is like any paranormal happening caught on tape and sitting on youtube.com, but this has characters and a real scare factor. Honestly, this movie was scary! If it is playing near your area, definitely check it out. Bring some friends along, and dare yourselves to see a late showing. You won't be disappointed.

Grade: A

Movie Review: Surrogates

2013-04-17T14:51:00.001-07:00

Surrogates, based on the Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele graphic novel, is one of the new films opening this weekend. Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) takes the directing helm of this film set fourteen years into the future where society has become reliant on using robotic avatars in their day to day life. Using these surrogates, people don't have to be nearly as cautious in their activities because with a surrogate no one can catch disease, be injured in an accident, or even be murdered on the street.
Bruce Willis stars as FBI agent Tom Greer, who investigates the case of a murderer with a weapon that can destroy any surrogate and kill the operator. Radha Mitchell, Ving Rhames, Rosamund Pikes, and James Cromwell co-star.

The concept is absolutely great science fiction. The idea that in a consumer based population (like ourselves) people would consumer such a product, one that would secure our safety but ultimately reduce our instincts of being human, is what many great sci-fi is built around. However, the film is poorly executed. The script/ dialogue does not play well and sounds like it is coming out a can. Neither the characters nor the story are really fleshed out, or even worth caring for. The action, what little there is, isn't worth a partial yawn as some of the green screen composites and CGI shots are obvious.

Everything in the film feels fake, and though of course they are robots, but even the set pieces and the city that the characters live in are off beat and feel like a movie set. The world of the film is not completely sold to the audience, and it is easy to pull apart the set pieces and distinguish a false continuity with props and false objects. In comparison to a film like Sin City, where the entire is city is CGI backdrops and animation, but the world that the characters live in seems believable for the film. As if it could exist and everything surrounding it (characters, dialogue, props, and set pieces) are congruent with each other and further promote the idea of the fictional world inside the film being plausible.

About the most interesting part of the film is the husband and wife relationship that Willis's character has. Tom Greer, though he uses a surrogate feels distant with his wife because they really never meet in person anymore and only co-exist with their surrogates. Though this is a better part of the story, the ultimate conflict in the narrative is certainly missing some edge, and you get the sense that something valuable (even symbolically) is missing from the graphic novel translated onto the big screen. The concept and ideas are there, but poor functioning and lack of film creativity make for a decent (but could have been better) film.

Grade: C

Movie Review: Law Abiding Citizen

2013-04-17T14:48:00.004-07:00

In this new film by director F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job), Gerard Butler stars as a man whose wife and daughter are raped and murder before his eyes. But when the criminals come to trial, the Philadelphia prosecutor Nick Rice (played by Jamie Foxx) is more concerned with his trial win ratio than the overall justice. He cuts a deal with one criminal, for a reduced sentence, to testify against the other to get the death penalty. For Butler, having one of the murders being release back onto the street after 5 years isn't an option. Ten years later, Butler begins a cat and mouse game with the justice system and once arrested continues to kill high justice officials while in jail.

Butler and Foxx work well together and provide great contrasting characters. The dialogue and story, for the most part are well polished, and Philadelphia posing as the backdrop is a great addition to the narrative. Butler is great for this role, and though his romantic comedies haven't faired well, this is a good genre to fall into. This film is a blend of Death Wish, Saw, and Cape Fear rolled together, with a supporting cast of Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, and Leslie Bib.That said, this film doesn't feel 100% fresh and original. Though the film holds a great mystery and the cat and mouse game is fun to watch, by the third act the mystery falls apart and what was left in the originality department falls into cinema cliché. This film would be better if all the fun, tension, and mystery from the first two acts of the film had carried over to the third.This film reminds me of another film by F. Gary Gray called The Negotiator. A great film, with two contrasting characters, but also a film that is easily lost in time and since forgotten. Law Abiding Citizen is a great film, but it seems like something we have all seen before.Grade: B
This film hits theaters on October 16th.

Ryan McDonald Films

The Contract: Short Film

Sad But True - 10,000 hits on Youtube!

My short film Sad But True has made it to the 10,000 hit mark on Youtube. Some videos don't make it passed 500, let alone all the way to 10,000. Thank you everyone that helped work on the film, and everyone else that has watched, shared, and liked it.

Filming "Never Shared" Promo

Look Who's Talking - Short Film

1 DAY!

New Short Film - Look Who's Talking

Marketing for The One You Feed

Homework - The One You Feed

Janus - The One You Feed

Homework - The One You Feed

Coffee for the Day - River Boat Gamblers; The Wolf You Feed

Movie Review: UP

Terminator Salvation: Ryan's Commentary

Movie Review: Taking Pelham 123

Movie Review: Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

Movie Review: Public Enemies

Movie Review: District 9

Book Review: The Road

Movie Review: Inglorious Basterds

Movie Review: Gamer

Video Game Review: Beatles - Rock Band

Movie Review: Zombieland

Movie Review: Paranormal Activity

Movie Review: Surrogates

Movie Review: Law Abiding Citizen

My short film Sad But True has made it to the 10,000 hit mark on Youtube.

Some videos don't make it passed 500, let alone all the way to 10,000.
Thank you everyone that helped work on the film, and everyone else that
has watched, shared, and liked it.