My directors choice and review

Damon Russells directing style really reflects how times are changing in the world of film and video. He focuses a lot of his talent on perfecting reality type films. In (my personal favorite) "Snow On Tha Bluff" he blends the documentary and reality genre into almost seeming like the movie was truly made by a crackhead with a stolen camera. Russel uses natural lighting to place the focus on other aspects of the film. Such as, how he magnifys whats already true. For example, when filming on the streets of tha bluff a.k. Atlanta GA, he would splash water or oil on the streets to just make them seem riddled with leaked gas trails. Also, he'd add to trash in the enviornment (that im sure he picked up after) showing how crucial it is in the enviornment. I think whats most original about the director is that he truly has mastered the art of giving off the purpose of a documentary while actually making a movie. I think to give him the full glory he may be the new generations spike lee, but i should probably place that title carefully because we all know how big of shoes those are to fill!

Review on the young only (2K12 Film Festival Review)

In this documentary we follow the lives of Three friends that have been friends for the better part of their life. Garrison and Kevin are skateboard fanatics that are coming to a critical  point in their high school years. Garrisons faces trouble with girls ( like every other teenager) while Kevin's remaining days in high school are becoming fewer and fewer. Kevin will be starting the next chapter of his life in tennessee without garrison. On the other end of trouble Garrisons ex girlfriend Skye was evicted from her house because of money issues and is now living with her grandfather. The film shows religion and even from such seemingly non crucial problems, it's interesting and an awesome watch! 

Snow on tha bluff movie review!

      

       As I watched snow on tha bluff, my mood about the film transitioned from dismissive and disgusted to being completely in love with this movie and it's incredibly powerful subliminal messages. To put the film in a nutshell, it was a story about notorious street gangs from "The Bluff" a known dangerous hood in Atlanta GA which means "You bet not be coming here". We follow them and our protagonist snow through their daily rituals of : sniffing, huffing, or smoking various drugs. Killing and robbing others in their community. We even get a nice glimpse of a day at your average low scale trap house. The highs within the story are when snows baby mama'sare killed by rival drug dealers , and drive by shootings and what not. But not all of the storyline was gangbanging seriousness! Many footages were of them hanging out with friends at the local liquor stores. 

        The movie is hauntingly real. It's key element is realism which grabs the audiences treat within the first 5 seconds of the film. With the attraction of realism in the film the disadvantage of it was the disturbance it caused viewers. Some audience members like myself basked in that discomfort and the lack of preserving images made the movie exciting and horrific. While on the other hand that discomfort turned some people off to the film. Comments that many images were disturbing and that soul stirring disturbance was mutual amongst many that saw the film and, especially after it was known that very few parts of it was staged. 

        Little can be said about the technical advances of the film, as it was shot entirely by film-maker amateur street thugs on a camera stolen by the story's protagonist. All in all it was a great watch and through and through I recommend it to all amateur film watcher junkies.