Whilst at one of the many Filmsnobbery live chats that I attend I met and spoke with Matthew Shea- Writer, director, producer, editor- all around renaissance man for Patriotic Danger. With a budget of $3,000 mostly spent on props- Matt does the unthinkable by creating a fun and exciting Independent action flick.
The movie follows David Striker (Masa Gibson) who after returning home late one night comes home to find his love interest shot and killed on the kitchen floor. We soon learn Striker was recruited by a strange company, claiming to be testers of the video game American Heroes. As it turns out this company actually creates government assassins- enlisting Striker's help and therefore changing his life forever. Now Striker must set out to find out who is behind the murder- and why they have targeted him.
What Matt accomplishes with this movie on such a low budget is pretty phenomenal. It should be said however that at no time do the action sequences outshine the overall purpose of the film. It is an action film yes- but what is really at the heart of the movie is Striker's journey into the unknown and the destruction of those who have wronged him. The angst that Striker encounters within the first few minutes of the film is clearly portrayed on the screen. The scene in the kitchen instantly puts us on Striker's side- justifying any and all actions that he takes during the course of the film.
One of my favorite scenes however came during the flashback of Striker's recruitment. The big boss man puts a gun in Striker's hand and tells him he must shoot the man tied to the chair. A man who apparently is responsible for the deaths of several agents. When Striker seems resistant the boss puts a gun to his head and gives him three seconds to shoot. I could actually feel a true sense of turmoil boiling up inside of Striker. The scene is extremely well done and I was nothing less than impressed.
As the movie goes on and the mystery starts to unravel- my interest never faltered. The introduction of the tough woman sidekick Brandi (Katie Jones) was interesting, although their history seemed clouded. The scene in the house where Brandi's shirt gets ripped open was startling- and the uber creepy Victor made me insanely uncomfortable. That scene also however presented to me one of the my favorite things in the world; a beautiful shot of blood!
The ending action sequence is nicely built up- although the assassins and guard's lack of aim did startle me a little bit. I cannot stress the fact that what is accomplished on such a little budget is thrilling. There are some truly stunning moments of cinematography, and editing in this little film that make me appreciate just what indie films can do. Patriotic Danger proves that you don't need millions of dollars, and bad acting by Megan Fox- to make an entertaining and thrilling action movie.
If you are interested in buying or screening Patriotic Danger (which you should be) check out Matt's website. Do your part to help out Independent filmmaking and support an extremely talented guy like Matt.
Being an independent filmmaker myself I always like seeing what other filmmakers, especially on the same level, are making. Can't wait to check this one out.
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