Out of Place 2013 - REVIEW

Let me start this review by apologizing to Daniel MacMunn, the writer/director of Out of Place. You see, I received this DVD long ago but it somehow got mixed up with some others that I'd already watched and reviewed and so I didn't watch it until recently... my apologies Daniel.

'Out of Place' is the first episode of MacMunn's series 'A Seat on a Train'. The gist of it is... there is a single seat on a train that once someone sits in it, the occupant is warped into a another reality. One much like their own but with a few dramatic differences. Each segment concludes with a Twilight Zone'ish twist ending.

This episode centers around Spencer (William Hoffman III), a writer who immerses himself so deep into his work that he's cut himself off from the rest of the world. He's become obsessed with keeping everything in it's place, so much so that it's threatening his relationship with his long term girlfriend Samantha (Rae Foster). After Samantha walks out on a romantic dinner he has prepared, he soon becomes a victim of his own obsessive behavior when random objects around his condo mysteriously shift out of place when he's not looking.

I was pleasantly surprised by 'Out of Place'. It's not often that you come across a film that says it's reminiscent to the Twilight Zone that actually is. The film is well acted. Hoffman does a superb job as the obsessive compulsive Spencer. Foster is also great as the girlfriend who's been pushed to her limit trying to deal with the changes in the man she loves. MacMunn does a fantastic job of creating well developed characters that are easy to sympathize with.

The film is well written, well shot and has a very clean look and feel. It's the perfect mix of a melodrama and a thriller that will leave audiences with an unsettling feeling. Let me make something clear, this is NOT a horror film. It's not scary and there is no blood or gore but it doesn't need it. The substance, content and characters of the film are enough to make it worth watching.

So, have a seat... no, not there... and take a look at Out of Place and enjoy. When you're done, check out the website and catch a glimpse of what 's ahead for MacMunn and the series 'A Seat on a Train'.

A Seat on a Train Website Launch

After a year of festivals and awards, "Out of Place," the 1st episode of "A Seat on a Train," is ready for its world wide release! 

If you love "The Twilight Zone" then you will become an instant fan of "Out of Place!" The release will happen online, Halloween 2013, showing all day and night, on our website- aseatonatrain.com for free and other medias- Facebook, Vimeo, You Tube and IMDB.

"Out of Place" blends the psychological thriller with the classic surrealism and sets stage for some truly dark melodrama to come from future episodes. The acting is superb, with characters that are believable and emotive..."- review from asouthernlifeinscandaloustimes.blogspot.com

Out of Place synopsis- Spencer is fixated on keeping everything in its exact, specific place. His obsession is so extreme it has cut him off from the outside world and is now threatening his five-year relationship with his girlfriend, Samantha. After Samantha walks out on a romantic dinner he has prepared, he soon becomes a victim of his own obsessive behavior when random objects around his condo mysteriously shift out of place when he's not looking.

Link to "Out of Place" trailer- www.aseatonatrain.com

Director/Writer Daniel MacMunn explains where his passion comes from- If you love "The Twilight Zone" then you will be an instant fan of "Out of Place." I have always been a huge fan of Rod Serling's hit classic, creepy series from the early 1960's. Many people have tried to duplicate this series but have fallen short in my eyes. "Out of Place" is the first episode of a series I created called "A Seat on a Train." I don't want to copy Rod Serling's genius, but pay homage to it. I believe my ideas and skilled writing will bring back that great old style of story telling, while piquing the interest of the modern day viewer. I have written many other episodes, ready to be filmed, that pertain to our modern times. "Out of Place" is the first brave attempt of this series. It was shot very low budget, in one location with two characters. It has that creepy style of filming with original music enhancing the story. I hope "Out of Place" will be the kick start into a long run of "A Seat on a Train."

A Seat on a Train description- A single seat on an old train has a very peculiar talent. For when a passenger sits, they're warped into another reality where they're confronted with major flaws, concluding with a twisted lesson at the end.

Future episode descriptions-
The Perfect Woman (Episode 2)-­‐ A successful, good-­looking businessman, Andrea, discovers an odd solution to nagging women in relationships. He buys a real life sex doll, a doll that looks and feels like a woman but is not real and most importantly, can't think. But his perfect world is shattered when the doll begins to talk and make demands.

The War is Over (Episode 3)-­‐ Sergeant Cignerella and his platoon are celebrating the end of the war. But Sergeant Cignerella has one large setback, neither him nor anyone else can figure out how or when the war ended.

Death Behind the Door (Episode 4)-­‐ At an séance, a cynical Tristan is told by a psychic that there will be three knocks and death will be behind the door. Tristan dismisses the prediction but becomes increasingly wary when his friends' fortunes start to come true.

A Story To Tell My Grandchildren (Episode 5)-­‐ A retired Janitor, Morgan, wishes he could go back in time and pursue his boxing career so he would have better stories to tell his Grandson. But he will soon discover that a wish doesn't always bring the future you expect.

Festival Awards for "Out of Pace"
- Official selection of The Green Bay Film Festival
- Winner of best short at The Best Shorts Competition
- An Award of Excellence at The Accolade Film Competition
- Selected for screening at The Hot Springs Horror Film Festival in October-

Now we are ready for the public release. What we are trying to do here, is to get as many people to view "Out of Place" on Halloween and after. Our goal is 100k views. We know this is a lot but feel this concept is very marketable. In conclusion we hope to gain enough of an audience so we can show the networks how popular our show is and hopefully get picked up in the near future.

In the collaborative spirit of film making, we have launched our own crowd funding campaign to help finance our next episode "The Perfect Woman." To obtain funding we will be selling DVDs and posters offered after the viewing on Halloween and all other efforts will not take place until the day of the release. We also will be offering incentives to anyone who helps us get the word out, including a DVD package, exposure on our Facebook page, IMDB credit and advertising on all of our other sites. We are also open to any suggestions you may have.

In the near future, we hope to collaborate with undiscovered, talented writers, actors and directors just like Serling did. We want to honor Rod Serling by continuing his great vision, creepy themes and unique story telling. Most of all, we want to help launch careers of these artists while entertaining and creeping out a large fan base with original stories that pertain to our modern times.

Links to watch trailers:
http://www.aseatonatrain.com
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2332104/combined
http://www.facebook.com/aseatonatrain

Daniel MacMunn's "Out of Place" Coming Halloween 2013

If you love "The Twilight Zone" then you will become an instant fan of "Out of Place!" The release will happen online, Halloween 2013, showing all day and night, on Face Book, Vimeo, You Tube and IMDB.

Director/Writer Daniel MacMunn explains where his passion comes from- If you love "The Twilight Zone" then you will be an instant fan of "Out of Place." I have always been a huge fan of Rod Serling's hit classic, creepy series from the early 1960's. Many people have tried to duplicate this series but have fallen short in my eyes. "Out of Place" is the first episode of a series I created called "A Seat on a Train." I don't want to copy Rod Serling's genius, but pay homage to it. I have written other episodes that are ready to be filmed. I believe my ideas and skilled writing will bring back that great old style of story telling, while peeking the interests of the modern day viewer. I have written many stories that pertain to our modern times. "Out of Place" is the first brave attempt of this series. It was shot very low budget, in one location with two characters. It has that creepy style of filming with original music enhancing the story. I hope "Out of Place" will be the kick start into a long run of "A Seat on a Train."

Out of Place synopsis- Spencer is fixated on keeping everything in it's exact, specific place. His obsession is so extreme it has cut him off from the outside world and is now threatening his five year relationship with his girlfriend, Samantha. After Samantha walks out on a romantic dinner he has prepared, he soon becomes a victim of his own obsessive behavior when random objects around his condo mysteriously shift out of place when he's not looking.

A Seat on a Train description- A single seat on an old train has a very peculiar talent. For when a passenger sits, he is warped into another reality where he is confronted with his major flaws, concluding with a twisted lesson at the end.

Festival run- "Out of Place" was an official selection of The Green Bay Film Festival. "Out of Place" is also scheduled to show in October at The Hot Springs Horror Film Festival. It won best short at The Best Shorts Competition and "An Award of Excellence" at The Accolade Film Competition. Now we are ready for the public release. What we are trying to do here, is to get as many people to view "Out of Place" on Halloween and after. Our goal is 100k views. We know this is a lot but feel this concept is very marketable. In conclusion we hope to gain enough of an audience so we can show the networks how popular our show is and hopefully get picked up in the near future.

In the collaborative spirit of film making, we have launched our own crowd funding campaign to help finance our next episode "The Perfect Woman." To obtain funding we will be selling DVDs and posters offered after viewing on Halloween. We also will be offering incentives to anyone who helps us get the word out, including a DVD package, exposure on our face book page, IMDB credit and advertising on all of our other sites. We are also open to any suggestions you may have.

In the near future, we hope to collaborate with undiscovered, talented writers, actors and directors just like Serling did. We want to honor Rod Serling by continuing his great vision, creepy themes and unique story telling. Most of all, we want to help launch careers of these artists while entertaining and creeping out a large fan base with original stories that pertain to our modern times.

Links to watch trailers:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2332104/combined
http://www.facebook.com/aseatonatrain