Vince Corkadel’s DUST AND DEATH: a review by Hollywood Rob

Starring:
George Stover
(John Waters’ Female Trouble & Desperate Living, Don Dohler’s Alien Factor)
Eva Zekova
(Arrow in the Head Mistress of the Week)
Scott Patrick Staab
Alexis Shea
Vince Corkadel
Erica Liebman
Andi Sex Gang
(Dario Argento’s Phenomena)

Written and directed by Vince Corkadel
©2008 A Cloviscompany Film

Well this is a first for the site. I am reviewing my first screener that was sent to me. DUST AND DEATH is the freshman movie by Vince Corkadel. Previous to this he has done short films and music group video footage. This is his first full-length independent feature.

DUST AND DEATH is an anthology film that follows a mysterious young photographer known as the Traveler (Vince Corkadel) and the people he meets along his journeys. One such person he encounters is a suicidal art student (Alexis Shea) that has a literal dance with death. He also has a brush with a couple of bank robbers whose “perfect score” becomes less than perfect.

The other scenarios include a lovely hitchhiker (Erica Liebman) that runs afoul with a couple of cretins that want her over for dinner. Our traveler himself runs into trouble with a beautiful young woman (Eva Zekova) whom loves to have company come over… and stay.

What really works in this production is the love the filmmaker has for the genre. There is great use of locations (some of it shot in California, some of it on the East Coast, and a portion of it shot in England). There are creative camera angles and strong performances, especially from the likes for Stover, Zekova, and Corkadel. The movie is strong on mood and symbolism, and has a very European feel to it. The opening credits are done well and the music throughout is used to good effect. The “death” sequences has some nice visuals involving shadows.

Probably due to a modest budget, the production has a few drawbacks. There is some fluctuation in picture quality, resulting in the scenes sometimes becoming too soft, or suffering from “picture blow out.” A little more attention to lighting would correct this. The audio has a few hisses and pops, usually during the exterior scenes. The pacing at times (mostly in the England sequences) could do with some tightening up and a polish.

DUST AND DEATH is a movie that will appeal to those with a love for anthologies that fall somewhere between “The Twilight Zone” and “Tales From The Crypt.” This is by no means a slasher film (nor was it meant to be) – the blood is kept to a minimum. The young male leads are handsome and the young female leads are beautiful. All performers garner points for having charisma. While the movie does have a few stumbling blocks, I can see that with more experience and more resources, Vince Corkadel will be a force to reckon with. I award his freshman film a 5 out of 10, knowing that in the future that number will climb higher and higher. You can see the trailer to the film and get more information about it here.