Decay (2012)
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Though the primary purpose of this blog is to promote "good/bad old films", a special mention must be made of 'Decay', a student film which was released at the end of November. During the day I'm a particle physicist. I met Luke Thompson, the writer and director of Decay, briefly whilst he was a Summer student at Fermilab in 2009, so I was quite interested to hear that he was making a film at CERN. Additionally, someone in my office at Lancaster University played an extra, adding to my personal amusement of picking our familiar faces. On a shoestring budget, shot with borrowed SLR cameras, and using PhD students and volunteers, a classical zombie film was produced over two years.
Now, there's a few points to make clear. Part of the premise of this project was to have fun with the "bad science" portrayed in horror films and the media. So, no, it's not scientifically accurate. That's part of the fun! Second, as mentioned, the actors are physics PhD students, not drama students or professional Thespians. As such, you might find the delivery of some lines as a little 'off'', or some actions not entirely believable. To this I say, "Oi! These are not professionals, they're doing this for fun, and you're watching it for free! Sit back and enjoy the traditional zombie film trope played straight." Not that this film needs that much defending, they did a cracking job with the resources available. I'd like to consider this an "up yours" to Hollywood; I'd much rather watch this than ever see that recent remake of Total Recall ever again.
So, onto the film itself. What I enjoyed were the shots and camera-work in the CERN tunnels. The grim, industrial feel is just right for this kind of movie. I like the reference to Alien, the antiquated use of 'Mainframe', and the attention to detail in the computer GUI mock-ups. The caricatures the main actors play, and the sequence of events across the middle third of the plot are well known and predictable, but I don't think it particularly gets in the way. As mentioned, you've got to play the trope straight sometimes, and it's interesting to see how it adapts to this new on-site setting.
Give the film a go, keep in mind the particulars of the birth of it, and enjoy a 75 minute break from your day. Independent, hobbyist, student projects like this need all the exposure they deserve. If Luke and his friends get tired of real physics by the end of their PhDs, then I can certainly see a future in film for them instead.
Available at Decay Film for free streaming, torrent, and download.
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| Decay - Actually out now |
Though the primary purpose of this blog is to promote "good/bad old films", a special mention must be made of 'Decay', a student film which was released at the end of November. During the day I'm a particle physicist. I met Luke Thompson, the writer and director of Decay, briefly whilst he was a Summer student at Fermilab in 2009, so I was quite interested to hear that he was making a film at CERN. Additionally, someone in my office at Lancaster University played an extra, adding to my personal amusement of picking our familiar faces. On a shoestring budget, shot with borrowed SLR cameras, and using PhD students and volunteers, a classical zombie film was produced over two years.
Now, there's a few points to make clear. Part of the premise of this project was to have fun with the "bad science" portrayed in horror films and the media. So, no, it's not scientifically accurate. That's part of the fun! Second, as mentioned, the actors are physics PhD students, not drama students or professional Thespians. As such, you might find the delivery of some lines as a little 'off'', or some actions not entirely believable. To this I say, "Oi! These are not professionals, they're doing this for fun, and you're watching it for free! Sit back and enjoy the traditional zombie film trope played straight." Not that this film needs that much defending, they did a cracking job with the resources available. I'd like to consider this an "up yours" to Hollywood; I'd much rather watch this than ever see that recent remake of Total Recall ever again.
So, onto the film itself. What I enjoyed were the shots and camera-work in the CERN tunnels. The grim, industrial feel is just right for this kind of movie. I like the reference to Alien, the antiquated use of 'Mainframe', and the attention to detail in the computer GUI mock-ups. The caricatures the main actors play, and the sequence of events across the middle third of the plot are well known and predictable, but I don't think it particularly gets in the way. As mentioned, you've got to play the trope straight sometimes, and it's interesting to see how it adapts to this new on-site setting.
Give the film a go, keep in mind the particulars of the birth of it, and enjoy a 75 minute break from your day. Independent, hobbyist, student projects like this need all the exposure they deserve. If Luke and his friends get tired of real physics by the end of their PhDs, then I can certainly see a future in film for them instead.
Available at Decay Film for free streaming, torrent, and download.
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