"...the
movie’s loving attention to light and shade transcends
its hermetic setting and meager budget. At times the buzzing
static and fizzy backlighting recall the glistening surrealism
of the filmmaker Guy Maddin... enormously endearing"
-- Jeannette Catsoulis, NEW
YORK TIMES
"AUTOMATONS
is a smart, thought-provoking tale equipped with the moody ambiance
and intellectual integrity of a classic episode of THE OUTER
LIMITS. That's high praise indeed."
-- Steven Puchalski, SHOCK
CINEMA
"Automatons
is an excellent homage to the movies of yesteryear, and will
be quite a thrill for anyone who misses those old days."
-- Steve Anderson, FILM
THREAT
"The
visuals are astonishing and the film works out its central thesis
to its most appalling conclusion. Writer/editor/director McKenney
is definitely one to watch."
-- David Annandale, VIDEOSCOPE
"Automatons
is a winning science-fiction prize with so many facets worthy
of praise... Arguably his most important film to date, Automatons
is a tour de force for director James Felix McKenney."
-- Dustin McNeill, DVDACTIVE
"The
beautiful indie sci-fi film AUTOMATONS is a troubling vision
of things to come. Enough to make you think, worry and pray."
-- Louis Fowler, ROCKY
MOUNTAIN CHRONICLE
"AUTOMATONS
is a wonderfully made, socially conscious low budget film and
I cannot recommend it enough."
-- Brian Harris, JOE
HORROR.COM
"McKenney
has handed us the cinematic equivalent of Proust's Madeleine,
and it's a tasty yet pungent little cake."
-- Gordon Thomas, BRIGHT
LIGHTS FILM JOURNAL
"Ingenuity
Triumphs Over No Budget in this Indie Sci-Fi Release"
-- Glenn Erickson, TURNER
CLASSIC MOVIES
"It’s
sci-fi existentialism at its rawest --a kind of WAITING FOR
ROBOT, if Samuel Beckett’s tale had involved warring machinery...
the best Super-8 home movie made by a 12-year-old boy in the
body of an adult that I’ve seen in a very long time. "
-- Scooter McCrae, FANGORIA.COM
"An
impressive piece of filmmaking that belies its low-budget nature...
AUTOMATONS kicked my ass"
-- Blaine, DVDSCHLOCK
"Automatons
is like an old fashioned cautionary science fiction short story
melded with a '70s NYC underground feel. The result can be claustrophobic
and sometimes wincingly gory, but it's never, ever as dull as
the basic CGI techno show-off reels that get shown at local
cineplexes."
-- John E. Mitchell, THE
TRANSCRIPT
"Funky
stuff"
-- Sean Axmaker, MSN
"There
are so many layers, ideas and messages in this film that it
reminds me of the way Philip K. Dick structures his stories
to overflow with incredible concepts.... Automatons is high-concept
science fiction at its finest... 9 out of 10"
--B. Adam, FILM
REVIEWS BY BRADEN ADAM
"Brilliantly
idiosyncratic"
-- Al Kratina, THE
MONTREAL GAZETTE
"there's
a dreamy fascination to the iconic images"
-- Maitland McDonagh, TV
GUIDE
"What
a joy!...Automatons leaves you extremely satisfied. Nothing
is lacking in this unique vision of the future. It delivers
an interesting story and intriguing characters, simple as that."
-- Brian Simpson, BISFORBRAINS.COM
|
"Automatons
is what happens when Eraserhead and Tetsuo the Iron Man bong themselves
into oblivion and collaborate on a minimalist avant-garde sci-fi
cheapie shot in a toolshed... Robot radness achieved! Budgets are
for bitches. "
-- Nathan Lee, VILLAGE
VOICE
"It's not
a film of compromise but of sheer determination, refusing to be
defined by its budget and liberated by a decision to overcome its
bank account with sheer imagination."
-- S. James Snyder, NEW
YORK SUN
"Automatons
is bound for cult status and should be dug up in ten years and viewed
again -- that is, if humanity is still around"
-- Last Chance Lance, RUE
MORGUE
"Ed Wood,
the notorious director of Plan 9 From Outer Space and Glen or Glenda,
has risen from the dead and returned to filmmaking as James Felix
McKenney... And I mean that as a compliment."
--
V.A. Musetto, NEW
YORK POST
"a chiaroscuro
love child of Eraserhead and Team America: World Police ... Automatons
fuses surging political critiques to experimental sci-fi in a gritty,
grainy 8mm black-and-white that plants viewers squarely in its heroine's
nightmare."
-- S.T. VanAirsdale, THE
REELER
"The aggressively
inventive movie is a textbook example of how imagination, ingenuity,
and an obsessive love of White Zombie videos can overcome a low
budget"
-- Al Kratina, THE
COMICBOOK BIN
"The
robot action is often much more riveting than similar scenes in
movies with many times the budget and technical sophistication."
-- Jay Seaver, UGO.COM
"the
battles soar to trippy and novel heights of DIY experimental filmmaking
that feel anything but old"
-- Ed Gonzalez, SLANT
"While
the film may have some rough edges, it’s still an entertaining
watch. A friend of mine first clued me into the film solely being
fascinated by the statement “This is how humanity dies,”
and if that’s enough to spark an interest, the rest of the
film will be just as enjoyable."
-- Jason Glastetter, CMJ
"The
storyline, cinematography, the ending, in fact the entire vision
is great"
-- quietearth, QUIET
EARTH
"an
absolute blast...Fans of classic scifi/horror classics will be in
heaven here."
-- Alex Riviello, CREATURE-CORNER.COM
"One
of the most impressive independent projects I've seen in a long
time... one of the most skilled and ambitious shoestring budget
movies I've seen to date."
-- Ed Demko, BLOODTYPE
ONLINE
"AUTOMATONS
does what all good sci fi stories should."
-- Adam Barnick, ENTERTAINMENT
INSIDERS
"a
wonderful and unforgettable experience!… I love it!"
-- Patrick Van Hauwaert, RAZOR
REEL
"Far
more original than such hints of homage suggest. The “This
is How Humanity Dies” tagline should be rephrased to state
“This is how true speculative storylines are handled”.
That’s this small film’s greatest achievement."
-- Bill Gibron, POPMATTERS
"I
adore this film for so many reasons...This is the robot movie you’ve
always wanted to see. I highly recommend it."
-- Lez, B
MOVIE NEWS
"Best
Shoestring Sci-Fi of 2006"
-- Jason Silverman, WIRED |
