nice, nice, very nice

so many people in the same device ...

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    ink

    Double Edge Films' 2009 release, "ink," is now on Hulu (watch movie). It is, as described by one reviewer, "a beautiful, dark, wondrous and poetic tale." It is also a testament both to all that is good about indie films and to the almost incomprehensible talents of the husband and wife team that created it. Jamin and Kiowa Winans have, on a shoestring budget of $250,000, created what will certainly become a classic.

    This trailer for the movie is, like most trailers, somewhat misleading. This is not some sort of goth "Return of the Borg" (one impression I got from the trailer). I can't imagine a trailer that could do the story justice, though. It's very difficult to describe "ink." It seems part Gilliam's "Brazil," Aronofsky's "Pi" and Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and yet it is uniquely the Winans' film - I've never seen anything quite like it before.

    Its point of view is not epic, but personal. It focuses on the internal forces at work in a man who's lost his way, so to speak. What Jamin Winans  (who wrote, directed, edited and composed the music for the film) has done is create a story in which our internal guides (both dark and light) are made visible. HIs script, which starts rather dark and scattered, eventually weaves itself into an uplifting tale of a father's redemption. (It might surprise you by the way, especially given the above trailer, that one of the groups of people who really like this movie are "young mothers," something that both surprised and pleased the Winans.)

    The movie is not rated but would probably be given a PG-13 for language. It is not a scary movie, per se, but could definitely be upsetting to young children predisposed to bad dreams (or afraid of things that go bump in the night). Also, if you're easily bothered by the f-word, be forewarned that this is the first three words out of the main character's mouth in the very beginning of the movie. I'm not bothered by the word but still found this the most off-putting scene the first time I watched it, not only because it's so unexpected but because it is some time before the outburst is explained.

    This (unexplained things) is characteristic of the first third of the movie, in fact. You're given quite a few different threads to hold onto at first before the story begins weaving them all together. Be patient. It's a lean script, to be sure, but it is complete and everything will make sense in the end.

    Some Interesting Facts

    • Shot on DV (Sony HDV V1U), post production on Macs using Final Cut Pro, Logic Studio and Adobe After Effects.
    • Shot in 83 day, 14 months in post.
    • Shot entirely in Colorado.
    • Most voice and ambient recording done in studio (Kiowa, in addition to being the Producer, was the sound designer/engineer).
    • 7 main character, 35 speaking parts, 70+ locations and hundreds of extras (not unusual for feature length films, just very unusual for low budget indies).
    • Jamin said in an interview that Snow White was one film that he was really impressed with as a child, especially the witch. That might explain Ink's nose ...
    • Some of the music was composed before filming so that the action could be synced with the rhythm.
    • The Winans have been experimenting with the distribution cycle for this film. It's no accident that the movie is available on Hulu the same year it was released (not to mention via Netflix, iTunes or Blockbuster)
    • Jamin is primarily self-taught (he got through one year of film school before dropping out).
    Tags » review
    • 29 December 2009
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  • Paul Pomeroy's Space

    Oh a sleeping drunkard up in Central Park / Or the lion hunter In the jungle dark

    Or the Chinese dentist or the British Queen / They all fit together In the same machine

    Nice, nice, very nice
    Nice, nice, very nice
    So many people in the same device

    Oh a whirling dervish and a dancing bear / Or a Ginger Rogers and a Fred Astaire

    Or a teenage rocker or the girls in France / Yes, we all are partners in this cosmic dance

    Nice, nice, very nice
    Nice, nice, very nice
    So many people in the same device
    _________________
    From "Cat's Cradle" (Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)

  • About Paul Pomeroy

    Oh a sleeping drunkard up in Central Park / Or the lion hunter In the jungle dark

    Or the Chinese dentist or the British Queen / They all fit together In the same machine

    Nice, nice, very nice
    Nice, nice, very nice
    So many people in the same device

    Oh a whirling dervish and a dancing bear / Or a Ginger Rogers and a Fred Astaire

    Or a teenage rocker or the girls in France / Yes, we all are partners in this cosmic dance

    Nice, nice, very nice
    Nice, nice, very nice
    So many people in the same device
    _________________
    From "Cat's Cradle" (Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)

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