fedor8
This is why certain directors should only direct and leave the writing to others. (Though by others I don't mean JJ Abrams or Stephen King.) I'd seen another movie from this guy just a few days before this one, and it has very similar flaws. "Carnage Park" has a few stylistic things going for it but the premise is badly explored and the plot completely disintegrates in the second half.Similarly, "Pod" starts off OK, then gets stuck in an overlong but solid middle, then becomes so predictable and cliche in its conclusion, almost as if the movie decided to score on its own goal, as if it decided it had to fail, shoot its own foot several times over. The middle section is marred by needlessly long padding in the form of the nutty army vet, who instead of just SHOWING his siblings the alien, decides to TALK about it, and in such an animated way that it makes Brad Pitt's performance in "12 Monkeys" look reserved and shy by comparison.You have almost never seen this level of overacting, not even from Brad Dourrif, John Travolta, Will Shatner or Nick Cage. I can see why he'd overact and it's not uninteresting, but the real issue here isn't that, it's the repetitive nature of that entire segment. Yes, the plot is very thin and the writer/director tried to stretch it quite a bit, going in circles instead of getting on with it.But it's the very dumb ending that completely ruins everything, for several reasons. Firstly, the alien is yet another skinny, naked, elongated, shrieking idiot, as corny as the aliens in a South Park episode. How boring. Secondly, the moment the sister approaches a car we just KNOW that a government agent is in it. Thirdly, the moment we see his face we KNOW that not only is he an agent but won't help her at all. Thirdly, as soon as she says the words "government experiment" we KNOW he will take her as a prisoner or kill her. He kills her. Then, predictably, the agent kills the other brother. Even dumber, the agent gets killed by the alien despite the Will Farrel look-alike actor having smashed his head in thoroughly minutes earlier.And why is an alien referred to as a "pod"? This is almost Ed Wood level of stupid.
Steve Ramsey
I seem to be in the minority here, but I really enjoyed Pod and I don't quite understand its low IMDb rating. Most of the negative reviews criticize the film for its lengthy scenes of dialog and lack of action or horror. I think the problem is expecting Pod to be a horror or sci-fi film that it isn't trying to be, possibly due to its trailer.The lengthy scenes of dialog and conflict were precisely what I enjoyed most about the movie. It's a solid script willing to take its time establishing the dynamics between all three siblings. Once brother and sister Lyla and Ed meet with their brother Martin, Pod unfolds as a psychological thriller. The tension grows until all hell breaks loose in the final act. Lauren Ashley Carter delivers a superb performance as Lyla, portraying a young woman in conflict with her family, yet conveying a real emotional connection to her siblings. When the action comes late in the film, Carter reaffirms my belief that she is THE Scream Queen of modern indie film.Brian Morvant also delivers a strong performance as the mentally unstable Martin. Is he schizophrenic or are his ramblings actually true? Morvant plays these scenes with conviction and believably. I was fascinated by the story and very anxious watching and wondering how it would unfold. Pod takes risks with its main characters in a way most big-budget films won't dare. Don't watch this movie expecting a sci-fi or horror film that plays out as you would expect, but rather take the time to enjoy the dialog and appreciate the performances.
jdwilliams-22735
I thought this would be a creature-feature, but it's really not. It's more of a drama about 3 siblings; one an alcoholic, one out-right crazy and the last, appropriately, a psychologist. The acting is decent, so I can't really complain there. The issue for me is the last ten minutes of the movie, which is the only part that has any action. When you finally see the "creature" (unbeknownst to you, the credits will be rolling in ten minutes) there are a few tense scenes, half of which intentionally make no sense, and then the movie just ends. It's not artistic... it's just no fun. I will say this is not the worst movie I've ever seen, but I can't recommend it.
assistec24
Acting : zero of 10. Script - the same. A less then low budget B-movie, something like the 1 hour of 12 years kids playing Halloween with a camera in a bad day. All the movie are 3 peoples acting not just bad but terrific, a shaking camera, red lights or no light at all, and 2 more peoples with 2 minutes roles each; all common places, no ideas at all, nothing original and just an awful movie. I can say its the worst movie of the year, by far. I give 1 star, but the real value should be 10 negative stars.Save your time and take the kids to a walk on park, or the dog - no matter, anything its better then this 1 hour + of torture.
AD
