My take on Expiration

Sylver! You must be crazy buddy. Did you get this movie at all? Did you spend even a few minutes or an ounce of brain power thinking about what is really going on in the film? I admit that the first time I watched it at an Oklahoma Film Festival I was a little confused. Expiration felt distant to me; inaccessible. I was ready to write it off as "not my cup of tea" and move on with my life. But a funny thing happened: When I went home, I couldn't get the movie out of my head. My mind drifted back to specific scenes, shots, gestures and lines of dialogues and I soon began to realize that this is a film which requires a bit of work on the part of the viewer. I thought about the film as I went to sleep and it was still on my mind when I woke up the next morning. I bought a copy of the DVD on the website and when it arrived I eagerly gave it another spin. Wow is all I can say. Rarely have I seen a movie that improves exponentially with each viewing. I understand why people like sylver have a problem with it as it is extremely subtle. The filmmakers do not serve everything to you on a silver platter as is so typical in most of the crap that's released in the theatres every week. Expiration is a movie that holds its cards close; where there is more going on that just what's being said. The storyline is more metaphysical than you would think. For example, sylver mentions the radio station, SCRU 690 and calls it a "moronically juvenile dead-end into nothingness. In response, I say, watch it again. Think about the implications of televisions that are malfunctioning across the city. I don't want to spoil it for people who haven't seen the movie yet except to say pay close attention to the radio and the television. You might discover something surprising! Whoever compared the story to "Eyes Wide Shut" is right on target, although it is a simplistic way to look at it. Sylver calls the characters unbelievable. Maybe they serve a higher purpose than simply being characters. The way I see it, each character that Sam, Rachel and Nikki run into over the course of the night represent visions of their possible futures. When Sam meets Oliver's dad or Jeremy, he sees what he could become if he continues down the same path that he is heading. I feel like the film is about the importance of change; of realizing when you are in danger and being conscious of the negative influences in your life both external and internal. Jeez, I didn't mean for this post to be so long but when I read slyver's simplistic, narrow minded response to the film (no offense), I felt like I had to say something . I've introduced this little movie to all my friends and we’ve had conversations into the wee hours of the morning about the subtext of the film, the religious and spiritual implications and the meaning behind the madness. Don’t even get us started on what happens to Rachel in the end. This is a movie that can mean so many things to so many people. It becomes your own personal movie in effect and it’s very possible that no two people will see it the same. That’s an amazing accomplishment to me. So all I can say to people who are curious about Expiration is: watch it with an open mind. Then watch it again. Then discuss and repeat the previous steps until you are satisfied. It is not an easy film and I can certainly understand why some of the people on this site have dismissed it but I urge you to give it another chance. This is a movie that needs to be seen. I realize I haven’t even touched upon the circumstances under which this movie was made. I’m amazed that this small group of college students were able to produce a movie of this caliber but at the same time it wasn’t really an issue. I didn’t feel that I had to lower my expectations at all while watching Expiration. It is technically sound, well acted, beautifully shot (oh my god the sunrise shot needs to be seen to be believed!!) and the haunting score(which sends chills through my body at various points). Hopefully a film like this has the ability to revolutionize the film industry and make people see that it is not money, but heart that makes a film great. Let’s spend those millions of dollars helping our kids get an education, repairing the environment, clothing and feeding the poor etc. Again, sorry for the rant, but when I see a no-budget film like this which shakes me to my core and gives me something to think about and mull over for days, I get angry at the Hollywood system that throws 90 million or more at a movie that is a waste of everyone’s time. How many movies have we seen in theatres where we wish we could have our two hours back after it is finished? That’s enough for now. I’d love to hear what everyone else thinks about the film and the issues it brings up. Keep the debate raging and bring on the revolution. Thanks again Sunchaser Pictures. Hope the next one is even better!