freemanpatrick7

Back in 2012 when I saw Bunee Tomlinson take what was a simple script and turn it into a wonderful narrative short film I though then that this incredible young man could well be the next Steven Spielberg. In Boomtown I see that he could also be the next Ken Burms. It's good to see how diverse he has become as a film director.

Boomtown: An American Journey caught my attention initially because my mother spent many of her childhood years in Tulsa. There was so much of the history of the city that I was previously unaware of, save for the snippets of stories my mom used to tell. After watching the film I not only know more about the city, but I have a better picture of.backdrop of those stories. Both Mom's parents worked in that Douglas bomber plant that is mentioned in the film and the money they were able to earn there, as had never been possible before, brought Mom's family out of its own depression.

Sadly, in 41 minutes, there is so much about the history of this city that couldn't be covered in depth. But Tomlinson's work on this film makes me want to dig deeper into the lives and times of the city and the people who have inhabited it throughout history.

Lance Daly's Black '47 is virtual perfection in cinematic storytelling as far as I'm concerned. Sadly no one in the entertainment industry knows how to market films that are based on comic books or super heroes. I won't bother to retell the story in a synopsis as it has most certainly been done extensively. My only regret is that at times the photography is too dark to see what is going on. I think I've always been aware of the Irish famine of the mid 19th century but this film sheds light on horrible atrocities committed by the British that I had not previously been aware of. Although, being an American, I can't look don't my nose too much, since our own history is filled with its own atrocities committed against the Indians, the Africans, both during and after the abolition of slavery, the Chinese immigrants and the Japanese Americans during WWII Black '47 is a wonderful dramatic film, flawlessly written and directed, beautifully shot, and with impressive performances throughout. Don't miss this one.

I'm not going to spell out the synopsis since it's been done before. This seemingly low budget thriller does a fine job putting all the pieces together. The acting, for the most part is adequate. The fx are a lot better than what I've seen in films with a much bigger budget. The director (Clay Staub) does a great job of hiding the monster until it couldn't be hidden any longer. With the exception of some CGI you never get the feeling that this is a cheap and cheesy student film. But by far the crowning glory of the whole project is the brilliant cinematography. Miroslaw Baszak does an excellent job of capturing the bleak and dreary landscape to the point that you don't want to visit the area, let alone live there. His interior shots are perfectly lit, giving the desired creepy-old-house affect while still allowing us to see what's going on. Editing, sound design and the score all complement the film so seamlessly that you never think about them - you experience them. The story is nothing new. (But what is these days?) It combines elements of several other stories we've all seen before. Which isn't to say that it's bad, it's just not ground breaking. All in all the completed project is something that all cast & crew involced should be proud to have been a part of.