To Be Continued

When I first heard that my friend and colleague Matthew Hoobin was working on another documentary, I must admit that I was quite excited. However, when he enlightened me on the film's subject matter, namely sequels and other things of the sort; I became a bit skeptical. I could see how easy it would be to create a 5-minute cynical diatribe of Hollywood's profit-seeking, self-destructive nature.

Thankfully, this wasn't the case. In a smoothly edited, loose "sequel" to his prior entry, Monster Vision, Hoobin rides the line between the sequels, reboots, and remakes that have brought us cinematic masterpieces and, well, those that have regurgitated the same old idea over and over again across the silver screen.

The biggest thing this film has going for it is Hoobin's clear passion for cinema. There's a carefully assorted batch of clips here, with which you can tell Hoobin is intimately familiar, that accompany his thoughts. In fact, this point is so clear that at times it feels as if the film's sole reason for existing is simply to indulge Hoobin's desire to place these works together under the umbrella of a single project.

Incidentally, it appears Hoobin has worked extensively with a speech coach to diminish the effects of his thick Canadian accent that plagued Monster Vision. However, like Monster Vision, the film suffers from some inconsistent audio quality, though to a lesser degree than its predecessor.

The biggest gripe I have with Hoobin's new entry is its lack of vision and focus. While it is certainly evident that Hoobin has something to say, it's hard as an audience member to pinpoint what exactly we're meant to take away from the experience. It's neither an endorsement nor disavowal of sequels, and the pussyfooting analysis we're left with is a bit limited. Ultimately, I found myself staring at the film's title, "To Be Continued," feeling the same sense of incomplete longing one would find upon seeing those same three words linger in silence across the small screen. It's a saturnine feeling, one that tells me that there's more to be told here.

I hope there is.