Budgets don't make a movie but they can help… "Dead Weight" suffers a lot of the same pitfalls that a lot of low budget zombie films suffer from. The camera work and editing are pretty sketchy and some of the acting isn't the best. However, the acting is clearly a lot better than hundreds of other low budget movies I've seen in my life. Additionally, the film is a pretty neat experiment in the outbreak genre because it decides to not show the infected for most of the film and leaves them to be a demon in your imagination. However, they are revealed at the end and…they are very underwhelming.However, the ultimate killer in this film for me was the complete lack of urgency in the story. The story revolves around a character who, through this outbreak, is trying to get to his girlfriend and meet in Wausau, Wisconsin. For most of the beginning of the film, I never really got the feeling that he was that committed to this course of action and then *BAM* he suddenly is super determined to get to her and will kill anyone who gets in his way. It was a drastic change in tone and really hurt me from getting into the film."Dead Weight" definitely held some potential and was a neat experiment. Sadly, the experiment didn't completely succeed with me and only proved to be a "One and Done" type of film for me.

I recently saw this film on Wisconsin Public Television's "Directors' Cut" program, preceded by a Q & A with the filmmakers. "Dead Weight" is a romance film, interwoven with a post-apocalyptic suspense film, shot in a relatively short period of time, for a very modest budget.It follows a survivor, Charlie, as he makes his way to Wausau WI, where he hopes to meet up with his girlfriend Samantha. Along the way, the narrative cuts between his surviving in the present, and flashbacks to his relationship with Samantha.A note before my review: When I consider a film's quality, I do not grade low-budget indie films with more leniency than large studio films. The tools of filmmaking have advanced to the point where professional quality can be achieved on an indie level. Indie films do not have to hold themselves accountable to "least objectionable programing" standards and therefore can be more intellectually or thematically daring in their storytelling, and therefor have an advantage over big-budget films.Review: "Dead Weight" is a film that left me saying: "almost".There are sublime moments in this film - moments where Acting, Writing, and Cinematography come together with beautiful results. That the filmmakers were able to do this on such a short film shoot and low budget is a testament to them.However... for every one of these moments, there was a moment where quality in cinematography, acting, and writing was lacking, unfortunately to the point where it took me out of the story.Additionally, much of the character development and important plot points either felt very forced, or the tension that should have been present was non-existent. Much of this forced narrative is in regards Charlie's decent into madness. When Charlie murders the friendly couple his group meets, he does so for the simple fact they say Wausau is overrun with dead. Is this double-murder unexpected? Yes. Is it also without any context, and thereby feels gratuitous and pointless? Again, yes.There are many such moments like this that will leave you puzzled, and not because you're looking for deeper meaning. When the group is raiding a farmhouse, they hear a noise from upstairs and because of the unknown danger, they decide to leave. So what do they do? Casually stroll down the driveway, but not before having a rather vocal conversation outside in plain sight. Not something you should do if you think there might be armed homeowners who will kill anyone who's on their land. Or shortly thereafter, Charlie goes on a rant that the group is running low on water. Meanwhile, behind the group is a pond.It's these moments, and many others, that hamstring what could potentially be a very good movie. As I said, it has it's moments where it transcends its budget, and is absolutely beautiful. Some of the interactions between Charlie and Samantha are wonderfully well done. It's just a shame the filmmakers didn't give themselves more time and more money to realize their full creative potential, and do the script justice.

I watched this with a little hesitation, because low budget indie movies can suck to the point of being painful. You don't need multimillion dollar budgets to make a good movie, but often a little money can make the difference between lame and pretty good. Luckily in this case it all comes together rather well. There's a few instances of wooden acting and the typical plot glitches, but overall the folks behind this movie did a wonderful job with what they had. While everyone did a pretty good job, the two female leads were superb. I hope to see them again, because they had the perfect "girl next door" looks and managed to come off so real that it made me feel like I knew them. Well done and I hope these guys get another chance to make a movie. Nice pacing, great scenery and an involving storyline made this worth a watch.

Charlie (Joe Belknap) is traveling through the wilderness to find his girlfriend, Samantha (Mary Lindberg), after civilization is destroyed by widespread biological attacks. He must try to survive while dealing with other survivors and his own emotional burdens.The post-apocalyptic world is a well-trod staple of the horror genre. Some would say, not without good reason, that it has been trod just a few too many times. But "Dead Weight" succeeds with this theme by making it the background rather than the foreground of the story. This is, in fact, a romance story disguised as horror, adding an emotional level that most horror films lack.The sheer level of acting talent going into this production is remarkable. Some of those involved are professionals, who spend their every waking moment acting. Some (in fact, most) are amateurs, making their theatrical debut here. And with one or two easily overlooked exceptions, all the performances come across as strong and bold. I have seen my fair share of independent films, and this one takes talent to the next level.Directing and cinematography are top notch. A few shots seem inspired by some of the better directors out there, or even bad directors (M. Night Shyamalan) when they were at their peak. I have lived in Wisconsin for three decades and have hardly thought of it as beautiful, but the camera has brought out the best and the bleakest that winter has to offer, depending on what the scene called for. I am told that due to snow one scene had to be moved from a field to a barn, but this turned out to be a stroke of good luck -- the scene in question is among the most ominous in the film, and a field would be more difficult to capture the angles and shadows needed for the terror that ensues.And although the film is quite dark at times (with the threat of infection, murder or rape always on the horizon) there is just the right sprinkling of humor in there to keep it from getting too dark, but not too much humor that the film would devolve into a parody of itself. The jokes and their delivery seemed inspired by the early films of Kevin Smith ("Clerks" and "Mallrats"), and based on what I know of director John Pata, that seems completely appropriate.Likewise, the balance of "geek" and "non-geek" is pretty stable. The creators are well-known geeks who thrive in the world of comics and cheesy movies (which I mean in the nicest possible way). Yet, they never let this get in the way with endless homages and pointless references. Yes, Charlie is a comic reader. But he is also a fighter (you think just because a guy reads comics he can't start something?). Aside from the "Arnold moment", the film's only real nod is in giving Samantha the surname MacReady, which I took to be a subtle reference to "The Thing" (another story about survival in the snow).I say in my headline that this was "Dawn of the Dead" meets "Blue Valentine". I think the "DotD" references speaks for itself. But the "Blue Valentine" reference might not. What really sold the film was the juxtaposition of Charlie's life getting progressively worse with flashback shots of it getting progressively better. Not all romances are good ones (as Lady Gaga has so aptly reminded us). And this film nails that.Sadly, if I have to say anything bad about the film it is in the chemistry. Joe Belknap was great as a survivor and was an admirable lead character, a flawed and tragic anti-hero. But his chemistry with Mary Lindberg was just not there... the weakest scenes are the two of them interacting. Lindberg was great in every moment, but Belknap seemed to struggle with how to present himself as a boyfriend.All in all, a strong first showing from Pata and Bartlett (ignoring the shorter, funnier "Better Off Undead"). Whether they are planning to go for a big distribution deal, or quickly dive into their next project, I wish these two the success they deserve. Until now, the best thing to come out of Wisconsin was the beer and cheese. "Dead Weight" gives those two fattening staples a run for their money.