DVD Release
Now here’s something many of you probably didn’t know about the old Pimp…I’m a Glass Eye Pix junky. I can’t explain it but I find myself hunting down and purchasing everything Crazy Larry Fessenden does over at Glass Eye. I may be the only one in America that enjoyed Wendigo…no joke. His films, while certainly low budget, really can’t be lumped in with the usual B-movie doo doo; I’ve always found his films to be slightly arthouse. Sure, Larry may look like a crazed, cave-dwelling geasemonkey but he possesses the heart of an artist and his films reflect his dedication to cinema. He’s a true original as are his projects.
All gushing aside…Automatons is the newest Glass Eye Pix flick and the burning question on everybody’s mind is, “WHAT THE HELL IS IT ABOUT?” Fear not faithful indie film geek that’s what I’m here for! If you’re interested in checking out something “new” and original this is one of the “must see” films you always hear about but never take the time to actually check out. Folks, check it out. Automatons is politically charged; a provocative and compelling Sci-Fi Thriller.
Yeah “politically charged”, that normally means “deep meaning” and “sub-text” but Automatons never forces you to think in order to appreciate the concept. Hopefully you do think though because the film has an important message. I may not completely agree with everything director James Felix McKenney had to say in this but one can’t help but admire the manner in which he went about delivering it.
The world of Automatons is a desolate world, ravaged by war. The atmosphere has been depleted beyond repair and humans are forced indoors. Being indoors doesn’t stop the war though and one lone woman, The Girl (Christine Spencer), wages her own personal conflict against “The Enemy” (Brenda Cooney) from the safety of her bunker. She sends out her warbots on a daily basis against “The Enemy” and their robotic forces.
During the day she watches a video diary recorded by The Scientist (Angus Scrimm), the man responsible for the creation of the warbots as well as The Girl herself! Unfortunately, years ago her clone siblings were destroyed in a horrific attack on The Scientist’s compound nursery. The Girl appears to be the only one left, fighting for a nation that may no longer exist. Despite warnings from The Scientist that their own government may be at fault, she continues to push the war between her and her neighboring enemies.
The Girl soon finds herself in grave danger though when The Enemy strengthens their radio transmission abilities and begins disrupting The Girl’s warbots and sending them new commands…kill The Girl. After being forced to fight off her own robots a few times, she decides to end the war once and for all. This final stand between robot and robot will spill over into the compound of The Enemy…blood will be shed but will there be a clear victor? Can any good come from war?
Automatons is a wonderfully made, socially conscious low budget film and I cannot recommend it enough. The acting, FX and robots in this film will almost have you believing the year is 1956. No joke, the only thing that took me out of the illusion was The Girl & The Enemy’s attire and the gore. That being said, the filmmaker never states when this film takes place so it very well may be the actual future…not the future of the 50’s.
Oh by the way…yes…I did say gore. There are some truly gory sequences in her that should put a smile on the faces of gorehounds looking for some impaling, chunky meat globs and charred human remains. Honestly, I could have done without the gore but to each his/her own.
Now, onto the serious stuff…Automatons definitely has a political message but one needn’t see or look for it in order to enjoy the film. Phantasm fans will just love seeing old Angus Scrimm as The Scientist and Brenda Cooney as The Enemy back together again. Both were featured together along with Crazy Larry in The Off Season.
Whether Democrat or Republican, we can all agree that nobody in their right mind really WANTS war. The very idea that we’re capable of warring ourselves out of existence should be a chilling one. Whether you decide to check out Automatons simply for the camp value or the socio-political commentary…the film is guaranteed to entertain those interested in a solid story that unfolds without the nauseating use of flash edits and CG.
I cannot recommend this film enough.
