Microcinefest 2000 Underground Film Fest
Baltimore, MD November 2000

Silion started the final day of the festival off with a free showing at the Coffee Mill Screening. Shown on a large screen outside to draw in the audience, I consider it an honorable mention (Silion did not win any awards). Below is an "Honest Review", by Scott Wallace Brown ("co-conspirator" of the festival). I think this is the best review that I could get from Silion. The B movie genre isn't something that's going to sweep the Grammys or Cannes; it's a small niche. In fact I've only stumbled across one other group who was making a similar B movie. Scott's review below points out the good and the bad of the movie, and still ends it with a great rating. Thanks, Scott!

THEY CAME FOR THE SILION: An Honest Review
An Ed Wood "parody"? Not really. Ballentine accomplishes something amazing and unusual here; he seems to have almost CHANNELED Wood's work, rather than parodying it. That's SILION's strength, and in some ways its liability also. The washed-out lighting, stilted dialogue, bad acting, OVER-acting, flimsy sets, day-and-night shots within the same scene, clumsy editing and um, "special effects" are all done to perfection (if that's the right term). However, in some ways it recalls the truly unwatchable aspects of Wood's films. As a result, it seems much longer than its relatively brief 38 minutes. Of course, to some extent, that's an invalid criticism; that's like saying Ballentine and his crew did their jobs TOO well. SILION's approach leaves it almost hermetically sealed from any sort of serious analysis. And THAT's a rare accomplishment. If you're a Wood fan, or have even a passing familiarity with the man's work, you'll find plenty to enjoy in THEY CAME FOR THE SILION. (Scott Wallace Brown)

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