DISTURBANCE 2013
Review by Dean M. Watts
I’m a fan of guerilla filmmaking.
I’m a fanatic over Joe Burke’s
filmmaking.
DISTURBANCE 2013 is a 13-minute detour down the dark alleys
of lives unhinged. Joe Burke shows us that it needn’t take long for our normally unstructured lives to catapult into
total disarray.
College roommates Howie (Dave
Fink) and Jimmy (Evan Sierminski) are taking a breather from Howie’s birthday celebration at their
apartment the previous evening, while looking forward to hitting another party that night. Typical college study plan.
After Jimmies girlfriend Lindsey (Janel
Benisch) arrives, Howie hits the shower to make a shocking discovery; the blood soaked body of a half nude woman in
the bathtub. Panic ensues as they stare over the unknown woman’s body, freaking over what to do.
Then her cell phone begins to ring.
This review is as much about Joe Burke
the filmmaker as it is about his film DISTURBANCE 2013. As a writer, I’ve scripted loads of short stories. I
appreciate the difficulty involved in pulling off a credible vision with such a short format. Burke uses quick shots, telling
angles and sharp editing to enhance his story without intruding onto the narrative. I would say that’s the mark of a
seasoned filmmaker, but the true story behind the film portrays Burkes style as instinctual.
In 2004, after changing majors from theater to film his sophomore year at Columbia College in Chicago, and armed with
a new Panasonic DVX 100 camera, Burke was itching to get some footage to edit. Developing the idea of two college roommates
finding a dead girl in their shower after a party, he spent two days fleshing out the premise into a rough script. Gathering
his roommate Dave Fink and other friends from his old theater classes, they met at their apartment on a Friday night and spent
five hours filming the story.
Burke then locked himself away for three
days editing the film, after which he set it aside and moved on. While doing his short film Hunters Fall he met and
worked with sound designer and composer Justin McGrath. After concluding Hunters Fall, Burke mentioned his interest
in re-editing DISTURBANCE 2013, using better software and adding music. Viewing the footage, McGrath joined on to produce
his chilling score and the two created the film that now exists.
McGrath’s music is disconcerting,
capturing the essence of the films emotional toll. His subtle arrangement creeps up on you; the melding ambiance slinks forward
with undercurrents that buzz in your ears like tinnitus.
The actors are well chosen and handle
their roles cleverly. Fink as Howie masters the New York bravado, capturing a moxie that could well have walked straight from
a Seinfeld episode. Sierminski has spot on balance as the freaked out roommate Jimmy, providing the audience with a mirror
image of their own feelings as to the situation. Janel tops off the cast as Lindsey, Jimmies girlfriend, who affords a balance
between the two friends as a sway vote to help move the plot along its unsettling paces.
After viewing just this one brief work, I feel it’s apparent that Joe Burke has a long, lucrative career ahead
of him. I suggest you pick up a copy of this film, not only to enjoy a good chill, but also to own a small piece of a career
poised for great things.
DISTURBANCE 2013
Ó 2006 Elantra Films LLC
Starring: David Fink, Evan Sierminski, Lindsey Pruett-Smith
Post Sound Editor/Composer: Justin McGrath
Writer/Director: Joe Burke
DVD Features:
Audio Commentary with Joe Burke, Justin McGrath and David
Fink
Trailers:
DISTURBANCE 2013
HUNTER’S FALL
COOP’S NIGHT IN
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