Russ Pond’s Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Fissure’ Is Worth A Look
James MacDonald is Detective Grunning in 'Fissure'
If you haven’t heard of Russ Pond’s Fissure then you might want to take a look at this soon to be released indie sci-fi thriller.
The story of Fissure follows Detective Paul Grunning, a man reeling from a personal tragedy caused by his own hands, who is sent on a routine call to an eminent scientist’s home. The call turns out to be far from routine. He finds the scientist dead and himself knee deep in a time bending situation where he must question his own mind and the nature of reality whilst racing to solve the mystery surrounding him before it is too late.
The film is led by award winning star James MacDonald in the central role as Detective Grunning. MacDonald has an extensive resume of short appearances in big name TV series including Jericho, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 24, JAG, CSI, Cold Case and Weeds to name a few. He also appeared in Broken Arrow, Malcolm X, Turbulence, Space Cowboys, Phone Booth and a number of other well known films. For his role in Fissure he was awarded the ‘Best Actor Award’ at the First Glance Film Festival in 2008.
James MacDonald is Detective Grunning in 'Fissure'
Additional cast include Crystal Mantecon (Prison Break / Road House 2 / Harold & Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay), Jim Blumetti (Walker, Texas Ranger / Scanners IV / The Fifth) and Scarlett McAlister (The Astronaut Farmer / The Protector / The Missing).
Watch the trailer now:
You might be forgiven for never having realized Fissure is a sci-fi film. I didn’t at first. There’s no mention of the genre in either of the film’s promotions and you won’t see the title come up when you search for upcoming sci-fi films. However, there are clues in the trailer (and in the featurette) and, having noticed them, I couldn’t help but ask director/producer Russ Pond if the film was as I suspected.
“Yes, it’s a sci fi movie, but you don’t really know that at first. It’s a whodunnit with a sci fi twist,” he replied.
Producer/Director Russ Pond
The best science fiction films are those where the sci-fi elements take a backseat in favor of a great storyline involving a premise and characters you can get emotionally invested in. Though I’m yet to see the full film, it certainly seems the story of Fissure contains exactly those elements.
The story comes from newcomer Nick Turner whose screenplay was selected from about 450 individual submissions. The central theme of the story, apart from the murdery mystery, is a philosophical roller coast ride into the nature of reality, fate, and the effects of the choices we make on our lives. Needless to sayFissure is a cerebral movie.
“One of my primary goals for the film was to tell a story with a redemptive theme,” Pond said at the Redemptive Film Festival after Fissure won the ‘Redemptive Storyteller Award’ in September 2008. “Our philosophy from the beginning has been ‘movies with a message.”
A flashback scene that leads to tragedy in 'Fissure'
Through the core philosophical themes of Fissure writer Nick Turner has also managed to inject what appears to be quite a unique slant on the nature of time (and hence where the key sci-fi elements of the film reside). I can’t really say any more than that without spoiling the mystery other than to say the story is a blend of everything it needs to be a successful film.
You can gather a little more by watching the following behind-the scenes featurette which includes interviews with Nick Turner, Russ Pond and key cast members.
Fissure will be released on DVD on August 11, 2009.
Click here to preorder Fissure on DVD from Amazon
Fissure DVD Front & Back Cover - click to enlarge
Check out some additional images from the film including behind-the-scenes stills in the gallery below:
Visit the Official Website: www.fissure.tv
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