It’s wacky, erratic, and totally preposterous, but never-the-less based on actual events involving a crime cover-up that’s so incredible, even if you see it you won’t believe it. Made on a low budget in Greece, Do It Yourself does provide some okay entertainment, but only for those who can use a good measure of imagination. Hollywood it’s not.
Small time hood Alkis Vidalis (Konstadinos Aspiotis) ends up in a prison in Thebes where he meets Daniel Bezeerianos (Christos Loulis). Daniel tells Alkis that he’s being framed for delivering trucks to big time crime lord Joseph Forkou (Themis Panou) who runs an illegal operation in Greece. He offers Daniel a large sum of money, a passport and clothes if he will be the subject of a video that will be played on the internet exonerating him.
Alkis takes the deal and Daniel’s lawyer Ioanna (Mirto Alikaki) gets him out of prison. At Daniel’s isolated offices Alkis gets smeared with fake blood and make-up for bruises, sits in front of a camera and tells his sordid tale of how Daniel is innocent of all charges. Dawning on him that he will probably get knocked off following the job, Alkis takes evasive action to try and save his own life.
The film goes on from there with a lot of action and some violence during a battle to get out of the building. Director and writer Dimitris Tsilifonis spins his tale in real time while using Alkis to use aggressive and defensive “skills” to worm his way out of the building amid guards, Forkou and even the filmmakers. While he does show a worthy credible escape, it’s hard to believe it really happened that way. Especially since most of Alkis’s antagonists are too easily bumped off.
Do It Yourself has not been rated by the MPAA, but contains violence, bloody action, and language The film could have used a larger budget as the sets are ordinary, the special effects just ok and the storyline is very commonplace. The film uses the native language of Greek with subtitles that move onto the screen quickly and leave just as fast.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Watch it only if there’s nothing else of the genre available. (2 out of 5 Stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Konstadinos Aspiotis, Makis Papadimitriou, Christos Loulis, Argyris Xafis, Panos Koronis, Themis Panou,
Mirto Alikaki
Director and writer: Dimitris Tsilifonis
MPAA Rating: Not rated, contains violence, language
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Foreign
Running Time: 1 hr. 37 min.
Release Date: DVD and VOD
Language: Greek with English Subtitles
Reviewed Format: DVD
Distributed by: Artsploitation Films
Released in: DVD, VOD
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
