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THE LAST ROUND
Produced and Videotaped by Joe Masucci
Directed by Dan Masucci
Written and Edited by Joe and Dan MasucciNed - Michael Hayes
Dave - Chris Hayes
Luke - Thomas Adams
Percy - Pierre Franklen Radimak
Paul - Rich Lounello
Jack - Phil Sawyer Jr.What I find so intriguing about the short film is the brevity required to state your point. Some moviemakers don't know how to treat feature length media and lose their audience as they hit them repeatedly over the head with the same information.
Last year I decided to start giving the Underground Short Film of the Year Award because the winner was just as powerful as they features I was honoring, perhaps even more so. Following in that tradition, this year's winner is just as potent as last year's MR. BLACK.
THE LAST ROUND packs more emotion in its short running time than any 10 features reviewed on this site combined. It's angry. It's funny. It's touching. It's jarring.
More so than anything else, THE LAST ROUND makes me weigh myself and the life I've led, and I can't say it any better than in the review below. I can't vouch for your response to the movie, but I can understand where some people might be put off by the subject matter. Suicide, to put it mildly, is a touchy subject. One that should never be taken lightly. While in the context of a game, the Masucci Brothers never pander or exploit the subject.
The movie is dark, as dark as a thousand soulless midnights, and underneath all that bleakness hides the illuminating truth of the pointlessness of it all and the realization that it's the stronger man who can go on.
I'm proud to announce THE LAST ROUND as the 2003 Underground Short Film of the Year.
Original Review from December 2003
What does it mean to be a man?
How do you define your role in the universe?
As you sit next to your best friend, or a complete stranger, how would you react if they suddenly dropped dead? Would you miss them?
Dan and Joe Masucci, the Wachowsky's of Albany, have matured into underground filmmakers possessing a deep philosophical understanding of our need for personal introspection. In their fan-film X-FILES: GRACELAND (still one of the best fan productions I've seen) they were able to harvest the personal connections that made the original program work while amping-up the shows cliches. Building on that foundation of characterization in MURPHY'S LAW, the Masucci's documented man's need for survival during days so terrible that merely making it through is a cause for celebration. With THE LAST ROUND, Joe and Dan take six men at the end of their ropes and ask them why they want to die.
The set up is simple, six men pay for an "event" where Russian Roulette is the main attraction. Each man has his own reasons for being there; some justified, some not. Ned is terminal with cancer. Percy's wife left him. Dave survived a fall from a silo and now lives life to the fullest while wearing a cloak of invincibility. Whether it be personal demons or self-destruction, each of these men dangle from the end of their ropes struggling with the weight of self-doubt.
Does imminent death give Ned the right to take his life and face the end with dignity?
Dave dares death to come calling. Does that make him a survivor?
Is being lost a good enough reason for Percy to die?
I've always thought suicide the coward's way out, but what of Ned who doesn't want to suffer. Is that wrong? What about the man who realizes he can't bring himself to release the hammer, is he any less a man because he's suddenly had a change of heart?
After Jack spins the barrel, each character puts himself to the test to see if they're man enough to take their life. As the gun is passed from person to person, their backstories unfold with each snap of the hammer. Knowing the next man's chances of survival are slimmer, there's a strange sense of empowerment that overcomes each man as he passes off the gun. Knowing that it's not their time is enough to go on.
Is life really that simple?
The Masucci's present a work that forces introspection. There's something to be said about a movie where you end up questioning yourself by the end. I reflected on my purpose in life and wondered if I'd be man enough to pull that trigger. Somewhere THE LAST ROUND struck a chord, something deep down that sparked thought. Something that sparked active participation in the viewing process allowing the movie to become part of me. That's how you define true art.
The Masucci's have matured with every picture becoming two filmmakers at the forefront of their craft. Joe and Dan pride themselves in run-and-gun guerilla moviemaking, but THE LAST ROUND reflects a sure hand held steady by the practice of planned execution. It's their most accomplished work and shines with the glow of filmmakers brimming over with passion. In the face of financial burden, and by any means necessary, they'll make the best film they possibly can. Ladies and gentleman, that's true independent filmmaking.