For what initially looked like a very simple short film, I was surprised at the level of special effects used in this film. The best ones were used in a combat turns-style battle (think of a paper RPG acted out in real life) between Ron and Jack. My husband particularly liked the "Cthulu's Hammer"--a skull with a rotating blade on top--which was used in the battle. (Although I think he was hoping that the infamous tentacled beast for which it was named might make an appearance as well.) It was a clever name for a weapon, however, especially since H.P. Lovecraft's works are now in public domain.
The moments where two of the characters get smote (one accidentally, one on purpose) were done quite cleverly. There was just a shot of their shoes on the ground with some digital smoke rising from them. Not only was it simpler than trying to create some sort of complex exploding effect, but it was also pretty funny.
The little vignettes where the characters recount their demonic and angelic exploits were well done and humorous as well. Not to mention the visuals in both the opening and closing credits were extremely nice.
Other than a exterior scene of Ron and Jack eating their lunch at a picnic table that seemed a bit dull-looking (perhaps improperly white balanced or with the contrast strangely adjusted), I really didn't see any visual issues at all in this movie.
For the most part, this film's audio was clear and easy to understand, though there were a few moments - especially with some of Jimmy's dialogue - where it was a little difficult.
There were some nice sound effects for the fighting and supernatural weapons, but not much music. On the one hand, as the film itself is rather short, it certainly doesn't need a whole lot of underlying music for effect purposes, but the occasional goofy soundtrack or brief music note might help out a bit.
This movie spent its budget on rehearsal space ($25), permits ($75), location rental fees ($300), Craft services ($150), costumes and props ($95), and traffic control ($1,200). Even though I initially thought it would be a rather simple film, I was pleasantly surprised, especially with t the visual effects.
