2008 Woodie Awards
The horrors of coming-to-age
Sarah Bode
Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: Lifestyles
Co-Director of "DeadGirl," Gadi Harel said, "We didn't really approach it as a horror movie." "DeadGirl" was an official selection in the Cucalorus Film Festival which was screened in the Midnight Madness section Nov. 14.
The film is about two teenage guys, the ruffian outcasts of the school, who one day, while skipping class come across a girl in the abandoned asylum. At first, they believe the girl to be dead, however, they find that she is alive. After one of the main boys, JT, played by actor Noah Segan, says, "We can keep her," a waterfall of events follows dragging more characters into this weird situation.
Harel and fellow director Marcel Sarmiento felt that this film would enable them to tell the common coming-of-age tale in a different way. So they created a hybrid film.
During these film festivals, Harel and Sarmiento are able to see how the audience reacts to the film. Even though at first glance the film may seem a little misogynistic-it is far from it.
"Women respond strongly and positively to the film," Harel stated,
Men, on the other hand, seem a little apprehensive. The film seems to make some men uncomfortable because it is mainly about how men treat each other. Sarmiento said many fans say that it wasn't at all what they thought it was going to be. While the teaser and the trailers can only give so much away, they fail to give the film the justice of the deep undercurrents of emotions that "DeadGirl" focuses on.
While the film is truly not as gory as you would believe it to be, there are some intense scenes, which can turn people off.
UNCW student and art major Stephen Bode said, "Gore isn't always for everyone, that's why about 20 people left before the first half-hour." He later went on to comment on how they missed a really great and poignant film. "It was filled with tons of questions that young boys, who are on the brink of manhood, ask themselves constantly."
As the tagline for the film says, "Every generation has its story about the horror of growing up." Harel and Sarmiento simply made their take on it.
It essential for the film that the dead girl engages you as a viewer. Sarmiento commented, "Even though she's [the dead girl] not dead or alive-if you have compassion for her, then the movie is sold."
The film only took them about a year to make, with only 20 days of shooting on a less than a million dollar budget. Because the film was so low-budget for a feature length film, this gave both directors a chance to be more hands-on with the production and experience of making the film.
Sarmiento said that Cucalorus is a "bunch of people who love movies. They are a real organic group of people."
The film is about two teenage guys, the ruffian outcasts of the school, who one day, while skipping class come across a girl in the abandoned asylum. At first, they believe the girl to be dead, however, they find that she is alive. After one of the main boys, JT, played by actor Noah Segan, says, "We can keep her," a waterfall of events follows dragging more characters into this weird situation.
Harel and fellow director Marcel Sarmiento felt that this film would enable them to tell the common coming-of-age tale in a different way. So they created a hybrid film.
During these film festivals, Harel and Sarmiento are able to see how the audience reacts to the film. Even though at first glance the film may seem a little misogynistic-it is far from it.
"Women respond strongly and positively to the film," Harel stated,
Men, on the other hand, seem a little apprehensive. The film seems to make some men uncomfortable because it is mainly about how men treat each other. Sarmiento said many fans say that it wasn't at all what they thought it was going to be. While the teaser and the trailers can only give so much away, they fail to give the film the justice of the deep undercurrents of emotions that "DeadGirl" focuses on.
While the film is truly not as gory as you would believe it to be, there are some intense scenes, which can turn people off.
UNCW student and art major Stephen Bode said, "Gore isn't always for everyone, that's why about 20 people left before the first half-hour." He later went on to comment on how they missed a really great and poignant film. "It was filled with tons of questions that young boys, who are on the brink of manhood, ask themselves constantly."
As the tagline for the film says, "Every generation has its story about the horror of growing up." Harel and Sarmiento simply made their take on it.
It essential for the film that the dead girl engages you as a viewer. Sarmiento commented, "Even though she's [the dead girl] not dead or alive-if you have compassion for her, then the movie is sold."
The film only took them about a year to make, with only 20 days of shooting on a less than a million dollar budget. Because the film was so low-budget for a feature length film, this gave both directors a chance to be more hands-on with the production and experience of making the film.
Sarmiento said that Cucalorus is a "bunch of people who love movies. They are a real organic group of people."
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