Most filmmakers-but not all-are driven to pick up a camera and start shooting because they saw a movie that just blew them away and they had to make one, if not just like it, then something damn close. The Yuzzi Brothers (Co Directors Thomas Vosicky and Kenneth Kit Lamug) shot their first full-length film, "Vegasland", for a budget of under $2,000. It was shot mainly during Wednesdays and Thursdays between the times of 9pm and 3am in various locations throughout Las Vegas using "Guerilla filmmaking tactics". Most of the editing was done in home computers with software available to anyone: Truly Indie Filmmaking.

The Yuzzi Brothers do wear their influences (Guy Ritchie, Quentin Tarantino) on their collective sleeves but lack of originality never trumps style and technique in Las Vegas, right?

Professional Gambler, Eddie G, played very well by Ernell Manabat, is taken in for the ride of his life as he unwillingly helps a dirty-psychotic cop, Decker (Greg Opal) Decker takes Eddie on a tour of terror while trying to find a meth addict named Worm (Jeffrey Crawford) who has a video tape of an underground fight where everything went awry.

What blew me away with Vegasland is the sheer number of characters and locations in a no-budget film. True, the pacing is disrupted a few too many times by extended riffs straight out of Pulp Fiction, and the way it was structured and shot in ‘modules’ or set pieces (one of which involves some scorpions!) but then the filmmakers kick the narrative back into gear and zoom, off we go again. The performances are believable despite several misfires and one cares about the players which is what story is all about.

The movie was shot using a Panasonic DVX100 and downloaded and edited using a 500GB USB drive. Go here to check out these very talented filmmakers.