For better or for worse, I’m a huge fan of independent features.
I say this because it doesn’t always serve me well as a critic. I’ve spend untold hours invested in viewing and/or reviewing these lesser-advertised projects because (A) I like discovering folks who accomplished far more with far less; (B) I think it’s a travesty that so much effort go into anything and no one show up; and (C) I’ve found that it gives me access to a wider audience and readership of folks who truly love film – as a medium – and not as a ‘product.’ There’s a difference – one more expansive than most folks could possibly imagine – and I guess I’d just rather hang with those who appreciate what big and small flicks have to say as opposed to just the studio tentpole releases. I guess it’s a dirty job … and, yet, I’m still happy to keep doing it.
As for the ‘worse’ part of it? Well, yes, I’ve probably experienced more than a fair share of duds. Given the fact that some storytellers just don’t have as compelling an idea or an overall production strategy as do others, I emerge at the far end of some projects at a loss as to what I’m supposed to glean from it, if anything. While I do try to always consider the effort, I have on a few occasions simply opted to say nothing about a less-than-effective affair not because it’s beneath me but because I’ve found nothing substantive worth offering. Though it doesn’t happen often, it does happen. What can I say? I’m human, after all.
1990’s The Wrong Door is the kind of experience that at first blush does have more to offer than many other indie flicks that may’ve had a bigger budget, some better bells and whistles, or even a marquee name here or there. There’s a solid attempt to not only tell a story but also do something with it textually and technically, even if that work might not exactly pay off as successfully as it could have with better finances. Clearly, all involved knew what they wanted; and the end result – while flawed – might still provoke the kind of discussion that small circles filled with film nerds relish the chance to participate.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Ted falls in love and is involved in murder after accidentally knocking on the wrong door.”
At times, The Wrong Door feels very much like those involved with it both behind-the-scenes as well as the onscreen talent knew they were reaching for a height they couldn’t quite achieve. As conceived and executed by the team of James Groetsch, Shawn Korby, and Bill Weiss, the film tries to establish itself early on as a crafty thriller grounded with an everyman lead who finds himself in dire straits that might seal his doom unless he can use his own smarts to outwit those who would do him harm before it’s all too late. Some of the big screens greatest auteurs have dabbled in such territory, and even a few of them have failed to hit the marks this trio and their cast accomplished with a vastly simpler – and cheaper – approach.
Ted Farrell (played by Matt Felmlee) eeks out an existence putting himself through college by taking odd jobs, of which serving as a singing telegram deliveryman just happens to keep him busiest. One night dressed as a court jester, he’s on his way to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to a particularly raucous crowd when he inadvertently knocks on the wrong door, coming face-to-face with a fellow female student who is obviously in need of assistance. Initially, he declines any comfort; but later when he knocks on her door again, he finds her gravely injured with an angry killer in hot pursuit to finish the job. Before the night is through, Ted will have to unravel both the mystery of what happened as well as figure out how to outsmart those trying to cover up the deed before the cops can bring them to justice.
While most might point out that, yes, this kind of thing has been done before if not done quite often, what makes Door more than a bit different is that all of this is accomplished as an independent feature, shot on Super 8 film stock, and at an extremely low budget. Misters Groetsch, Korby, and Weiss chased a mighty big dream and – to a humble point – even found it achieved quite nicely. Granted, such success may not have made any of them household names or delivered the kind of wealth and notoriety others have enjoyed; but I exist in circles where good efforts and good deeds still deserve a bit of reflection, and I’m all-too-happy to provide it in this space. Door is a good thriller, and it can stand comfortably shoulder-to-shoulder with a great number of features that rather formulaically go about their business and reach an effective conclusion.
I say this because it doesn’t always serve me well as a critic. I’ve spend untold hours invested in viewing and/or reviewing these lesser-advertised projects because (A) I like discovering folks who accomplished far more with far less; (B) I think it’s a travesty that so much effort go into anything and no one show up; and (C) I’ve found that it gives me access to a wider audience and readership of folks who truly love film – as a medium – and not as a ‘product.’ There’s a difference – one more expansive than most folks could possibly imagine – and I guess I’d just rather hang with those who appreciate what big and small flicks have to say as opposed to just the studio tentpole releases. I guess it’s a dirty job … and, yet, I’m still happy to keep doing it.
As for the ‘worse’ part of it? Well, yes, I’ve probably experienced more than a fair share of duds. Given the fact that some storytellers just don’t have as compelling an idea or an overall production strategy as do others, I emerge at the far end of some projects at a loss as to what I’m supposed to glean from it, if anything. While I do try to always consider the effort, I have on a few occasions simply opted to say nothing about a less-than-effective affair not because it’s beneath me but because I’ve found nothing substantive worth offering. Though it doesn’t happen often, it does happen. What can I say? I’m human, after all.
1990’s The Wrong Door is the kind of experience that at first blush does have more to offer than many other indie flicks that may’ve had a bigger budget, some better bells and whistles, or even a marquee name here or there. There’s a solid attempt to not only tell a story but also do something with it textually and technically, even if that work might not exactly pay off as successfully as it could have with better finances. Clearly, all involved knew what they wanted; and the end result – while flawed – might still provoke the kind of discussion that small circles filled with film nerds relish the chance to participate.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Ted falls in love and is involved in murder after accidentally knocking on the wrong door.”
At times, The Wrong Door feels very much like those involved with it both behind-the-scenes as well as the onscreen talent knew they were reaching for a height they couldn’t quite achieve. As conceived and executed by the team of James Groetsch, Shawn Korby, and Bill Weiss, the film tries to establish itself early on as a crafty thriller grounded with an everyman lead who finds himself in dire straits that might seal his doom unless he can use his own smarts to outwit those who would do him harm before it’s all too late. Some of the big screens greatest auteurs have dabbled in such territory, and even a few of them have failed to hit the marks this trio and their cast accomplished with a vastly simpler – and cheaper – approach.
Ted Farrell (played by Matt Felmlee) eeks out an existence putting himself through college by taking odd jobs, of which serving as a singing telegram deliveryman just happens to keep him busiest. One night dressed as a court jester, he’s on his way to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to a particularly raucous crowd when he inadvertently knocks on the wrong door, coming face-to-face with a fellow female student who is obviously in need of assistance. Initially, he declines any comfort; but later when he knocks on her door again, he finds her gravely injured with an angry killer in hot pursuit to finish the job. Before the night is through, Ted will have to unravel both the mystery of what happened as well as figure out how to outsmart those trying to cover up the deed before the cops can bring them to justice.
While most might point out that, yes, this kind of thing has been done before if not done quite often, what makes Door more than a bit different is that all of this is accomplished as an independent feature, shot on Super 8 film stock, and at an extremely low budget. Misters Groetsch, Korby, and Weiss chased a mighty big dream and – to a humble point – even found it achieved quite nicely. Granted, such success may not have made any of them household names or delivered the kind of wealth and notoriety others have enjoyed; but I exist in circles where good efforts and good deeds still deserve a bit of reflection, and I’m all-too-happy to provide it in this space. Door is a good thriller, and it can stand comfortably shoulder-to-shoulder with a great number of features that rather formulaically go about their business and reach an effective conclusion.
Now, none of this is to diminish the picture’s narrative flaws; and, yes, there are more than a few.
Audiences must suspend a pretty big level of disbelief with Ted’s actions here as never at any truly authentic point does he behave any smarter than other characters who find themselves theatrically between a rock and a hard place. What this means is that he makes as many bad decisions as he does good, often times going left instead of right because it allows the script to move forward as opposed to grinding to a halt sensibly. (Once he’s free, why not ‘call the police?’ This is often the Achilles’ heel of characters trapped in Horror features, and Ted’s equally oblique on too many occasions.) Given that most of the plot unspools at night seemingly in the middle of nowhere, our lead has apparently no trouble with knowing both where he is and where he must go in order for the story to progress … and, sorry, that’s all a bit too ‘magical.’ Plus, if he’s authentically as crafty as we learn he is in the conclusion, then wouldn’t he have made some better decisions along the way?
Also, the obvious theatricality of the final reel practically requires that our hero have gone to great lengths to orchestrate his ‘gotcha’ on his adversaries; and it’s the kind of effort that anyone with a brain (or watching closely) will question for veracity’s sake as it kinda/sorta defies logic. (Why carry the sought corpse into his upstairs bedroom? When and why did he engineer all of this sound work to set the trap? How exactly did the thugs find his address in the middle of the night? When did he find the time to go and get his impounded car back the next day given the fact that it most likely would’ve been seized as evidence by the police?) There is one answer to some of this – the directors kinda/sorta imply at one point that some of this might have been imagined – but it doesn’t hold water given the flick’s last scene … unless there were indeed elements that Ted fabricated for the purpose of completing a class assignment … but I’ll still call foul.
Now, the deficiencies still didn’t eliminate the bit of fun I had with Door. It’s well-made and well-intentioned consistently enough that it worked as a potboiler. It might be a solid example to share with budding filmmakers to show what can be done on a budget, though I’d still caution such yarn spinners to worry a bit more about plot and plot holes than perhaps all involved did here.
The Wrong Door (1990) was produced by directors James Groetsch, Shawn Korby, and Bill Weiss. DVD distribution has been coordinated by the fine folks at Visual Vengeance and Wild Eye Releasing. As for the technical specifications? Well … while I’m no trained video expert, I can tell you that it’ll likely offset any initial surprises by going in knowing this was shot entirely on Super 8 film. So, yes, it’s a bit hard to see in spots – night sequences (which there are a lot of) can be particularly trying here and there – but the sound mix is surprisingly effective throughout. It’s an old-school independent production, and it looks it.
Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Well, buckle up because there’s quite the assortment, including:
Seriously, it’s a fabulous collection, one that should have aficionados happy to spend the extra time uncovering the goodies.
Recommended.
The Wrong Door (1990) is imperfect, but it’s still a gem that sparkles in a few clever ways. Taking a big budget idea but delivering it in such a low-cost way might’ve worked wonders in the early 1990’s, and the result is interesting steadily enough that I can see casual viewers embracing the charm … so long as they’re accepting of the questionable production quality. At times grainy and hard to see, the best audience might be nothing more than budding storytellers who can learn a little ‘something-something’ from tried to do what they’re doing years before and missed the mark a wee bit.
In the interest of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Visual Vengeance provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Wrong Door (1990) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Audiences must suspend a pretty big level of disbelief with Ted’s actions here as never at any truly authentic point does he behave any smarter than other characters who find themselves theatrically between a rock and a hard place. What this means is that he makes as many bad decisions as he does good, often times going left instead of right because it allows the script to move forward as opposed to grinding to a halt sensibly. (Once he’s free, why not ‘call the police?’ This is often the Achilles’ heel of characters trapped in Horror features, and Ted’s equally oblique on too many occasions.) Given that most of the plot unspools at night seemingly in the middle of nowhere, our lead has apparently no trouble with knowing both where he is and where he must go in order for the story to progress … and, sorry, that’s all a bit too ‘magical.’ Plus, if he’s authentically as crafty as we learn he is in the conclusion, then wouldn’t he have made some better decisions along the way?
Also, the obvious theatricality of the final reel practically requires that our hero have gone to great lengths to orchestrate his ‘gotcha’ on his adversaries; and it’s the kind of effort that anyone with a brain (or watching closely) will question for veracity’s sake as it kinda/sorta defies logic. (Why carry the sought corpse into his upstairs bedroom? When and why did he engineer all of this sound work to set the trap? How exactly did the thugs find his address in the middle of the night? When did he find the time to go and get his impounded car back the next day given the fact that it most likely would’ve been seized as evidence by the police?) There is one answer to some of this – the directors kinda/sorta imply at one point that some of this might have been imagined – but it doesn’t hold water given the flick’s last scene … unless there were indeed elements that Ted fabricated for the purpose of completing a class assignment … but I’ll still call foul.
Now, the deficiencies still didn’t eliminate the bit of fun I had with Door. It’s well-made and well-intentioned consistently enough that it worked as a potboiler. It might be a solid example to share with budding filmmakers to show what can be done on a budget, though I’d still caution such yarn spinners to worry a bit more about plot and plot holes than perhaps all involved did here.
The Wrong Door (1990) was produced by directors James Groetsch, Shawn Korby, and Bill Weiss. DVD distribution has been coordinated by the fine folks at Visual Vengeance and Wild Eye Releasing. As for the technical specifications? Well … while I’m no trained video expert, I can tell you that it’ll likely offset any initial surprises by going in knowing this was shot entirely on Super 8 film. So, yes, it’s a bit hard to see in spots – night sequences (which there are a lot of) can be particularly trying here and there – but the sound mix is surprisingly effective throughout. It’s an old-school independent production, and it looks it.
Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Well, buckle up because there’s quite the assortment, including:
- This is an all-new 2K HD transfer from the original Super 8mm film elements;
- Two audio commentaries;
- A behind-the-scenes documentary;
- Cast and crew interviews;
- Additional images and trailers; and
- Some physical inserts with new artwork and a bit extra.
Seriously, it’s a fabulous collection, one that should have aficionados happy to spend the extra time uncovering the goodies.
Recommended.
The Wrong Door (1990) is imperfect, but it’s still a gem that sparkles in a few clever ways. Taking a big budget idea but delivering it in such a low-cost way might’ve worked wonders in the early 1990’s, and the result is interesting steadily enough that I can see casual viewers embracing the charm … so long as they’re accepting of the questionable production quality. At times grainy and hard to see, the best audience might be nothing more than budding storytellers who can learn a little ‘something-something’ from tried to do what they’re doing years before and missed the mark a wee bit.
In the interest of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Visual Vengeance provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Wrong Door (1990) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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