★★☆☆☆

Badland Doves looks like it was shot with an iPhone rather than a professional film crew. No children, Apple doesn’t make professional products. You can’t shoot a movie you expect people, other than your parents, to sit through with your iPhone. To understand my criticism of this film you should watch it, then watch Wyatt Earp.

This Was Not a Failure of Acting

I hate to sound hoity-toity or like a professional film critic, it wasn’t the acting that sunk Badland Doves, it was all the technical issues. I mean, if you’re a low budget film I can understand not being able to afford “period” furniture, but could you at least cover stuff with an old looking blanket?

At several points in the film inside the “sporting establishment” where the whores worked you saw couches and chairs like this. That rivet style which was popular in the 1950s to early 1960s and, unfortunately is making a comeback. It was not wild west furniture.

The walls of the “sporting establishment” are gleaming white from a fresh coat of modern paint. It ain’t hard to make white wash people and it won’t shine like a fresh coat of Behr paint. Then again, a professional film crew would have used filters and a profession set person, not a whole crew, just a person, would have put a sheer in the window to stop the glare.

Oh I’m Not Just Shitting on the Sets

This film is put together like some directorial student’s first film. It has no sense of timing and flow. They stood in one spot and filmed one little scene then stood in another spot and filmed one little scene and “edited” them all together. The result is a movie that lacks timing and is “jerky.”

Some directors will use up to five cameras for a gunfight scene that starts in one room and goes down a hall to another room. You can watch Foresaken for free if you have Roku. If you don’t want to sit through the whole thing just fast forward to the to the shoot out at the end where Kiefer Southerland goes back inside to “get himself a Colt.” Stairs, hallway, multiple rooms, window, short roof, body falling into street. There is a flow. Great acting cannot fix a movie shot without flow in mind.

It Wasn’t All Bad

Despite what you have read it wasn’t all bad. Watching for the screw-ups got to be fun. I do have to say I’m looking forward to seeing Jessica Y. Martin in other things. She reminds me a lot of Agam Dashi, especially given the bit of attitude she tried to give this character.

For more movie rental ideas please see list one and list two.