The Legend of DarkHorse County (2014) Reviews

• thankfully seeing shades of grey

  lisa_burr12014-05-21

  This movie has two things going for it: style and story. The visual style is quite handsome and well done. Intriguing sets, odd colors, and a sense of large, sinister space inside the rooms and garage. This movie needed to utilize a Steadicam camera, but had some great overhead shots that were well composed to balance out what it was lacking in the steadicam missing shots. Thick atmosphere enhance the spooky and creepy nature of the action for interior shots but was missing on exterior shots. And of course, we have a group indie actors. They were very effective in letting us know what's on their mind (facials and body language). I did not have to always be in tune with the dialog and this was nice. On the other hand Michael Biehn and Lee Majors voice I could have tuned into and just happily drowned myself in their raspy voice through out the film and been satisfied. I felt a little cheated and wanted more of that. But if you take all this away, you're left with an small budget film struggling to be a BlockBuster which is always better than a BlockBuster big budget film that just got lost along the way. Okay, so the town is haunted. Somehow along the way we find that two of the characters may be part of the central event, and then that seems to be confirmed at the end. But so what? What does that have to do with the story? Why is that important? What does that have to do with the mansion on the lake? Why do the scenes from the past matter and how do they fit in with the story in the present? Half of those question got answered the others I have no idea. Its a second viewing film. I was satisfied enough with that and left curios on the other questions. This is not a happily ever after film but a look at good and evil and the shades of grey in between. Because of how well this was handled this film didn't need so many flashy special effects to stand up. thankfully seeing shades of grey

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• great film but....

  carol_spader2014-05-22

  The film revolves around the fictional town of DarkHorse– a typical Texas town in the local dialect – and focuses primarily on the life of the local sheriff, a blonde-haired deputy of quick wit that makes for the two become nicely connected in satire. But the newcomers have a secret, a somewhat ironic secret; a old dirt road with a past that connects locals to the strange outsiders. Things that are wrong: lack of action and effects Things that are right: acting and plot twist The latter of the 2 are good enough to overlook the lack of the first. And what action it did have was done on par with what I wanted. The characters, although over the top, are captivating (the enigmatic nemesis is a standout-tall dark and unexpected); the narrative may be fairly formulaic, but it is interspersed with significant sub-plot and unexpected twists; the dialogue is both believable and articulate, and the production values are on par with most feature films. highly recommended

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• Less action than expected, but 9/10 imagery, acting, and direction.

  Markloman5032014-05-19

  Amazing movie for its budget. Amazing shots and scenery, good plot line, great acting from leads. Decent effects and action, when it occurs. I'm starting to think it's the lighting that makes a movie seem "big". This movie's eerie sounds and drifting light through thick atmosphere , and tension building strings draw you in, like a blockbuster. It most likely should not be considered a horror as you would end up with a lot of disappointed viewers let down about this and that. They'd rather watch blood pour out of a corpse than a decent piece of acting. As long as you don't expect another high octane indie action film, you should be surprised by a unique cinematic experience. ;)

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• Surprinsingly good - definitely must see

  james-robert222014-05-20

  I'm still under the influence of this movie, so my comment is likely to be superlative! I went to this movie, knowing that the company has been known for documentaries and dance films, and since I've seen some not-so-impressive dance films , i was really skeptical. But this one proved to be a decent thriller action movie. The idea is somewhat the same (lots of guns, shots, bullets etc) - though the motive for the actions are not money. But the level of realism, the motivation of the sinister character, the cold blood which moves the central bad guy and his "helper" makes this flick a good option to choose when selecting a movie. Both of the young girls proved to be better than expected. Plenty of good casting that kept some sleeper moments jolted nicely with well shot images. There is no one central lead which can throw you off unless you allow the loose ends to come together before getting restless. This happens far better than most indie films. The movie covers a hot topic too, kidnapping young women, and all the business this involves. Of course, the movie has (very small, almost invisible) drawbacks, like some lines are a bit macho and some Rambo - stuff, this won't bother you , and you may find it fun, if you have not sunken to far into the films moral message otherwise you may find it distraction. but the overall impression is simple: a strong recommendation!

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• Analysis for Legend of DarkHorse County

  leslie_parker32014-05-21

  I actually like this film a little more than some indie films, There are more good scenes that I could watch than in others films. One bad thing about this film is that there was very little violence that I really thought would give the drama more punch. In terms of the other parts of this film, they are good to very good, like the split fight scene, but they also have some drawbacks. In my opinion, the one thing that lacks about this film is the color correction in the center of the film not keeping up with the really nice tones in the opening and closing. I have never liked seeing some movies that are polished in some places and others still not cooked enough. But that is getting picky. There are some good parts in this film, including great acting, nice cinematography, and very good lighting effects. The rest of the stuff in the film are like a hit and miss for me. Overall, this is a good film, I still find myself thinking about the characters so its a 9. I really see a film so i can get to know the people in it not so much whats around them. Finally, if you are a Connoisseur of art and the unconventional, this movie is for you!

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