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Crappy film

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

I think the cast and crew are responsible for 9 out of 10 reviews on this movie. Writing has never been worse than that used to create this pile of dung. The dialog was rubbish, the acting was garbage--especially the "secret agent" or whatever the hell he was supposed to be. He looked like a drunk they found on the street and dressed up in the worst suit you've ever seen. I swear they threw a glass of water on his face to make him look like he was crying at one point. The story telling was extremely clumsy and sorely lacking in continuity. The ending was just plain STUPID. There's just no other word that's appropriate.I've seen plenty of really, really bad movies though most of them were done by people aware of how bad they were. The people involved in this movie seem to be clueless as to how bad it is.

I am judging this based on almost 24 minutes compared to 24 minutes of any other science fiction film. Well, I was tempted to give in 8 stars, but a short film cannot stand a few minutes of sub par acting as it might be excused in a longer film as long as it was made up for. The lead actor in this movie had some very good moments at the end, but earlier in the film his timing is off and his expressions don't quite communicate enough for a lead. Supporting cast was all fine. The look of the film is great and so is the pace. I think that sometimes there is a real need for some background noise or a soundtrack of some sort, if not music to help the scenes flow better (let's face it, the script can't compete with Sex, Lies and Videotape which has no background music). Nevertheless, I found myself more entertained in 24 minutes that I am for that period of time in most films of the science fiction/horror genre. The special effects were good and mostly believable. Above all, I found myself hoping this team gets a shot at making a feature length 3d film. I would definitely go see it (I typically like to see anything that has many low light scenes on the big screen). The movie inspired me to write my one and only review!

I have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to screen The Rift. This is a Short Film debut release from the newly formed Vantis Pictures. The Director is Robert Kouba and his most ambitious project to date. The score I gave this film is a refection of the parts and it's "weight class". It's not fair to judge a debut micro budget short as if it was a major studio release. There is a lot to be excited about in general from Vantis Pictures and Robert Kouba. First thing that struck me was the quality of the equipment used. The camera work was excellent and lighting too. These are little things new directors often do poorly on. The casting of Eileen Grubba was great, she was a stand out. The CGI and editing were also really strong points. Robert Kouba may be young, but he has a firm grasp of movie making mechanics. I expect big things from him in the future...along with big budgets comes big responsibility.Now let's focus a little sharper on the issues I had with The Rift. You would think with the great equipment and skill level on the mechanics it would be a slam dunk winner. Unfortunately this is more of a calling card than a movie. More attention was put into the craftsmanship than the actual story. Outside of Grubba, the cast was sub par. For having such a small script (18-20 pages?) it wasn't very tight. Normally with new Directors the one thing in their control is the story and script and they lack the tools or skill. This is backwards. There was nothing new. The characters were stereotypes and the dialogue was hard to listen too. Even the really well done special effects were familiar, from 10 different movies. In summary I think Robert Kouba is capable of making some really great films in his future, but I hope he puts as much effort in having something to say in his next movie as he does making it look good.~Todd at the movies

I had the opportunity to see this movie in advance, and I have to say that I was impressed. The Rift is a simple, but well-executed science-fiction film that manages to emulate its influences without being derivative. Great cinematography, and fantastic special effects that enhanced the story, but didn't overshadow it. If I had any criticism, it would be that the story itself needed to be a tad bit tighter--some elements were redundant, while others needed more explanation. It was a solid script; a little more tweaking would make it amazing.All in all, I thought The Rift was a fast-paced and fun flick in the sci-fi genre, and I would definitely recommend it as a must-watch film!