Westender (2004)

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Really, I wasted more than a hour of my life watching this stinking movie. I know is low budget but this doesn't mean it has to stink so badly; The story line is awful, the costumes are ridiculous, the soundtrack made me want to spit at the screen. But let me tell you: I got a DVD (thank Gowd it was for free)and on the cover they displayed a white horse (???), that blond weird-alien looking character that appears in the desert and dies in 5 seconds, and A CASTLE. Funny because NO CASTLE APPEARS on that movie. The cover had nothing to do with the actual story! Talk about cheating the public... And what was that make-up stuff? Purple eyeshadow everywhere. "- Hey I cut my face!" Purple eyeshadow. "- Hey, i got punched in the eye!" Purple eyeshadow for ya! I bet they bought 5 tons of that stuff. Half of the budget was spent on purple eyeshadow. When the main character feels cold in the woods, what do they do? Light Purple eyeshadow all over him! He looks like a blue zombie of the old Dawn Of The Dead. The acting is ridiculous. When that Asbrey guy gets mad he looks like a fat nerd who didn't got his internet connection to watch porn. That black wolf sightings Cliché thing, it had to be there? Really? Asbrey felt like a black lone wolf? Pleeeeaaaase. To me, he should have visions of Yogi Bear. That fatty knight. Don't get me talking about that desert scene... How boring can they get? It seems like forever for a scene that supposed to mean something deep like "a chubby bastard lost in the desert searching for his dignity" and gets going like "Fatso, you could die right now and that ridiculous movie would end".

My only problem with Brock Morse's "Westender" is that it whets my appetite without satisfying it. But this obviously is intentional. The film is well crafted, fascinating in its struggle to tell a story mainly through visual means, and true to the director's intent. It is up to the viewer to draw personal meaning from much of what is placed on screen, but the tools used here are very compelling indeed. Let's hope that someone with the economic clout necessary will fund the continuation of this saga, so we can get the back-story straight, as well as the future of the main character. I loved especially the choices of subjects for this film. Each is a perfect fit, visually. There is something consistently visceral about the appeal of not only the lush scenery that forms the backdrop of this little Indy epic, but also the actors themselves. Stadel is a perfect fit, of course, but so is Rob Simonson as Glim (bigtime kudos on the heart-wrenchingly gorgeous musical score by him too!), very reminiscent of Kevin O'Conner. Darlene Dadras as Sarin was also a compelling fit Asbrey's worthy gypsy distraction. Kari Gjone is down-right haunting as Asbrey's lost lady love; I got the feeling that it would definitely be worth turning into a shiftless drunk over the loss any woman so beautiful! The wolf-dog is such a perfect symbol for the spirit of knighthood that pursues Asbrey as he flees from his true calling.What can I say but, "Hey, Brock! Let's see more! Real soon!

And I'm not kidding. To say this movie is slow is an understatement. The screenplay must read: He walked through the forest. Then he walked through the forest some more. He walked through the forest even more. Now he walks through a desert. He walks through the desert some more. He walks through the forest... Not much there. The characterization is horrible and the acting is so stilted it hurt. The lines sounded like they were read on a teleprompter - badly. We never do learn who the main character is and just why he is in his current state. The characters that he crosses paths with are one dimensional at best. I rate this one of the worst movies I have seen in the past 10 years. 1 out of 10.

First off, "Westender" is not a swords-and-sorcery action film. It's a beautiful medieval tale, with some really nifty action, but at it's core it's an independent style film about a man's struggles with inner demons.The fighting and action is really about as good as I've seen in this level of indy flick. This is appreciated more with a look at the "making of" feature and learning they had no stuntmen.The symbolism/deep stuff is done really well, being clear without being obtuse, and being moving without being distracting.The story follows a fairly understandable path, but there are some connections the audience has to make for themselves, and there are some questions intentionally left unanswered about the backstory. I would like to have seen a better resolution to the Jester character.Some scenes were really poorly lit, which was my main beef with this otherwise wonderfully shot film.All and all, if you want some cool knight action you might want to check out this movie, but be prepared to think. If you want some moving human drama, check out this movie but be prepared to enjoy the ride. If you want some gorgeous scenery, CHECK OUT THIS MOVIE now.