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The
Votive Pit
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Although The Votive Pit does not fall into one of the genres
that I typically review here at Film Apocalypse, it is a true
independent film with a unique story and I was happy to have the
opportunity to watch it. This movie is not an action movie or a
horror movie, but it is dark in it's themes. The basic story revolves
around a small group of worn out teachers who have become frustrated
with the school system. Some of the teachers have become bitter
and jaded while others have gone insane.
The Votive Pit is
a dialog driven movie taking the viewer into the minds of the burned out
teacher. I like the premise of the film. Although there
really isn't much action, the story doesn't call for it.
Technically speaking, the filming and editing are well above average for
a no budget, small crew film. Unlike many films in this category,
the acting is convincing and doesn't detract from the movie. I
feel that the films biggest shortcoming is actually in the script.
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I do understand that the
whole point of this movie is to tell the story of how bad our school
system has become. Part of telling that story requires the
inclusion of a glimpse into the frustrations of being a teacher.
However, in order to successfully make an audience sympathetic, you need
to give them a character that they can get behind and cheer for.
This movie lacks any such character. By the end of the film, I
still didn't care about anyone in the story.
I had begun to wonder if I had missed the point. Maybe the story
wasn't about how bad the school system had become, maybe it was about
how whiny and crazy teachers are? Well if that is the case, give
us some students to care about.
Overall, I think this
film is different from many independent films. Usually a heroic
effort is made to bring a story to life but the story is crippled by
poor acting, bad editing, inadequate lighting, lack of budget etc.
In this film, the crew and actors overcame budget constraints and lack
of experience to create a film without a hero.
Gore-o-meter
rating: 1 out of 5 (This
isn't much of a gore movie)
Skin-o-meter:
0 out of 5
(It isn't a babe movie at
all)
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