Suffer the Child

I'm amazed and excited by this new writer. Clearly, he knows the genre and is able to "work it." Though I read a lot of mysteries, I am not normally a thriller/movie fan mostly because when a book scares me, I can close it, but movies have special effects that heighten the emotions that make closing my eyes and holding my ears not work. Fortunately, this must be a low budget film because some of the acting is a bit stilted and the make-up on the wounded child is amateurish enough to make me remember those Saturday matinée movies back in the day. This turns out to be a good thing because it makes this less scary. I'm not suggesting this is amateur movie making -- it's really a good short movie. But what I like most is the story itself which is a great mixture of the familiar with the unfamiliar -- or should I say,the generic formula done with originality. I think Melvin Johnson, Jr. has talent and I eagerly await Mr. Johnson's next film.

Well written "short". I found myself not wanting the movie to end, but to be a full length feature film. The special effects could be a little more "awesome", but not bad for this type of film. Also the introduction with its credits, in my opinion, was a little long. I would also suggest seeing the actual "events" taking place, but I realize it is a "short" with minimal funding and taking that into consideration, there is enough dialog to figure out what had happened. It would add to the length of the movie, if it is indeed developed further. It was also refreshing in watching a movie, with no sex scenes, nudity and foul language, the mark of a good writer.

A well written "short". The production staff made a compelling tale within the budget constraints. However the budget did not effect the power of the story execution. I would like to have seen what they would have done with a bigger budget and more time. The director employs a great use of timing and creating a sense of immediate suspense in such a short time. The film editor does a really effective job of cutting the film at the right time. The camera man does a great job of tracking with all the actors. All in all an excellent short with great direction and great writing. I know the film makers mother must be proud, I hear she's a wonderful woman.

Unfortunately, I have only been able to see the preview, but I was impressed by the realism and accuracy of the medical response team. As a physician, the portrayal of unrealistic medical situations too often spoils a movie for me. Because the writer has a medical background, he has successfully reproduced an accurate portrayal of an emergent medical situation which allows the viewer to enjoy the emotions and underlying themes in the movie.

I can already see myself easily hating the man with the money, and cheering for the revenge of the young girl. Revenge movies are always the best for me. Especially when its relatively easy to hate the bad guys. It appears that there's an accessory (the woman), and I hope she gets beat up too. If she was a good person, she should have stopped the girl from getting killed. I believe the director has set the stage for a powerful message that questions our own morality.

I look forward to watching the entire film and hearing the the directors commentary. I'll keep you posted after I am able watch the entire film.