Ashes of Eden

There are so many things wrong with this movie it is hard to know where to begin. A poorly written script, bad casting choices, and sub-par acting are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes the crappy things about this movie. But being a still photographer and a DP as well, I will key in on, what was for me, the worst part of Ashes of Eden. To begin with, the scenes are set up like a sitcom. We are often given the stock shot of the building, just to reinforce to the viewer where the scene will take place, which is incredibly cheesy and just plain awful. Granted, they felt that they needed to do this in certain cases, because the main scene was clearly not filmed where it was supposed to take place. Case in point, early on there is a scene in a church. The scene is not filmed in a church. It doesn't even look anything like a church. It looks more like a meeting room at a local hotel. So we get the obligatory opening shot of the exterior of some random church. Opening exterior shots of a church or a school do not add anything to the story and often point out, rather blatantly, that this is a very cheaply done movie. However much the stock shots detract from the movie, they are eclipsed by the horrendous camera work and lighting. The choice of camera shots shows little regard for the development of the story. The camera is often set up in the most bland and uninspired way. The cuts between shots are usually harsh and arbitrary, and they highlight the poor editing choices that comprise a scene. But by far the worst aspect of all of this is the lighting. Everything is lit completely flat. The scenes lack depth or any sort of understanding about the use of darkness and light to enhance the story. This gives the movie a sitcom or commercial look, in which everything in the scene is evenly lit. It would not surprise me to find that the DP has been primarily working in the commercial field. Couple these camera problems to a weak story and actors who are not age appropriate, you have to recipe for a extremely lackluster movie

This movie was well written and directed. It depicts how someone with good intentions, can get into a bad situation. It will make you think about the choices you make in life or the choices that others make in their life to try to better themselves. This is a must see movie that older children could learn some valuable life lessons from.

Indie film making at it's finest. Story development was spot on as well as character arcs. It's a feat just to see a indie film make it through to completion.... and when it does so in such raw and precise fashion, as it does in Ashes of Eden, it's a breath of fresh air. Kudos to the film makers. Looking forward to keeping these film makers on my radar to see what comes next. They certainly are in the industry for a reason and are here to stay.

The tone of the film was consistent, the story was something I followed to the very end. It wasn't all over the place, it was focused. I felt emotion while watching it. You know? It makes the viewer feel something, even if at first they don't understand what. Perhaps its the underlined naivete of your lead character and the mother's love and predicament as an officer of the law. This wasn't shabby or forced in it's conception. I also appreciate your eye for camera shots. It works. I watched it to the very end. Very good scene work with Melissa Anschutz and Bello Pizzimenti. For one person to have written, co-produced, directed and edited this film its a testament to the human spirit of determination. That as well as the film, deserves applause.

An urban American Graffiti? First of all American Graffiti was and urban story. They weren't exactly driving around the farm in that movie. Second, and more importantly, American Graffiti was good. This little film is absolutely horrible. The story is warmed over drivel that everyone has seen a thousand times before. Not that it matters because the acting is thoroughly uninspired and cold. Add to that they want you to believe that the lead, a very obvious twenty five to thirty year old man, is young enough to be in high school. Quite a few of the "twenty something" actors are completely unconvincing as teenagers. The whole thing comes across as something shot on a home video camera for about $500.