Brave New York/Craig/Gunheavy/Idleheist (Brinkfilm/MVD DVD)

 

Picture: C/C-/C/C     Sound: C/C/C-/C+     Extras: C+/D/C-/C-     Main Programs:

 

Brave New York  C

 

Craig  D

 

Gunheavy  C+

 

Idleheist  C-

 

 

Brinkfilm tries to expand into more independent production with very mixed results via four new DVD releases.  This includes three dramatic works and one documentary, Richard Sandler’s Brave New York, focusing on the rise and fall of the East Village as a place of culture, personality and personal progress.  9/11 or not, it has no voice over, is more of a collage of people and places than a direct recording of any events and offers mixed results in showing what was and is there now.  The bonus programs are more effective and help where applicable.

 

Craig is about the title character (Kim Sonderholm, who wrote and directed) dealing with devastating emotional issues after his parents die and goes on medication as he become increasingly isolated and depressed.  He then stops taking that medication and thinks get worse in a short work that becomes more about a downward trip than any story.  The result is yet another stereotypical portrait of mental illness that has nothing new to say about it and can only speak clichés of this situation.

 

Angelo Lopes’ Gunheavy is a Science Fiction short about yet another dystopian militarist future with too much technology and yet another war that actually has a few things to like about it, but it is everything we have seen before, lacks character development, is too short and has no point.  One plus is that it is not as color-gutted as its larger counterparts and almost develops its own look.

 

Joshua M. Dragotta’s Idleheist is about four guys new at crime trying to commit a robbery, only to see it backfire, told from the point of view of one of the criminals who seemingly has been shot.  It too wants to be a trip film, but the language is like a bad Music Video too often, sabotaging its potential.  It is also too short, but points go to its amusing (if not successful) use of multi-channel sound.

 

 

The image of the various aspect ratios are all shot in analog and/or digital video, have aliasing errors, softness and at worse (Craig) have a faint look that is dull and lacks detail.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is barley stereo if not monophonic in all cases, except Gunheavy, which is an interesting (if problematic) Dolby Digital 5.1 mix that will bring on a few laughs.  If only they had been more ambitious.  Extras on Brave include two more shorts I liked even more: Sway and Subway To The Former East Village.  Seeing all three in total is your best bet.  Gunheavy has two featurettes, trailer and director commentary track, while Idleheist adds a CD soundtrack, two featurettes, trailer and director commentary track.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo