Mainstream
(Koch Vision Screener)
(2005)
review by Don't Feed the Dead

Due out on Fangoria's Blood Drive 2, Mainstream is a product of fellow NY/NJ-ite Adam Barnick. The short film is pretty much devoid of dialogue, blood (kinda ironic for a blood drive, no?) and violence, yet heavy on the "visionary" end of philosophy.

I can easily compare Barnick's work to that of an early day Clive Barker, where man and machine mesh to create a uniform being to walk in hell. Hell for Barker was just that, but for Barnick the machine's creations were meant to walk the Earth and sort of create a bland, mechanical society. You know, a world full of Republicans. The interface between human and machine in Mainstream is quite brutal and immediately gave me flashbacks of Dr. Channard in Hellbound. In particular, the scene where the machine administers injections under the man's fingernails is quite painful to watch.

The short is shot on 16mm, which gives the appearance of a gritty, old school approach not unlike that of a 1970's Driver Education video. With the over-usage of DV in low budget films these days, the 16mm was not only a shock, but a wicked touch to a surreal short. With nothing to watch but some poor chap strapped to a table being poked and prodded, Barnick utilizes creative camera placement to draw the audience into a very dark place filled with tension and dread.

Nowadays, the horror genre demands a sharp edge from Indie filmmakers and Mainstream delivers in a fashion that could easily make PG-13 horror obscure if expanded upon. All too often I watch new releases with a lazy eye, unimpressed. Mainstream not only demanded my attention, but made me more conscientious of needles and sharp objects. Thanks Adam, now I'll never get my back piece finished!

For more info on Mainstream, you can look up the film's website at www.adambarnick.com