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Written by Starring Presented by 85 minutes |
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MULBERRY STREET Review
With recent stories about rat infestation in fast food stores in New York City, MULBERRY STREET takes that problem to an extreme, delivering a story about rats infecting humans to the point they become bloodthirsty creatures of their own. Such a premise doesn’t sound too promising on paper, but with a post 9/11 New York as a backdrop, the film evokes apocalyptic terror a la 28 DAYS LATER in such a unique way that sets a new standard in the “infection” genre. The fact that it was shot on a next to nothing budget makes MULBERRY STREET all the more remarkable. The tenants of a lower Manhattan building have just learned that they’ve been bought out by a conglomerate looking to tear it down and are awaiting notice on when they can move out. The main focus is on Clutch (co-writer Nick Damici in a great performance), a working class man and former boxer who is awaiting the return of his daughter Casey (Kim Blair), who has just finished a tour overseas. He’s very friendly with the rest of the tenants, which include a pair of senior citizens, a flamboyant gay man, and a single mother raising a teenage son. It is with the single mother where Clutch forges a relationship with. On the day Casey returns home, there begins a series of attacks of humans being bitten by rats. As the day progresses and the attacks get worse, the bites in the humans turn them into bloodthirsty rat creatures, and Manhattan overnight becomes swarmed with these creatures with very few survivors. For a film shot with very little money, the film looks and feels excellent with very well drawn out characters which the actors bring vibrantly to life, particularly by Damici as the heroic Clutch. This is a New York film, and the unknown cast brings the believability of the situation at hand. Even more, the characters are portrayed flawlessly by its cast, as they are all very likeable and sympathetic. You know immediately that Clutch is a good guy who puts other people above his own needs, and when something happens to a character, you feel it. This is one of the better horror films to showcase character development in a low budget film that I’ve seen in quite a while. Kim Blair, as Casey, is a strong heroine and capable lead who holds her own against the creatures. Larry Fessenden of THE LAST WINTER has an amusing cameo here that provides the film’s only humor. Intercut with actual news footage and on the street shots the crew didn’t have a permit for (including a nice cameo from Debbie Rochon as a news reporter), the film has a large scale feel to it. Co-writer/director Jim Mickle should be commended on such a fine job, and once the infestation takes root in the second half of the film, it is a very creepy, atmospheric film with some genuinely scary moments. The rat creatures look very impressive and the way they are filmed and move about is extremely effective. The lighting is simple and good, but the use of green light with the rats shows too much (it’s really my only gripe about the film). The special effects makeup are phenomenal, done by an unknown named Adam Morrow, who should be one to watch in the future. The creatures look great and the gore, while aplenty, doesn’t look gratuitous in the least. The fast paced editing is also stellar, at just a scant 84 minutes, really goes by quick and there’s not a dull moment in the film. The DVD features a lot of good extras, including storyboards, some deleted scenes that don’t really add much to the film if left in, and some pretty interesting outtakes that showcase the determination in the actors to the project. The Ms. Horrorfest Contest is on every After Dark DVD, so it’s not necessary to see here, but doesn’t take too much space. Compared with the extras on the other discs, there are a lot here to check out. In all, MULBERRY STREET is highly recommended, a fantastic independent film that delivers on the goods more than most big budget features in recent memory. The film is vital viewing for any filmmaker who thinks they can’t do a big grade film on a miniscule budget. You’ll learn a lot from watching this movie. MULBERRY STREET: 9 Out Of 10 Maggots
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