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 CRASH TEST
(SRS Cinema) 2005.
Science Fiction. Not Rated. Some violence and a little blood. 81 Minutes.
A struggling freelance writer has finished a book exposing a corporation,
MotorKore. He discovered that in the 1920’s they were using corpses as
crash test dummies. The company does not want the book published and the
writer figures there is nothing they can do about it. He’s wrong. It
seems that recently MotorKore has kidnapped people and performed an
operation that turns that person into a living, breathing crash test
dummy; and our writer is the newest recruit who is transformed into a
being that can withstand crash after crash. Unbeknownst to MotorKore their
new recruit, named 171096 has been receiving training from his roommate, a
more experienced crash test dummy. Now 171096 is going to attempt the
perfect crash. 171096 refuses to lie down and die like a good crash test
dummy.
Crash Test is a great
film. Its surreal atmosphere reflects the works of David Lynch and David
Cronenberg, a pretty scary match up. The mostly black and white video
paints a stark landscape of
Australia
where the company is more important than the individual.
Director/Writer/Star Sam Voutas takes the shot on video microbudget film
and projects it to the next level with intelligent screenwriting and some
truly effective camerawork. Of all the flicks I have seen shot on video
this is one of the few that would benefit from being transferred to film.
I wouldn’t change a frame, but the stark look of 16mm film would be so
perfect for this project. Crash Test
is proof that microbudget cinema can work as well if not better than the
mainstream dreck that
Hollywood
continually forces down our collective gullet. -Douglas A. Waltz
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