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craigford
Reviews
Call Waiting (1991)
a great little film
Jim Hunter makes a very impressive first step into narrative film with "Call Waiting". Using various cinematic techniques, thank god no CGI here, he crafts a story primarily on stylish visuals with a slight tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. The actors all do great jobs, even those with small minor roles (look for the game show contestants yelling toes or the TV movie clip with a smarmy guy saying "get in the car") that keep this film moving along in a fresh, energetic fashion.
Hunter's forte is his cinematography and its on display in every shot. Whether its a hectic morning in the kitchen or spinning a coin on a restaurant table top, every scene is eye candy.
The thematic concept in this movie can be seen in Hunter's short 2002 film "Epiphany", which has many of the wonderful qualities of "Call Waiting". If you can, I recommend watching them both. If you like your films with conceptual content, watch these movies.
Epiphany (2002)
Visually stylish storytelling, in short film format
Basically, cinema is a visual medium and stories/concepts can be told with what is shown on the screen. "Epiphany" is the epitome of this. Jim Hunter has crafted this short film using rich visuals from his story telling palette. If you are a viewer expecting to be told, via a narrator or character dialogue, every step of the way you may be disappointed. But if you can appreciate well done visuals and situations allowing you to draw your own conclusions to the narrative, you will find this short film rewarding.
If you like this movie, I must recommend another of Hunter's short films done ten years earlier. Its called "Call Waiting" and has a similar theme conceptually. Its interesting to watch this movie and see how the film maker has grown as an artist. Both movies use wonderful imagery to convey the story and set the emotional tone for the characters actions.
So if you like movies that engage your eyes as well as your mind, you will enjoy "Epiphany".