Youthanasia

I attended a Master Class that the Cinematographer (Barry Stone) of this movie was giving at The Wine Country Film Fest. The title was In Camera Tricks For Low Budger Flicks. It was an entertaining seminar that showed ways to create effects when you have little or no money. One thing that I learned from the seminar is that Barry has a vast body of work. The seminar included a pass to "Youthanasia" which I was excited to see as there was some in camera tricks that were not included in the seminar. I really enjoyed the film, I was surprised to learn that this film was a first for the majority of the cast.

Most of the crew and the star of the movie where in attendance for the Q&A that followed, which is what I was really interested in, as I was at the Festival to learn as much as I can about the Technical aspects of Film-making. This showing was the first time the filmmakers were able to present the film Color Corrected and properly transfered to HD from S16, which would probably explain the previous comment on it looking like mud. A young kid in the audience asked how the filmmakers were able to write in a manner that did not betray how young people think and feel, an element that I didn't even think about until that was mentioned, that is one of the great things about viewing a film at a Festival, it gives you the opportunity to get the perspective of people who you might not ever meet.

It was refreshing to learn of the sacrifices that all involved had to make to bring this film to the big screen. They seemed like a fun bunch of people, I only wish I had the nerve to ask if I could party with them that night!

I wanted to like this movie, I like independent movies in general, and to find one filmed in my adopted hometown of Modesto, CA and directed by locals as well...what's not to like?? Well, right off the bat, the opening credits seemed like a gee-whiz exercise, names on a rolling basketball, stop action style. It was approximately 30 seconds into the movie that I realized that whatever they did with the transfer and format change had really mucked up the picture and sound quality, detracting from what might otherwise have been a more positive experience. The story is good, the acting is decent, but as a previous reviewer mentioned, the story is told in a non-linear fashion that really isn't necessary and in fact it is a distraction.

But kudos to everyone involved, hopefully they will keep at it and improve with experience. By the way at the opening of the film's run at the State Theatre in Modesto, the entire cast and crew were in attendance and seemed to be very cool, likable people. It was kinda surreal to walk into the lobby and see the familiar faces from the movie..

*****UPDATE 11-21-07*****

So, I got a copy of the DVD for this film, hoping it would have some behind the scenes stuff of the making of the movie. It didn't. But, watching it on DVD pretty much allowed me to concentrate on the film without the distractions I noted earlier due to a poor screening. I really enjoyed the movie this time, enough to bump it up to a seven star rating. It makes such a difference when you're able to see the movie the way the director intended.

Saw YouthAnAsia at its world premiere at the good old Parkway. The movie was about some young friends and how their lives changed in one pivotal moment. The acting, particularly that of star Justin Zachary, was phenomenal. The writing was good but I don't know why the story was told in so determinedly asynchronous a fashion. I wish I had thought to ask the writer that when he was standing right next to me. I can't speak to the cinematography, because it was transferred from Super-8 to DVD and projected from that for the showing, so it looked more or less like mud.

On the way out I ran into Justin Zachary and said, "You were so great." He high-fived me! "Is this your first film?" he said it was. I said, "Kid, you're going places." He played someone who was seventeen to nineteen in the movie, so he seemed like a kid to me.

He said, "Thankee, Baby," which made him a lot older and me a lot younger. That was fun. I hope he makes it. He's very talented, as well as smooth.

Sorry I don't have much to say about the movie because I don't know how to avoid spoilers very well. Just catch Justin Zachary on his way up, that's my advice.