Anyone who knows anything about film in the post-millennium era knows that home movie making and low-budget productions are alive in America. When you see "Confinement," a backyard epic (in more ways than one) by David Lee Stewart, you almost begin to believe that they are alive AND well.

"Confinement" may be silly and contrived and utterly familiar, but when you stop whining about the fact that the plot has been used by everyone from Rod Serling to Jean- Claude Van Damme, you'll notice that this film is also just a lot of fun.

Stewart plays a boring little sporting goods store owner who somehow find himself trapped in a "contained" forest setting wearing a set of blue scrubs and being chased by snipers with guns. It doesn't take long for him to also find that he's not alone in his predicament. But Stewart's Peter, being a resourceful sort, soon not only figures out how to survive but also escape, taking along a love interest and a set of featured extras with him as well.

Stewart must have a lot of friends who appreciate that he is a fun, charming, affable guy, because seemingly nearly everyone that he knows not only plays a part in the film but helps out behind the scenes as well. Even his pre-teen son gets a chance at a cameo as well as some time holding a camera.

"Confinement" has some really kick-ass fighting sequences and some cool special effects considering the limitations of the film. Hell, this could and should play at film festivals to riotous applause. This isn't just a bunch of goofballs hanging out in the backwoods behind their subdivisions playing wrestling with a video camera running. A lot of time and effort has been put into choreographing and filming some nifty little fight sequences. That's the real joy of watching this film, seeing how much work the guys must have put into it to make it seem so cool. There are gun fights, sword fights, knife fights and fist fights. Hell, someone even gets dragged behind a horse! This is good ole romp-'em stomp-'em movie making!

Granted, Stewart takes the lead here in front of the camera, but, hey, he's filming a feature and he's got to have a leading man he can count on. He's certainly not going to win any parts in any Shakespeare Festivals any time soon, but he does an admirable job nonetheless. His friends Demetrius Parker and Eric Thornett also have fun in front of the camera. Thornett mugs it up and plays it for laughs (which makes everyone else taking it so serious even more delightful) as a assassin good with a sword. He doesn't utter a line of dialogue and his performance is surely the most winning in the film. Meanwhile Parker provides the only other source of comedy in the film with his goofy repetition of a single phrase as a running gag. We like him even though he has tied-up a female and made her his "wife," and that's says quite a lot about his charm here.

"Confinement" is silly popcorn fun. It's the kind of thing you want to show your friends on a Friday night when your sitting around drinking beer and eating cheese nips. Especially if you have the kind of friends who bitch about how they want to make a movie but never get off their asses to do anything about it. Thank God Stewart and his friends aren't so apathetic.

Notes:

Filmed in Virginia.

In addition to acting and directing, Stewart also co- scripted, did visual effects, digital effects, and audio effects, shot and edited the film.

Eric Thornett, who plays The Visitor, also co-scripted, DP'ed, and choreographed fights.

Suzanne Ramsey, who plays Rachel, was the assistant director, coordinated stunts a and helped shoot the film.

Mitch Toney, who played Karl Martin, co-produced, helped shoot and did pyrotechnics.

Daniel Stewart, who I presume is related to David, scored the film, played APE and helped shoot the film.

Viewed on a VHS tape provided by the filmmaker in November, 2005.

Report Card

Script: C-

Acting: C

Cinematography\Lighting: C-

Special Effects\Make Up: A+

Music: D-

Final Grade: B+