Justin goes home to live with his strict, hard-nosed police detective father, but it seems daddy has turned the upstairs into three makeshift apartments each with bizarre tenants residing in them. Straight-laced idealist Justin is thrust into the world of the occult, murder, under-aged drinking and other dastardly things. Ho-hum Wow, have I seen the same film that nearly all the other reviewers on here saw??? Clever, compelling, original, intense, clever, genius????!!? I witnessed none of those things. What I DID see was an uninteresting, bland, trite, extremely clichéd low-budget thriller that was ripe with implausibilities and no tension in the least bit as the killer is telegraphed as soon into the film as he gives his monologue/debate/discussion. And where are these humorous laugh-out-loud moments? I never so much as chuckled, perhaps because i was too busy struggling not to be put to sleep by the film.My Grade: D DVD Extras: Audio commentary with director Dave Campfield; Second commentary with various contributers as well as isolated music tracks; 4 featurettes (Making of, on the set, turning 1 room into 4, & Inside the black circle); Interviews with Felissa Rose, Desiree Gould, & Raine Brown; Alternate scenes; bloopers; a music video for 'Addiction'; A trailer for this movie; And trailers for "Shock-o-rama", "Chainsaw Sally", "Skin Crawl", "Sinful", "Bacterium", "Creature from the Hillbilly Lagoon", & "Millennium Crises"

I just finished "Dark Chamber" aka "Under Surveillance" and I'm stunned. Stunned, not by the film, but by some of the rave reviews I perused which influenced my watching it. The story was so ravaged by plot-holes and the majority of the acting so flat, categorizing it as a comedy seems appropriate. Seriously, I found myself shaking my head and laughing in bewilderment as I endured this movie.Justin leaves the confines of living at home with a pain killer-addicted mom to go live with his cop father despite Mom's warnings that Dad is no good. When a young woman is found murdered, Justin becomes suspicious of the tenants who reside in the adjacent apartments. With the help of a couple pals, he installs covert cameras to keep tabs on these folks. As the truth begins to unravel, Justin uncovers an unexpected secret.One positive point is that Felissa Rose is HOT! I would have generously slapped an extra star or two on here had she peeled down a bit, but no such luck. It would have been the film's potential saving grace. Eric Conley played Justin very adeptly, I thought, and I wouldn't be surprised whatsoever to see more of him in the future. The general premise of the film, although plagued by clichés, might possibly have worked had it not been for the ridiculously hollow "performances" of key cast members, most notably Alexandra Eitel (Kayla) and David H. Rigg (Justin's father). The horror! (pardon the pun).I have nothing against low-budget films. Indeed, I believe independent film is our only hope for decent film making in the days to come. I'll cut low-budget films quite a bit of slack when it comes to special effects, lighting, even musical score and the overall picture quality. I don't give allowances, however, for stick figure acting and a swiss cheese lover's script. There are a vast number of competently-made low budget films out there. Sadly, this isn't one of them. I can't help but suspect that at least a few of the reviewers who have praised "Dark Chamber" here are in some way affiliated with its production.

I saw Under Surveillance at the Cleveland Indie Gathering film festival and was very impressed.The film is clever, very well presented, and most importantly has a sense of fun lacking in many other films. The use of space and digital photography really shine, creating a moody atmosphere rarely visually present in DV film-making.Though the opening is slow in a classic sort of way, and there are some confusing bits, Under Surveillance is well worth the watch. Some parts are absolutely brilliant, and the film is definitely entertaining. (It also seems Mr. Campfield might have an acting career ahead of him). Check it out if you get the chance!

"Under Surveillance" is well cast and well acted by virtual unknowns. Director / Writer, Dave Campfield manages to maintain a constant sense of tension throughout the movie, reminiscent of many Hitchcock works.Considering the film's meager budget of less than $30,000, the technical merit is most impressive. In this case, the fiscal restraints actually worked to the Director's advantage, as the film relies completely on raw talent, character development and story line, rather than being carried by special effects and over production.What also struck me about this piece was the Mr. Campfield's ability to plausibly tie in such multi-faceted characters by the end of the film.Special mention should be given to the outstanding score throughout the movie, originally written by Evan Evans and finalized by Joseph Bauer. Sound levels were right on the money and the music itself was more appropriate to the film's theme than most major motion picture scores.Everyone associated with this film should feel comfortable in considering it a very positive addition to their professional resumes.Dave Campfield poses a triple threat as Director / Writer / Actor of "Under Surveillance", satisfying all three capacities remarkably well. I look forward to viewing his next project.