Memory Lane (III) (2012) User Reviews

YOU'RE OK. I'M NOT OKAY.

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 26 October 2018]

Nick Boxer (Michael Guy) comes home from Afghanistan and takes a radio into a bathtub. He dies and has a memory flashback, being with Kayla (Meg Barrick) his dead fiancee. This does not bode well with his wife and friends. His friends indulge Nick as he wants to play "Flatliners" at home in a bathtub, but after a few times, they are reluctant to do it. Nick believes he can save her.

The film is short. The acting was mediocre, with Nick being outright bad. The dialogue had no zip and the characters were cardboard. The film stretches to 70 minutes with the credits.

Parental Guide: Brief sex scene. No visible nudity.

pull the plug on this

[ladcrooks-26-192893 · 19 August 2014]

I found this film jumped to much, before you could figure something out, you had to work something else out. Not enough clarification! Maybe i left my grey cells at the supermarket, or are they in the car.

They were not functioning, whilst i was watching this. Argh! Got it, she the boyfriend had taken to much coke, hence the nose bleeds and they want to commit suicide.

The electric and water and how much to use etc, don't you know it will kill you? Sloppy idea.

Who killed her then? Budget film for sure , 1 bridge, 1 house 1 car and 1 tin tub! ha!

Qne thing for sure the way they get top reviews on here is by the cast and friends writing them for themselves.

a dreadful incoherent mess

[allankelb · 1/10 · 25 July 2016]

I have never heard of this film (or the cast and crew) - borrowed the DVD from my local public library which has quite a good across the board range of films to rent. So- after viewing the film I checked IMDb to see what other people think of it and I found that at least one person has a view that I share- like that person I found it to be a very badly edited incoherent mess of a film with pretty much no redeeming features apart from the main female actor who I think is rather cute. Once you figure out what one scene means it jumps to another scene then another and another etc.... and without anything in those scenes to link them together. I am all for low budget cinema - but I have seen much better examples than this one. Better luck next time you young independent film makers, you.

Who Needs Hollywood When You Can Do It Yourself?

[TDavis12 · 9/10 · 17 November 2011]

Memory Lane is a no-budget film directed by Shawn Holmes about an intense young man who visits the afterlife in order to avenge his girlfriend's death. I don't want to give anything away so I will just say that it's a solid story.

The possible problem is that there is no budget. However, don't confuse "no-budget film" with "amateurish film" because Memory Lane is highly stylized and has good pacing. Memory Lane shows that Holmes is a highly resourceful filmmaker. This film is the embodiment of Buckminster Fuller's concept of ephemeralization: the science and art of doing more with less. Memory Lane is the result of the DIY ethic at work. I imagine one of the benefits of having a budget of $300 is that the focus was on telling a good story in a cinematic way; the filmmakers succeeded.

Watching the film, I couldn't help but notice the similarity to films by Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch, and David Cronenberg. Memory Lane kicks butt and takes names. I would like to see what his team could do with a little more money.

The Bathtub Flatliners

[Coventry · 7/10 · 5 November 2012]

The title of this user comment would make a pretty cool name for a punk rock band, but it's primarily an apt two-word summary of the plot for "Memory Lane". This lowest budgeted Sci-Fi thriller in the history of cinema (I don't think I've ever seen a $300 movie before) may perhaps not be the most overwhelming genre debut ever, but it's definitely an admirable effort and the least you can say about Shawn Holmes is that he's a persistent, courageous, ambitious and respectable newcomer. He did pretty much everything by himself, including the catering service for his friends and acquaintances that are starring in the cast. The plot is reminiscent to the 90's classic "Flatliners" and equally borrows elements from other genre highlights, such as "Memento" and "TimeCrimes", but the film shows enough personality to stand on its own as a worthwhile outing. Shortly after his return from Afghanistan, the introvert soldier Nick Boxer falls head over heels in love with a mysterious girl named Kayla, whom he met on a bridge and prevented her from jumping… or so it seemed. Without really knowing anything about her, Nick asks her to marry him, but his world falls apart again a few days later when he finds her body in the bathtub with her wrists slit open. Nick undertakes a suicide attempt himself and his friends just narrowly manage to rescue him, but whilst floating between life and death he has a vision of the first encounter with Kayla that amplify some interesting details. He becomes obsessed with figuring out the true reason of her death, but this requires some more near-death experiences. It wouldn't be fair to simply label "Memory Lane" as a low-cost amateur effort, since Shawn Holmes clearly knows how to put together a good film. Knowing he didn't dispose of any budget for hi-tech special effects, he fully focused on a tight and intellectual screenplay with unpredictable plot twists and profound character drawings. Successfully, I may add, as "Memory Lane" remains compelling until the climax. The concept might be somewhat far-fetched, but the film never becomes overly grotesque or ridiculous, and – most importantly – the lack of funds never forms an obstacle. The acting performances are more than adequate, particularly since none of the cast members has any real experience, and everything else (editing, photography, post production…) indicates that this bunch has great potential to deliver future cult classics.

An Awesome Ride!

[geraldyelverton · 8/10 · 30 March 2015]

I highly recommend this movie for anyone looking for a good time. Not only does it prove to be an entertaining film but also a full and well told story. After being shown the trailer I immediately sought out a copy of the film and was not disappointed. Definitely, two thumbs up in my book. I'm not sure how many films are behind the director of this movie, but I would imagine they are well experienced as the beats of this film are well formulated and the action along with substance of story are greatly executed to the best ability. If that isn't enough, the character are portrayed by an excellent cast. So much so, that I am currently seeking out other projects from the starring thespians. Often I am disappointed when a not so familiar film is recommended to me. In this case the recommendation was dead on. Find a copy,of this movie now!

Memory Lane is a surreal masterpiece that envelops and tantalizes every aspect of the viewer's palate.

[lordhumungus513 · 3 November 2011]

This movie was a really enjoyable take on finding one's self while drowning in the middle of chaos. Considering the low cost to make this film, I found it was very enjoyable to watch, with superb acting and the cinematography was just absolutely stunning. I do not want to give anything away but I will say that It builds slowly and develops fully into something that will keep you asking questions long after the credits have rolled. Overall this was something that I felt in my heart to be worth the time spent watching it,and can't wait to recommend it to others. It weaves an intricate plot with believable yet mind bending fantasy.

Gripping little movie

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 13 May 2015]

War veteran Nick Boxer (a fine and credible performance by Michael Guy Allen) returns home with post-traumatic stress disorder. After finding his girlfriend Kayla M. (a sweet and appealing portrayal by Meg Braden) dead in the bathtub from an apparent suicide, Nick tries to follow suit. But when's he's resuscitated from his abortive suicide attempt, Nick learns that Kayla might have been murdered. So now Nick must die again and again until he discovers the killer's identity.

Director Shawn Holmes, who also co-wrote the compelling script with Hari Sathappan and did the dynamic widescreen cinematography, keeps the absorbing and intricate story hurtling along at a brisk pace, relates the fantastic premise on a laudably moving and intimate human level, and does an expert job of crafting a supremely gloomy atmosphere. Moreover, Holmes warrants extra praise for putting a welcome and refreshing emphasis on mood and characters over empty flashy pyrotechnics. The excellent acting by the able cast holds the film together: Allen and especially the radiant Braden shine in the leads, with sturdy support from Julian Curi as the concerned Elliot White, Zac Snyder as loyal friend Ben Haven, David D'Andrea as smarmy jerk Mitch Harper, and Anna Szyszkiewicz as Nick's worried sister Hannah. Lastyly, and mostly important, Nick's obsessive need for closure gives this picture a substantial amount of wrenching poignancy. A real sleeper.

Awesome

[prancer-19731 · 7 November 2020]

I keep running in to these gems just surfing all the different movie channels online. I was confused through the whole thing, and that's exactly what I liked about it - the challenge. Once I read the story line, it all made perfect sense. Tired of all the violent Hollywood land multi-gazillion dollar action-thriller mind-numbing messes. Give me something to think about, like the life-death transition period. It is fortunate for the average schmuck like me that so many great movies nowadays are out there for free.

Nightmare on Memory Lane

[EdgarST · 27 August 2023]

If the rest of this film is as bad as its first 15 minutes, I am glad I stopped watching it. I cannot rate it, because I did not finish it, but I do not regret having started doing something more interesting, like washing the dishes.

It has nothing to do with its low budget, but with its low level of creativity during 15 minutes, in which the dramatic resources used by filmmakers are replaced by inopportune (and bad) music everywhere.

It also has nothing to do with it being an American independent film. In this category there are hundreds of good quality movies and several masterpieces. Director Shawn Holmes did pretty much everything and it shows. Next time he should collaborate with colleagues.