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★ Star
Directed by: #PhilipBrocklehurst Written by: #PhilipBrocklehurst
Starring: #PhilipBrocklehurst & #MalcolmBrocklehurst Film Review by: David Richards
Within film there are some productions that make an impact on an audience and some that don’t scratch the surface. Unfortunately, for Brocklehurst’s audience the surface has been brushed lightly by a feather of disappointment and time well wasted. Although I am glad see the filmmakers vent their creative efforts, in this case however, their efforts have amounted to very little. Hopefully ‘Lay down or fight’ will serve as an educational steppingstone for the filmmakers to develop their skills further and help fine tune their ambitions of what they hope to achieve within film.
The plot of this three-minute short is irrelevant by having no real motivation. As it seems and admittingly blunt, the story follows a protagonist who is warned not to run because of health issues and yet ignores this due to a rebellious need to run, then dies suddenly and dramatically as a result. I am willing to understand that perhaps this short is a snippet of a longer more developed story, however if this is the case, its needs to be adapted accordingly.
The performances are weak by the Brocklehurst brothers as is the sound mixing and design where the levels are up and down. The only clear sound comes from the Daft Punk track and perhaps the voice-over dialogue. The cinematography is week in all aspects other than one black & white shot which only sticks out for its lack of colour compared to the rest. The editing isn’t perfect but is heading towards a positive form. The best decision the filmmakers could have made whilst producing this film was to end it at three minutes.
There truly is only one positive aspect to take away from ‘Lay down or fight’. This is Brocklehurst inspiration from the subgenre of 80’s ‘Giallo’ Horror films from the likes of Italian filmakers such as #DarioArgento and #Francoferrini. This inspiration is clear when shots of snapping scissors slice through a black backdrop as well as the 80’s themed soundtrack.
Although this short film, in my opinion, lacks production value and proves difficult to be an enjoyable watch, I have tremendous respect for the filmmaker’s efforts. It is clear this production was working on a low budget with a small crew relying on nothing but passion for cinema. I wish the Brocklehurst brother luck in producing more short films and hope your passion will lead to bigger, better productions.
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