THE ELEVENTH HOUR *
Produced by: John Lyde
Written by: John Lyde
Starring: Matthew Reese, K. Danor Gerald, Jennifer Klekas, David Nibley, Joel Bishop
Length: 93 minutes

OREM — Shot in two weeks with a $150,000 budget, this movie capitalizes on blood, guts and violence to tell its story.

But then, violent movies are typically low-cost.

It's a yarn about an ex-Navy SEAL, Michael Adams, played by Matthew Reese, who was captured during a raid to free Japanese prisoners from a North Korean prison camp. He endures the North Korean's torture for three years — seen only as flashbacks — then released back into civilian life.

But a renegade North Korean general wants revenge for the raid on his camp and follows Reese's character back to the United States with a deadly plot to have the former soldier assassinate the leader of the raid, now a United States senator, Mason Chambers, played by K. Danor Gerald.

To do that he has Adams' estranged wife, Rachel, played by Jennifer Klekas, attacked and briefly hospitalized so a doctor on the North Korean's payroll can insert a bomb into her head. Then Adam is captured, given the assignment and warned he must assassinate the senator within 12 hours or the bomb will detonate.

The movie is full of fast-paced action and well-choreographed fights. However, the chase scenes are filmed with a hand-held camera that shakes ad nauseam. This is not an easy movie to watch and offers no socially uplifting value.

Unlike most LDS genre flicks, it thankfully has no association or reference to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It does prove that the LDS Film Festival isn't about the church or the religion; it's mostly about church members making movies. It also shows the festival is willing to pander to low-culture audiences.

Even the name of this movie, "The Eleventh Hour," makes no sense. Filmmaker John Lyde said he picked that name "because it sounds cool."

Lyde said his target for release is Spike TV. This movie contains minor language, one obscene hand gesture and is not recommended for young children.