When Evil Reigns

This isn't a review of 'When Evil Reigns' - I couldn't be objective, since I was one half of the team who wrote and directed the movie. It's more of a comment on the film and my memories of making it.

'When Evil Reigns' was a labor of love. Aged 19 and 22 respectively, my brother and I - armed with more guts than sense - managed to hire a building (and the security guards that went with it), put together a team of dedicated amateurs, and create a 90 minute horror feature on a budget of $5000 AUS. The movie took around six weeks to film, but six years to finish, because we were working with borrowed equipment, including mini-DV cameras, microphones, lights and editing computer (all of which were cutting edge at the time, but have long since been superseded).

The final product is something I am very proud of. I really like the story and the screenplay, and the acting is quite convincing overall. I also think that the special effects (both practical and computer-generated) are a highlight. The DVD release is of high quality, and includes some great special features like the directors' commentary and an outstanding real-time SFX makeup documentary made by my brother, Alix, who had to step in and do the SFX when our original SFX artist fell through. Whenever I watch the DVD, I'm reminded of both the joys and hardships of shooting such an ambitious project under less than ideal conditions.

Since the film was released in 2006, it's received mixed reviews, but has garnered a large amount of exposure both in Australia and overseas. Our film-making efforts have been profiled on the web and in the print media; we've been interviewed by a range of people including horror theoreticians; and the film has given us access to professionals in the horror writing and film-making community, including George Romero, who we met on a trip 'Down under'.

For anybody thinking of making a low-budget movie, I recommend you get out there and do it. With the amount of quality equipment available in the domestic market today, you can produce something of broadcast standard quite cheaply, and it's an effective way of getting heard without going through the traditional channels.

All the best!

Luke

You know, for a long time IMDb was at least a somewhat viable source for movie ratings. Sure, personal preferences vary, but you got a vague idea. These days it seems you can't trust the ratings any farther than you can proverbially throw them. Such is the case of "When Evil Reigns".

Let me begin by saying that the Aussies/New Zealanders have put out some really great low budget horror flicks over time and especially in the past few years. This film, however, is a no budget not-so-horror flick that can never figure out how to do whatever it is that it wants to do. It's slow, ineffective, and ultimately crammed full of plot holes.

Basically you're dealing with a pseudo zombie outbreak that only effects people caught out in the rain. Get it...reign = rain? Ugh. Why does the rain turn people into mindless homicidal killers? No clue. No one ever comes remotely close to explaining it. Oh well. So you've got these crazy folks trying to break into a school where a group of really, really, REALLY stupid kids have holed up in an effort to survive. They live, they love, they make stupid decisions left and right, and they all become paranoid of each other for no reason whatsoever. At one point they even try to "cure" one of the effected people only to shove him outside as soon as he starts to turn. No explanation...just stupidity.

What you're looking at is a movie where little is explained but ultimately you won't care. You'll be too busy trying not to fall asleep. And not that it's a huge issue, but there's hardly any blood/gore and no nudity at all. I know that probably sounds sexist, but it's all but necessary in a modern horror film. Hell, even the sound is terribly (try not to laugh when someone gets punched and the sound is so far off that it's pathetic). Just avoid this one.

It's funny; I'm not really sure what people expected when watching this film. Everyone who has seen it knows it was made by independent filmmakers battling to complete a feature film with no financial backing. I don't think people realize how hard it is to go out there and make a film. Especially when you're on your own.

I watch films to be entertained. This film is entertaining. OK, it doesn't have the best production values, nor is the acting the best. However, a story is being told. All we have to do is sit back and enjoy. Give this film a shot and accept it for what it is; a low budget horror film made by independent artists. The eye candy isn't there. But the heart is.