Directed by Keith Josef Adkins
Being a sci fi fan
is difficult these days especially when you hit the age of forty. You
pretty much seen it all. When my oldest son suggests anything, I
watch it and point out the similarities to something I watched at his
age. At this point, I just look for decent writing. While there are
some great shows out there, they are still few that catch my eye.
Fortunately, it seems that independent directors and writers have
heard the call and are producing some great work.
Somehow "TheAbandon," directed by Keith Josef Adkins, made it on my Twitter
feed. While I get a ton of videos that I wouldn't be caught even
considering, I decided to try "The Abandon." I didn't
regret it. I actually watched it twice back to back. The next day, I
visited a homie for a play date with our children and we watched it.
Yes, it is that good.
The story begins
with 5 friends planning to meet for their annual camping trip. A
weekend away from the careers, spouses, and the everyday hustle and
bustle. No cell phones and other gadgets. Just a weekend in the
country. So 5 regular brothers from college who need to get away from
it all. On their way to the camp grounds, something unexplainable
happens. Adkins really draws the audience into this story by
introducing the mystery early in the story.
Before we go any
further, it is an alien invasion. The catch is that the characters in
the story don't know anything about it. They learn a few things from
some old tweets and notice several odd things, but for the most part
the main characters are clueless. As the story progresses, the
audience gets to know who they are and how they are all connected.
Here is where the writer demonstrates his or her worth.
In a time of $300
million dollar blockbuster movies with the latest in CGI and
wonderfully written TV shows, most people have heard or seen it all.
At the end of the day, it will be the writing that will keep an
audience. The shows on ScyFy are great examples of decent budgets but
spotty writing and even worse acting. One can make a wonderful movie
on a shoestring budget with half way decent or unknown actors. Adkins
proves this with ease.
I cannot wait
until Adkins continues with more parts to the series. While "TheAbandon" can stand on it's own, it would be great if a network
would pick it up. I find it just as good and much of the good shows
that are on major networks now.
