P.O.V.

(Sick and Twisted) www.sickandtwistedonline.com
Directed/produced by Mike Baker and Brian Mckechnie

Man, I wouldn't relive my 20's again for all the gullible goth chicks in the world. Those halcyon days of living with a bunch of creeps and staying up all night convincing them of vague points that you only thought of in the first place because you were high are explored in dizzying Roshoman style in the ambitious P.O.V. 5 roommates settle in for a night of chatter and backstabbing, but as the title suggests, the point of view constantly changes, as the camera takes on each character and their own particular interpretation of the night's events. Although I imagine the scriptwriting process was an absolute nightmare, it all flows surprisingly well, as the story drifts around the ratty apartment, the camera possessing the nice girl, the slut, the deathtripper, the effeminate boyfriend, and the beleaguered voice of reason in quick succession. It's a strange day, this, since they've all decided that they've had enough of their domineering mother-figure roomie, and tie her up in the attic, each taking turns tormenting her and returning to the living room to drink beer and laugh about it. It all ends up in bloodshed, of course, but it's a fun ride trying to figure out which one of the annoying slacker stereotypes is going to snap. Fluid camera work, a complex story, and moments of genuine humor abound in a zero-budget video that's much more ambitious then the usual bloodbath. The cluttered apartment that serves as P.O.V.'s only set is an ungodly mess that's a little hard on the eyes, but at least it's authentic. If you've ever pined for the days when deciding who was going to do the dishes could end up in a fist fight, P.O.V. is an engaging, fully realized reminder of how better off you are now. -Sleazegrinder