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Rating: 
Summary: How to make a movie
Review: I think many people feel that in order to produce a movie it must have a multi-million dollar budget. The truth is talent and creativity is what it takes to make a movie that people will want to watch. You have to know how to write, you have to know how to direct, and you have to know how to edit. Or, at least find the people that you need to perform these tasks. You also need good actors, but without good direction the actor will falter. Stephen Pershing performed many of the aforementioned tasks. Pershing and other independent film makers prove my point. You can make a good movie using the resources you have. As a person with a broadcast background myself, I can appreciate the effort Pershing put into his movie. The script is very entertaining, the action is great, and the sequencing in the editing is well thought out. I think the only thing that separates this movie from a big budget Hollywood flick is that it's shot on video at 30 frames per second vs. the usual 24 frames per second at major theaters nationwide. That's about it. It's only a perceptual difference, since all the action elements are there. This movie sets well in the action genre with movies like: Lethal Weapon, James Bond, La Femme Nikita etc. Steven likes to use the comedic one-liners similar in several Bond films. There are elements of the "buddy movie" like in the Lethal Weapon series. There is the lonely tormented killer protagonist similar to La Femme Nikita. I could go on, but there are definite parallels to several action flicks that make Steel Spirit very appealing to the movie goers who likes a good "shoot 'em up". Overall, I think Pershing has much in common with Robert Rodriguez of the "El Mariachi", "Desperado" and "Once Upon a Time Mexico" flicks--just to name a few. Like Robert, Steve has the guts to challenge the norm when it comes to making movies. Both have been able to make their movies on tight budgets using their wits. With just the bare essentials of camera equipment, no-name actors, and off the shelf editing equipment, they have been able to express their ideas better than some filmmakers with million dollar budgets. That's what I appreciate in movies and that's why sometimes independent films are 100 times better than Hollywood films. Necessity is the mother of invention, so when you are on a tight budget, you improvise. And that is what makes this movie so great. By the way, it's hard to believe some of these guys are beginner actors. I mean, Pershing is great in the lead as Dallas McQuaid, but so are some of the other guys. Some of the cops really look like cops. The bad guys are believable. I hope Pershing brings his crew with him on future projects. The Latin character is awesome, I love it when he faints when he gets scared. I love his accent when he says "hey main!" for "hey man!" Talk about an Al Pacino, "Scarface", flashback. I guess this guy could be the reverse of Tony Montana, since he is such a wuss. Other favorites? Well there are many, I love the Ninjas. Like in the Indiana Jones movies, why waste time fighting when you can just shoot the bad guy. So when the Ninjas challenge John the cop and Dallas McQuaid, a couple of bullets in the chest and head and bam your done, move on to the next bad guy. The Russian assassin, he's a cold hard bad ass that deserves a bullet. It's almost as if he was destined to die that way. "Live by the sword die by the sword". But only after he takes out a few cops! Dialogue, I love the bad guy about to shoot Dallas and says, "what are you going to do? Dirty look me to death?" Classic, just classic. He deserves getting blown away when Dallas McQuaid's buddy "Saves the Day". The broom stick duel a.k.a the Star Wars parallel between OB1 and Vader, another flashback and entertaining. Explosions, muzzle flares, gorgeous babes, betrayal, revenge, humor, creativity. That's what this movie is about. I could go on and on. You need to see it to get it all in. It's worth buying. Let's just hope Pershing will get more flicks out on the market. He has real talent that deserves support. Keep up the good work Steve. America waits for more! Richard Perez, multi-tasker
speech pathologist, musician, videographer,
Rating:
Summary: How to make a movie
Review: I think many people feel that in order to produce a movie it must have a multi-million dollar budget. The truth is talent and creativity is what it takes to make a movie that people will want to watch. You have to know how to write, you have to know how to direct, and you have to know how to edit. Or, at least find the people that you need to perform these tasks. You also need good actors, but without good direction the actor will falter. Stephen Pershing performed many of the aforementioned tasks. Pershing and other independent film makers prove my point. You can make a good movie using the resources you have. As a person with a broadcast background myself, I can appreciate the effort Pershing put into his movie. The script is very entertaining, the action is great, and the sequencing in the editing is well thought out. I think the only thing that separates this movie from a big budget Hollywood flick is that it's shot on video at 30 frames per second vs. the usual 24 frames per second at major theaters nationwide. That's about it. It's only a perceptual difference, since all the action elements are there. This movie sets well in the action genre with movies like: Lethal Weapon, James Bond, La Femme Nikita etc. Steven likes to use the comedic one-liners similar in several Bond films. There are elements of the "buddy movie" like in the Lethal Weapon series. There is the lonely tormented killer protagonist similar to La Femme Nikita. I could go on, but there are definite parallels to several action flicks that make Steel Spirit very appealing to the movie goers who likes a good "shoot 'em up". Overall, I think Pershing has much in common with Robert Rodriguez of the "El Mariachi", "Desperado" and "Once Upon a Time Mexico" flicks--just to name a few. Like Robert, Steve has the guts to challenge the norm when it comes to making movies. Both have been able to make their movies on tight budgets using their wits. With just the bare essentials of camera equipment, no-name actors, and off the shelf editing equipment, they have been able to express their ideas better than some filmmakers with million dollar budgets. That's what I appreciate in movies and that's why sometimes independent films are 100 times better than Hollywood films. Necessity is the mother of invention, so when you are on a tight budget, you improvise. And that is what makes this movie so great. By the way, it's hard to believe some of these guys are beginner actors. I mean, Pershing is great in the lead as Dallas McQuaid, but so are some of the other guys. Some of the cops really look like cops. The bad guys are believable. I hope Pershing brings his crew with him on future projects. The Latin character is awesome, I love it when he faints when he gets scared. I love his accent when he says "hey main!" for "hey man!" Talk about an Al Pacino, "Scarface", flashback. I guess this guy could be the reverse of Tony Montana, since he is such a wuss. Other favorites? Well there are many, I love the Ninjas. Like in the Indiana Jones movies, why waste time fighting when you can just shoot the bad guy. So when the Ninjas challenge John the cop and Dallas McQuaid, a couple of bullets in the chest and head and bam your done, move on to the next bad guy. The Russian assassin, he's a cold hard bad ass that deserves a bullet. It's almost as if he was destined to die that way. "Live by the sword die by the sword". But only after he takes out a few cops! Dialogue, I love the bad guy about to shoot Dallas and says, "what are you going to do? Dirty look me to death?" Classic, just classic. He deserves getting blown away when Dallas McQuaid's buddy "Saves the Day". The broom stick duel a.k.a the Star Wars parallel between OB1 and Vader, another flashback and entertaining. Explosions, muzzle flares, gorgeous babes, betrayal, revenge, humor, creativity. That's what this movie is about. I could go on and on. You need to see it to get it all in. It's worth buying. Let's just hope Pershing will get more flicks out on the market. He has real talent that deserves support. Keep up the good work Steve. America waits for more! Richard Perez, multi-tasker
speech pathologist, musician, videographer,
Rating: 
Summary: A Fresh, Unique Indie Movie
Review: No budget, independent movies shot on Hi-8 camcorders are suppose to feature five or six people sitting around one location lamenting how difficult their lives have been since high school. Nobody bothered to tell Stephen J. Pershing that's how it's done. Pershing, instead, has crafted the farthest thing from a double mocha angst fest; he's managed to make an honest to goodness action picture. Using only friends and contacts from his home town in New Jersey, Pershing has filled 90 minutes of screen time with as many bullets, car chases, fights, Ninjas, even Stinger missiles as your average big budget Hollywood action movie would have. But Pershing has added something that even a lot of those Hollywood mega-budgets miss: a story. Pershing plays Dallas McQuade, former U.S. Marine, former CIA operative and once the top bounty hunter in the country. Reduced to working as a car salesman in order to avoid his former life, everything turns upside down when his identity is discovered and his archenemy, Bruce Costas, offers a $5 million bounty on his head. Now, to stay alive and put an end to Costas, McQuade must turn to old friends, former colleagues, and an ex-wife to help him. As he discovers that not all of them are willing to turn down a piece of $5 million, McQuade ends up battling friend and foe alike. And it's all done with tongue planted firmly in action packed cheek. Steel Spirit suffers from its lack of budget. Production values aren't what you would expect from a summer blockbuster. The sound quality and lighting aren't always the best. But Pershing's direction and editing show not only an understanding of what makes high entertainment but belie the fact that this is his freshman effort. Any fan of indie movies should check this one out. Any fan of action pictures will be blown away by what Pershing was able to accomplish. Watch it once for the pure entertainment value. Then watch the DVD a second time with the director's commentary turned on. You'll be amazed and entertained. And isn't that what an action movie is suppose to do?
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Indie Film
Review: Steven J. Pershing is the Ted Williams of the film world. Why? Like Ted, Steven didn't jump into the film business for the money. He produced, wrote, directed, and starred in Steel Spirit because of his love and passion for the film game. This film is incredible. And I don't play the incredible card lightly. It's incredible for the fact that it was shot on a Sony camcorder over a two-year period (working only on weekends) by a novice writer/actor/director and his equally novice cast & crew, all working with no budget and highly charged imaginations. Steel Spirit is incredible because of the love and cooperation Steven received from his family and friends to see his vision through to completion. This is the little movie that shouldn't even exist. But it does. Not for the lack of story (fun, and action packed) or credible acting (cheeky, and amusing), either - both categories work well within the production. Making a movie can be an enormous chore (I'm a credited filmmaker) - especially without having the luxury of "throwing money" at any problems that may arise. Steven J. Pershing had only heart and soul to toss at his filmmaking predicaments as they arose. Steel Spirit is truly an awe inspiring Independent film. When's the last time you've seen special effects (and good ones at that!) in a no budget movie? Steel Spirit has them, a lot of them. And when you learn, through the witty Directors Commentary (especially during the end credits - don't miss Steven's "apologies"), that Steven and crew made the special effects and armaments work by slaving over home PC's and visiting their local Home Depot -- not by working with Industrial Light & Magic. After viewing Steel Spirit you may be in awe yourself. This film and the DVD extras are an excellent investment in filmmaking heart and soul.
Rating:
Summary: One Liners !
Review: You just gotta love these one liners.
As Dallas mumbles "just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride..." - floors it - and nothing happens - tough turns into "oh well" - and that's just how i like it. i even use this line on every passenger of mine,and i even throw in the look of adventure...
... fast paced action movie - whether on a budget or not doesn't really matter... because it's uptempo in all aspects. Alexander E,Music Producer, Los Angeles - CA
Rating:
Summary: One Liners !
Review: You just gotta love these one liners.
As Dallas mumbles "just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride..." - floors it - and nothing happens - tough turns into "oh well" - and that's just how i like it. i even use this line on every passenger of mine,and i even throw in the look of adventure...
... fast paced action movie - whether on a budget or not doesn't really matter... because it's uptempo in all aspects. Alexander E,Music Producer, Los Angeles - CA
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