Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives (2010)

From IMDb: A group of trannies are violently bashed and left for dead. The surviving ladies regain consciousness, confidence, and courage ready to seek out revenge on the ones who attacked them.

(18:57:10) Alex Seda: Helen Keller Joke right off the bat?
(18:57:13) Ronnie: I’m liking the crackly old style intro credits
(18:57:34) Alex Seda: They are packing on the Grindhouse feel pretty thick
(18:58:35) Alex Seda: This is a pretty slick uninterrupted shot for the credits
(18:59:09) Ronnie: yeah, shame everyone is either called ‘girl’ or ‘honey’
(18:59:41) Ronnie: Written & Directed by Israel?
(18:59:52) Alex Seda: The whole country!
(18:59:55) Ronnie: Jesus Christ they’re horrible trannies!

That's nothing, you should see the fourth one...

(19:00:12) Ronnie: ’Ladies’?! Where??
(19:00:33) Ronnie: ’Bubbles’??!!
(19:00:40) Alex Seda: Well, the title did say that there would be trannies and whatnot
(19:00:52) Alex Seda: Bubbles was my least favorite Powerpuff Girl
(19:00:52) Ronnie: Holy fuck!
(19:01:03) Ronnie: That’s a BIG girl!
(19:01:25) Alex Seda: That’s a whole lotta manwoman
(19:02:12) Ronnie: Tipper Somore? Nice name… +1 for that
(19:02:27) Ronnie: Emma Grashun
(19:02:44) Ronnie: OK, getting silly now, Rachel Slurr
(19:02:44) Alex Seda: I like how they broke this into chapters.
(19:03:03) Ronnie: yeah
(19:03:17) Alex Seda: That was halfway clever
(19:04:14) Ronnie: yeah, like ‘her’ removing a note from between her tits
(19:05:27) Alex Seda: lol, Trannies LOVE Bionic Woman apparently
(19:05:44) Ronnie: yeah, especially ones that still look like a man
(19:05:53) Ronnie: … and get quarters thrown at them.
(19:06:54) Alex Seda: Chapter 2: WEENIELAND
(19:07:05) Ronnie: uh oh… I have a bad feeling about this…
(19:08:01) Alex Seda: Quentin Tarantino style scene
(19:08:32) Ronnie: yeah, too much talking
(19:09:08) Ronnie: ’alternative lifestyle representative’…
(19:10:37) Alex Seda: This is one hell of a soliliquy (sp?)
(19:12:13) Alex Seda: ahhhhhhhhhhh
(19:13:39) Ronnie: face is same as mask… nice
(19:15:06) Ronnie: a tranny that’s had an abortion?
(19:15:25) Alex Seda: I somehow believe thats not possible
(19:15:27) Alex Seda: but then again
(19:15:49) Ronnie: never know with medical science now-a-days
(19:16:03) Alex Seda: too true
(19:16:24) Ronnie: line of the movie so far:
(19:16:38) Ronnie: ’watch your step, your dick will fall out’
(19:16:52) Alex Seda: easily the line of the film thus far
(19:17:03) Alex Seda: I’m pretty sure this is the murdery part
(19:17:40) Ronnie: at least a good beating…
(19:18:58) Alex Seda: This doesn’t at all look like the shadiest place ever
(19:19:23) Ronnie: no no, not at all
(19:19:32) Ronnie: even with Mr. Nacho
(19:19:49) Alex Seda: OH NO
(19:20:02) Alex Seda: abuse man is here with a baseball bat!
(19:20:04) Ronnie: oh dear
(19:22:11) Alex Seda: oh noes, the rapey murderer
(19:22:25) Alex Seda: that’s the double trouble
(19:22:28) Ronnie: greasy rapey murderer
(19:22:45) Alex Seda: with a southern accent
(19:22:51) Alex Seda: so you KNOW he is evil

Sleazy, greasy, rapist man

(19:22:53) Ronnie: ’Greasy Tranny Rapist With a Baseball Bat’ – it’s the next big movie!
(19:23:30) Ronnie: did I just see a man taken down with a bitch slap?
(19:23:35) Alex Seda: You sure as fuck did
(19:23:47) Ronnie: oh the shame
(19:23:47) Alex Seda: manliest bitchslap ever
(19:24:46) Alex Seda: Pinky La’Trimm is hilarious
(19:24:55) Alex Seda: also, I bet that bitch doesn’t play
(19:24:56) Ronnie: yeah
(19:25:35) Ronnie: like the blood and hair on the baseball bat
(19:25:55) Alex Seda: yeah that was a nice touch
(19:26:07) Ronnie: again
(19:26:26) Alex Seda: Now the Greasy raper-muderer man is stealing peoples wigs and shit too
(19:26:28) Alex Seda: that’s ice cold
(19:26:47) Ronnie: has he no decency?!
(19:27:02) Alex Seda: none
(19:27:33) Ronnie: the heels are coming off… this is SERIOUS
(19:27:49) Alex Seda: I was wonderinh ow long it would take
(19:27:58) Alex Seda: because once a broad takes off them heels
(19:28:08) Alex Seda: whoa boy, it is on like Donkey Kong
(19:28:20) Ronnie: it’s like a man taking his jacket off
(19:28:36) Alex Seda: Apparently this is now Tranny Diehard with this lady creeping around in industrial setting with blue lighting
(19:29:01) Ronnie: the blue lighting is the ‘cold environment’ scene tip-off
(19:29:14) Alex Seda: movie-making 101
(19:29:23) Alex Seda: NINJA TRANNY KICK
(19:30:10) Ronnie: uh oh, Pinky’s onto them!
(19:30:25) Alex Seda: Pinky kicked the ever loving shit outta that door
(19:30:29) Ronnie: if she gets on-top of them then there’ll be trouble
(19:31:14) Alex Seda: PENIS STAB!
(19:31:24) Ronnie: yeah, knife to the balls!
(19:31:58) Ronnie: aw it was only a knife to the leg
(19:32:18) Alex Seda: damn
(19:32:20) Ronnie: ewww, heel to the eye!
(19:32:26) Alex Seda: whole lot of dead people
(19:32:35) Alex Seda: I knew the heel to the eye was coming
(19:32:36) Ronnie: Jesus, greasy rapist is still going!
(19:32:57) Alex Seda: You should know after all the rapey revenge flciks we’ve seen, Rapists are superhuman
(19:33:07) Alex Seda: YES missing reels
(19:33:12) Ronnie: oh no, a missing reel!

Ah fuck! I want my money back!

(19:33:16) Alex Seda: we just missed a whole fucking chapter
(19:33:22) Ronnie: ’I'm at the rear entrance’
(19:33:42) Alex Seda: I’m gonna leave that alone
(19:34:49) Ronnie: ’as supportive as your jock strap’
(19:34:55) Ronnie: some really good lines in this film
(19:36:12) Alex Seda: yeah, these lady persons are sassy as all get out
(19:36:21) Ronnie: bizaaaaarre nurse!

Creepy nurse is... creepy!

(19:37:11) Alex Seda: she is creepy i don’t trust her
(19:37:26) Ronnie: the doctor is even MORE creepy!
(19:38:18) Alex Seda: this whole scene is very, very weird
(19:38:28) Ronnie: absolutely!
(19:40:40) Ronnie: raped shemale with speech impediment… amazing
(19:41:33) Alex Seda: someone must’ve thought this was absolutely hilarious
(19:41:46) Alex Seda: it is kind of comedy gold, I just wonder if they are playing this for laughs or…
(19:41:46) Ronnie: I do!
(19:43:09) Alex Seda: When did this turn into aSamurai flick?
(19:43:27) Ronnie: God only knows
(19:43:53) Ronnie: I don’t think the Amish normally have shemales, do they??
(19:44:13) Alex Seda: They do live quite secretive lives…
(19:44:28) Ronnie: that’s suspicious then
(19:45:01) Ronnie: double male logo on his robe…
(19:45:23) Alex Seda: and he was singing lyrics to a black eye peas some or something
(19:45:40) Ronnie: yeah, almost as disturbing as him
(19:45:58) Alex Seda: We officially walked into another movie
(19:46:38) Alex Seda: ”Gay Cruises to Greece.” So they have gay cruise lines. Good to know.
(19:47:08) Ronnie: I’ll bet they have
(19:48:30) Alex Seda: phew, glad that’s over
(19:48:45) Ronnie: yeah, that was weeeeeeird and pretty unnecessary
(19:48:56) Ronnie: return of the rapist
(19:49:01) Ronnie: oh, maybe not
(19:49:02) Alex Seda: That was indian severed flying head weird
(19:49:21) Ronnie: with the same amount of special effects…
(19:50:05) Alex Seda: Nice bathrobe?
(19:50:25) Ronnie: nice house…
(19:50:38) Alex Seda: I know right, that thing is pretty large.
(19:50:56) Alex Seda: Is rapey dude already in the house?
(19:51:00) Alex Seda: Probably
(19:51:13) Ronnie: maybe-eeee
(19:51:42) Alex Seda: that was kinda a cool shot, doing it with the mirrors
(19:51:49) Ronnie: yeah
(19:52:13) Ronnie: that was a good scene… was sure something was gonna happen
(19:52:30) Alex Seda: Gee, why don’t you take a look at the HUGE KNIFE she just that lemon with.
(19:52:45) Alex Seda: oh well played movie
(19:52:51) Alex Seda: knife was there, now isn’t there
(19:52:56) Ronnie: and you thought YOU were being smart
(19:53:06) Alex Seda: I know, for once a movie was a step ahead of me
(19:53:16) Ronnie: a tranny movie no less
(19:53:38) Alex Seda: This scene so far is pretty masterfully done
(19:53:55) Alex Seda: OH NO RAPEY GUY

as rapey guy says: STOP! Hammer time...

(19:53:57) Ronnie: yes indeed
(19:54:37) Alex Seda: Rapey guy is actually really good at being this creepy
(19:55:50) Ronnie: yeah he IS good at being creepy
(19:57:05) Alex Seda: whoa all of the sudden tranny is a professional ninja
(19:57:13) Ronnie: Kung-Fu tranny!
(19:57:22) Alex Seda: someone should make that movie
(19:57:30) Alex Seda: actually, Japan prbably already beat us to it
(19:57:56) Ronnie: yeah, I’m sure they’re onto the third sequel by now
(20:00:08) Alex Seda: Rapey guy is really amazing, helluva actor.
(20:00:23) Alex Seda: He is holding this movie together at this point.
(20:00:41) Ronnie: yeah, it’s slowing down now…
(20:01:13) Alex Seda: going into traditional grindhousey territory now
(20:01:45) Ronnie: no need for all this blabbering
(20:02:13) Alex Seda: Padding for time, but then again, rapey guy is making it interesting
(20:04:36) Alex Seda: oh wow
(20:04:49) Alex Seda: what the fuck just happened
(20:04:56) Ronnie: it’s tranny-Commando time!
(20:05:06) Alex Seda: Ronnie, the things you talk me into watching
(20:05:13) Alex Seda: HEY WAIT TIME TRAVEL NOW?
(20:05:30) Alex Seda: ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, didn’t see that coming
(20:05:59) Alex Seda: this film is 7 shades of crazy
(20:06:08) Ronnie: yeah
(20:07:42) Alex Seda: ”i apologize for fucking up my own psycho revenge scheme”
(20:12:21) Alex Seda: ”Fuck this, it’s too complicated, you shouldn’t flash cards for murder.”
(20:14:18) Alex Seda: Oh shit Pinky had a sword all of a sudden?
(20:14:41) Ronnie: she’s whoopin’ ass
(20:14:44) Ronnie: quite literally
(20:15:25) Alex Seda: Here is our knife fight, I suppose
(20:16:11) Ronnie: with gusto!
(20:16:31) Alex Seda: mucho gusto
(20:16:49) Ronnie: ’tranimals’
(20:17:07) Alex Seda: yup, she said that
(20:17:49) Alex Seda: not the CRT tv
(20:17:51) Alex Seda: c’mon

Oopsies!

(20:18:38) Alex Seda: this movie like to shows kicks like 400 times
(20:20:09) Ronnie: nice knife in the head bit
(20:20:37) Alex Seda: through the skull too, gotta be strong to do that
(20:22:47) Alex Seda: I think they got him
(20:22:48) Ronnie: well, that should kill him…
(20:23:00) Alex Seda: hopefully
(20:23:48) Alex Seda: well, i gotta poop, brb
(20:24:01) Ronnie: uh ok
(20:28:18) Alex Seda: ok back
(20:28:27) Alex Seda: 1.5 stars
(20:28:38) Ronnie: 1.5?! Really that bad?
(20:28:49) Ronnie: Imma give it 3.5 for its madness
(20:29:18) Alex Seda: eh, i enjoyed it, but it wasn’t grea
(20:29:54) Ronnie: one of my better choices in recent times, I must say…
(20:30:50) Alex Seda: it was def entertaining

Ronnie’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Alex’s Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Trailer:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrWT1a1_ta4

A question that has rung in my head since first hearing about the movie Ink was what relevance the title of the film held. From the first moments of the trailer, and subsequently my viewing of the film, I knew I was in for a movie that had calculated its steps carefully, creating something in between an eloquent waltz and an algebraic equation. I knew that the title was another vital part of the whole experience, and that deciphering its meaning was another key to unlocking the many mysteries that lay inside the delicate layers of the story.

That story, written by Jamin Winans, is a tale of multi-dimensional dream weaversconsisting of one bad stable and one good one. The good ones, dubbed Storytellers, give us good dreams by visiting us in our rooms once we have fallen asleep and gently waving there hands slowly by our heads. The bad ones, called the The Incubi, give us the nightmares. Beyond the ability to grant dreams, these people also battle over the souls of those who are sleeping.

Ink's spectacular makeup and look help solidify him as our complicated, yet menacing antagonist.

This is more or less where our story begins. A drifter, one who is stuck in between life and death, named Ink is propositioned by the Incubi to steal the soul of a seemingly insignificant little girl named Emma, in exchange for the ability to become an Incubi himself. Emma’s estranged father, John, is also battling staggeringly high odds, both physically and emotionally due to a demanding and stressful job and the weight of his own guilt and shame. The rest is quite simply too exciting and emotionally propelling to spoil for the sake of this review.

The first thing that one notices about Jamin Winans film Ink, is that it is in an entire league of its own in terms of visual style. While some influences are noticeable, Jamin takes the idea of kinetic and potential energy in a movie to new heights. The pace is fluid, only jumping a beat to drive home a scene or a moment, then quickly snaps back into place, driving the narrative along briskly enough to demand a viewers full attention without overloading and confusing them. The editing is so precise, so flawless, that it begins to feel almost euphoric. Jamin manipulates the order of certain events, in order to keep viewers on there toes about where the story is heading. There is no point in the movie where I could clearly say what was going to happen next, and that feeling of wonderment and vulnerability is something that has stuck with me even through writing this piece. It’s a hypnotizing film, and it never sacrifices the gravity of what’s happening on screen in favor of giving you a flashy, “Hollywood” shot that only looks great on movie posters. This film exudes an aura of tremendous planning brought to life by even more impressive execution.

The cinematography is remarkable, looking even better when in full motion.

Hand in hand with the visual buffet, is the equally sublime audio package. From the old-timey camera snap-and-flicker sound effect used for when storytellers teleport in, to the visceral crunch of a perfectly placed uppercut, to the appropriate tinkering and manipulation of certain voices to help give them an other worldly feel, the effects are all nothing short of innovative. Everything sounds crisp and distinctive, and every action is accounted for. Holding all the aforementioned technical elements together is a subtle, oceanic, and deeply emotional score, written by Jamin Winans himself. The score is reminiscent of some of John Murphys work, as well as some of Danny Elfmans dreamier, calmer material. But Jamin really shows he has the patience, style, and talent to not only create a great stand alone score, but also one that personifies and amplifies perfectly everything his film has to say. Not enough can be said about how much the score adds to the entire feel of the film, something not seen enough in the days of soundtracks where popular artists write a soulless song that supposedly represents the movie.

An Incubi, who brings nightmares.

Along with the groundbreaking special effects (see the reconstructing furniture fight scene for evidence of this), there is the cinematography of Jeff Pointer. All the different planes of existence in Inks world are accompanied by a strikingly different palette of colors and lighting techniques. It not only creates the appearance that they are entirely different dimensions, it becomes other dimensions altogether. Due to the digital filming techniques I am almost sure Jamin Winans used extensively while shooting Ink, he gains an incredible amount of control over lighting, filters, color correction and saturation, which he uses to great dramatic effect.  They also function perfectly as cues that we have begun to look in on a different scene, and helps indicate silently where we are, who were are with, and with whom their alliances lay.

But if Ink is anything, it’s a damn good story. The story is so luminary, so rife with honest humanity and emotion that it’s near impossible not to invoke some kind of serious, introspective moment within you while watching. It’s not the kind of emotion that make boyfriends not want to go see the romance flick with their girlfriends, it’s the kind of emotion that’s intrinsic within the human conscious. It’s about loss, innocence, desire, motivation, and possibly above all, hope. The film makes some very philosophical observations on the sordid perils of everyday life, but it makes them in a passive, courteous way. It acknowledges that we are, to a degree, the sum of our parts and past experiences, but it also points out that there is always the opportunity for radical change. Jamin manages to ease his way into some very heady, intellectual space without losing sight of the plot and the characters I found myself heavily invested in. This alone is quite an achievement.

The sunny, serene dimension of the Storytellers.

All those points wouldn’t have been so well conveyed without actors who really seemed to understand the vision of Jamin. Consider that a non-issue though, as all the actors and actresses play their roles without incident, with no one seeming out of place or terribly miscast. Extra credit must go to Chris Kelly for playing John and Jessica Duffy for playing Liev, whose performances were simply too sensational not to mention. There isn’t really much else I can say about the cast other then Jamin Winans must have had at least some, if not all, of the actors in mind when he wrote the script, because the roles seem tailor made for the individuals playing them. They are always shown in their best light, the emotion that Jamin squeezed from them seems as genuine as anything I’ve even seen. If there’s one thing that’s evident in independent film making, it’s the passion of those involved. It’s the whole reason independent film making still exists, because I assure you, it isn’t for the money. In this case, the movie is overflowing with determination and fire, which helps envelope the viewer in the vibrant, awe-inspiring world that this magical yarn is spun in.

The only obstacle I can see any audience having a major problem with would be the sheer emotional investment and outside the box thinking a movie this cavernous can require for full enjoyment and understanding. It’s all about invading the comfortable areas of your life, it’s about turning the mirror on yourself, and it’s about the stuff all of us have deep inside, regardless of whether or not we pretend it’s not there. It’s story is not only timely, but timeless. There is no restriction on when a tale like this could be told.

Our Storytellers along with their quirky, philosophical guide, The Pathfinder.

In the end, I think I’ve found the answer to my original question, and that the answer may be that we are all Ink. We are all different colors, different viscosity, and different blends. We are the instruments of change, both good and bad, but we are not immune to them ourselves. The randomness of life can be extremely disruptive, and seem devoid of pattern, reason and predictability, but just because the last few moments, days, or years have blindsided you, it doesn’t mean you are lost forever. At least, that’s how I saw it.

Jamin Winans has concocted a potent narrative, one that is as focused as can be, while still leaving enough room for individual impression. It is assembled in such a way that not only promotes, but encourages multiple viewings. Technically speaking, there is nothing that could be done better within the budget, and the acting is all fitting, bringing believability and heft to each role, while naturally allowing the main figures to steal the show. Ink deserves a special place inside the hollowed halls of great independent cinema, here’s to hoping it takes its rightful places in that gallery one day.