The Crimson Mask

March. 26,2009      
Rating:
4.5
Trailer Synopsis Cast

Two desperate men find themselves unwitting pawns in an ancient ritual.

Robert Clohessy as  Parker
Joshua Burrow as  Thomas Caine
Chrishell Stause as  Jules
Phillip Clark as  J.R. Chase
Lee Sellars as  Jeffries
Richard Mawe as  Jonathan Caine
Arthur Acuña as  Mr. Kuo
Katya Campbell as  May
Caitlin Mehner as  Artemis
Galway McCullough as  Tough Guy

Reviews

Cubussoli
2009/03/26

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

... more
Marketic
2009/03/27

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

... more
Mathilde the Guild
2009/03/28

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

... more
Juana
2009/03/29

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

... more
KissEnglishPasto
2009/03/30

........................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA and ORLANDO, FL A Post-Modern-Film Noir flavored cautionary tale with a touch of inspired surreal signature spin from larger-than-life director Elias Plagianos. Take note of that name. You'll be hearing more of it in the future! My wife and I saw CRIMSON MASK at the Orlando Film Festival in November. Mesmerizing film! As luck would have it, we had the opportunity to discuss CRIMSON at length with Mr. Plagianos at an "After" get together for the screening of the production. After viewing his labor of love, our encounter brought to mind a Native American saying from my college linguistics classes: "The man who walks with his feet firmly on the ground and his head in the clouds is truly a giant among men".Director/Writer Plagianos lures you into his lair. A Mobius-Strip, House- of-Mirrors story line, which tauntingly keeps you focused but clueless, chasing mirages. From a technical standpoint, CRIMSON has been meticulously crafted. Elements such as lighting, cinematography, musical score, editing and sound display an originality and freshness that belie its limited budget.There is quite a bit going on here, but the Director manages, when CRIMSON is taken as a whole, to deliver a kind of cinematic seamless fusion collage. Even the action segments demonstrated an intriguing mix of bravura, detached fantasy and intense underlying inevitability, that make them quirkily unique, reminiscent of absolutely no others.If you enjoy independent cinema, CRIMSON offers something for everyone. It is tailor-made for enjoyable multiple viewings; a great addition to any DVD collection.9.5*......ENJOY/DISFRUTELA! Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

... more
MovieFly
2009/03/31

Taking into consideration different aspects, before you trash this film, keep in mind that it was clearly done on a budget! The thing that strikes me most about this film is how fresh it is, the plot is different, the performances are different, the presentation of certain scenes and elements is also different. The two stories get together revealing another amazing aspect in the movie, through combining the two stories and knitting it all together. The fantasy factor is handled very carefully in this film, added to strengthen the scenes without taking from the reality of the stories. For creativity this movie definitely stands out for me. The acting was kind of tricky because as a character you'd have to maintain your personality and balance between your realistic and imaginative features. Excellent.

... more
kellystacey1980
2009/04/01

I loved this film. I believe Plagianos's choices are intelligently made - it also doesn't hurt that the two leads, Burrow and the underused journeyman Clohessy, understand their roles and play them with the type of passion deserved. Watching Parker on his last legs of life still able to talk back to his employer—a great no nonsense turn of Brooklyn underbelly from Lee R. Sellars—with humor and wit, as well as have the ability to attempt to retrieve his pride when defeat by sword seems his only option, goes a long way in making the climatic scene resonate. It may be one more convenient connection at the hands of a higher power, using 'The Book' of Chapter Three's title to bond these two men together as slaves unwilling to back down and be pushed around like puppets, but beneath the contrivance is a measure of truth. If anything, the multitude of overlapping plot threads and crisscrossing of paths only adds to the illusory aspect of the film, making The Crimson Mask into the morality tale its creator set out to make. It's inspiring job of professionalism as a first-time feature with little in the way of monetary resource shows the promise this young man's future holds. I look forward to checking out his next projects!

... more
cinemafreek-1
2009/04/02

Saw this at Indiefest with a couple of other filmmakers from the festival. We walked in a little late, but were drawn in right away.This is not your typical festival film. It's a cerebral fantasy. It challenges the audience to follow a fractured storyline that gets wrapped up in a great and unexpected way at the end.As a short filmmaker myself, I'm interested in graduating to features and Crimson Mask is something every short filmmaker should see. These guys were able to make an epic film on a really tight budget using creative lighting, editing, and some really great actors.This was an ambitious film by a first time filmmaker, and unlike the other reviewer ( who I suspect might have been angry his film did not win any festival awards) , I really enjoyed it on a number of levels.This film is not for everyone though. It has some strong language and can wander at times. Be prepared for a bathroom break in the middle of the film. Also, the lead up to the confrontation could have been done much better.If I saw this film on cable I would rate it a 6.5/10 but taking into the consideration the budget, and in comparison the the other festival films I've seen... I'm giving it a 10 .

... more