Dead Moon Rising (2007)

Very disappointing...

Powerful

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

... but life is simply too short to indulge in this kind of waste of time. If I were to be snide, I would tell you that I imagine that the filmmaker would probably say something to the effect that with another $700.00 he could have put a proper shine on the finished product. This is a bad film.Dead Moon Rising was produced with insufficient funds and a decided lack of expertise. Cardboard characters, awful acting, nonexistent continuity and grade school special effects can not be explained away simply by crying poverty. Care costs nothing but still this film was short-changed.

"Dead Moon Rising" is a really entertaining and enjoyable low-budget zombie fare.**SPOILERS**Residents of Louisville, Jim, (Jason Crowe) Nick, (Mike Seely) and Bob, (Cory J. Grace) are witness to strange events around town. After several encounters with ravenous, flesh-eating citizens, they manage to meet up with April, (Erica Goldsmith) Vix, (Tucky Williams) Myrtle, (Kiki Wallace) Albert, (Derek Miller) and Sarah, (Jennifer Shank) fellow survivors and are quickly informed through their encounters that they're dealing with a plague of zombies. Suspecting that the dead have been revived through an increase in radiation released from a sudden spurt of solar flares from the Sun, they try to battle their way out of the city that are overrun with zombies and are forced into hiding. With their numbers dwindling and the undead getting stronger, they must battle for the sake of the planet.The Good News: When it tries to, this one has some pretty nice stuff to it. One of the main things is that, as cheesy and goofy as it is, there's some charm to it that can't be overlooked easily. From the low-budget charm that it displays to the continuous action and much more, there's some really nice moments that really work here, and play into it's cheesy goodness. The action in here is it's best part, as there's really no end to how good that is. There's plenty of confrontations in here that make for some great action, with the alleyway, parking lot and intersection ones being pretty good. All of them feature some nice gun-play, beatings with blunt weapons or more other defensive tactics as well as tons of gore, lots of excitement and a real sense of fun. There's also the film's two big points in the last half, which is the assault with the mini-gun when they're trapped inside the apartment complex, and when there's a min-gun involved, there's plenty of action to be had as the sight of seeing bullets fly across the screen splattering into any bodily organ possible with a giant blood splat is something to be enjoyed. The last big confrontation, the final battle in the streets with an horde of zombies versus an army of survivors out in a full-on rip of the kind of spectacle found in earlier films with similar sorts of scenes. It's a swarming mass of humanity with blood flowing, limbs being ripped off and torn open and is really great and fun. The fact that it's pretty bloody and gory works well, giving this one a really nice amount to make it interesting and keep the fans entertained. There's numerous shots of them ripping into the body, pulling out large chunks of bloody flesh, intestines and much more, limbs bitten off, a tongue ripped out, as well as the multitude of damage done to them as well as the severed body parts, splatter and puddles of blood left over in here, making this one really wet and gory. The fact that main character comments on the situation to the audience at numerous junctures is really nice, giving it a wise-cracking feel and keeping in perfect tone with the cheese level. The last thing is that it does the perfect amount of teasing in here without showing anything, and while it may turn off some, it still does it the right way. These factors are the film's best parts.The Bad News: This one here is mildly flawed, and contains only a few flaws. All of the flaws, though, are able to be traced back to the film's low-budget. The fact that so much of the film is obviously seen at that tactic which is where the film faults itself. The blood is going to be the biggest cause here, as it rarely looks real and more often than not appears as paint strewn about the scene or is so off-colored that there's no way it can be mistaken for real blood. The CGI blood is barely any better, never looking real or believable, and when there's something that occurs which features a ton of bloodshed, it's a sure bet to be fake. Several times there's a quick shot of something that will give away the low-budget, as the outdoor sun glaring off something or the tint going off-color for a couple seconds, enough to throw the fact that it's cheap right at viewers. These tactics are the film's only flaw, and for some it will be enough to automatically write it off due to that.The Final Verdict: A low-budget zombie classic with a lot to enjoy about it, this one here is one of the best examples of that style and for those who enjoy them. Highly recommended to those who have a deep affinity for this type of low-budget zombie film, while those who can't stand it to begin with should avoid this one.Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language

DMR is very good film for the first feature from Mark Poole. He was also the editor of the film, and you can tell that a lot of effort was put into the film. The camera work was pretty solid throughout and had some really cool shots. The acting was also very solid. My fav having to be Jason Crowe and Tucky Williams. Look out for these two to make a splash in Indie horror! I could see Jason as a cult status actor along the lines of Bruce Campbell when the right role comes around. This movie might gain a strong cult following, and I would not be surprised if it got one. I have watched many Indie films and this is one of the better crafted ones. The blood and gore were pretty descent. I would have like to have seen a little more of it, but there's enough to keep horror hounds watching. The audio for the most part was good, but there was a few scenes where it was pretty muffled, or the gain was turned up too loud in order to try and salvage some poorly recorded dialog. Oh yeah throw some more T n A in there next time! I can't remember seeing a set in this movie. I only watched it one time, so maybe I missed it. All in all a very good indie feature. Can't wait to see more projects from Mark Poole.

So this is what I have been waiting for. Real reviews from people who have nothing to do with the film nor live in Louisville. Now in truth I figured it would be rough. I know what kind of film we have and I make no bones about it. However the film IS fun. We did indeed have a blast on set. The film does have it's rough points. I mean its a no budget film. But if you rent these films looking for Oscar worthy productions then you're looking in the wrong place. However if you rent these films because you're a fan of low budget B-movies then DMR is for you.It's fun. It's campy. It's a B-Movie! I love it. I'm proud to call it my film debut and I look forward to doing part 2!My original post: OK so I may be a little bias since I did star in the film and it was my first starring role... However I am first and foremost a fan of low budget indie films.Now I will agree the film has it's moments where one has to stretch the imagination, but what film doesn't? DMR is a great first outing for Mark Poole and Anubis Digital Productions. It's well written and very funny. The music is really well done and I think the acting was above par for an indie film.No I'm not talking about me (I always feel I can do better) I'm talking about Mike Seely (DMR's Nick) That guy is hilarious. I personally think he stole the film and I loved working with him in our scenes together. Gary Williams is another funny man and was very enjoyable to watch on screen. As well as Tucky Williams and Kiki Wallace... Hell honestly I thought everyone did a great job...Mark Poole created a fun film full of likable characters and sharp humor. He did one hell of a job directing his first film. I mean handling 1200 extras in one scene as seamlessly as he did was a sight to be seen. Mark is someone who loves what he does and has a blast doing it. Every day on set was a great day and Mark was always there at the end of the day with a hug and a word of encouragement...HE and the cast and crew of DMR became like my family and made every day on set unforgettable.So if you love indie films and want to have a great time, check out DMR. I promise its a fun ride!