Special thank you to Sci-Fi Fiesta (a Top 30 Science Fiction Blog) for their glowing review of VOLITION! Reviewer Christopher Christoploulos had this to say about the film:
“Volition is a compelling sci-fi film that will grab and hold fast your attention from the start through to the very end. It deals with themes we are familiar with in science fiction: time travel and notions of free will vs destiny and Fate. Instead of finding ourselves along with the characters stuck in the usual endless temporal loop, the action rapidly moves between time periods in a novel and interesting way. The essential clues are there and do make sense and not everything is necessarily what it seems.
The actors give very competent and strong performances and you’ll find yourself thinking for each one, “I’ve see that actor before.” Chances are you’ve probably seen them in a number of roles in many other fine films and series.
Volition works well not just as faced-paced entertainment but also on the cerebral level as it forces us to consider aspects of own existence: To what extent are our lives and indeed our possible futures determined by the choices we make and the free will we exercise? OR Is free will just an illusion and are we merely playing roles that have been predetermined along the road towards a fate that is set in stone?”
For the full review, see the Sci-Fi Fiesta Site!
We’ll let you sing the theme song yourself as you check out VOLITION’s mention on the Entertainment Tonight site. The post features images of Director/Co-writer Tony Dean Smith on the Phoenix Film Festival red carpet with his Co-writer/Producer brother, Ryan W. Smith. VOLITION’s festival run continues. Next up, the Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival, on April 28th!
With VOLITION a feature presentation at the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival this weekend, a new teaser trailer has been dropped. Without dialogue, the trailer’s pounding score (composed by Matthew Rogers) matches its dynamic images. Little of the plot is revealed. More to come as the film continues its festival run!
https://vimeo.com/329225817/5dc4295665
Wolf of Geek Street.com has reviewed the Phoenix Film Festival‘s screening of VOLITION, and the praise is high! Reviewer Zach Pope likened the film to a Robert Rodriguez-style mix of Christopher Nolan’s INCEPTION with Rian Johnson’s LOOPER. For the full review, see below!
WOLF OF GEEK STREET — “VOLITION”: The Next Generation Filmmaker
Picture Robert Rodriguez creating his own version of Inception mixed with Looper. You get the low budget feel without it feeling in the way of the storytelling and entertainment level. Plus you get the Sci-Fi doozie that brings you on a journey, unlike many other stories. Volition an independent Sci-Fi film does just that.
Volition is from director Tony Dean Smith and written by him and his brother Ryan W. Smith. The story is about a man who is afflicted with clairvoyance and tries to change fate when a series of events leads to a vision of his own murder. This trippy story starts out with this fun premise and takes it to you on a ride. While not having the high octane action that many Sci-Fi films have today, the vision of this movie trades in the action for more of a character piece and dealing with what is truly going on and trust me there is more than truly meets the eye. I had this weird feeling like watching this movie that I could see where it was truly going to go. Until an hour in a certain twist unlike a lot of other films in this genre takes and really turns the audience for a spin. Which at this point is where the film truly had me in its grips.
This twist of the plot makes for you to have more fun and think about every course of action earlier in the story that seemed off or weird. It even opens up certain story plots that you were curious about. It was a smart way to play with this genre in a way that I hadn’t seen in a while. Volition is the creative film of the Phoenix Film Festival, it truly is something that you have not seen before. For an independent film like this, it truly surprised me. Where it starts as another Sci-Fi film with a cool concept but feeling like I had seen this before turns out to be something super smart and on the level of the previous two films I had mentioned up above. Looper and Inception. While I could easily go into some nitpicks for the movie where some of the visual effects weren’t up to par with other films or even some of the dialogue between the characters did at times feel a little off. It’s hard to deny how much passion went into the elements of this film that turned it into a super creative fun film that has grit, passion, and even uniqueness all throughout it. Volition is the creative odyssey that you expect and I cannot wait to see where this pair of brilliant individuals take their ideas next.
Review site: wolfofgeekstreet.com
VOLITION’s film festival run continued to build as it played to packed theaters at the Harkins 101 Scottsdale for the Phoenix Film Festival. Each screening was followed by a Q & A period with Director/Co-writer Tony Dean Smith and Co-writer/Producer Ryan W. Smith. The pair also took part in industry panels, with Tony Dean Smith speaking on the director’s panel and Ryan W. Smith speaking for the two of them on the screenwriting panel.
Tony Dean Smith: Directing Panel
Ryan W. Smith: Screenwriting Panel
Following this week, the film will be a feature presentation at the International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival, with Director/Co-writer Tony Dean Smith in attendance, joined by Director of Photography, Byron Kopman. Check out the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival site for tickets and showtimes!