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In the past
I've mentioned how much I love what I do.
I spend way too many hours in front of a
TV (a pastime that was vastly improved when
I bought my first Big Screen TV a year and
a half ago) and watching DVDs. I get to
see good movies and bad movies as well as
all the bells and whistles that have become
a staple of the DVD market. If there's a
particular way to use a camera to create
a particular shot… I've learned how.
If there's an actor out there with an opinion
of his performance in a film… I've
heard it. I even have the opportunity to
see films that many people don't. And there's
where my greatest joy lies. Finding those
films or projects that transcend the norm
and offer me a new experience in entertainment.
A few days ago a DVD called "Broken
Saints" showed up for me to view. I
had never heard of it, but the packaging
and artwork caught my attention, screaming
that I might be in for something different.
It was released by Fox, which surprised
me even more about the fact that the title
was unknown to me.
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It looked to be a work of Anime, and as I have
only recently become a fan of the genre, was very
intrigued. I didn’t have time to watch it
that night, so I spent a little time the next
day doing a little background research on it to
prepare me. What I learned was even more intriguing,
but it did not prepare me for the experience of
watching "Broken Saints."
I guess I should start by telling you I was wrong
about it being Anime… kind of. What "Broken
Saints" turned out to be was an apocalyptic
story of four very diverse people from around
the world who each foresee the end of the world.
Through the course of the 12 hour running time
(Yes!! 12 hours!), the four eventually come together
to fight the forces that threaten our existence.
As for the style of the production, it is like
a comic book come to life. It's not animation
per se, but rather a series of static character
images interspersed with moving backgrounds. There
are balloons filled with the characters dialogue,
just like a comic, but also voiceover work to
give them even more life. Odd as it sounds, the
imagery is breathtaking and I found it hard to
stretch the viewing out over several nights. The
end of each of the 24 chapters made me want to
keep going into the next.
The project, I learned was the brainchild of Brooke
Burgess, who used to work for Electronic Arts….
up until he quit his high paying job in order
to travel to the South Pacific to find himself.
While on this sabbatical, Burgess came up with
the idea for this story and upon his return teamed
up with artist Andrew West and computer guru Ian
Kirby. Together the three worked long hours (in
a basement no doubt) to create a visual experience
that would allow Burgess the opportunity to entertain
as well as enlighten audiences to his particular
religious and political beliefs. The early chapters
of this story appeared on the Internet back in
2001 and over time built a huge following of viewers,
becoming in essence a cult unto itself. How I
never heard of it is beyond me…. I guess
I need to move out from under my rock.
As it turns out, the popularity of the project
caught the eyes and ears of the right people and
eventually led to the creation and release of
the DVD set that is just now hitting store shelves.
And let me tell you, all the work, blood, sweat
and tears that these three creative minds poured
into "Broken Hearts" shows up on every
single frame of the project as well as the myriad
of special features created for this release.
First off, the presentation of the feature is
nearly flawless. The video is perfect, with little
to complain about in terms of contrast or clarity.
The audio soundtrack is also incredible to listen
to. And you are given two choices. The original
stereo mix which represents what viewers heard
when they watched it on the Internet or an all-new
5.1 mix that includes voiceover work. Either is
good, but I highly recommend the 5.1 mix. I have
a fairly decent home system (really need to update
it though) and it completely filled the room and
created a fulfilling immersion into the experience
of watching the film.
But then you come to the extra features, which
rival most DVD releases. Most notably, I understand
there are commentaries throughout the entire series,
and while I hadn't yet watched all 12 hours again
to hear it all, but what I did listen to was very
fascinating. But that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Throughout the 4 disc set, you'll find a Production
Featurette that focuses on the making of the feature
as well as the DVD itself, a very detailed voiceover
and audio featurette and footage from some of
the benefit concerts that the project's creators
put on to raise money to keep 'Broken Saints"
going.
There is also a fake website for Biocom (one of
the corporations in the story), several news videos
where the series was featured, and footage of
a lecture by Burgess which includes a lot of information
on his background as well as that of the series.
You'll also find a featurette that presents some
of the characters in the story as they would appear
as Tarot Cards (which sounds a little strange,
but is very interesting) and a very long section
of 'Fan' films created by… well… fans.
Some of them are quite creative, while others
are just odd. The 4th disc includes some End Comments
and a nice little Epilog Commentary that answers
questions about the ending for those of you who
might not have been paying attention for the entire
run of the series. It also has a very long diary
featurette on the project's Sundance Film Festival
win that was shot by the creators using a handheld
video camera. Rounding out this disc are several
miscellaneous featurettes that touch on smaller
areas of the production. Basically, when you’re
done with this set, you will know everything there
ever was, is, or will be to know about "Broken
Saints."
Considering the fact that I had never heard of
'Broken Saints", and I imagine a good portion
of you have not either, this DVD release is one
of the most impressive I have seen this year,
both in terms of the feature, the content, and
the overall packaging. Some of you might not get
into the film's visual style, many of you will
probably not get into the political opinions expressed
therein, but I still highly recommend giving "Broken
Saints" a try.
Directed by: Brooke Burgess
Starring (the voices of): William B. Davis, Scott
McNeil, Greg Anderson, Jamie Bell, Michael Dobson
Extras: Commentary by the series creators on every
episode, Making-of featurette, Production featurette,
Voice-over and audio featurette, Sundance Film
Festival featurette, Art Institute panel discussion
with creator Brooke Burgess and others, Walker
Nation Art Center lecture session with creator
Brooke Burgess, Broken Saints soundtrack, Broken
Saints Tarot Tree character profiles, Biocom website
stills gallery, "Media Buzz" - broadcast
press interview about Broken Saints, Fan Showcase
- video footage and artwork from fans around the
world, Behind the scenes material, DVD-ROM material,
Trailers
Specifications: Widescreen (1.66:1), Dolby Digital
5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Sound
Studio: Fox
Release Date: 8/1/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give Broken Saints an A.
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