Bottom Line: A bit plodding, especially for a SciFi series about a power plant monster, but they use the time well, building up tension and diving into each character’s personality. Project X is not for someone looking for a pop corn slasher but for people who want a little more substance with their creature features.

A deadly creature is on the loose and the workers at Mt. Diablo Power Plant have no idea what’s headed their way. It’s the ultimate power struggle as they battle the monster, each other, and their own inner demons.

November 19, 2004, 10:00 pm — The night shift starts its work at West Coast Energy’s Power Plant 67. It was a Friday night, just like any other for these eight workers: the usual equipment problems, menial tasks, and squabbles with other employees. But just six hours later, most of the workers were dead and the power plant was in flames. What happened? The answer has been shrouded in mystery for more than two years.

West Coast Energy claimed the explosion was an accident—a tragic equipment malfunction. But federal agents—who were at the scene before any emergency personnel had arrived—inexplicably took charge of the clean-up operation. The cover story was widely questioned at the time, but the true story has never been uncovered . . . until now.

For the first time ever, the truth about the plant’s destruction will now be revealed. Based on the account of survivor David Scott, Project X tells the true story of what happened to Power Plant 67 and those eight workers on that fateful November night. Over the next three months, uncover the truth with us in each suspenseful and dramatic episode of Project X: The True Story of Power Plant 67.

Details

Cast: Jamie Hobert, Christina Rosenberg, Kalimba Bennett, Bart Shattuck, John Mellies, Kevin English, Dave Huber, Adriano Aragon, Kyle Vogt, Kevin Rock, David Mintz, J.T. Derwart
Website: Project X

YouTube: Watch Them On YouTube
Twitter: Follow Them On Twitter
Vote For It: Project X

Ratings

Style 3

There are entire episodes that go by where absolutely nothing plot relevant happens. I understand the desire to build suspense, but the writers have taken the concept a little too far in places. (Pacing 3)

A lot of effort went into building up believable, sympathetic characters. Sometimes this effort came at the expense of pacing, but it did lead to a story that outshines more shallow science fiction offerings. (Storytelling 4)

Polish 3.5

Watchability 3

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 3.41 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line: Combining hand drawn animation with live action, Drawn By Pain delivers one of the most unique experiences you’ll have the pleasure of seeing on or off the Internet.

Young Emily once watched the world through blinders so the only thing she saw was the page on which she drew. Isolated, she tried to look away as her father gave her mother lessons in brutality from which she could only hide in her mind. But that rage, that fear growing deep within her would surface and once unleashed – could never be re-contained. Ten years older, the demons of old fuel her, empower her and push her to be the very thing she once feared: A monster in her own right.

A dramatic action packed 12-part series in a sea of comedic web content, “Drawn By Pain” engages its audience by leading them through an episodic spiral into one woman’s search for salvation as her animated madness fights for her sanity in the real world.

Details

Cast: Jesse Cowell, Erica Langworthy, Marissa Parness, Elizabeth Plevy, Guy Rader
Blip.tv Channel: Drawn By Pain
Website: Drawn By Pain
Support the Show: Visit The Drawn By Pain Store

Subscribe

Feed: Feed
Twitter Page Jeskid

Ratings

This is a series you have to see to believe. The way they blend live action with animation is absolutely stunning and my only qualm is I wish they had the time to do more of it. Also, the interplay between the main character’s younger and older self and the demons she faces down is the sort of thing you would expect out of a much higher budget production. In all, this is a brilliant piece of work. (Style 5)

Overall the story is fantastic but some episodes seemed to drift, this is especially apparent near the middle of the series when we start to question the protagonists sanity. While I understand what they were trying to accomplish, and they did a good job of doing so, if they had added more exposition it would have helped to flesh out the themes. (Pacing 3.5)

Storytelling 5

Polish 4

This is a complete story in every sense of the word, you’ll find yourself stuck to your seat from beginning to end. Why the 4 then? Well, it’s also one of the darkest web series I’ve seen to date. It deals with issues of abuse, sanity and identity that wil make it difficult to swallow for some more sensitive viewers. If you can get past this you are in for a ride, I couldn’t give a stronger recommendation if I tried (Watchability 4)

Novelty 5

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

Coming off of a fight with her boyfriend, a woman finds herself trapped in a bathroom with a puddle of blood and the voice of a woman who is crying out for help.

It’s also a horror film so I’m pretty sure you can guess what happens next.

This is a short, creepy little tale that is not particularly innovative but is very well executed.

Details

Cast: Medi Broekman, Nasrdin Dchar, Déna Massque, Sergec Geworkan
Vimeo Channel: Love Hurts
Website: Shariff Nasr

Ratings

Very, very cool special effects. The blood and the corpses had some serious flair. (Style 4.5)

Pacing 3.5

Storytelling 3

Polish 4

You’ve probably seen this movie a few dozen times before, that being the case this is a pretty good interpretation of the iconic horror movie bathroom scene that is worth watching just for the clever special effects. (Watchability 3.5)

Novelty 3

Overall Rating: 3.58 out of 5 stars

Typically I avoid Art House films. Not that I don’t think they are good (some really are) but because I think it’s a genre with such a limited appeal that it’s not worth sifting through the self-indulgence for the sparks of genius.

In Darkness is an Art House film, a visual poem if you will, and I screened it because it is also very, very good. Like many other films in this genre it’s obscenely dark, if you’re looking for hope and renewal you are in the wrong place. This is a film about death, pain and hate. That being the case, it is also quite beautiful, and it manages to express that beauty without entering into that hyper-kinetic music video territory that many films of this kind do.

There is a lot to praise about this film, it’s visually striking, it’s well acted and the set pieces are incredible. The only thing that takes away from it is that In Darkness does fall into the trap of taking itself a bit too seriously in places, while you can follow the story almost the entire way through the final act is muddled and I needed to view it several times before I completely understood what was happening.

In sum, this proves that experimental film work can be done with grace and style without becoming overly pretentious.

Creator’s Description

Love was cruel to him. The world had shunned him. He only found warmth in despair and misery. Yet the gods lurking within the Darkness weave a tale of their own for this victim of love. Rebirth is on the horizon. Life may yet continue under the smiling face of the darkness. Yet it’ll demand a price…

Details

Cast: Benjamin Blais, Hillary Keirstead, Ahsan Mogul
Vimeo Channel: In Darkness
Website: Enity Films

Ratings

Style 5

Pacing 3.5

A great, dark story about “awakening to darkness” but the slightly muddled third act breaks the flow. (Storytelling 3.5)

Everything about this is beautifully shot. (Polish 4.5)

This is an art house film and it feels like one from beginning to end. If you are completely against the genre, you might want to step away from this one. (Watchability 3.5)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Hotels have a rich history in the horror genre. By now you would think that people with seedy pasts would know not to hang out in them. Either way, Do Not Disturb tells the story of a serial killer who has decided to take up residence inside of a hotel to hide away from law enforcement who apparently has something against senseless murder.

It’s dark and moody, with a story the quickly takes a turn for the weird about midway through. In all it’s very entertaining film that looks really polished. While it is a little on the long side for a web video, you still almost wish that the director had more time to explore some of the film’s questions. I wanted to know more about the copycat killer and I wanted more time understand the protagonist – even though we spend just about the entire film right next to him, by the end we are still left without strong characterization.

These minor problems aside this is as good an entry into the web based horror genre as you could ask for, and it makes me hope that director Patrick Rea continues to turn out movies of this caliber.

Creator’s Description

A creepy tale about a mysterious man staying in a hotel, who is visited by a unseen entity.

Starring: Allen Loman as Philip

Details

Creator: Michael Stine
Vimeo Channel: Do Not Disturb
Website: Michael Stine

Ratings

The cards are a little on the cheesy side (Style 3.5)

Pacing 4.5

While I always hope for more character development as a slice of life it works beautifully (Storytelling 4)

Polish 4

Watchability 4

Novelty 3

Overall Rating: 3.83 out of 5 stars