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Released by: Cult Movie Mania
Released on: May 5th, 2015.
Director: Joel D. Wynkoop
Cast: Joel D. Wynkoop, David Bardsley, David Lurry, Christine Schearer, Bill Sims, Melissa
Year: 1992
Purchase From Cult Movie Mania
The Movie:
Joel D. Wynkoop got his start in the movie industry acting in a few Tim Ritter movies, his turn in the infamous Truth Or Dare: A Critical Madness being arguably his best remembered roll. With Lost Faith marks his first work as a feature length director (he did contribute a segment to the 1985 anthology film Twisted Illusions). He also wrote, edited, produced and starred in the film - so it's safe to say that this bizarre low budget story of a man out to reconcile things with a higher power and safe his wife from a white slavery ring was a personal project. That shines through in every frame and it can often be Lost Faith's saving grace.
The story begins when a chesty blonde lass is chased through the wilds of Florida by some bad guys. They catch her and bring her to The Master (David Bardsley), a big guy with a moustache who laughs a lot. His whole thing is that he kidnaps chesty blonde lasses and forces them into a porno movie ring or something. The cops, led by an officer named Shields, are consistently coming up with nothing despite the fact that The Master has been kidnapping chest blondes left right and center. When it comes time for his next kidnapping, however, The Master makes a mistake - he and his cronies abduct a woman named Donna Nekoda, a woman who just so happens to be married to Steve. That's right, Steve Nekoda.
Wait. Who?
Steve Nekoda, that's who. Get used to that name because if you watch it with your wife or your girlfriend, odds are pretty good she's going to call it out (loudly) the next time you make sweet, sweet love to her.
Played by Wynkoop himself, Nekoda isn't much to look at. He's a little doughy and he sort of shuffles around sometimes but fuck me if he doesn't get pissed when he finds out Donna has been kidnapped. Of course, Shields and the fuzz are no help. He tries that route and comes up empty. So Steve does what any highly skilled martial arts master would do in his shoes - he takes it upon himself to track down The Master and get his wife back before she's forced to appear in a dirty movie! But before Steve Nekoda can do that, he'll be harassed by a guy named Walt from his church, a guy who knows something that Steve himself can't admit - that he needs to get right with God before he can take down The Master and get Donna back.
Filled to the brim with awkward fight scenes aplenty featuring guys who know more martial arts than I do but maybe not more martial arts than you do, Lost Faith is an odd duck to be sure. It's one part Falling Down (a regular guy who has had a horrible day and been pushed just that little bit too far) and one part Hardcore (a dude trying to get a lady back from a white slavery ring pushing women into porn work) by way of a community theater production.
The cinematography is as bland as the fight scenes are clumsily choreographed (Nekoda's signature move seems to be kicking waist high and/or pointing at people) but damn it, there's a whole lotta love up there on the 4x3 screen. That counts for something. Wynkoop shot this one (sometimes painfully obviously) with what would appear to be the proceeds from a garage sale and a cast made up of people from some sort of support group but that didn't stop him from bringing it home. Where others would have looked at the results and thrown up their hands in frustration, the 'Koop (that's what I call him now) kept going. He got it done and for better or worse, this movie is a thing that exists.
Seriously though, you've got to admire the backyard innovation and poverty row creativity that makes Lost Faith what it is. There's a mish mash of genres going on here - hard hitting martial arts action, slapstick cop comedy, revenge thriller and yes, inspirational faith based testimony - so you really do wind up with something for everyone even while you're left wondering who this movie was made for. It never gets as sleazy as it does just plain silly (listen to the commentary from the man himself for details on that) but the damn thing is chock a'block with weird Florida charm and home movie madness. It's a tough movie to recommend to those who don't come with a pre-installed disposition towards shot on video what-the-fuckeries but if you find yourself in that camp, let Steve Nekoda into your heart. You'll be glad you did.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Cult Movie Mania presents Lost Faith in 1.33.1 fullframe, just as it was shot. Transferred from the original ¾†tape master this probably looks about as good as a movie shot on tape a few decades ago for peanuts can realistically look. So yeah, it's not going to compete with your 4k Blu-ray release of whatever, nor does it need to. The image is soft, fuzzy and appropriately cheap looking and really you wouldn't want it any other way. It's perfectly watchable and up there on the higher end of the spectrum as far as tape sourced DVDs go.
The English language Dolby Digital Mono track is on par with the video in that it's probably as good as it's going to get here. Dialogue can be occasionally a bit on the muffled side but for the most part it's discernable enough and the levels are well balanced.
Extras are… plentiful. Seriously, for an obscurity such as this Cult Movie Mania has completely stacked this DVD with supplemental material starting with the first commentary track in which director, writer, editor and star Joel D. Wynkoop and his assistant director Sean McCarthy get down to business and take you to school on the history and origins of Lost Faith. Wynkoop talks about the SOV scene in Florida around the time this was made, talking up his work with Tim Ritter (who helped out in various capacities on this picture and who joins in o the track later on via phone call) and noting the different locations used for the shoot. He also talks about the fight scenes, the film's use of humor, the different versions of this movie that exist and how Nina Hartley almost wound up in the movie!
The second commentary track on the disc comes courtesy of John and Chris from The Sleaze Box. This is more of an observational track that offers some pretty fair and frequently amusing criticism of the film. It never resorts to MST3K style parody but let's face it, there's a lot of funny stuff to talk about here and these guys do a fine job of it. They also point out aspects of Lost Faith that set it apart from other SOV pictures made during the heyday for the movement, offer some insight into the quirks of the character development and plotting and quite a bit more.
Also included on the disc is a feature length documentary called Stay Hungry: The Making Of Lost Faith. Seriously, this thing is long and crazy in-depth and it covers pretty much everything you'd expect out of a piece like this. There is loads of on-set footage and behind the scenes bit and pieces and interview segments too. This gives you a pretty honest account of what it was like to make this film and its inclusion here really adds a lot of the disc.
If that weren't enough we also get an amusing segment called Kick Ass! Steve Nakoda Teaches YOU The Karate Moves Of Lost Faith! This is, as it sounds, a bit where Wynkoop and an assistant literally show off the martial arts moves used by the man himself in the movie. Obviously it's all done in a controlled environment but it's kind of fun to watch Wynkoop, decades after Lost Faith was made, in his karate duds kicking ass on camera. He may have aged but you still wouldn't want to fight the guy.
Cult Movie Mania have also included an alternate opening segment, the original ending (it's called an alternate ending but Wynkoop confirms in his commentary that he's re-edited the film a bit here and that this is the original finish), some trailers, menus and more. On top of all that, if you flip the cover insert around you'll find some bonus liner notes from none other than Cinema Sewer's Robin Bougie that are part Wynkoop interview and part appreciative essay on the merits of this shot on video cinematic oddity.
The Final Word:
Lost Faith was obviously a pretty personal project for the mighty Joel D. Wynkoop and the passion and ambition shown in this micro budget martial arts opus is not only admirable, but pretty infectious as well. The comedy is more likely to make you groan than to make you laugh but the fight scenes are actually pretty impressive in their awkwardness. In a world where shot on video horror movies are a dime a dozen, Lost Faith stands out for trying something different, Cult Movie Mania have rolled out the red carpet for this one, presenting it in what we can safely assume is the best possible condition and with more extras than anyone probably ever imagined.
