Off
Season
(2014/Cinema Epoch DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C- Extras: D Film: D
The
Ocean Keeps No Secrets...
In
the independent thriller Off
Season,
directed by Katie Carman-Lehach, Sylvie Stone takes refuge in an
isolated beach hideaway after her husband is convicted of a sweeping
act of financial fraud. A series of frightening occurrences lead her
to discover she's being stalked by a mysterious presence. The film
stars independent film actors Elizabeth Lee, Kimani Shillingford, Abe
Koogler, Ryan Clardy, and Mike Quirk.
The
film is very low budget and it looks it in the cinematography and the
way that the shots are lit don't allow much scope or depth to them.
The performances are nothing noteworthy and the lack of star power
hurts the film too. Most importantly, the tension and creativity
just isn't there especially for scenes like Sylvie's financial
breakdowns that require some visual flair. All in all the film looks
and feels cheap and lacks the suspense that a heist/money laundering
thriller like the Wachowski's Bound
pulled off so well almost two decades ago. I wouldn't be surprised
if I learned that this was a student film project.
Sound
and Picture are standard for what you would expect in a low budget
production. The standard definition transfer captures the 16 X 9/1.78
X 1 widescreen aspect ratio of the film with a lossy 2.0 Dolby
Digital Stereo track. Some scenes the audio mix is lacking with
music and sound effects overpowering dialogue, which is typical in a
low budget production.
Extras
on the disc include a Trailer
and Still
Gallery.
No scene selection is strange on a standard disc release like this.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv
