As our site has been growing and the number of films and DVDs that we are sent to review have increased, I’ve noticed a small trend that I want to make sure to fix. I haven’t had the time to review very many independently made films. Now, to be fair this is in part because a good many independent films are not that great, so it hardly seems worth the effort to write about them. If at all possible, I’m going to try to get more of these films in again and get them reviewed so that I can do my best to make sure the good ones don’t fall through the cracks. The main thing that got me back on track was a recent viewing of a new independent feature “Clearwater” by writer/director (and it would seem everything else) Andy Koontz. I was familiar with Koontz’s previous work by word of mouth only. I’ve been told that his “Them Damn Zombies” and “Zombie Dawn” short films are hysterical and a ‘must-see’, though I’ve yet to have the opportunity to do so. Because of this reputation for comedy zombie flicks, I was quite unprepared for this new project.

What I expected to be a camp comedy turned out to be quite the opposite. “Clearwater” is a frightening look into the mind games of a serial killer. The story is fairly basic and focuses on a serial killer who kidnaps and tortures a young girl. But then comes the twist. He contacts a perfect stranger and proposes that he find and save the girl within seven days, or she dies.

Shot in black and white, the film is enhanced with digital effects that give it a grainy and aged look. The feeling is that you are watching a documentary feature. For the most part this works, and it certainly adds to the overall creepiness of the film. My only complaint is that part of this enhancement gave the film a strobe-like effect that was difficult on the eyes. I found it to be more of a distraction than anything else.

Beyond that small nit, though I liked almost everything else about the film. It was extremely moody, and the overall editing kept the plot moving with little to bog it down through its 60-minute runtime. I would even have to go as far as to say it bordered on disturbing as far the imagery involved with the girl’s kidnapping and torture. Throughout most of the film, she is tied to a chair in a dimly lit room. Every time the killer would walk over to her, I would cringe in anticipation of what he might do to her next. It was all fairly graphic, almost to the point of exploitive, but it worked well within the context of the story. Having it in black and white during these points was especially effective, as her wounds and all the blood looked even more garish than it might have in color.

I would also like to give a lot of credit to the actors who worked on the film. Julie Wand, as the victim, had to have one of the most uncomfortable jobs on the movie. I’d be curious to find out more about the time-frame for the shoot, as it had to be grueling for her to sit in that chair day after day, all bloodied and beaten. And with the exception of one small scene near the end, her performance throughout the rest of the film completely convinced me of her pain, terror and ultimate surrender to her likely fate. It was almost as if I could see the moment when she crossed over from hoping someone would save her, to just wishing the killer would end her life and get it over with.

Koontz, along with all his other hats as director, composer, editor, etc… also played the killer, and he was quite chilling in the role. His believability in the performance of the character actually made me wonder a little bit if he enjoyed it a little… too much. Randy Bowden also did a pretty good job as Jonathan, the stranger who has to try and save the girl’s life. There were a few scenes where I found his acting to be an odd combination of forced and flat, but he carried the rest of the film well enough to make it work. (Side note to the costume designer – where did you find his sweaters? Yikes!)

“Clearwater” was shot on a miniscule budget of around $400, and to Koontz’s credit, it looked like it cost quite a bit more. The editing was tight and the camera work solid. Considering what professional directors like Robert Rodriguez have been able to do in the past with relatively small budgets, I’m really looking forward to seeing what someone with Koontz’s talent will deliver as his budgets increase.

Currently “Clearwater” is only available in VHS format, but there are plans to release a full-blown DVD version in the near future, complete with commentary, deleted scenes and outtakes. Once it hits this format, I try to snag a copy and let you know how it looks.

Directed by: Andy Koontz
Starring: Randy Bowden, Julie Wand, Chris Koontz, Andy Koontz, Mike Vanyserloo
Website

We'll give Clearwater a B.