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WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE Starring Mark Ruel, Michael Burns and Deidre Fitzsimmons
Independent horror films have become commonplace over the last 40 years, allowing the auteur (or even the average person who can work a camcorder) to create a movie without the backing of a major studio. Movies such as Halloween, Night of the Living Dead and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre wouldn't have been possible without the persistence of the independent film maker. Often times, it is the voice behind the movie that is allowed to shine through in an independent production, being unstifled by politics, producer agendas or artistic decisions dictated by investors. Digital Versatile Disc, LTD's DVD of With Friends Like These gives movie buffs, horror fans and people who just appreciate independent films a chance to experience the artistry, honesty and even the pros and cons involved with an independent film.
People wait for the bus to arrive. When they board the bus, the viewer is taken on a journey. Each of three characters get off at their own stops, experiencing odd, unpredictable relationships..... Alex is an average guy who is sick and tired of taking the bus to his job as a security job. After finding out that he has been transferred far away from home, he decides to buy a car. At the used car lot, he hears a voice - coming from a car. The voice of "Banz," a classic car from the early 1900s, persuades him to spend all of the money in his fianceé's bank account. Banz exploits Alex's love for classic cars and his wishes for a better life. After a series of mishaps caused by Banz's influence, Alex is left with nothing - and most probably without his fianceé.
The bus lets Frank off at the next stop. Frank is a slacker who lives in an extraordinarily filthy apartment. One day, all of the rotten leftovers in Frank's refrigerator join to form a being that resembles the top half of Swamp Thing. "Junior," as he requested to be named, convinces Frank to keep him alive in the fridge and to feed him spoiled food. In return, Junior gives Frank day-to-day advice on how to live his life. Eventually, Junior goes "bad" for real, and kills Frank's landlord. When Frank confronts Junior, Junior tries to strangle Frank. Frank escapes and unplugs the refrigerator, turning Junior into a rotten mess. The last character to get off the bus is Susan, a manager in the clothing and textile industry who has a little trouble meeting a man. She decides to go to a matchmaking agency and is paired with Chris, the ideal man. However, Chris is a little too knowledgeable about everything, knows too much about Susan and does everything perfectly. Chris also acts a little weird. He seizes when he picks up the phone, has the inability to do things that aren't planned and can't sustain injuries. When Susan is at her breaking point with Chris' behavior, she gets into a heated argument with him, leading to a revelation in Chris' identity.....
With Friends Like These seems to be a study in interpersonal relationships in general and parasitic relationships in particular. Although a horror film, it has no sex, nudity, drug use, profanity and very little violence. Even though it lacks all of these thematic elements, it seems to hold its own. The acting is low quality, but it is more over-the-top rather than cardboard-like. With Friends Like These is presented 1.33:1. The picture quality is fair, with the image appearing grainy from time to time. Artifacting is easier to see in darker scenes. This is probably due to the source material. Considering that this film is an independent film, however, the film makers were using film stock that was of substandard quality. The disc was also mastered in the early days of DVD, and digital compression technology was not what it is now. The colors are a little washed out, however, the film has a muted color palette to begin with.
The Dolby Digital 2.1 soundtrack (including a subwoofer channel) is clear as can be for this type of low budget film. The subwoofer channel produces deep bass in a few scenes and is gently used. There are a few instances where the gain level is a bit high, leading to distortion. There are no extras on this disc, not to mention a lack of chapter stops or a menu. The movie is all that is contained on this release. This prompts the viewer to watch this film from beginning to end, making it a test of patience to find a particular scene.
With Friends Like These is a very rare film that can entertain the viewer without clobbering the viewer with shocking images. Thematic elements are kept to a minimum, yet the film can be recommended to viewers of all ages. With any luck, this shining example of an independent fantasy film will be revisited on DVD with better mastering and extras. |
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