Prof_Tatalovic

An interesting and eye-opening piece of independent documentary work. Peter John Ross (director) tells a very personal story about today's social media problems, in particular - the problem of digital "trolling" and how it can affect anyone who works, communicates, or plainly exists on popular social media platforms. The film presents an extreme and very unusual example of cyber-stalking that (in this case) goes outside of digital boundaries and enters people's homes and workplaces. How do we deal with Internet bullying? Are big media corporations doing anything to protect people who use their platforms? What can we do as a society to make our communication healthier and more civilized? Through an entertaining blend of interviews, found footage, and subject's own audio-visual content, the film exposes an ugly side of our modern social media world - the world that has its own protagonists, antagonists, and monsters.

"Innerself", a "martial-arts musical" is very refreshing and pleasant feature release from the veteran of Cleveland's indie film movement - Johnny Wu. Very entertaining arthouse take on classic martial arts cinema, with a good story and positive message. The main character's wardrobe (yellow shirt with a black stripe) pays tribute to the "man" himself - the godfather of martial arts subgenre, Bruce Lee (those of us who grew up watching his films will recognize this visual element). The low-budget film is well directed, featuring talented performers who deliver everything you need for this type of visual narrative: songs, dances, fights, stunts, and more! It's nice to see something slightly different in today's independent cinema and "Innerself" is one of those indie films.

Cleveland, 1961: Nazi criminals, mob, detectives, shady characters... And a lot more in this micro-budget independent film from Ohio. It's rare that someone attempts to produce a period piece on minimal indie budgets, but these guys did. And it's good! An engaging story featuring several funky-crazy-strange characters - in pursuit of "stolen paintings worth millions of dollars"... The film has good cinematography (incorporating some archive footage in a very clever way), superb visual effects, an original music track, and solid performance by its key players on the screen. Very good production (set) design, using old props, historical vehicles, and little elements that are not-so-easy to find on this budget. Overall, it's a pleasant indie surprise from Cleveland's underground film scene.