Machines of Love and Hate

Joseph Parda's "Machines of Love and Hate" (the latest offering from Cinema Image Productions)is an excellent, mindbending independent film that truly delivers the goods (sex and violence, of course) without compromising artistic integreity, intelligence, and soul.

The film is reminiscent of Davids Lynch and Cronenberg, yet it is unique in it's own right. There is a story here, a complex one filled with symbolism and told with great attention to detail and wonderful visual flair. However, the real success of the film is it's ability to lull the audience into a dreamlike state. Unlike Lynch's jarring, sometimes disjointed storytelling, "Machines" flows smoothly, albeit in a somewhat non-linear fashion, that keeps your mind engaged throughout.

The film centers on a dysfunctional family whose lives are forever changed by the introduction of a mysterious drifter. The story branches out into heady material from there. I won't say more about the plot, for fear of giving anything away.

Parda's writing and direction are superb. The performances are uniformly good, with standouts by Eileen Daily (Razorblade Smile), Tina Krause (And Then They Were Dead), David Runco, and Milton Haynes. The moody score by Function Zero (Nikos) is also top-notch.

"Machines" is an intelligent film worth seeking out. See it.

This is the first title that I have seen with Tina Krause and frankly would not have watched the film except to see her acting in it. I have also seen some of David Runco act in some things and generally like him.

The story line is intelligent and innovative and the overall production is good- I wish there had been more money in place for post-production because at the final stages some of the themes in the film begin to fly off into space. But this is mainly due to slightly faulty scripting.

I must say that Tina Krause has the best acting chops in the cast, with a close second being David Runco.

I was unsure why characters were not American, although it follows with the 'foreigner' theme of the film. The 'visitors' from beyond left me scratching my head until the scenes paid off later. I like seeing sex on screen but somehow the quality of the coupling in this film felt a little gratuitous, it made more sense the longer I watched.

I certainly hope that this film marks the new direction Tins Krause is moving as her acting ability is quite substantial with or without the vision of her beautiful body.

Kudos to the efforts in this film and let's hope more is to come.