How far would one person go to achieve their dream? Bucky Le Boeuf and Cooper Robert’s All You Need Is Blood screening at the New Jersey Film Festival has your answer.
All You Need is Blood follows Bucky Leboeuf, a young filmmaker aspiring to make his big breakthrough in the film industry. After discovering a horror film contest nearby, he sets out on a mission with his best friend Vish to make an award-worthy film. The filming process starts off rocky due to a lack of resources and Bucky’s fear of gore, however, an ongoing zombie apocalypse offers an opportunity for the team plot and cast-wise, with Bucky’s infected father playing a part. As the film continues, more characters are turned into zombies, and Bucky must find a way to complete his film and gain the stardom he desperately wants. The film is stunning in its cinematography, its colors and practical effects, and its stellar character design.
All You Need Is Blood stuns with a spectacular color scheme, one boasting rich reds and deep blues to complement its themes of blood and the darkness that encompasses horror movies. Bucky’s movie is a zombie horror film, and it suits that the film’s colors themselves complement the main character’s desires. Despite the film taking place in the 90s and the glimpses we get into Bucky’s film being on VHS, audiences are offered a more vivid look into not only the film but its process and surrounding characters. In an interview with the New Jersey Film Festival, director Cooper Roberts discussed how the film originated as a ghost alien movie but was altered to zombies in consideration of practicality within budget and plot constraints. This choice offers a piece of nostalgia for filmmakers who may remember their early films and the token horror zombie film but also serves the film well as the special effects stand out greatly and for great reason. Roberts loved the look of practical gore despite its higher monetary value and wanted to incorporate that. Teams in Canada and Pennsylvania were assembled to handle the special effects, with prosthetic suits being built for the more special effects-heavy scene. The result is captivating, with extremely gory moments accompanied by squirm-inducing sounds that produce a vivid memory that remains in the audience's mind for a while. To accompany the vivid look of the film are its characters, especially Bucky, who drives the film home with a message of passion and determination.
A powerful component within All You Need is Blood is that within Bucky’s character audiences can see themselves. The experience of being a kid and having big dreams for your future is universal, and Bucky embodies this drive. Additionally, Bucky’s perseverance carries throughout the film and is a strong message to viewers of determination. Bucky himself is unique and passionate. Despite his fear of gore, his resoluteness towards achieving his dream remains and his passions are supported by those around him such as Vish and Emma Chasse’s character June, a beginner actress who helps Bucky with production. Despite her shyer demeanor in the acting world, June is unafraid to get her hands dirty for the film and commits to making Bucky’s dream a reality, a testament to how she cares for him. By the end of the film, both characters revel in their accomplishment of the film’s finishing.
All You Need is Blood is a unique film that stands out with its cinematography and character design. Directors Bucky Leboeuf and Cooper Roberts’ hard work pays off well in this memorable coming-of-age story about determination and the power of dedication. As Bucky Leboeuf would say, “Film is Forever”.
All You Need is Blood screens at the Fall 2024 New Jersey Film Festival on Saturday, September 14. The film will be Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 7 PM in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ. Tickets are available for purchase here.
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