"Fabled" is a stylish, complex psychological thriller that makes me think this is the kind of stuff Hitchcock would be doing if his life and career had been extended another 30 years. If you like tense, artistic mindbenders like the Aronofsky films "Pi" and "Black Swan", or the works of Korean director Ji-woon Kim like "A Tale of Two Sisters", or some of the David Lynch puzzlers like "Mulholland Drive", then this is for you.I guarantee it won't make complete sense immediately, but instead it presents a nice puzzle that'll have you thinking for a long time afterwards. What separates it from the classic mindbenders is that the plot itself isn't the puzzle you're expected to solve, but rather the challenge is to figure out the film's meaning through symbolism, theme, and so on. For example, there are certain recurring ingredients which are not integral to the story, but they definitely mean something: a scrap of paper stuck to the main character's shoe, odd flashbacks to a dog digging under a fence, appearances of a creepy man with books, etc. None of these things are significant parts of the story; yet they are there by design and meant to add depth and meaning. They are not random.Something I really enjoyed about this film, which is absent from the other movies I listed above, is a sort of dark comedy that exists under the surface. There aren't really any big punchline gags, but the banter between the characters of Joe and Alex (actors Desmond Askew and J Ritchie Nash) had me laughing out loud the way I laughed at the banter between Travolta and Jackson in "Pulp Fiction". Also this movie has a lot of humorous repetition that makes it seem more like a dark comedy than a thriller (like random people asking the main character "has she come home yet?" to which he rants something about his girlfriend, only to learn they were referring to his dog). Back to my earlier comparison, Hitchcock was the master of mixing chills with laughs, and I think first-time director Ari Kirschenbaum did an excellent job at it. It takes a lot of guts to attempt humor with such a serious theme.I liked this movie so much, after watching it the first time I immediately watched it again with the commentary track. Unfortunately, the commentary doesn't shed much light on the film's symbolism and meaning (you can tell they're trying not to ruin it). But one thing that's obvious in the commentary as well as the actors' performances is that everyone enjoyed making this movie and put their all into it. Shot in 21 days on a modest budget, half the extras are crew and family members. This intimate vibe, especially the funny chemistry between Askew and Nash, Results in one of the "warmest" thrillers I've ever seen.

Why is this movie still not available on video.I saw this movie during the Austin Film Festival in 2002. Here it is three years later. What is going on? I didn't think it was that bad enough to get shelved. Actually, it was one of the better movies at the festival.I guess with no real stars in it, and nothing shocking, it slipped through the grate. Perhaps the filmmakers should have had more killing, or sex, it certainly had enough profanity.Too bad. Maybe it will make it's way to late night cable. That's really where it would play best. Late night mind fu**. Sometimes you find gems on late night TV.It's a shame that this fizzled out without even being given a chance, especially when there is so much crap out there getting every chance millions of dollars can buy.

This is a very ambiguous movie, so if you're not one for figuring things out or thinking about a movie for a while afterwards than this isn't for you.A lot is intentionally left up to the viewer, including the ending.You really don't find out what the hell is going on, but that isn't the point. At least, I think that's not the point. Maybe THAT Is that the point?A real twister. Not because it has a twist or surprise ending, but because it leaves you questioning your own life.I give it - Overall Grade:A Story:B+ Acting:A Direction:A+ Visuals:A+

Simon from the movie Go goes nuts. This is one of those everyone's out to get me paranoid flicks. If you like the is-it-really- happening-or-not storyline, then Fabled is for you. If you are looking for something really scary go rent the Exorcist or the Ring again. The filmmakers try to make more out of a very simple plot and it works for the most part, but it could have used a bit more in the plot department. The acting is as good as could be expected for a small indie movie. Desmond Askew really stands out, but since he's in almost every frame it would be hard to not to. It's hard to say something bad about the movie, since it was clear that so much thought and heart went into to it and nothing was particularly wrong, but I'm not sure it came together in the end. I guess I was a bit disappointed it was just good and not great.