User Reviews

I first saw Realm of Never: Moratorium on television and then at a screening at the Malverne Cinemas 4, the last and best offering that evening. It even prompted Master of Ceremonies, Don Lewis, to comment: "That was more dialogue than we heard all night. I'd like to shake that writer's hand!" And he did. What I really kept thinking about was how something originally produced for television made such an effective transformation to the big screen. Imagine seeing an episode of E/R or CSI in a movie theatre. It might appear larger, but it would still be a TV program on a movie screen and slightly out of place. Realm of Never Moratorium is one of the exceptions that works in both mediums, because it is art, a concentration on the dramatic fundamentals, rather than a mad attempt to entertain. Given the background for the entire Realm of Never series, that is no understatement. It is produced for under five hundred, yes, five HUNDRED dollars, in a community access studio in Queens, New York. Not exactly an auspicious debut for a director of Christopher Del Gaudio's potential. He reinterprets the genre of teleplay and shoots this live with three cameras, just like in the days of live dramatic television. He takes these barriers, shapes them into another dimension, and turns his limitations into artistry. The scenes in Moratorium are shot mostly in close up, with the hint of a background setting, adding to the claustrophobic feeling and encroaching danger. The script and the acting takes over from there and doesn't let go until the end. It was no casual decision of DelGaudio's to cast Darren O'Hare in the lead. This is an actor to watch carefully. Having appeared in several Realm of Nevers, Del Gaudio was well aware of his range and crafted a role that wrung it for all it was worth. Jacqueline Muro, as the doctor, though more restrained, was every bit his equal, and Joanne Antonucci, one of the Realms most recognizable faces, rounded up the rear. I think it was James Lipton who said that if you've got strong acting and a strong script, you could mount a show against a blue screen and it would still work. But why then, may I ask, does the output of bigger budget films ignore that creed? Perhaps, Mr. DelGaudio had the answer to my question and didn't feel the need to do this. His intention might have been to tell a good story and not compete with the formulas, but opposite them. It is on that premise that Realm of Never: Moratorium succeeds. If you're going to judge in the same league as a big budget action adventure flick, don't even bother seeing it. You'll miss the point. But if you do see it and you allow yourself to think, you'll get much more. The Realm of Never is a distinctive achievement in the visual arts and should stand as a prime example of fine acting, writing, and a director's ingenuity in delivering quality workmanship under the sparest of circumstances.

I don't think the guy who posted the last comment saw the same show as I did. If he did, he should go back to the his Punkd DVD set or to his Pauly Shore flicks cause that's where his head is at. This was just on again on the Queens public access channel 56, and to the actors who worked on it, ignore the last comment PULEEEZE!!! It's coming from ignorance and jealousy. This is a guy who probably couldn't give half the performance Darren O'Hare gave or think up a storyline half as sharp. All the actors rocked. I'm no expert but I know talent when I see it. If he thought it was emotionless, let's see him cry real tears during a live taping and get it right. This is a public access show, idiot! It's people busting their butts with no money, no studio, and a lot of stress trying to please morons like you! They're doing something original!!! What's got to be a killer to the indie filmmakers is the audiences that are just so stupid. I don't know how they can stand it. Do people have nothing better to do than have a laugh at someone else's expense and hard work?? I'm not associated with this show at ALL, but to the Realm of Never rep company, I've seen a number of your shows and keep plugging. If this guy had what you have, HEEE'D be up there!

I appreciated Christopher Del Gaudio's "Moratorium" on many levels. Part old-style tv, part play, and part suspense thriller, it's a sophisticated short film requiring careful attention, and rewarding you if you follow it along. Refreshingly, "Moratorium" takes up an older tradition of filmmaking, one with less of a visual focus, and much greater emphasis on dialogue, partially because of the excellent performances of the cast. (My personal favorite is Darren O'Hare, in the lead role.) Although the ending may strike some as over-the-top, it's an excellent piece of work, recommended especially to fans of older sci-fi: If you liked the more thoughtful episodes of Star Trek or Twilight Zone, see this film.

Exciting and chilling. A real attention getter and a diamond in the rough that should get a lot more attention. You're not going to see this kind of thing too often. I haven't seen the likes of it since the early days of live dramatic television, and I was blown away. The Realm of Never series is a modern rebirth of the Playhouse 90 television-theatre of the 1950s created by writer/director Christopher Del Gaudio, and uses the live on-tape technique that is all but extinct in television production today. It gives this very unique project an energy and spontaneity that a lot of edited pieces lack. The acting, especially Darren O'Hare, Jacqueline Muro, Joanne Antonucci, and Lucas Ramirez, stands up with against you'll see in the mainstream. Low budget doesn't mean low quality, and I'd love to see this out on DVD in the near future!

The Realm of Never is a regular feature on the Queens Public Television network. It's a combo of schlock and genius. Low budget B flick and classic film. Community theater and masterpiece theater. A playwright's soliloquies and a soap opera's cheese. I'm not sure if I'm watching William Wellman or Ed Wood. But these opposites are all a part of its charm. The series already has a cult following in Queens, just because it's so different than anything else that's out there. Whether it was an artistic choice to produce supernatural drama in a public access studio, or just a financial crunch, is unknown. Either way, you have to take notice.

Super tight budget, a nothing set, grainy video, but that shouldn't scare anyone away. This sci-fi psych thriller haunted me for days after I saw it on the East Hampton public access channel, and it's one of those pieces that stays with you, whether you want it to or not. It was so black/and/white artsy, I didn't even realize it was the public access channel. It took me a few minutes to get into it, but after the first couple of scenes, I couldn't take my eyes off it. I don't want to give away the plot, but for the conspiracy theorists out there, you got a lot more to think about. Bang up job from the local actors and a cool and terrifying concept that should be seen in places a lot more important than public access. For Long Islanders, it's something to keep an eye out for. It's worth a look. 8/10

While some may consider it an acquired taste, Realm of Never: Moratorium is deserving of a following. The whole episode feels like a unique hybrid of Dark Shadows, the Outer Limits while being as verbally poetic as Judy Berlin. Now if you're not a fan of those kinds of productions, the show "may" not be for you. But I found it complex, challenging and atmospheric. From its score, to the terrific black and white photography, to the unique minimalist sets made up largely of shadow. It looks like a $100,000 production. Amazing I'm told it was shot on a shoestring. If you're looking for something different on your dial, it's absolutely worth a look!

This was extremely thought provoking and draws you into the story. The acting was superb and the minimal set design was refreshing. I especially liked that it was filmed in black and white. I look forward to see more of their work.

This is without a doubt the worse thing I have ever seen. I was up late one night and I caught it on TV, and the only reason I started watching is because I went to college with two of the actors Darren O' Hare and Jason Murphy. Although I was proud to see these two on TV, it had to be the worse pieces of garbage I have ever seen. The writing, the set and even the acting (sorry Darren and Jason) was awful. Everything was either over dramatic or just emotionless. I never try to speak bad about a film or someone's writing but after reading the last post it whoever wrote it had to be someone connected to the movie in someway because it wasn't good at all. I'm just happy I haven't seen it on TV anymore.