INSIDE REPORT

review written 1/2/2004

This is a fictional news story about fan film fans. Yes, it's fictional. Riiiiight?

Very nice opening graphic, though really, couldn't the reporter have had a more creative name? The news graphics in this film are really spectacular. Very newslike, with a feel appropriate to the BBC.

The sound recording changes from one shot to the next was occasionally jarring, and sometimes the microphone gets, well, crinkly.

I'm not sure why the author is backlit. Is it to help mask his identity? I'll give the film the benefit of the doubt.

And I'm guessing there's no prizes for guessing what holiday was in season at the time this was shot. Admittedly, I suppose the author would have a Christmas tree around the house at the time of his interview, as we are meant to believe that this news report was broadcast around that time.

But let's leave aside issues of production values. The basic problem with this film is that things get way too long. The first six minutes and change is basically just the same old jokes that Star Wars geeks are pathetic and don't get dates. The filmmakers deal with this with commercial breaks in the news broadcast. Clever.

The first commercial is absolutely atrocious. Now, I am no expert animator, but seriously, I find it ugly.

The second is a very clever piece of fan film self-referentiality of sorts.

And then we get a highlights reel. (I dare not spoil.) It's just a very neat thing to see. I'm assuming that the Inside Report group got permission to use all this footage. They get points for the sheer gall to say "hey, wanna contribute something to this"? I wouldn't have been able to work up the courage to pull that off. And the highlights reel fits the format of the storytelling at hand.

Then we get a lot of dialogue about fan filmers. It'd probably work in essay form, but it doesn't work here. And when someone is essentially talking about me, and I'm still bored, we have a problem.

But things do clear up with a segment called "The Teaboy Strikes Back". It works on its own terms. This leads us to a rather extraordinary leap of logic that's worth a chuckle.

Then we roll nice-looking credits.

And holy crap, Ray Park. Well, there's a few points scored right there.

It's very hard for me to say something about this film. It's very creative at times, and then sometimes it utterly drags. It could certainly afford to hit its marks a little quicker.

But it says something nice about fan films and fan filmers. It showcases what we do and what we can do. It even helps bring us together.

And holy crap, Ray Park.