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Frontier
Film Threat // Unrated // December 9, 2003
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
David Lynch just called to ask if I had any idea what this movie was supposed to be about. I told him that I didn't know, but that I would ask Salvador Dali and get back to him.
Frontier is an experimental film from Texas filmmaking brothers David and Nathan Zellner. The film is set in the fictional European country of Bulbovia. Following a revolution, two soldiers (Wiley Wiggins and David Zellner), who are members of the Expansionist Research Corps, are sent to the explore the most remote territories of the country. Once there, the wheelchair-bound soldier is miraculously healed. After that, the two men encounter a hermit, a dowdy woman, and two strange creatures.
Shot on video, Frontier looks like the kind of movie that a group of pre-adolescents would make on a weekend, and then erase the following week after they realized just how bad it was. If you can get past the fact that the movie has no story whatsoever (which is fairly standard for this kind of movie), you'll find that it's simply a series of random scenes which offer nothing interesting. People yell (in Bulbovian, a made-up language), people run, two men fight with chickens on their hands, and a man in a poorly-made Bigfoot-esque suit tosses eggs at people. None of this is entertaining or engaging in the slightest. The cinematography is dodgy, as some shots are out of focus. The acting is poor, as actress Stephanie Wilson is often on the verge of laughter. Oh, if only the audience were laughing. The pointless nature of Frontier is very sad, as there are some slightly amusing lines in the film. (Hence the 1/2 star rating.) If only the Zellner's could have focused more on this sort of humor and shied away from the absurdity. I've read other reviews for this film that claim it is actually a highbrow comedy that only the intelligent will understand. No sir, it's not. That's the lie of someone who is trying to justify why they sat through this boring mess.
Video
Frontier comes to DVD courtesy of Film Threat Video. The movie was shot on video and it is presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio. The image is clear and the colors are bright and natural looking. However, there is a great deal of video noise and "blooming" on the picture. Any sudden movement by the camera leaves a blurry "trail" on the screen. Thusly, this add to the feeling that a group of true amateurs made this production.
Audio
The Frontier DVD carries a digital stereo audio track. This track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. There is hissing at the film's opening, but that is clearly intentional. The stereo effects are subtle and unremarkable. The subtitles are white and easy to read.
Extras
The DVD contains a few extras. An audio commentary is provided by the Zellners, Wiley Wiggins, and Stephanie Wilson. Maintaining the Bulbovian charade, they claim that the recording session is taking place in the American Embassy in Bulbovia. The commentary is playful, and often sloppy, as the group laughs at their own silliness. As they are stuck in make-believe land, we learn little about the actual production of the movie. There are two text-only features. "From Froktog to Frontier" gives an overview of the faux novel which inspired the film, and "Bulbovia, Sweet Bulbovia" offers a history of the fictional country. There are 2 deleted scenes and the theatrical trailer, which is presented full-frame. Finally, we have a Bulbovian rock music video, from the group Precarious Warehaus Dwellers for the song "Nutella & Gummi Bear Sandwich." Whatever.
It's always hard for me to criticize filmmakers who are willing to get out there and make a movie, but Frontier is simply a waste of time. I'm sure that those involved with the project find it fun to watch, but the rest of us are left in the dark. Instead of coming up with fake countries, the Zellners should focus on making better movies.
David Lynch just called to ask if I had any idea what this movie was supposed to be about. I told him that I didn't know, but that I would ask Salvador Dali and get back to him.
Frontier is an experimental film from Texas filmmaking brothers David and Nathan Zellner. The film is set in the fictional European country of Bulbovia. Following a revolution, two soldiers (Wiley Wiggins and David Zellner), who are members of the Expansionist Research Corps, are sent to the explore the most remote territories of the country. Once there, the wheelchair-bound soldier is miraculously healed. After that, the two men encounter a hermit, a dowdy woman, and two strange creatures.
Shot on video, Frontier looks like the kind of movie that a group of pre-adolescents would make on a weekend, and then erase the following week after they realized just how bad it was. If you can get past the fact that the movie has no story whatsoever (which is fairly standard for this kind of movie), you'll find that it's simply a series of random scenes which offer nothing interesting. People yell (in Bulbovian, a made-up language), people run, two men fight with chickens on their hands, and a man in a poorly-made Bigfoot-esque suit tosses eggs at people. None of this is entertaining or engaging in the slightest. The cinematography is dodgy, as some shots are out of focus. The acting is poor, as actress Stephanie Wilson is often on the verge of laughter. Oh, if only the audience were laughing. The pointless nature of Frontier is very sad, as there are some slightly amusing lines in the film. (Hence the 1/2 star rating.) If only the Zellner's could have focused more on this sort of humor and shied away from the absurdity. I've read other reviews for this film that claim it is actually a highbrow comedy that only the intelligent will understand. No sir, it's not. That's the lie of someone who is trying to justify why they sat through this boring mess.
Video
Frontier comes to DVD courtesy of Film Threat Video. The movie was shot on video and it is presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio. The image is clear and the colors are bright and natural looking. However, there is a great deal of video noise and "blooming" on the picture. Any sudden movement by the camera leaves a blurry "trail" on the screen. Thusly, this add to the feeling that a group of true amateurs made this production.
Audio
The Frontier DVD carries a digital stereo audio track. This track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. There is hissing at the film's opening, but that is clearly intentional. The stereo effects are subtle and unremarkable. The subtitles are white and easy to read.
Extras
The DVD contains a few extras. An audio commentary is provided by the Zellners, Wiley Wiggins, and Stephanie Wilson. Maintaining the Bulbovian charade, they claim that the recording session is taking place in the American Embassy in Bulbovia. The commentary is playful, and often sloppy, as the group laughs at their own silliness. As they are stuck in make-believe land, we learn little about the actual production of the movie. There are two text-only features. "From Froktog to Frontier" gives an overview of the faux novel which inspired the film, and "Bulbovia, Sweet Bulbovia" offers a history of the fictional country. There are 2 deleted scenes and the theatrical trailer, which is presented full-frame. Finally, we have a Bulbovian rock music video, from the group Precarious Warehaus Dwellers for the song "Nutella & Gummi Bear Sandwich." Whatever.
It's always hard for me to criticize filmmakers who are willing to get out there and make a movie, but Frontier is simply a waste of time. I'm sure that those involved with the project find it fun to watch, but the rest of us are left in the dark. Instead of coming up with fake countries, the Zellners should focus on making better movies.
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