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STAKES
Produced and Edited by Don Dohler
Directed by Joe Ripple
Written by Don Dohler and Joe Ripple
Director of Photography - Don DohlerDetective Bishop - Jamie Bell
Father O'Brady - George Stover
Alyssa - Leanna Chamish
Dr. Brian Smithers - Steven KingThere's really no excuses for not turning out quality productions when you have no money. That I'm convinced of, especially after viewing STAKES from Joe Ripple and Don Dohler. After hearing everyone on the indi-scene cry about not having top-quality equipment, specifically the Canon XL1s, here's a movie shot on the GL1 that's as slick and polished as anything SOV that I've seen to date. STAKES really puts all other video moviemakers to shame by bringing their laziness to the spotlight.
Production isn't the only thing Dohler and Ripple took their time to do right. The two also fleshed out a screenplay that mixes up an otherwise tired subgenre - the vampire film. By adding elements of science fiction, STAKES takes on a completely unique spin on the vampire legend. Set in a reality where gothic monsters don't exist, much like our own, the vampires in STAKES come from a parallel world where humans are nothing more than cattle. With the herds thinning, Queen Alyssa and her minions see a fresh market on Earth, our Earth.
And with so many strands of vampire lore to pull from, a filmmaker working in the genre can pick and choose what elements to use and not violate any cardinal law. Short of the golden rule of vampires, that they must drink blood, anything is fair game. In this case, these alien leeches can walk around in daylight, but crosses can do severe damage. Due to the feudal nature of the vampire clans, only the younger, newer vampires are prone to the ill effects of holy water. Purebloods are impervious to holy water and stakes.
Joe Ripple is a police officer by day and it comes as little surprise that his protagonist is a homicide detective. Wherever they go, vampires are going to leave bodies, right? Ripple brings his knowledge to the screen and provides a grounded foundation offsetting the outlandish nature of the vampires. This also provides a nice character arch for our hero, the Detective, as he's hard-pressed to leave rational thinking behind and accept anything outside of what the facts tell him.
On the trail of Alyssa and her cohorts are three otherworldly hunters: a priest, a scientist, and a soldier. With them lies the spiritual center of the movie. Faith and fact have been at odds end since Christ walked the Earth (or did he). While both strive to prove common points, one is willing to accept knowledge with his heart, the other his eyes. Contradicting both is the miliary who live in a constant state of now where the greater good is often an afterthought. Most movies would use the diversity to channel conflict among the characters, but Dohler and Ripple opt instead to emphasis the underlying humanity that binds the three together like family.
The first 20 minutes of STAKES starts out a bit shaky with some dialogue and editing choices that could have been improved upon. It's clear that as things progressed during the shoot, that everything from an actor's delivery to Ripple's direction became more relaxed. It's a little surprising since this is the third movie Joe and Don have made with much of the same cast, the first two being HARVESTERS and ALIEN RAMPAGE. But once things get going, everything about the movie becomes top notch.
The DVD presentation of STAKES is also top quality. Containing, bloopers, trailers, and documentaries, the disc is complemented by a commentary track with Ripple and Dohler where the two come across as genuinely likeable guys. The commentary itself is a balancing act of anecdotal reflections and how-to knowledge regarding the trials of producing a movie in downtown Baltimore. With as much no-budget know-how that went into the production, I would have liked to see more of that in the behind-the-scenes footage. There's so much information that Ripple and Dohler go over that it would have been nice to see some reference material.
For those that have critcised shot-on-video horror, I implore you to seek out STAKES. If there ever was a movie that proved shot-on-video can be comparable to anything shot on film (well, this side of Star Wars' catering budget), this is it. STAKES provides the winning entertainment that people demand with their rental dollars.
Time Warp Films
Key East Entertainment