MovieChat Forums > Red Cockroaches (2004) Discussion > Amazing tour de force

Amazing tour de force

posted 20 years ago by lucky8213
8 replies | jump to latest

I saw this film at a private screening in Mahanttan. I thought i was going to see the typical myth of one man crew: A grainy, hand-held, badly cut self indulgence. Man, I was wrong. This is a must see for anybody willing to do independent films with no budget. The story was sort of loose, but I didn't care much about that. The atmosphere of the whole piece, the cast, the cinematography, the editing, was just unbelievable. It is surprising how the film mixes drama, with surrealism and sci-fi in such an organic way. It is so hard to believe that this was made by one person. I'm a film student myself and this has been a total revelation and source of inspiration.

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] aptpupil79 19 years ago

i guess it was good considering the amount of money spent, but it was a production on par with most porn films...from the dubbing and sound design to the amateurish special effects.
also, no film is "made by one person."
robert rodriguez is a more inspirational figure than coyula.

[–] lucky8213 19 years ago

I saw it quite long ago, and Lynch or Sci-Fi are not really my cup of tea... but I remember well that the compositions of the shots and scene transitions were top-notch filmmaking, even if it was shot on video.

Also, one person CAN make a movie alone. I just finished a 51 minute short (all in one take) and there was nobody else in the location but me and the three actors. Its called "Shortcomings" and will (hopefully) premiere at the New York Underground Film Festival this march. Its an experimental piece about the loss of faith of a religious Muslim woman; who has a homosexual son condemned to death (definitely not inspired by Robert Rodriguez)

[–] dennis70 18 years ago

I had the chance to meet the director during the Q&A of the Festival della Fantascienza di Trieste, and the guy did shoot the movie all by himself, I think he mentioned how he had to hold the microphone at the same time he was working the camera. However the man seemed to have a complete different take on cinema than Rodriguez and for me this is what truly independent filmmaking is: No compromises with conventional narrative formulas, and a story that doesn't pull any punches, topped with a true understanding of framing and cutting. He also said the first part of a Trilogy. Speriamo bene!

[–] aptpupil79 17 years ago

lucky8213...you made a film all by yourself, but it was with three other people? are you retarded? figure it out.

[–] desperatethespian 17 years ago

Miguel was really, truly, the only one who made the film.

He wrote the script.

He held the camera.

He directed.

He edited.

He did it all. Himself.

[–] cleftasunder 17 years ago

I wonder if desperatethespian is Miguel.

[–] migcoyula 17 years ago

What a great surprise to see people talking about the film with such encountered opinions. As a rule I hardly ever discuss my movies on forums because I’m simply too busy making them (being a one man crew), but I’ll step in to clarify something: Surpisingly desperatethespian didn’t mention that while I was the only person behind the camera, I would have never done without those in front of it. So I thank all the actors for their valuable contribution.

And for those who are interested here is an interview about Red Cockroaches on Cuban TV with English subtitles.

http://www.ifilm.com/profile/migcoyula/video/2821471

And a review in the same show:

http://www.ifilm.com/profile/migcoyula/video/2821361