"Lightning Bug" Review ALL WRONG!

This is in response to Staci Layne Wilson's rather erroneous "Review" of my film "Lightning Bug".

I think the main problem is that you refer to it in the first sentence as a horror film. Just because the horror community has embraced the film and review it on websites and print, has more to do with my resume with FX than anyone trying to "Hoodwink" you as you so eloquently put it.

YOU CHOSE to review the film without doing your homework.

Anchor Bay is not horror and horror alone.........

After providing makeup fx for 47 films and several hit TV shows (Mostly horror related) I have certainly earned the right to "Lurk" at Horror conventions and promote my film.

Staci, a simple google search would tell you the film is being marketed as a drama. While you are entitled to dislike films with a real plot and the absence of cheesy decapitations, I feel you do the readers a major disservice by continually and unfairly judging it and me as if I were attempting to make a horror film.

Please don't under estimate your readers intelligence and taste for cinema. I would bet 10 to one, the same readers here, who purchased every single version of "Halloween" on dvd also covet at least one VHS copy of "Stand By Me" or "Slingblade".

As for the captions...I agree! I would have liked to include them but this was not may call. You are more than welcome to come over and I'll read the script to you....slowly..... to fill in those "Gaping Plot Holes".

BTW: If you had paid attention you would know Hal Sparks has four scenes in the film-not two.

Robert Hall
writer/director
"Lightning Bug"
www.lightningbugthemovie.com

[ShankS]

I just read the synopsis over at your site...it speaks horror to me, it's full of horror references and the main page image, the first image you see, has a guy holding a carved up bloodied dead pig, in the fashion suited to a 'typical' horror film.

:confused:

I haven't read any reviews, though.

Sadly, No it's supposed to be a fake bloody dead pig(the kid does fx) and the monsters are all human as for the reviews Here you go "Shanks"!

Variety’s Video Business calls “Lightning Bug” “One of the Most Dignified Indies to come along This Year or Last”

AINT IT COOL NEWS Says: “the film ….and acting is surprisingly strong and focused.”


“FANTASTIC.....Robert Hall has fashioned a frightening portrayal of the Bible Belt in the Deep South.."
Merle Bertrand -FILM THREAT


"A wonderful coming of age story, told with authenticity, conviction and real feelings. LIGHTNING BUG marks an impressive directorial debut by Robert Hall."
Tony Timpone -editor FANGORIA magazine


"FIND THIS MOVIE AND WATCH IT!!”
DAVE DREHER –CREATURE-CORNER.COM


"So clearly personal...it almost hurts to watch...it's just a quiet little People Story, only not the force-fed, paint-by-numbers, insert-majestic-musical-score-here sort of pap that we're normally fed at the multiplexes. It's frequently funny and periodically horrifying.”
Scott Weinberg -Efilmcritic.com



“What really propels the film out of the gravity of its clichés is writer/director Robert Hall’s increasing attention to what makes his story unique.”
David Thomas -Filmcritic.com



“Alternating between endearing and frightening, Lightning Bug is an enjoyable and strong (directing) debut..
Thumbs up...”
Michael Johnson-Monsters at Play


“Touching and heartfelt, Lightning Bug is also original.”
Michael Christopher -PopMatters.com



“Hall never fails to entertain and his casting is impressive.”
Joyce J. Perisco -The Trenton Times


“A stirring first film.......Hall is a talented artist and we look forward to more films from him.”
Phil and Carol Fuoco -Moviereviewers.com


“a fine film that deserves to be a hit”.
Smogo -therumormachine.com



“a finely crafted tribute to not only daring to dream but also acting on those dreams.”
Rich Drees -FilmBuffOnLine.com



“it's a new breed in its own....Truly Brilliant.”
BLOODY-DISGUSTING.COM



“It's "This Boy's Life" for horror fans!”
John Fallon - Arrow in the head



“one helluva good movie!.. Truly something special.”
Debi Moore –The Horror Channel



“I LOVED IT!!!!”
Doc Holiday -Indie 103.1 (Los Angeles)

AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE!

“…..Comparable to GARDEN STATE…...”
HORROR.COM

[MisterSadistro]

Besides this thread sounding like endless spam for your movie (which if you ever read anything else in the film section is definitely frowned upon, esp when you're new here and that is the only thing you've talked about), it doesn't sound like you take criticism very well. If it has been so widely embraced by the "horror audience", why do you care what one review says ? Most of the films I've worked on get bad reviews all the time. Word of advice: don't lose any sleep over it. I'm sure "Staci" isn't.
CK

[filmmaker2]

Hi, Rob! How's it going.

[stacilayne]

<<If you had paid attention you would know Hal Sparks has four scenes in the film-not two.>>

Nope. I haven't been losing any sleep. In fact, I must have nodded off during two of Hal's scenes. Sorry about that, because he's always entertaining.

Don't worry, my one review won't cost you any sales or rentals. People tend to buy and rent what they want to see, anyway.

Best,
Staci

[AUSTIN316426808]

Please tell me you're not going to try and go after every critic who's review you don't approve of?:rolleyes:


You don't see Scorsese calling press conferences to discredit something Ebert and Roeper said do you?

[bwind22]

Originally posted by stacilayne
<<If you had paid attention you would know Hal Sparks has four scenes in the film-not two.>>

Nope. I haven't been losing any sleep. In fact, I must have nodded off during two of Hal's scenes. Sorry about that, because he's always entertaining.

Don't worry, my one review won't cost you any sales or rentals. People tend to buy and rent what they want to see, anyway.

Best,
Staci

In fact, it will probably gain you one.

Don't worry... Ever since she said Cursed was the "The most terrifying movie of the year.", I tend to go against what she says.

[MisterSadistro]

You don't see Scorsese calling press conferences to discredit something Ebert and Roeper said do you?

Of course not. The only taste those two have is Scorsese's ass in their mouths from constant ass-kissing. However, I digress :D
I must've been having a blackout when I first responded here. Let me try more of the usual rhetoric instead.
Shanks said he didn't read your other reviews in all likelihood because he wasn't that interested. He surely didn't ask you to post them for him. Know why ? People here hate noobs who come here with the sole purpose of spamming. Whining about a bad review probably isn't going to win you over any fans here either. Be glad Staci even bothered to watch your film, much less review it. Didn't care for her criticism ? Too bad. That goes with the territory. You should know that. Coming here just to call her out on it and spamming with all the review taglines of what she was "supposed" to write is uncalled for to say the least. In fact I'd say it was rather pompous and rude. You're not some 16 year old who just shot your backyard epic on your parents camcorder. Have some integrity. Claiming her review was "all wrong" because she didn't correctly report the number of scenes of someone or what kind of genres a distribution company releases doesn't change a thing. The bottom line is still the same: SHE DIDN'T LIKE IT. Why should she have to "do her homework" and "a google search" about it ? Maybe if she enjoyed it, she would have to see what other films you/your company have made. I would guess that you have some of those wonderful review taglines on the box cover. Fangoria, BloodyDisgusting, ArrowInTheHead, etc are all horror review sites, correct ? Why wouldn't someone reading that get the assumption this is a horror film when you/ your company were the ones who decide what would be printed on that box ? Simple. Marketing. Case in point: You listed her review as saying (and I'm directly quoting this off your post): “…..Comparable to GARDEN STATE…...”
HORROR.COM
Hey, for someone who's a fan of that, it must mean this film is pretty good, huh ? WRONG !
"If Lightning Bug were being marketed as a drama, I might sorta-kinda compare it to 2004’s acclaimed Garden State (though Garden State has more artistic flair and better dialogue than Lightning Bug, for me it had the same tedious feel to it)" was the real quote. I notice you conveniently forgot to include the lack of artistic flair, bad dialogue and tedious part. You obviously tried to manipulate what was said to make your film seem more palatable. If I had any inclination to "do my homework" and a "google search", I don't think I'd be surprised to find out all the "glowing" reviews (bad pun not intended) might also have similar omissions. You know what really gives me that idea ? A lot of "..." going on. "..." usually signals that something not in the film's best interest was there originally. Want an example ? Let's sat I saw your film (which I won't) and my one sentence review was "This film is super crappy and a bigger waste of my time than the 'Star Wars' opening trilogy". "..." can be used to make it sound like a good thing such as "This film is super...bigger... than 'Star Wars' ". That's pretty clever, huh ?
Let's face it. You used quotes from horror sites (most likely in a misleading manner) in order to get horror fans to get your film. One happens to write reviews and says it's not a horror film. You show up quick enough to point out "her" error. She still gave your film a fair review even though it was unfairly marketed to her as being something it wasn't. You should probably thank her for being kind enough to even mention the good things about the film and call it a day.
Besides, you're now an annoying, spamming and (drumroll, please...) WHINING noob. I haven't even made a pic for such an event so I'll just throw you one of my usual:

CK

Rock on man. With as much effort as you put into that text blasting me you could have written your own script and made your own movie! This would beef up those 8 films on your proudly displayed IMDb page.

I'm really surprised "The films you work on get bad reviews". I rather enjoyed "Faces Of SchlocK" and "Slumber Party Murder Mania".....highly underrated.

I'm not really interested in a flame war (I actually have a career) I said my piece and am fine now. If hobbyist reviewers want to review a film just know what genre it is THAT'S ALL.

It's like me reviewing LAND OF THE DEAD on DRAMAS.ORG and complaining it was too bloody.

Incidentally I listen to some of your score stuff and it's actually quite good. Hey but what do I know?

RH