User Reviews

I caught this movie by accident while searching for Caliche Rum (shoutout) and it actually turned out to be pretty kickass. Lots of blood, some good action, and I laughed a bunch. Sure there's some cheesy parts, but I was entertained.

Forget the multi-million dollar budget, forget hiring A-list actors, forget the CGI! If you have a good story and the determination to see it through, you can make a damn good movie and Caliche Run is proof of that! Instead of trying to overcome the limitations these filmmakers faced, they seemed to have embraced them. In particular, there is a scene where Gregg visits his old home, and the way the scene plays out is very cinematic, as we don't actually see every detail of what happened that day. Instead we sort of see the event from his perspective. This sort of story telling makes the plot more interesting as this movie had me on the edge of my seat, trying to guess what would play out between its main characters Gregg and Danny as they awkwardly face off throughout the film with flashbacks filling in the gaps as we went. I will admit, this film is not perfect by any means, but for what these guys had to work with, they nailed it!

I heard about this movie from The Caliche Tapes Podcast. I didn't know what to expect with such a low budget film made with no crew or trained actors. What I got was a suspenseful thriller with dark comedy sprinkled in. It has a gritty, sort of unpolished feel that perfectly fits the tone of the movie. I strongly recommend this for any fans of indie film!

Blood, beer, BROTHERS!!!! This got me hotter than a bald eagle riding a flamin' Harley through Arizona on the Fourth of July. This movie is why we have freedoms.

Caliche Run is the perfect modern twist on a classic old school western flick. I find myself rooting for the wronged outlaw and feel just as betrayed as William Treptow's character, Gregg, by the end of it. The overall feel of this film is gritty and wrong but in all the right ways. Caliche run deserves a cult following of its own thanks to the 16 mm film used to capture it as well as the raw nature of the story. Definitely a low budget film I'd recommend to anyone looking for a movie with a Sergio Leone-esque vibe.

Does anyone have high hopes for a film when it doesn't have a major production label attached to it? In my experience not really. I didn't know what to expect from a fellow no budget filmmaker. But after following along with Morgan Howard and the Grind Out of Focus crew for a while on IG, I knew I had to check it out. I watched it twice, once as a receptive fan, and once critically and this is what I have to say about the film.

First off, the choice to shoot with the ARRI 16mm without prior experience is crazy for a first time filmmaker. That took some balls (but I hear everything's bigger in TX so...). I looked into their camera and the thing is older than I am. I have to say after watching the film and hearing how much of a learning curve they had to overcome through listening to The Caliche Tapes... I am completely blown away by the result. It looks and feels like its from a different time of filmmaking. In a time where post production rules all It's refreshing to see a film that isn't afraid of its imperfections and instead rides them through till the end. Pair that old school camera with the choice to dubb in the sound and you have an instant taste of spaghetti western.

The number one strength of this film is its writing. I believe the characters were carefully thought out and fit the dark world that Howard has created perfectly. The storyline isn't presented in a linear fashion, which could have easily sentenced the indie film along with so many other needlessly confusing films of its weight class. However, due to multiple cleverly placed hints along the way, the perceptive viewer is rewarded with a map to guide them along the way. Could the pacing have been sped up a little in either the directors execution or in the editing room? In my opinion yes, but seeing as the director and editor are the same person, it must have been an aesthetic choice and I can respect the decision to stick with a clear vision.

I am a fan of the subtle guitar work as the score, thought it was a nice touch, and the foley work was very good considering everything was done after the fact in a makeshift studio. What a monumental task of recreating every boot scuff and beer gulp. Also, if Lone Star beer isn't paying you, they should be. The main criticism of the film that I have is while the writing is done well and the acting on screen looks good too, there is something lost in translation in the voiceover work. At times the soundbites are laking the passion needed for the scene, or they don't quite match with the characters on screen mood. Does the added campy feel somehow still work? Maybe... so I suppose thats up to each viewer to decide.

The locations were on point. So many times low budget films neglect the backdrop that reflects the narrative almost as much as the clothes on their characters backs. It was immediately apparent that the filmmakers exhausted every opportunity available to them to make sure the shooting locations were fresh and made the most of them. The opening scene in particular sets up the tone as an eerily beautiful landscape and left you feeling like anything could go down at any moment... and it sure did. Lets talk the little dirty details. The incessant flies buzzing around the characters, the filthy clothes and even filthier people just makes the viewer uncomfortable and lifts them out of the real world for a second and into the story. Well done. Also speaking on the little details of the movie, I didn't know how many dick jokes you could fit on a business card until after watching CR. That made for a good chuckle.

Above all else, what really comes through on this film is the filmmakers love for the process. It takes a lot of it to put together a finished feature length product. And where there are faults to the film, I think they can be ironed out with practice and repetition. They have a great foundation in their writing skill and they have the one thing you cannot teach to fuel them along the way: pure filmmaking passion.

Good luck guys, looking forward to following along further.