Pandora's Paradox

Despite the fact that I worked as DP/Camera Op on the film, it was still quite a shock to see the end result and the end result is definitely weird. Although the story may not appear to make a whole lot of sense, Matt always seemed to have a very detailed vision of what he wanted to put down on film. So even though many of the images may seem random, everything from the toe to the lighting was very thought out.

When I step back and watch the film as a whole (and not focus on the lighting or camera movements) there are things I like and dislike.

Once you get past the overall absurdity of the film, you can actually link the images to real life and use them as a kind of metaphor. From there, a story does begin to emerge albeit shaded in the bizarre. (But it's an experimental horror movie so cmon!)

The acting is great. A little over the top and sometimes forced (which should be expected) but very solid. Esp. the little kid who I'm sure many of you would be surprised to learn had never acted prior to this film.

Matt'direction is energized and loaded with style. He trusts his actors and knows when to let them steal the scene and not the camera, SFX etc. Even lighting. At the same time there is somewhat of a lack of focus in the films' presentation(directing, editing). Come end time, the film is far too long and could have benefited from having at least 7 minutes axed.

The sound for me was the biggest problem. It was too amateurish and hokey and didn't match the overall dark yet slick feel of the film. The no lip sync was OK, but the random and poorly dubbed sound effects coupled with the tacky Mario Bros. music became a distraction. Oh well.

The lighting of course was great but the direction for a lot of it came from Matt's weird head. I boned up on some Itallian horror to help with getting the feel right, making sure I could translate what Matt had on paper onto film.

Overall, Pandora's Paradox is a solid yet bizarre film combining Lynch and Argento with Matt's own twisted ideas. Whether or not you enjoy the movie (and a lot of people will not)I feel that you can't deny the production value of the film coupled with the fact that at the very least it's crazzzzy eye candy.

2rights

Once in a while a student film comes along that has a well written story, beautiful cinematography, and wonderful acting. Unfortunately Matthew Saliba's Pandora's Paradox is not one of these films. I happened to catch this short film at a New York film festival and I was far from entertained. Clocking in at about twenty minutes this film was a long watch and I found myself looking at the clock several times. This to me seems like the easy way to make a film nowadays, throw a bunch of random images on the screen, add some cheesy colored lighting, and toss in some annoying sound and voila end of the semester film project. What happened to constructing a well written screenplay? fully fleshed out characters? or even creating something original. The story has something to do with a boy, some doctors, a weird old guy with a phallic object on his underwear and a giant toe which somehow all leads to the main character and his withdrawal from life. The acting seemed like it was way better than your typical student film but it was hard to tell when the parts we're reduced to annoying laughter and screaming. Basically this film did nothing but annoy me and I can't really even think of a reason to recommend it. If you enjoy these kind of student films then this might be up your alley but Unless your looking for a Pretentious David Lynch knockoff stay far away from this film.

PANDORA'S PARADOX is a great film that crawls under your skin without the help of dialogue. It uses the universal visual language of cinema to tell a tale of secret desires, control, manipulation, death and rebirth. Good and evil are not portrayed as opposing values, but as the reflection of each other, bouncing over Matthew Saliba's carefully developed characters. For the viewer, the film feels like it's 10 minutes long. If I judge by its reception at the Fantasia International Film Festival, film goers love it. Matthew Saliba is a talented filmmaker and I hope he will continue exploring symbolism and metaphors in cinema and continue to develop his unique style. His blend of personal, yet universal issues and crude (in your face) treatment with wild, creative imagination is not ordinary fare. This makes him an extraordinary filmmaker.

I saw Pandora's Paradox and was most impressed. The production values are very high - it is a high quality, professional film, as good as you can get with 16mm. I'm looking forward to seeing what Matthew Saliba will do next - perhaps with Super 16 or even 35mm (and possibly lip-sync!) The lighting for Pandora's Paradox was really quite remarkable, and the overall visual style and mood it produced was fantastic! Actually, I think the lack of lip-sync worked well, as I can't imagine what these characters could possibly say to each other amidst such bizarre behavior, in which their actions speak far more than words. There's certainly lots of psychological material there to sink one's teeth into (as it were), and come up with a variety of explanations, but the central theme is pretty strong and the message comes through clearly without hitting you over the head.

A horror film that you need a psychology degree to appreciate??? Sure, it wouldn't hurt, if you're looking to gain a deeper understanding of the subtle nuances of this almost half hour assault on the brain, but it's not necessary. Many of the themes expressed are basic human emotions and fears, but when forced to confront these demons of human experience is where the real horror lies. It may take a few viewings to really grasp just what Matthew Saliba has to say, but the knowledge he imparts is well worth your time, if you can make sense of it.

When a woman gives birth to a giant severed thumb/toe creature in a room full of bloody weapons, you know you've really stepped into something bizarre. And when the father of the thumb-kin accidentally hatches it by pouring milk over its cuticle, you truly know that there is no turning back. The child, now seemingly fully grown into a teenager, brings his mom the thumb cocoon, which she lovingly turns into soup, before helping the boy's father to perform some kind of Frankensteinesque experiment. The doctor makes an appearance next, feeble assistants who aren't quite human in tow, all leading up to some strange ass visuals including a meatloaf mask, a pick axe wig splitting, and a return to the womb.

As I said above, a fluent knowledge of Freud and Jung isn't compulsory to enjoy the imagery, but it really does help when trying to ascertain the underlying story that makes up the crux of Pandora's Paradox. We are handed everything from Oedipal complex to matricide, and more psychoanalysis than an FBI profile of a serial killer. If these kinds of things excite you, then by all means, dive in and enjoy, but if you're looking for a more straightforward horror flick, this might be a little too cerebral for you. If you happen to fall into the latter category, I'd suggest dusting off your David Cronenberg DVDs and watching those for the umpteenth time.