Deadland

The relatively low rating (4.5, as of my review) led me to lower my expectations on this low budget, independent movie. I thought it could do with a little more editing and a tighter script, maybe with a bigger payoff at the end. After watching for nearly two hours, the subdued climax wasn't very filling.

Anyways, the meat of the movie concerns a muscle guy looking for his estranged wife, who left him just before World War III broke out. Strangely enough, the muscle guy is supposed to be cubicle worker, I think, and he never really does much hand-to-hand fighting. That leaves me wondering exactly how to classify this movie. I was expecting a scifi/martial arts/adventure movie, like JCVD's Cyborg or Universal Soldier, but this seems to have some pretensions toward being a scifi drama. Unfortunately, the story never really goes anywhere very exciting or interesting, though it kept my attention. If there had been more fight scenes and better stunt work, it would have been a good, poor man's JCVD movie. With a more intelligent script and better direction, it could have been a good, poor man's John Carpenter movie. In the end, we're left with what it is -- entertaining, yet not quite fulfilling. I was admittedly a bit generous in giving it a 7/10, but I think it was good attempt, even if it doesn't quite live up to the potential.

This film appears to use professional camera equipment, but that's where the similarities to a real movie end. I picked this up at the video store because the cover showed a post apocalyptic background and described itself as such. You expect Mad Max even if it's just a poor low budget version. The reality when you watch it is that it is a bunch of guys in camouflage fatigues running around in the woods. The plot is goofy and overly moral-agenda ridden, the dialogue consists of things nobody would say, and the actors' experience couldn't consist of more than a few commercials or a late night soft-core porn. This movie would remind me of a soft-core porn (in which the plot is superfluous) except that is cleans up everything but the implied violence, which the camera mostly cuts away.

There's nothing worse than a B movie that pretends to be something more than it is, complete with misleading cover art on the DVD sleeve. A post apocalyptic tale can be action or drama or a combination of both. But when a film has such tight budget restraints that it only consists of bland soap opera style dialogue by seriously lame actors, it better at least have a decent script. Here we have a bunch of awful actors doing what can only be described as bad screen tests in the woods of Georgia for a painfully long 95 minutes. No action, no suspense, no direction, no nothing! What a rip off! How do these direct to video pieces of crap ever get made? The worst part of all is that these so-called actors have the nerve to do a Making Of featurette that tells of how hard they worked on their fine production. These egocentric losers are delusional! At least if they had some shootouts or some redeeming violence or exploitive rape sex scenes or a horde of brain eating zombies or anything cool I might have been able to say something positive about this horribly dull movie. I used to enjoy buying cheap DVDs from the bargain bin and having a good laugh...This movie has permanently killed the fun in that forever. From now on I will research DVDs to ensure they have something worth watching. Life is too short to waste on this SHITE!!! Thank you for allowing me to vent, IMDb. And to Billy Weeks and your gang of dud actor friends... Get new careers... YOU ALL SUCK SEVERELY as actors or writers or producers or directors!!!

Deadland is proof that you don't need a big budget in order to tell a compelling post-apocalyptic tale. Sure, special effects may help depict the terror that will undo the world, but if it's a post-apocalyptic tale you're telling, the emphasis should be about what happens after t...( read more)he destruction. And this movie does so very well.

Don't be fooled by its shoe-string budget or cast of unknown actors. The movie is full to the brim with great action, suspense and drama. The story of a man in search for his long-lost wife after the seeming decimation of society is a classic tale of overcoming adversity.

It's no "Road Warrior" neither in it excitement nor originality, but I imagine this would have been a very successful big budget film had it ever gotten that chance, not great, but worth watching.

Where will you be…what will you do… and how will you protect your loved one's in a post-apocalyptic world? The sci-fi action/thriller DEADLAND plunges you into a world of martial law, and takes you along the journey of Sean (Gary Weeks) a survivor of World War III's nuclear strikes on the U.S. A pandemic reigns as many survivors were infected by a fatal nuclear plague and separated into different concentration camps by Officers of the New Provinces. The quest starts when the protagonist finds evidence that his missing wife (Emily-Grace Murray) may still be alive in the new United Provinces. His determination to find her is equal to his personal war against the cruel Officers of the New Provinces. Jax (Brian Tee) an unexpected ally brings a bit of humor to the realistic struggles in the action filled drama. DEADLAND visually demonstrates our fear as well as our hope in a post-apocalyptic world.

Director Damon O'Steen, and writer/producer Gary Weeks, present a fantastic post-apocalyptic thriller considering their budget. All aspects of the film were impressive with excellent cinematography, moving score, superb acting, and great direction. You will not be disappointed in this indie film that visually portrays a depressing yet hopeful future. I found this gem at the Derby City Film Festival February 2010 and loved it! -3rd Dog Script aka Betsy Malone © 2010