THE SWEET HAND OF THE WHITE ROSE - SHORT FILM REVIEW

The Sweet Hand of the White Rose begins with looooong credits, looooong takes of a lounge, its patrons and finally we are introduce to Mark (Carlos Bahos). Mark is having some issues with his girlfriend (Leocricia Saban).  Mark is on the road, his cell phone rings, he picks it up, and suddenly he skids off the road - ends up SLAMMED... Seconds before, a young, innocent little girl (Natasha Machuca) leaves the park, on her bike, with a sweet smile, she rides her bike up the road... From here on the film begins with some religious, heavenly, inter-faith sweet but eerie story... Is Mark dead? 

                                         

Filmmaker David Melide (The Puzzle) short film The Sweet Hand of the White Rose is an interesting short film just for its amazing cinematography. The story begins and it goes nowhere.  The distracting voice overs were annoying as hell, it took me away from the little bit of suspense I was feeling for the film.  When Mark's voice over begins while he is driving – I’m here sitting down watching this thinking is this a 'black comedy'. The cinematography full of great shots, but too many long scene takes dragged the film a bit. For example the film begins with a singer singing, camera is focus on her for a good minute or two, later after two minutes is when the camera POV on Mark.  This is not a feature film where we can have all those long takes (Legendary filmmaker Michael Haneke could get away with this) but not in short films - short films is about lets get to point and the story - no need for long credits (this is not a Michael Bay production with long credits) and no long takes. 

                                       

THE SWEET HAND OF THE WHITE ROSE gets TWO STARS out of FOUR STARS.

ASLI DUKAN FILMMAKER - FUNDRASING FOR UPCOMING HORROR FILM

SKIN FOLK: The skin hides the horrors inside us all…

In the tradition of anthology horror films like Twilight Zone: The Movie, Creepshow, Tales from the Darkside and Tales from the Hood come three tales that will have you crawling in your own skin!

"Years after Hurricane Katrina brought death and destruction to New Orleans, a similar but angrier storm, unleashes a “revengeful spirit”, a woman abused and discarded to the bottom of the sea eons earlier. She emerges from the murky waters of the Gulf Coast, soaking in a ruined dress and veil of seaweed. Her eyes are dark and cavernous. Her mouth shaped in the form of an eternal soundless scream. She passes through the streets of New Orleans, unseen by most, to bring us three cautionary tales of those who tread the waters of the wicked. These are their stories…"

Each story in the Skin Folk anthology will be directed by a different director and will tell three tales - the first of wanton pride, the second of stifled love and the last of obsessive greed.

I am reaching out to let you know about our new film, Skin Folk. Currently, in development, it is a feature length, anthology horror film based on the stories of the award winning writer, Nalo Hopkinson. We are fundraising through our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas and the crowdsourcing website, IndieGoGo to raise development funds to move into pre-production and eventually production. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our project by clicking the link below! You can receive limited edition Skin Folk posters, tee-shirts and DVDs in exchange for your donation! If you can not make a financial donation, please help us spread the word about this project by forwarding this email!

From the producer, M. Asli Dukan:
"You may ask yourself why I am interested in telling stories through the genres of "Speculative Fiction/SF"? My answer? Because the genres of SF (fantasy, horror, science fiction, etc.) gives the creator an opportunity to tell fantastic/larger than life stories about real issues. For example, horror films often speak to the fear of human mortality/death, the fear of the unknown via the revealing of hidden pasts and identities. In the case of Skin Folk, we are exploring the idea of hiding who you really are behind who you pose to be. It is not out to have the highest body count or the most gore, but to touch you at the core of your psychological foundation and you will find that it has, like in some of the best horror films, a morality tale clinging to each story."

For more information or to become a supporter of our project, please click the links below:

Skin Folk teaser trailer

IndieGoGo/Fractured Atlas fundraising page
Skin Folk blog

M. Asli Dukan blog

                          M. Asli Dukan, Producer/Writer/Director
                                 SKIN FOLK - the feature film

SCREAM 4 - REVIEW

 STARRING NEVE CAMPBELL COURTNEY COX DAVID ARQUETTE EMMA ROBERTS RORY CAULKIN, HAYDEN PANETTIERE

KILLER FEMMES ON THE LOOSE ANYONE? The film within the film beginning of SCREAM 4 - give us a bit of a hint who is the new serial killer Ghostface at Woodsboro hood.  I also mentioned or should I say predicted on February 4 here at Eyepus who was one of the serial killers (spoiler alert ahead) none other than Rory Caulkin.  The other killer I wont tell you who it is...

Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is back at her old hometown Woodsboro to promote her self-help book Out of the Darkness.  And before you know it bodies start piling up nearby and she is a suspect.  And everybody else is a suspect.  Sydney stays over at her Aunt Kate (Mary McDonald) and Cousin Jill (Emma Roberts).  Everybody gets turned out by the serial killer Ghostface.  No one is safe.  The cat and mouse chase begins trying to figure out who is behind the Ghostface costume.  Dewey (David Arquette) now as the new Sheriff in town and Gale Wethers (Courtney Cox) now both married are in hand to capture the new face behind the Ghostface costume.  The film becomes a turn of twists and turns, bloody as hell, new creative stabbing ways, dark neighborhoods, cops getting stabbed in the head on the sidewalk, teens gutted, and a fast Ghostface always on the go.  

For a Fourth Installment SCREAM 4 delivered a cute, scary fun ride.  But honestly, no more sequels for this franchise. Enough is enough. How many times are we going to see Sydney Prescott get shot, stabbed, sliced, beat, gouged, dragged, served, chopped and still live through all the madness? Enough. She is not ASH from the EVIL DEAD series...  Rumors has it there maybe another installment in the works - Hell No!.  Maybe in the next SCREAM installment Sydney Prescott is all TERMINATOR Type, all pumped, diesel, leather jacket with chainsaw and shotgun in hand ready to get the next Ghostface.

I must say this was a good comeback for the legendary Wes Craven after his last horrible, tacky, trash film MY SOUL TO TAKE.  Craven really mastermind a wonderful and colorful direction with this installment.  Kevin Williamson delivered some good sequences and liners in the script... The film made close to 19 million over the weekend at the box office - the lowest from all the SCREAM films.  Lets just pray no more SCREAM installments.  Let this legendary franchise go to sleep in classic mode.  No more remakes and no more sequels.   

I give SCREAM 4 - THREE STARS - a good little fun ride.