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MONSTER
Produced and Written by Duke White
Directed and Edited by Garrett WhiteDuke White - Clay/Steve Heinz/The Monster
I wish all movies that crossed my desk had at least 1/10 the energy as this ampped-up, punk rock version of MARY SHELLY'S FRANKENSTEIN. The old adage about a little ingenuity and hard work couldn't apply to a movie more.
Father and son team of Duke and Garrett White transplant the Frankenstein story to a modern day setting where a jail break puts a fresh cadaver on a cold slab where a not-so-good doctor is just waiting to be bring it back to life. Of course, re-animation is the last thing on dead-boy's mind, he just wants to get back at those who slabbed his ass in the first place.
When Garrett asked me to review this for him a few months ago, he highlighted the fact that his father played three roles. Having seen the acting chops on family productions in the past, I wasn't looking for much this time around. Big surprise when it turns out that not only can Dad act, but he's damn good. Even when looking for the guy, it was hard to spot between one Duke White character and the next. I've called Mike Legge a chameleon in the past, but White might just have Legge beat. Each of White's three roles are fully realized and separate creations. Only once, as the monster, is he hidden behind make-up.
The film moves at a violent pace, slowing only to linger on some of the effects. Truth be told, if my effects looked as good as this, I would linger too. Why not tout your efforts? There's no wasted time in the story, this is meat and potatoes filmmaking done guerilla style with solid, professional results. Character development is right up front, and what we see is what we get. There's no growth or arc, just the familiar downfall.
If the pace moves fast, the camera moves even faster. The visuals are done EVIL DEAD-style where the action within the frame, and not merely the framing, makes the composition look good. The easiest way to describe what on screen is "fluid anarchy." The camera flies around the action without being raw or sloppy. It's makes me wonder how it was filmed.
If I had to compare this to any film out there, it would be Y2K: SHUTDOWN DETECTED. If there was ever a film to show what you could do with no money, it's Y2K. Well, it looks like Y2K found a partner in crime. Only this time, no CGI. It's all done in house, and that just makes the reward all the more worthwhile.