Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses: The Movie

Let's get real- student made films can sometimes be, well, not so great. But, in the case of NYU grads Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher, this is not so true. Some of you may be familiar with their videos on YouTube, under the channel name BriTANick (also as BriTANickdotcom). They've been posting their videos for about three years, during which time they graduated from NYU's Tisch School.

What makes them particularly interesting is their senior thesis film, Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses: The Movie. I'm not kidding.

My first impression of this movie was that it had an awesome name. And that it does. It tells you enough about the premise of the movie, without giving away the plot.  

The plot, by the way, goes a little something like this: Lyle is about to move forward in his relationship with his girlfriend, Hannah. As they're discussing plans to move in toghether, something crazy happens: their house is attacked by Eagles. 

The story continues to become more and more ridiculous as it progresses. Lyle explains that his family was turned into horses because of the Eagles. The reason being, of course, that, "eagles eat horses." 

Therefore, Lyle seeks out revenge on Eaglia, the king of the Eagles.  

Cue hilarious montage of the "preparation" for the battle against the Eagles, the sequence about stealing Franks' ginger-ale (and the revelation that Lyle is only performing an elaborate scheme to get rid of Hannah) and of course, the fight against the Eagles. 

In order to have his revenge, Lyle must "paint" the Eagle with a special "branding paint" that will allow him to turn the Eagle into a horse, but he must do so before it turn him into a horse as well.

This all sounds REALLY ridiculous, and believe me, it is.

But what is really great about it is that it is a genuinely funny and well-made film. 

For example, it has its own original soundtrack for the theme music which fits the film perfectly. The actors are really very good in their roles as well, portraying their characters with just the right combination of awkward, funny, nonchalance that makes the film as a whole come together. 

In addition, the lighting for the different scenes reflects the themes they're trying to achieve, as well as their use of editing. Their transitions are very good, and their use of Lyle's "clone" is really cool.

Also, I recently watched an interview featuring the creators of the film where they explain that the idea/script nearly got them thrown out of class. They had no support from NYU, nor did they have funding. The film was shot in two days on a budget of $11. 

And yet, it has been featured in a couple film festivals in NYC, and has garnered attention from film critics. 

So, before you judge it, I suggest watching it for yourself. I hope you enjoy it! (And if you do like it, be sure to check out their channel for more of their films)

Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses: The Movie

Eagles Are Turning People Into Horses: The Trailer