trashgang This is a special one to review. it only has 3 actors in it and is played in one set. Not that that is a problem but by doing so you really have to have a good story. It's the director's first attempt to make a flick and by doing so he even made it longer than a normal flick. It clocks in at 105 minutes. I found this one at a convention just after seeing the other flick with the same story, The Disappearance Of Alice Greed. Alice had his plot changes that made it a great flick. Here we doesn't have that, no surprises but we go deeper into the characters than Alice did. By doing that you really have to take a lot of talking. It's only in the last reel that things go wrong and the flick becomes bloody and messy. It wasn't that bad but if Andrew Moorman could made it a bit shorter it would have been really great. Still it's one to see if you are in the mood for a lot of talking. If you watch it you want to know what's going to happen next. I admit, i had sympathy

Greg Note to all you first time filmmakers that embark on the journey of making a low budget horror or thriller film – 'Keep it Simple'.If only more directors without much funding would take this to heed we would get more films like Long Pigs and Sympathy and less like The Landlord and Dead Noon.This was not lost on director Andrew Moorman who took a smart thriller by writer Arik Martin and turned it into a very competent and highly entertaining film called Sympathy.The beauty of the film is in its simplicity. The story has but three characters and all takes place in a motel room. That is where a suggested bank robber named Tripp (Steven Pritchard) brings his hostage Sara (Marina Shtelen) and handcuffs her to the bed. While trying to formulate an escape plan, Tripp's getaway is interrupted by Dennis (Aaron Boucher), an escaped convict who coincidentally end up in the same room with multiple agendas.In a film style that clearly pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock and Brain DePalma, the three characters will spend an evening revealing depths of their personalities while setting in motion an intense cat-and-mouse game convoluted with bulging egos and personal motivations.To further obstruct a clean getaway, characters will be shot, stabbed and emotionally tormented as the story unfolds revealing characters that are not whom they appear to be. The final chapters will include a blood soaked ending that will remind you of an early Tarantino work and a satisfying end to an evening's odyssey.Kudos to director Andrew Moorman for not trying to squeeze more out of the intelligent script than what was pressed onto the straight to DVD release. His directing was able to hide from this seasoned reviewer a reveal that I didn't see coming (granted it wasn't M. Night-ish, but it still generated a 'wow' response).When producing a movie with one setting and limited characters, it is important to have strong acting to accompany the script pages or all is lost. Pritchard, Shtelen and Boucher put on believable performances even if the acting is at times uneven. Shtelen in particular starts off weak, but by the end of the film, she plays the role of Sara with a seasoned confidence.Revealing any specifics would be an injustice to anyone who follows this review with a screening, but as low budget, independent films go, this one ranks in the top tier.www.killerreviews.com

rokphotoz At the Horror Hound Weekend convention this past July I was hearing chatter about a movie called Sympathy. Being a photographer myself, the first thing that attracted me to the movie was the poster. Excellent artwork! Just the poster itself has drama! Being that said, I had to see what all the chatter was about. Since I work for Horror Hound, I was very busy during the con shooting pics for the magazine. I became so busy that my editor ran up to me and asked if I was going to catch the ending of Sympathy. UGH! HOW COULD I FORGET ABOUT IT! So I went in the screening room and caught the last 15 minutes of the film. The last 15 minutes was AWESOME to say the least! I was hoping when I do get the chance to watch the full feature that the last 15 minutes wasn't the best the film had to offer. I was hoping the film would live up to the chatter and the poster art I loved...lol! A big thanks to director Andrew Moorman for not only sending me a copy of Sympathy but taking the time to have the cast & crew sign it for me. After watching the last 15 minutes of the film I had to have the cast & crew sign it. I had a strong feeling this was a masterpiece. I invited 5 of my friends over to watch the film with me. After the film was over everyone including me were speechless! This was an independent film? Could've fooled me! Sympathy had the sound, video, actors and editing of a blockbuster hit! I went and seen 'Vacancy' which I thought was a pretty good film and did take place in a hotel & outside the hotel room. Now 'Vacancy' made it to the big screen and Sympathy hasn't?! Come on you big time film companies, you fools are bypassing a truly great film! These actors, director, producers and all that worked on the film has a huge film career in their future as soon as the right people give Sympathy a look at. Everyone involved in this film will be walking the red carpet. This film deserves the silver screen! So for anyone out there that has a chance to see this movie, DO IT!. Anyone that has a chance to meet the cast & crew of Sympathy, better get their sigs! They're definitely just around the corner from being viewed on the silver screen worldwide! I can't wait to see what Andrew has up his sleeve for the future. Marina Shtelen, Steven Pritchard & Aaron Boucher, don't take anything less for your next film than what Sympathy is. You three are excellent actors in my eyes and deserve nothing less. My very BEST wishes to all of you and can't wait to see you on the big screen!!! Al Horror Hound

lajr Wow, I saw Sympathy in Indy at the Horror Hound weekend. It's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Arik Martin's sterling screenplay is a powerful example of how writing is always the bedrock for any movies success. I consider myself somewhat of an expert at guessing the plot lines and figuring out the endings long before the movie is half over. Not this time though, Arik Martin's skill at storytelling was always two steps ahead and kept me at the edge of my seat. Just as I thought I had Sympathy figured it made a sharp turn and then made another and another until I was just left agog. For the first time in a long time I gave up thinking about the direction and the destination and just let this magnificent movie overwhelm my sense's. The three actors were fantastic and so believable that I felt I was in the room with them. The director did a great job with the actors and the action. They all get high fives for interpreting the screenplay and giving us such a fantastic movie. A big congrats to all.