Fate

Armed with no particular viewing agenda when I arrived at the video store the other night, I decided to rent this handsome thriller of a film. The result was one of those happy accidents where you inadvertently discover a film that turns out to be quite enjoyable, and you think, "Man, I'm glad I got to see this." It's certainly worth the watch.

The story was compelling and I really did not expect the surprise ending. I've seen plenty of bad b-movies whose plots (if you want to call them that) are flat and boring, where you know exactly how things are going to turn out in the first five minutes. "Fate" kept me interested until the end with its compelling premise and storytelling.

The film also looked great...in a league similar to some of the Hollywood studios' more moderate budget action fare. And, the make up effects were cool, too.

The acting also held up as well. I pretty much expected Phillip Michael Thomas to be washed up, but he surprised me with his subtle and smoldering performance. And while he wasn't part of the main name cast, there was something about director Ace Cruz's performance that made his detective colleague character enjoyable to watch.

What else can I say? I think it's worth checking out, and I look forward to more from Ace Cruz and the gang.

I was unfortunate enough to work on a film with same the guys that made Fate. The guy that wrote it, (Ash Smith) also wrote/directed Paranoid, one of the other terrible movies from this production company. I read the script and tried to give him some constructive criticism which he would have no part of. I worked for free as a P.A. and they made me feel like they were doing me a favor. It was good experience but what I really learned was how not to make a movie. If you have a chance, rent or buy "Paranoid", made by the same production company, and instead if watching it, beat yourself over the head with it. It will be less painful. Also, I can almost guarantee that any positive comments made about this film or "Paranoid" came from the people that made it.

A movie starring Phillip Michael Thomas? Tubbs? For the love of all that is holy, you would think this movie would at the least, give you a sense of nostalgia.

Fate starts off with the slow, boring, and seemingly pointless death of a large, "retarded" man. From then on, it only seems to get worse. The plot seems to have more holes in it than the Holy Bartender from Dogma.

Besides the terrible plot, which has a surprise ending so easy to figure out, that a 13 year old who had just wandered into the room while the movie was playing, was able to watch it for three minutes and figure out, the movie has terrible production values. Twice in the movie does it go from being day out in one outside scene, to dark in another. The camera work is horrendous, and the overall feel of the movie is just...sad.

The acting is enough to make you cry. The young person inside of you who remembers Thomas as Tubbs...while also remember just how bad of an actor he really was. Pare and Majors fare worse than even Tubbs in this amazing waste of the fifteen dollars made to make this movie.

Overall, it is fun to pick up the case and see it has Tubbs in it, but that will be the only excitement you get from this movie.

Fate first appears as cop/thriller rip of Seven or Silence of the Lambs, but offers a little more than you'd think. While the characters are a bit stereotyped, Lee Majors and the rest really do the best with what they were given. The extremely low budget for this film is easily overlooked by Ace Cruz's ability to make a visually pleasing film. Many films today are over-budgeted and given to Hollywood hacks that throw money at big name actors and special effects and end up being no better than this film. (eg: Mr. and Mrs. Smith, American Treasure, or Daredevil.) Fate had several unexpected twists and offers a fresh look into the psyche of a serial killer. Rent it at Blockbuster and be sure to watch the making-of.

Actors Pare and Phillips portrayed police detectives with an authentic feel.

There were no cop movie clichés to tire you out like so many of the police films you see. I picture this is how an actual police department and it's homicide investigations are conducted...with professionalism and seriousness. I enjoyed this consistent feel the director kept throughout the film. The casting was very good and effective at keeping this feel of realism. I hope to see Pare and Phillips together in another film!

Lee Majors is a popular actor and it was fun seeing him in the rare antagonist role. I would like to see Majors in more films. As well as Pare and Phillips. At one time or another I have wondered what happened to each of these larger than life actors?