Straight Into Darkness

Into the Darkness is about two deserters during world war two who escape their MPs and stumble upon a group of French resistance fighters consisting of two teachers and a hand full of special children. The kids all live in an old defunct factory with a hidden treasure. At first the GIs are not welcome, for reasons that are obvious if you see the film. They fight off a common enemy, some Nazis that come to the factory to get the treasure at the end of the war. The children and the GIs have no idea that the war is actually over. Lots of fighting and some flashbacks help explain some of the characters past. The story is entertaining and tragic all at the same time. Not as graphic as it could have been, the characters were all believable through strong acting and good direction. Not for the squeamish.

This movie is such a mesmerizing and impressive experience that you won't regret to do. Beautifully shot on Romania with strong acting by a cast that includes Ryan Francis, Scott McDonald (JACK FROST!), Linda Thorson and David Warner. Probably, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS is Jeff Burr's masterpiece. It have flaws, like some obvious dubbing for the German characters, played by romanian actors. But none of them diminishes the valour of this great movie, that also benefits from a original and powerful script, not to mention the haunting, beautiful musical score.

STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS have a sincere, thought provoking anti-war message and manages to be more than just a movie. Knowing that the kids casted on it were real life orphans only made the experience more human and emotional. War and general movie fans, be sure to don't miss!

I saw this little gem at a film festival in LA. I went in expecting to see another war film but I was in for a treat! I don't want to give too much information away so let me say the movie takes the viewer on a twisting, turning surreal journey that will disturb you at times, frighten you and bring you to tears before the end credits roll but you will be glad you saw it. The movie encompasses several different elements-the perils of war, a touch of macabre, sadness and redemption. All these elements are woven together nicely by director Jeff Burr-who also wrote the film. One of the many things that really caught my eye was the imagery-during the outside scenes the snow is so white you want to touch it while the rest of the picture has a steely bluish gray look that makes you feel like you are experiencing a dreary winter day. The movie also has an eerie dreamy sort of quality to it with great use of flashbacks that only add to the tone of the film. Last but not least, there are a few bloody scenes that prove very effective in disturbing the viewer, without turning the whole film into a gore fest. This film may be "low budget" by Hollywood standards but that's what makes it stand out above the rest. I like the fact that this was not a typical big budget film with big overpaid stars and a bunch of teenagers that looked like they just came in off the WB. The people especially the children were real and that stood out thru out the movie. I think director Jeff Burr did an outstanding job on this movie and I look forward to seeing more of his films. I hope that this comes out in theaters so everyone can have the opportunity to witness a truly moving film.

This appears to be a good movie, for those who like this sort of thing. There's not a lot of happiness here, but we see people get things done and stand tall despite obstacles, even though the two stars are nothing more than cowards at the beginning.

The main adult actors all give good performances. I would also add the German officer to that list. He is not evil but just doing his job. At one point he states that he feels like a father to his men.

The children do a great job, and I would single out the boy with no legs and the girl with the mask, even though neither says a word. You can just see their determination and courage.

A few years ago a TV detective lost either his wife or his son in a car accident. When the son was alive everything appeared blue. When the wife was alive colors were closer to yellow or orange. That's how much of the movie is. Colors are much more vivid in the flashbacks and visions, though in one case Losey is having a nightmare and everything quickly turns blue, followed by bright orange when there are explosions. It's quite an effective technique. I do wish the brightly colored flashbacks had lasted longer and had more character development, because we really needed positive images.

It's quite good if you like this sort of thing.

The Orphanage meets Private Ryan. This is certainly a different type of WWII film. Not your daddy's tale of bravery.

But, it is just what you would expect from writer/director Jeff Burr, who gave us Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Puppet Master 4 & 5, and Pumpkinhead II. A slightly bizarre twist on the usual WWII story.

Two deserters, Ryan Francis and Scott MacDonald, come upon a group of orphans that have mental and physical handicaps. The man and woman who ran the orphanage before the war trained them to fight. Deming (MacDonald) is a real sleaze, who tries to rape the woman despite her obvious scars. They are attacked by 60 Germans who are after treasure in the building where they are holed up.

The story is a mixture of strange and tender amidst the horrors of war. There is enough of Burr's past work to keep horror fans interested, but there is a beauty underneath, if you look for it.

Check it out for a different take on war.