Since the beginning of Tran's writing career came the instruments of forces involved with screwing with people's freedom.
"Split" was born as an idea of a man caught between what was supposed to be right and wrong, and that these decisions were entities. Similar to the angel and the devil on the shoulders.
In the wack world of Cincinnati, more and more people push their negativity upon another person when they are upset. It's common to release this stress, but what if you didn't do it in the most beneficial way for yourself?
Tiffany Shay has just gotten out of a relationship with one of her closest friends, she's failing most her classes, and nobody seems to want to hear what she has to say. During the college years, uncertainty is already at the top of the list. On top of that, she's been presented with a sleep deprivation study, to see how much she can handle when being awake with these feelings of uncertainty.
It's a usual walk in the city as Tiffany strolls through Fountain Square, remembering her life. She finds her way over to her neighbor's salon to retrieve keys to the house she watches over occasionally. At this point, she is already 60 hours without any sleep. When viewing this, you're wondering what is wrong with her, and it's even mentioned by one of the hair stylists in the film. Once she gets the keys after hearing about an annoying visitor named Marty that seems to be bugging Lacretia, the salon owner, she heads on out and goes to the local pool hall.
At this point, you realize this film is targeted at a college audience. It's Tiffany, her best friend Candy, her ex-boyfriend Kyle, and their awkward friend Shawn. She tries explaining to Kyle how life seems obsolete and wonders if their "ants in a giant snowglobe ready to be stomped out into absence". Kyle seems to preoccupied with nailing his shot than listening to Tiffany. He brushes her off assuming her insomnia is making her paranoid. Candy breaks the tension with her fun "black-girl" attitude and gets people pumped for the club, brushing this conversation to be only a thought as they rush the club.
After a drink at the bar and hitting 74 hours of being awake, Tiffany makes it to the house where Lacretia stays. As she walks in, a clatter begins, putting her on her toes. This leads into a really creepy encounter, in which she loses consciousness and experiences a really freaky hallucination.
Relying on camera tricks, creepy acting, and eerie music, this low budget film really messes with the psyche of the mind. You are taken to a place you had no idea you were going to go, and to see her live it makes it lucky you are on the other side of the screen. With some really cool effects and a really twisted outcome, Duality pushes the audience into a really intense surrounding. All the things Tiffany buried in her life before the sleep study comes to surface at once, including a death by the one who hurt her the most.
This movie features 16 original pieces of music from people around Cincinnati, including a uniquely eerie hip-hop rock song from the director himself, called "Within" (check www.myspace.com/trippytran to hear it!) The DVD promo is on http://transistorfilms.tripod.com and a sequel is in the works.
Coexist follows the same directing style and one element, including that creepy feeling factor.
on fire