Customer Reviews

Altitude Falling

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's hard to do low-budget sci-fi. And when I talk low budget, I am talking about an eight day shooting schedule and very small cast (basically, five main players and a small handful of extras). Plus making a premise that doesn't collapse under it's own weight. "Altitude Falling," a modestly created look at the near future, pulls it off, and is director Paul Bright's best film to date.

To summate, it's a decade or so into the future. There's a deep recession going on, and an inexplicable war in Venezuela. People have been implanted with tracking chips, which started out as innocent ways to identify and locate people in case of serious emergencies, like accidents or natural disasters. But now the mere act of entering a mini-market ID's you and offers you a targeted special sale item. It also means that, as the war escalates, the government can find you if they need you.

The five lives interconnected here are all tied to the chips and how they evolved. Greg Forrster (Bright) has fled his old life to take residence in New Mexico, and Danny's family has come to escape their unemployed status after tidal surges have destroyed their home (the consequences of global warming are where the movie's title come from). One of the more intriguing aspects of "Altitude Falling" is just how easily this future could occur, without any whizz-bang gizmos or vacuously expensive "Avatar" effects. The fiction is subtle, but realistic. "Altitude Falling" is a provocative and enjoyable film.

I can say the cinematography was good. Interesting idea played out on a budget. Otherwise, I have no idea what the other reviewers were looking at that they gave such good reviews and hence I bought this dvd. It was just plain poor acting from start to finish. The older leather daddy gave me the creeps when he started to kiss the young 20 something rather fey boy. Considering that the boy did have very kissable lips which was his only redeeming quality, the reason, whys and wherefores of the attraction was just not there. It appeared as if the leather daddy was going to swallow the kid whole when he kissed him. The supporting cast consisted of two women who were about as exciting to watch as watching grass grow and the opening with what seemed like a meth addicted hooker, was just plain bizarre. Angora Ranch, which was just ok, is leagues ahead of this followup film from the Director, Producer, Writer and Protagonist Paul Bright. Save yourself the time and money and buy used if you must see.

With the latest release from writer/director/actor Paul Bright, I found he moved in yet another direction, this time tackling a futuristic view of the world, one in the not-so-distant future that is both apolitical and scary, making a distinct political statement. At it's heart, Altitude Falling is a story of romance between Greg and Danny. But it is the love that wakes both up from the stupor they, as well was Danny's mother [intensely played by Brenda Kuciemba], grandmother [played with nuance and a deft touch by Cynthia Schiebel], and his displaced father. Making a human connection helps put into perspective the artificial, be it the trappings of the internet or the judgments placed on people who don't conform to the 'accepted' norm. The strong script coupled with the strong performances of the leads make this film move from pleasant entertainment to a higher level, a story that pushes you to examine your own life, as well as our collective future. I highly recommend Altitude Falling.

I just watched "Altitude Falling" and I reccomend this movie to everyone. Paul Bright has out done himself with his latest indie production. There is something for everyone in this movie; mystery, suspense, some skin, great acting and a sharp plot. Bravo to Paul, keep making movies!....Jeff

The film's director, Paul Bright, acknowledges that this film was shot over eight days in Austin Texas (and NOT the Colorado Rockies as the DVD packaging would lead one to believe). The production values for this film are painfully low budget and the "acting" is woefully substandard. The "production design" has an awkward homemade appearance that--in one scene where a couple dozen canned goods have been stacked on the shelves of a near-vacant gift shop in an effort to make us believe that our characters are actually shopping in a viable grocery store--looks and feels comically cheap.
I won't even waste time talking about the "sci-fi visual effects" which only add to the ramshackle visual look of the film. Everything about this film screams cheap, sloppy and rushed. If you had told me that a group of friends got together and shot this over the course of a weekend as a total lark, I would completely believe it. In fact, that's pretty much what happened--only the group of friends has a name for their production company (Silly Bunny Pictures) and they spent a few more days making this mess.
Other reviewers may have found the relationship between the young male lead (William Diamond) and the Paul Bright character to be believable, but neither actor has the skill to make the relationship feel grounded and authentic. Instead, it plays like the fantasy of a dirty old man intent on seducing a young boy. I am open to unconventional romances in GLBTQ entertainment, but this does not read like a storyline that's innovative or well conceived. I would go so far as to argue that films like "Altitude Falling" fuel criticism from those outside of our community who believe that older gay men are predators who prey on young men.
Save your money and your time. This is not worthy of being packaged or sold as a viable feature film. At best it is a working cut of a moderately talented film student who tried to tell a story with less than a thousand dollars and only his friends and family to serve as crew and actors. This is NOT worth what I paid for it.

Whilst I always expect gay indies to not meet the mainstream with production values (although this title rates well in that area) it outshines most mainstream with the idea behind it and the execution of the plot. For me, some of the best sci-fi is intellectual: Twilight Zone or Outer Limits; even some Hitchcock. This is in that genre. Very little sfx but high on suspense and chill factor.

In 2029, as coastal refugees flee for higher ground, and as America is at war with Venezuela, has an extreme right female US president (I'm not sure if she's called Sarah) who is invoking civil laws to turn aid workers into soldiers (how's that for weaving three current, but disparate, situations into a believable plot?) the citizens are being tracked after being `chipped' at birth with tracking devices (originally designed for cats) that can be scanned and read from a distance by the police. Those who remove the chips (an offence) are then forced to flee to become No Papers: forever barred from society.

It's from there that this excellent inter-personal story roles into place. The acting is good and the low budget works well given the benign rural setting. This is also one of the few (the only?) US movie where being gay isn't an issue and so allowing the characters to get on with their lives: being ripped up by technology and the government.

Somewhere in the Bahamas there is a famous top notch Hollywood producer (possibly named Gerry) who is thinking, "darn why didn't I think of that first".

(I hope that someone watching this movie in 2029 won't be musing on the correct predictions in this movie. Now pass me a soylent green please).