Primer - Winner of Sundance

[Josh Bass]

(ALERT: POSSIBLE SPOILERS!)

I guess I'm alone on this one:

I had a hard time following ANYTHING in the movie, let alone the time travel stuff. I got the gist of it at the end, but I literally could not understand what was happening except in a very overall kind of way. I didn't know who these people were, or why they were building this box, or generally what was going on.

I think some of it had to do with the mumbly, hurried nature of the dialogue, and the other is that I don't think things were explained (basic things like "these are four entrepreneurs trying to impress a venture capatalist", "a girl got murdered at a party (I heard the shotgun thing, but somehow missed that this girl was killed)" except in a very hurried way.

Anyone agree? Is the Bass alone?

And it looked very very cool. I don't care what you people say.

[Daniel Runyon]

The below was copied from his forum, and gives a basic budget breakdown.





Shane

Joined: 09 Aug 2003
Posts: 133

PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 1:09 am Post subject: Reply with quote
Here's roughly what I paid for:

~$2500 - camera rental
~$3000 - film processing
~$1000 - film stock (mainly short ends and expired stock)

The blow-up to 35mm was done as soon as I learned the film would screen in competition at Sundance. That cost $28,000.

Shane

[John Hudson]

Primer represents to me the ultra low-budget indiefilmmaker finding sucess at the sundance film festival. Unfortunatley that's where it stops.

At first glance, I liked the film for 'what is was'. When I went into the film originally I knew all too well the details of the budget and the backstory on shooting it (I had been to Shane's site prior to Sundance) but after that wears off I gotta ask:

How did this win Sundance? I love the idea of time-travel but talk about just taking all of the fun out of it. It's not just that it was technical; it's just that is was extemely boring. Nothing ever happens.

We float back and forth between a storage facility, a house, a hotel, a garage and a few driving scenes. BUT NOTHING EVER HAPPENS

I found that the film doesn't do anything new or interesting. Even doing the 'Same old' Time Travel Take would have helped this film. It's boring. It lack's any punch. It lacks any climax, suspense or drama.

At one point inthe film he makes mention of going to his boss. He never does. That would have been fun. We never even see the altercation or changing of time at the 'Party' but are merely told through exposition.

I think people tend to get too caught up in the 'Low-budget' indie aspect more than the movie itself.

I also think people praise it for being confusing as if this is genius. It's not. It's simply annoying to have to lock your brain down in a vice in order to grasp what is happening.

I'm a believer in film being a visual medium; turn off the voulme and you should still be able to tell what is going on. Not in this film. And I love those few people that say "Oh I totally got it the first time." Yeah okay.

So many films at SUNDANCE 2004 I felt entirely more deserving:

Garden State
Napolean Dynamite
Woodsman

At least these films made me feel something; laughter, sadness, joy, horror whereas PRIMER just annoy's.

But hey! Peope to the indie guy right? :/

[Josh Bass]

Jeez. I didn't mean all that. I thought it was cool idea, decently executed. And yes, I liked the woodsman. Garden state okay, ditto Napoleon.