Review by Gary Flanagan http://garyflanaganwebsite.tripod.com
"Renegade Homecoming"- Directed by Jason Stewart
http://homegrownmovies.weebly.com
After many years, here we have a sequel to Jason Stewart's first film "The Trespassers". Many of the characters from the first film return in this second part, including Tasker, and the evil Lord Holec. Much like its predecessor, this film is loaded to the hilt with a comic book, sci-fi, Star Wars-esque appeal. There are good guys, bad guys, a classic struggle for power, and the introduction of the "MC5 Project", a modern variation on the sacred microchip that so many characters sought in many "cloak and dagger" films of the 80's.
The film kicks off with a good intro that does a great job of immediately pulling the viewer in. The last line spoken by the narrator during the intro pretty much sums up the underlaying plot: "The past has a way of coming back to haunt all generations". There is a good use of music in the film, which helps sustain the atmosphere, and in general this film is quite a bit more slick than the previous one. On the downside, the sound of the film was a little disappointing (often sounding muffled, faint and hollow), however the visuals often compensate for this.
It was very intriguing to see the same sets appear in this film that were used in part one. Shots of the ruined "fortress" are very dramatic and engaging, however they seem to drag on for a bit too long. The same can be said for the scene involving a Mustang being driven recklessly while "Thunder Express" plays in the background. Fun, but too lengthy. The scene in the cemetery involving the tune "All The Things I Wasn't" is also a victim of this dilemma. Nice, but it needs trimming.
In terms of acting, for the most part this film overall delivers fine performances. Chris Drysdale does a commendable job playing Dr. Robert's son, while director Stewart does a great job portraying Tasker. On the downside, the performance of Karl Sawyer as Dr. Roberts is undeniably stiff. He seems very uncomfortable about being in the film. Also, overdubbing his lines may have been necessary, but it may have been better to overdub his voice from the very beginning off his speech, and not completely change his voice after a few lines. I also thought it was a bit of a casting faux-pas to use such a young boy to play a prison guard, but in a way that only added to the "handmade" charm that was such a benchmark of the first film. I also liked the fact that we got to see Holec's face in this chapter.
In general, this is certainly an improvement over the previous film. You can tell that Stewart and his friends have learned much over the intervening years. The lighting and the editing are still a bit rough, but I noticed that the camera work was much smoother. This film has a lot of heart and passion running underneath it, and that is very endearing. I have to applaud Stewart again for pouring so much blood, sweat and tears into this project. It is obvious in every frame that he holds this story and these characters very close to his heart. I should also mention too that the bonus features such as deleted scenes and commentary are a very nice addition.
I highly recommend this offering to anyone with an interest in indie filmmaking.
"Renegade Homecoming"- Directed by Jason Stewart
http://homegrownmovies.weebly.com
After many years, here we have a sequel to Jason Stewart's first film "The Trespassers". Many of the characters from the first film return in this second part, including Tasker, and the evil Lord Holec. Much like its predecessor, this film is loaded to the hilt with a comic book, sci-fi, Star Wars-esque appeal. There are good guys, bad guys, a classic struggle for power, and the introduction of the "MC5 Project", a modern variation on the sacred microchip that so many characters sought in many "cloak and dagger" films of the 80's.
The film kicks off with a good intro that does a great job of immediately pulling the viewer in. The last line spoken by the narrator during the intro pretty much sums up the underlaying plot: "The past has a way of coming back to haunt all generations". There is a good use of music in the film, which helps sustain the atmosphere, and in general this film is quite a bit more slick than the previous one. On the downside, the sound of the film was a little disappointing (often sounding muffled, faint and hollow), however the visuals often compensate for this.
It was very intriguing to see the same sets appear in this film that were used in part one. Shots of the ruined "fortress" are very dramatic and engaging, however they seem to drag on for a bit too long. The same can be said for the scene involving a Mustang being driven recklessly while "Thunder Express" plays in the background. Fun, but too lengthy. The scene in the cemetery involving the tune "All The Things I Wasn't" is also a victim of this dilemma. Nice, but it needs trimming.
In terms of acting, for the most part this film overall delivers fine performances. Chris Drysdale does a commendable job playing Dr. Robert's son, while director Stewart does a great job portraying Tasker. On the downside, the performance of Karl Sawyer as Dr. Roberts is undeniably stiff. He seems very uncomfortable about being in the film. Also, overdubbing his lines may have been necessary, but it may have been better to overdub his voice from the very beginning off his speech, and not completely change his voice after a few lines. I also thought it was a bit of a casting faux-pas to use such a young boy to play a prison guard, but in a way that only added to the "handmade" charm that was such a benchmark of the first film. I also liked the fact that we got to see Holec's face in this chapter.
In general, this is certainly an improvement over the previous film. You can tell that Stewart and his friends have learned much over the intervening years. The lighting and the editing are still a bit rough, but I noticed that the camera work was much smoother. This film has a lot of heart and passion running underneath it, and that is very endearing. I have to applaud Stewart again for pouring so much blood, sweat and tears into this project. It is obvious in every frame that he holds this story and these characters very close to his heart. I should also mention too that the bonus features such as deleted scenes and commentary are a very nice addition.
I highly recommend this offering to anyone with an interest in indie filmmaking.