Circulation (2008/I)

Director:

Ryan Harper

Writer:

Ryan Harper (writer)

Release Date:

2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

When animal instincts cannot be denied

Plot:

The film is about reincarnation and takes place in a purgatory where the dead still have human form...

Plot Keywords:

Purgatory | Instinct | Animal | Reincarnation | Spider

Cast

Victor Abasolo	...	Doctor
Cristo Andonares	...	Miguel
Marco Antonio	...	Kidnapper #1
Nerma Betamin	...	Female Clothing Merchant
Leticia Casdaneda	...	Rosa Maria
Francisco Castaneda	...	Man Under Stairs
Maria Cavenecia	...	Female Clothing Merchant (voice)
Christo	...	Miguel
Yvonne Delarosa	...	Ana
Lina del Roble	...	Snake Show Narrator
Luis Alberto Garcia	...	Dead Person #1
Octavio Garcia	...	Raul
Katherine Hammontre	...	Fly #4
Raul Hernandez	...	Fly #2
Sherman Koltz	...	Gene
Martin Gomez Lopez	...	Gas Station Attendant
Gabriel Ornelas Lozano	...	Fly #1
Jose Angel Lugo	...	Receptionist
Rafael Manriques	...	Jorge
Gibran Marquez	...	Kidnapper #2
Carlos Maza	...	Fly #5
Tino Medina	...	Taco Vendor
Pedro Noel Olea Millan	...	Dead Person #2
Joshua Nichols	...	Market Extra #2
RosaElena Perez	...	Ana's Mother
Joshua Reeves	...	Market Extra #1
Yano Rivera	...	Radio DJ
Sam	...	Dog
Cesareo Gomez Solis	...	Fly #3
Vange Tapia	...	Rosa Maria (voice)
Reyes Cruz Vargas	...	Male Clothing Merchant

Directed by
Ryan Harper

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ryan Harper		writer

Produced by
Ryan Harper	....	executive producer
Jason Mitchell	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Mouracade

Cinematography by
Paul Nordin

Film Editing by
Jason Mitchell

Makeup Department
Jocelyn Carpenter	....	assistant makeup artist
Melanie Deforrest	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Jorge Torres	....	production manager

Art Department
Peter Choi	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Sharon Knight	....	foley artist
Sharon Knight	....	sound designer
Elisabeth Kohnke	....	sound recordist
Michael Paez	....	sound recordist: second unit
Winter	....	dialogue editor
Winter	....	foley artist
Winter	....	sound designer
Winter	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Greg Ruddy	....	pyrotechnician

Visual Effects by
Stephan Keith	....	visual effects artist
Keith MacGowan	....	compositor
Stacey Ransom	....	titles designer

Camera and Electrical Department
Seth Angerer	....	key grip: second unit
Conor Murphy	....	grip: second unit
Greg Ruddy	....	assistant camera
Greg Ruddy	....	key grip

Casting Department
Raymond Lee	....	casting associate
Matt Pamatmat	....	casting associate
Marlayna Slaughterbeck	....	casting associate
Denise Smaldino	....	casting associate
Angela Torres	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kim Creek	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Ryan Firpo	....	assistant editor
Mason Martin	....	post-production assistant
Chris Valente	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Natasa Prosenc	....	dream sequence designer

Thanks
Selvi Cobanoglu	....	thanks
Adam Hervey	....	thanks
Todd Lay	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Salty Dog Studios

Distributors

• Cinema Epoch (2009) (USA) (all media)
• Cut Entertainment Group (2008) (worldwide) (all media)

Runtime:

USA:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Filming Locations:

San Felipe, Baja California Norte, Mexico

Company:

Salty Dog Studios

A Taste of Something Special From Beyond the Border

Mexico is not just a foreign country for many Americans, but a foreign concept entirely. The language, the culture and the people are so distant, so strange for many of us. And in "Circulation" they become all that much more strange. We enter amidst two lives intersecting: Gene (Sherman Koltz), an American heading south and Ana (Yvonne Delarosa), a Mexican woman looking to find her boyfriend and escape her abusive ex-husband. Their journey becomes something spiritual, something transcendent.

Let me offer a disclaimer on my rating for this film: Generally when I review independent films, I grade them a little bit higher than other people do, because I want to give the creators credit for going to great lengths on a limited budget. So an above average rating on an independent film may not indicate it being as good as an above average mainstream film. That being said, I graded "Circulation" on the mainstream scale. To grade it on the independent scale would mean a perfect score, because there's basically nothing more that could have been added to this film.

The colors and scenery are wonderful and the setting of Mexico is a nice change of pace. The characters are interesting (particularly Gene), the actors quite professional and the music blends in as smoothly as rum and Coke. I have to give particular credit to the cinematographer or director of photography. So many shots were lined up crisply and imaginatively. Watch your standard independent film and count the unique angles and cuts. You'll find a small handful. Here, the angles keep shifting (but not to the point of being erratic) and we're given a panoramic view into an isolated world, if that contradiction makes sense.

The creator of this film, Ryan Harper, knows what he's doing. The plot's pace is smooth... we aren't left dangling long enough to grow bored, but we're not rushed either. And there's a fair level of intelligence to the script that I don't see in this line of work (no disrespect to horror writers, but "teen gets stabbed" is hardly original). A puzzle is being solved and we're given pieces along the way, starting with the opening line. You might get it right away, you might get it halfway through or, if you're like many of the reviewers for this film, it might be your second viewing (and you'll want to see this one at least twice anyway).

I was in the "halfway" camp. I understood the big plot point (I don't want to give anything away, though) but many questions went unanswered until nearly the end: why are people vomiting? What's with the rope? When it clicked, I realized the biggest clue had been at the start of the film before I knew I was looking for clues. Well played, Mr. Harper... keeping me on my toes.

Expect this film to get plenty of rave reviews on the film festival circuit. If we're very lucky, this is the sort of film I'd love to see show up at "After Dark Horrorfest". Too "underground" to get a lot of theater coverage, I can still see this hitting theaters through "After Dark"... and while this is a bit different from their prior selections (no vampires or zombies here) I think the audience would really appreciate what is being offered. I think it goes without saying, but I'm recommending "Circulation". So rarely do we see beautiful, original and well-produced work in the "horror" genre (although this could also be fantasy or drama)... thanks for the breath of fresh air.