11-11-11: The Prophecy (DVD)
Steve Barton
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Starring Timothy Gibbs, Michael Landes, Wendy Glenn
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Distributed by Big Air Studios
First things first… why this movie is called 11-11-11: The Prophecy instead of its original title of 11-11-11 is anyone’s guess. We’ll just chalk that up to being one of the mysteries of the whole “11” phenomenon. Despite the two different titles we still have the same movie – a movie that tries incredibly hard but completely misses its mark.
11-11-11: The Prophecy is the tale of Joseph Crone (Gibbs), a troubled writer who has been through life’s wringer of pain like few other people. He lost his wife and child, was in a near fatal car crash, and has just been told his father is on the verge of passing away. The kicker? All of these events have transpired at 11:11 on the dot. Coincidence? If it was, we wouldn’t have a movie, but let’s just say that poor Mr. Crone has not yet even begun to suffer because those damned numerals will not leave him alone.
11-11-11 tries in earnest to be an homage to the slow-burn Satanic cult films of the Seventies and early Eighties. Ultimately, though, we get a lot more slow and a lot less burn. That is, until the climax, in which things finally get a little lively. Still, this is a really sad case of too little too late. For an in-depth review of the film itself, check out The Horror Chick’s 11-11-11 review here as I don’t disagree with a single word of it.
On to the DVD itself.
Believe it or not, this is where all the really good stuff surrounding this flick can be found. The commentary with director Bousman and his wife/producer Laura is nothing short of hilarious. Throughout it the duo wax on about the troubles surrounding the production in the most self-deprecating and humorous ways imaginable. This is a clear case of the filmmakers knowing they’ve made a misfire and owning up to it. It’s insightful, honest, and refreshing. After hearing about the production, you’ll be marveling that this flick ever even made it out of the gate.
From there we get a few deleted scenes and a spooky featurette detailing in part the hazards of working within a location that was used for actual bouts of murder, sex, and mayhem. I shit you not. This is definitely worth a look, especially for the haunted aspects of the shoot, which are genuinely chilling and complete with some crazy imagery caught on film.
11-11-11 is not a good movie; however, after spending some time with the DVD extras, I can honestly say it’s a great lesson for young filmmakers out there looking to bring their visions to the screen. This one is only for the curious, who will indeed come away with a lot.
Special Features
2 out of 5
3 1/2 out of 5
Categorized:Reviews
