Target Practice

Directorial Debut of Rich Riedel is a winner. A minuscule budget doesn't hamper the fun as a group of friends head out to the woods for a little r & r and run into the unexpected. Yeah, we've seen this type of story played out before in the action and horror genres (this one , strictly action), but Riedel's version puts a fresh twist on it. He keeps you guessing as the woods seem to be more populated with friends turned enemies turned friends then one would imagine.

For a group of unknowns, the actors deliver believable performances. The camera is always in the right place and Riedel ratchets up the tension effectively.

It seems like these type of straight ahead action pieces are a thing of the past, what with everyone trying to blend genres and "Tarantino" the story lines and dialog (often with unwatchable results). In many ways, Target Practice is a valentine to the action films of yore. He doesn't try to reshape the genre, he just hits all the right beats at the right times. A blast.

It is rare that I actually register on a website to leave a review on a movie. This is that movie. It was by far the worst film I have ever seen. I want 90 minutes of my life back.

While the premise is sound, the execution was horrible. The acting was bad, the directing was bad, the script was bad, the editing was bad, even the sound engineering was bad. I could find nothing good at all in this film.

It seems like the whole movie was shot with one hand-held camera in shaky-cam/random-zoom mode. In one scene, the camera was not even focused on the actor that was speaking.

I was surprised by the 'good' reviews that this movie seems to have everywhere. They are not deserved. Do not waste your time on this movie.

This is a terrific picture with great action, suspense, and atmosphere.

Director Rich Riedel not only understands the impact of flashy, noisy gun play, he also gets the importance of silence as an almost unbearable agent of tension. Excellent performances by all of the cast. And a brilliant use of location where he transforms the great outdoors into Hell.

I first saw this picture as an Executive Board member for one of the many festivals that screened it. Board enthusiasm for TARGET PRACTICE was robust and unanimous, and the film was a huge audience favorite. See it!

I heard allot about this movie and decided to check it out and I must say it was rather refreshing compared to all the mainstream big Hollywood money machine productions that are so hard to get into now a days. I was captured by this films intensity and storyline from the very beginning. It was believable. The actors were believable. The directing and camera work kept me on the edge of my seat. Even the dialog was original and witty. This movie Target Practice moves along with a gritty and precise determination leading to the climax., it is quite obvious someone knew what they were doing. I would recommend this movie to anyone with a thirst for something different. With a bigger budget, I would be very inclined to see what else these young film makers can accomplish.

A group of guys go into the woods for a boys weekend away and end up running for their lives from a homegrown terrorist operation they stumbled upon. The action starts early and doesn't let up.

I really liked this movie. It was a smart indie action film. It's not a big budget, Hollywood, Brangelina movie. So it's not for everyone. But if you want something exciting, new and well done, this is a great movie. I actually like the unpolished look and feel of it much like I like the original "Halloween" or "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". It's the "indieness" that helps keep the tension alive along with the smart writing and direction.

Can't wait to see what Riedel comes up with next.