Back in the old days movies were only shot on film cameras. Now there are an abundance of films shot on digital HD, because of its high resolution and comparatively low cost. Much cheaper to shoot on still, is the considerably lower resolution of DV, which is used for lots of reality shows and music videos. Very few quality feature films are shot on DV, but here are two that you should definitely put on your list. Both were shot with the Sony PD150 DV camera.
Inland Empire is David Lynch’s most recent contribution in film. I think it is also Laura Dern’s greatest triumph to date. The movie evolved with David Lynch filming some of his ideas on a PD150 for future reference. That and a trip he made to a Polish film festival eventually birthed, Inland Empire. The entire movie was supervised by David Lynch, with him doing a great deal of the workload by participating in camera operation, scoring, editing, etc. It is easily recognizable as his film, with a superbly haunting sound design and lots of wonderfully abstract ideas incorporated. Turn off the lights, configure your TV according to the DVD, and take in the Inland Empire experience.
Manic is a well crafted movie about troubled teens in a juvenile psychiatric ward. The style in camera work and editing really lends itself to the subject matter of modern kids in turmoil. The entire cast is obviously dedicated to the project, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt carrying the torch. It is also Jordan Melamed’s first feature film, so hopefully he will direct another with the same enthusiasm soon.
Until next time, I hope you have a great viewing experience. Comments are welcomed at livingroomcinema@yahoo.com.
