Out of the Black

This heavy-handed melodrama of two brothers coming to grips with family scandal in a Pennsylvania mining town is too contrived for it's own good, relying too heavily on coincidence and sensationalism to be believable. But while the scenario is amateurish, the direction and performances here are very nicely executed and warrant a watch. A little less glamour would have gone a long way in making this one more lifelike. As it is, a glorified TV movie.

I saw this film in Los Angeles and found it to be a brilliant character driven story, that was well acted and passionate. I went with a friend and had very few expectations. I had seen Tyler Christopher on General Hospital and the Pretender but had no idea he was doing movies. His character "Cole" was very reminiscent of a young Marlon Brando in 'Streetcar'- interior and smoldering - Wow! Anyway, Jeffrey Lyons had given the film an excellent review so we decided to check it out. I'm always a little skeptical of indie films but this one I will say, was excellant. Dee Wallace played a great antagonist, and Sally Kirkland's character, who was a mute, was fantastic. Unlike the big studio films, this is a movie with depth and heart. It was both involving and suspenseful without the use of special effects. The only negative was maybe the ending, which held out on the relationships and there resolutions, but I guess you can use your imagination. I gave this film an eight and a half out of ten.

Obviously, I watched a different movie than Mr. Parker. I thought the movie was very well done for a small independent film. The story was a little choppy in the beginning but picked up and was very entertaining. The soundtrack was wonderful. The acting was top-notch with Tyler Christopher as the lead, along with the other cast members. It's a definite movie well worth watching.

This is an enthralling movie. Tyler Christopher who played on general hospital did a excellent job. There are some very good looking women actor`s. It kept me on the edge of my chair as the mystery unfolds. Good story line about the "accidental" death of the two brothers ten years earlier and the brothers effort to learn more of the truth. Very well cast and acted with a great story line. If Karl Kozak`s next film is anywhere close to this quality it will be a must see film.

I really enjoyed last night's San Diego screening of "Out of the Black." Karl is a truly fantastic storyteller, and the writing, directing, acting and production value were all really great! I really think this film has a strong shot at some sort of meaningful distribution deal. Not many movies nowadays focus on story and characters (they rely on effects and star power), and I felt very drawn into the story...I truly lost myself in the film! Great "unraveling of the layers of the onion"!