CokenaSmile If you are expecting a shoot 'em up western, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a film that examines the aftermath of the Civil War in somewhat brutal terms and offers a "that was then, this is now," perspective to the average, impoverished white Confederate soldier coming home from the war, this is your film. Editing could have been tighter while keeping the pensive tone. There's some elements of metaphor that should have gone just a little deeper with another draft on the script (who perishes, who survives & manner of disposal). It seems that most apt films about the South are made by foreign directors, starting with Renoir's The Southerner. The Aussie director gets a lot of things right, and for that, I will indulge some of the dialogue and pacing issues. Ethan Embry disappeared into his role, and the film is worth watching for that. Could have done without the graphic bedroom scene early on (not that I'm opposed, just that it wasn't necessary to establish the character as evil), but I'm guessing it was supposed to be a metaphor for how the wealthy barons of the South raped it even after it was no longer the Grand South? If that's the case, then the character is both baron and carpetbagger in one, which is a little odd, but we'll roll with it.

Wizard-8 I picked up this movie really cheap ($1.25) from a dollar store in my neighbourhood, since I quite often like to look at obscure movies since there are some real gems hidden out there. However, it didn't take long into watching it to determine that this was one movie that deserves to be unknown. Now, unlike some of the other user commenters here, I didn't find the acting to be particularly bad - nothing exceptional, but it was acceptable. And for what had to be a REALLY low budget, the filmmakers managed to stretch out every penny that they had (though I will admit that the movie isn't exactly lavish). But there is one big problem with the movie that sinks it, and that it is *painfully* slow and almost totally uneventful. Scene after scene goes by where *nothing* of real significance happens. You have to wait until 85% of the movie has gone by before things start really cooking, and then it's dealt with in just a manner of minutes. In the end, the movie seems to have no point at all, unless it was to be a nice tax write-off for the investors.

cushingroyal Set in the Southern U.S. shortly after the Civil War, Echoes Of War stars James Badge Dale as a former Confederate soldier who shows up at the home of his brother-in-law, played by Ethan Embry, to visit his sister's grave and see his niece, played by Maika Monroe, and nephew, played by Owen Teague. For the majority of this film, the Hatfield/McCoy-type conflict is truly much ado about nothing. Seriously, not a thing really happens in this film. Not a thing! I probably should have thrown in the towel during the first twenty minutes and headed for the exits. Oh well.I don't know how you can make a film this dull and expect anyone to sit through an hour and a half of it, let alone remotely like it. All I can say is, if you value your time...don't waste it on this! 2 Stars

Filmfest Buff Insomnia? Haven't been able to get a decent nights sleep in some time? Watch this film! I assure you, you'll be out before you know it. What in the world were the people behind this hot mess thinking? If they were attempting to alienate audiences with an uninteresting plot and bland storytelling, they most certainly succeeded. If they were attempting to keep an audience engaged and invested in interesting characters, they most certainly failed.The first clue should have been that there aren't any star names in this thing, only a handful of lesser-known character actors. That's usually a dead giveaway that a film is either poorly written, poorly produced, and/or both. The crux of the problem here is the writing. It plain and simple isn't good no matter how you cut it. I'm sure these poor filmmakers didn't purposefully sit down to pen the worst western in the history of the genre, but that's exactly what they have unwittingly done. There's nothing wrong with trying to convey your vision to an audience, I just hope that their next effort, if there is one, will keep the audience from dozing.