CITY  OF  GHOSTS    -  A  Narada Film Review
City Of Ghosts - 2003   - Matt Dillon -Director   &   Michael Cerenzie - Producer

I admit that CITY OF GHOSTS, having been filmed in our own back yard, had me predisposed to give it the benefit of the doubt.   I was prepared to forgive the little glitches, the anachronisms, the phony cut scenes, the less-than-state of the art special effects, or whatever.   But "benefit of the doubt" has two variables - first is the "benefit", second is the "doubt".   Alas, CITY OF GHOSTS left way too much "doubt" to be given much "benefit".

Just a small aside to fledgling Director-Actor Matt Dillon :  Hollywood offers remedial classes in Shaky Hand-Held Action Camera.   They have these classes for those Directors and Cameramen who might, say, otherwise jump into a film with the attitude that 'more is better'.   This is one of the few times Hollywood has learned from it's mistakes -- take advantage of it, Matt, if you intend to stay on both sides of the camera.

Lesson No. 2 for fledgling Director Dillon: If you want a film to have a cohesive plot, start with a good 'story', then turn it into a plausible, quick-paced 'screenplay', then start filming.   I would like be able to tell you that this was another lesson that Hollywood learned the hard way, but after more than 80 years in the trade, they haven't, so you are going to have to rise above and 'grok' it on your own.   Trying to film using "Storyboard Plotting Technique" just doesn't cut it.   I know you were told that the edit can fix it, but you were lied to, son.   As it was, every time you came to a difficult plot twist, you had to have your character Jimmy get knocked out again.

Lesson No. 3 for fledgling Actor Dillon.   Singer Elvis Presley was one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th Century.   Yet he was not a 'Renaissance man' of the music industry - he never wrote his own songs, for example.   Likewise, there are actors who should never try to 'direct' their own parts in movies.   The reason for this is simple - because they can't.   This is not a sin, it is a fact of life, and can, over time, be accepted by most actors.   Another director might have, for example, had you change your facial grimaces into facial expressions - you would have been happier, we would have been happier.   Win-win.

      Enduring Line or Phrase:  "You don't need shoes to lose."

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