Reviews: The Short Films of Andrea Ricca

Text © Richard Gary / FFanzeen, 2018

Images from the Internet

Italian director Andrea Ricca has been making short horror and Sci-Fi films since the late 1990s. All the 14 included here are without dialogue – though worth listening to for the amusingly and occasionally cheesy electronic music. Many are humorous, and are made on extremely low budgets, but with a lot of love; at least that’s the impression they give. These films are all mostly one-man projects, when it comes to the production (and sometimes the acting). Ricca does nearly all his own “scripting, shooting, acting, editing, special effects, 3D modellation and animation” (though occasionally he’s helped on the post-productions. That is extremely impressive considering the volume of output. Don’t believe me? All the films reviewed on this blog are free, which are presented in alphabetical order rather than chronological,  so watch so see them yourself HERE. 

Alien Worms

4 minutes, 2016

A member of the U.F.O.B.I. governmental agency follows the trail of a space craft that has crashed to Earth with a bunch of, well, alien worms onboard that are subsequently let loose. They look like smaller versions of the worms from either Tremors (1990) or Dune (1984). He fights them in a house, with the use of high-tech equipment and a handgun. The worms’ are definitely homemade digital, and sometimes they look great, and occasionally they look static, even when they move; think of a still picture being pulled across the screen. All in all, it’s actually a fun pic, and doesn’t last very long, with an obligatory ending style. It’s a drama with a nice style.

Aliens Night

7:40 minutes, 2014

A really fun and pleasing piece about a scientist (Sefani Autori) who is surprised at home by three Greys, who have dubious, yet unknown, ideas regarding her. The hunter and hunted switch roles back and forth, playing nicely. The aliens look good, though they move a bit like that digital dancing lizard that everyone seems to be imitating on Social Media. As a storyline, albeit short, this is actually quite satisfying, though lots of questions are left unanswered, hopefully done so by the 2016 sequel below.

Aliens Night 2: The Grey’s Return

4:00 minutes, 2016

The sequel is taken less seriously than the first, being more comedic, which I’m also okay with; this seem actually unrelated to the previous other than the same spaceship and aliens models are used. This time the Greys show up at a man’s house (Ricca), and he tries to razzle dazzle them, again with the hunter/hunted paradigms. In all, it was quite amusing and enjoyable, though quite not-what-would-happen; however, the ending is a bit of a snide commentary on UFO fandom that I believe to be quite accurate.

The Amulet of Fear

5:29 minutes, 2017

While taking a break from reading a horror novel, a woman (Ludovica Ferrara) finds a strange amulet in a small wicker basket, and before you know it, she must use her ingenuity (and yes, a hand gun) to fend off a mysterious digital demon creature in an it’s-you-or-me game of life or death. There is some subtle humor though it’s dark, but remains fun throughout its short run. I am definitely seeing a trend through the films, but it’s mashed up enough to keep it interesting. Though obviously digital, the creature looks pretty good.

The Furfangs

5:04 minutes, 2010

A man (Ricca) on the eve of getting engaged has a visit from a small, rag-tag group of space furballs with fangs that are about the size of softballs reminiscent of the tribbles, with eyes and teeth similar to the Zuni doll in the classic TV film, Trilogy of Terror (1975); there is even a nod to it with a toaster oven. Unlike the Karen Black release, this is an effective comedy that could have been longer, and still would have been worth the watch.

The Furfangs 2

2:12 minutes, 2011

While much shorter, this one is more ominous than its predecessor, with our intrepid hero (still no spouse) once again visited by a trio of these digital dustballs, and once again he uses various common household appliances to thwart them as best he can; perhaps a primer on how to deal with these creatures should they actually show up at the viewers’ door? As with the first, he keeps his calm, even though knocked about here and there, and fights for the right to… party? Anyway, I got distracted. There is a hint of a third in the series, and I’m ready.

The Giant Scorpion

4:05 minutes, 2016

While at home (I am really seeing a motif here), a young and agile woman (Ilaria Lamberti) is visited by a scorpion that is about the size of a large German Shephard, transformed from a normal one by the radiation from a meteorite that lands nearby (that nobody seems to have heard; I’m just sayin’). She resourcefully uses household items to fend off the creature, which seems to be a bit slow moving; that being said, the weight difference between the small insect and the larger one would probably make a difference as it tries to compensate. And the ending made me smile in a winking at millennials way.

The Guardian

4:11 minutes, 2008

As a chance of pace, a modern Indiana Jones (Michele Di Mauro), if you will, finds a treasure of a small and ancient clay bottle that is protected by a, yep, guardian. This OG looks a lot like the skeleton guards from Jason and the Argonauts (1963), and his murder in its eyes… well, its skull, anyway. It’s out to get back said ceramic, with his shield, helmet and vorpal sword in hand (the former leading to an extremely amusing moment that is acknowledged by the background music, and alone is worth seeing.

The Ouija Board Secret

2:00 minutes, 2018

This recent film follows a bit of the same formula of a guy (Ricca) in his house under attack by ghosts and demons, but there are some demonstrable differences from anything I’ve seen before, such as there being two human (I believe) characters, one of whom seems to be based on the Asian angry-dead-woman-in-white-with-long-hair genre (The Ring, the Grudge, etc.), but this one has a more sinister tone than previous Ricca works and takes in off in a bit of a different departure than the others I’ve seen up to now. The effects are getting better and there are definitely some script growth of which I approve (not that I’m telling Ricca how to do his films!).

Space Monster

3:35 minutes, 2015

Gloss-lipped and cute Ilaria Lamberti is home alone when an extraterrestrial container lands in her yard. The evil, nasty titular creature breaks out and chases her out to her car as she tries to make her escape, but not without the beastie hopping onto the roof of the car, as she valiantly tries to shake it off and/or kill it. It’s a well done chase scene where everything except Lamberti and the car are CGI, once she leaves the house. Though short and sweet, there is a nice level of suspense, but it’s hard to have a dull film with a speeding car and a monster, eh wot? This is a fun drive, but more for the viewer than the protagonist, I would assume.

Spider Danger

5:03 minutes, 2012

After the destruction of a spider planet, the debris from it lands in the yard of a man (Ricca) that has a pet sider (in a glass fish-tank kind of structure), who is of course totally unaware of this object crashing nearby. Suddenly his own spider grows huge and the eggs of a batch of spiders from the other plant (rather than Spiders from Mars, I guess) are on the prowl, with the guy defending himself, yes, with objects found around the house. It’s amusing with a nice turn at the end, with a bit of humor.

The Spirit Board

5:17 minutes, 2016

The bored new owner of a house (Ilaria Lamberti) finds a Ouija board with the smallest palette I’ve ever seen, at about the size of an American dollar coin. She holds a solo séance that unleashes a nasty spirit that has come to take her back to…wherever it came from. She has to outsmart it, or die trying. While not a comedy, there are some nice spooky moments that may still bring a smile in bemusement. The short is shot in a mixture of green-tinted black and white, and a wash-out color.

The Spooky Ghost

7:00 minutes, 2013

A young woman (Francesca Simonelli) in a tight tanktop’s car runs out of gas on a deserted road besides an old and spooky house that’s for sale. Of course, the house comes with a ghostly tenant that looks like it belongs in Disney’s Haunted Mansion: it’s green, chubby, and has both a bowtie and derby hat. In this comic turn, while the ghost is hardly scary (purposefully, I am assuming), there are other really nice FX moments that are bound to please those who like PG fare. It’s a battle of the wits between our heroine and the spooky ghost. This really was a hoot.

UFO Race

2:25 minutes, 2009

For an amusing end, we catch up (see what I did there?) with a solo driver (Ricca) who meets up with a UFO filled with a couple of bored ETs on a lonely road. So what do they do? They challenge the dude to a race, of course. A bit tortoise and hare premise, considering the flying machine can travel between solar systems, but the guy is up for it. It ends with a smile for everyone, especially the viewer. It’s damn silly, but sometimes that just what one needs in a landscape full of Xenomorphs and Predators.

Reviews of 5 Horror Shorts for August 2015

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2015
Images from the Internet

Cynthia

Written, edited and directed by Christopher Wells
Kaleidoscope Pictures Inc.
10:35 minutes, 2014
www.kpictures.com
Early morning and nothing is going right for our central character (Christopher Wells). Food has spoiled, and the apartment is in as much disarray as it seems is his emotional state. It’s not long before we know why, as he starts talking with his obviously passed wife, the titular Cynthia (Katie Issel Pitre). Meanwhile, a mysterious white faced person is peaking in on the whole she-bang (Matt Perfetuo). It’s a slow build to the finale, but worth the wait, even if you figure out what the end result is going to be for our protagonist. Wells’ acting is naturalistic and Pitre a bit wooden (well, she is a ghost or whatever, after all), but the emotion is there, and the ending is just the right measure. A well-made showcase for which Wells can be proud.

 

Apartment 41

Directed and produced by Veemsen Lama
Javiya Films
6:38 minutes, 2014
As this British film opens, we watch a woman (Grace Rowe) enter her new apartment and walk around. The camera follows very closely, giving a claustrophobic feel, even though the apartment itself seems quite huge. In a similar theme to the film above, there is obviously a presence there (Harriet Feeny). In a story of guilt and/or revenge, we learn the reason for the spirit being there. Or is it there? A nice, moody piece, it doesn’t feed on the fear of the audience, but gives us enough information to both be unnerved and understanding. Well lit (even the dark bits) and worked through, it’s an effective piece of short cinema. The ending is actually quite satisfactory to the story (no, I won’t give it away).

 

3 Doors of Horror: DELETE

Directed by Sidney Chan
Doghouse 73 Pictures
14:10, 2014
One of my favorite things is when a film can use a well-worn trope, give it a new spin, and make it exciting. Chan does all of this in a short-but-sweet horror tale based somewhat around the tendency for selfies (does anyone else find it interesting that the English word “selfie” is used in nearly all languages?). This Asian release (with subtitles) revolves around a group of four teenage girls who trespass into a mysterious and abandoned factory, and take a group selfie on a camera found in bathroom stall (?!). It’s filled with pictures of the empty bathroom, which is eventually explained. There is also, I am assuming, a cultural in-joke about a security guard, that I didn’t get, but that’s just a blip. Well and clearly filmed in HD with medium shots, and more than one scare. Extremely effective for such a short piece.  

 

The Babysitting

Written and directed by Jan Nanne
Bad Ass Films
9:59, 2009
www.youtube.com/hollanddirector
Oh, those Dutch! Filmed in English, this is a cautionary tale of what happens when you let your kids watch too many horror films before they’re able to process it. Well, in theory anyway; or if they’re a tad psychotic.  Vicky (lovey and wide-eyed Nadine Stephan, who has amazingly long, cascading hair) is hired as a babysitter by a creepy mom (Angela Zandbergen) who’s last comment before heading out the door is, with eyebrows raised, “Have fun.” It’s a family Vicky hasn’t met, and doesn’t know what to expect. Neither will the viewer. Made as an entry for a short film contest (hence the English), it’s effectively creepy on a few different levels. Being (relatively) older, it’s a bit on the grainy side during the dark scenes, but the story holds up.  After the credits is a decent albeit short gag reel.

 

The Flying Man

Directed by Marcus Alqueres
9:20, 2013
www.facebook.com/tfmshort
Much like a zombie apocalypse, some are holding fast that maybe a true super man will someday arrive, much like the Samuel Jackson character from 2000’s Unbreakable, but in a case of being careful what you wish for, in this short, such a person has arrived. The question it brings, however, is whether it’s a positive or negative. This Flying Man is certainly not out of Marvel or DC, as he has no second thoughts about throwing people under trains or dropping them from dizzying heights. This is a vigilante, and the questions this film asks – be it directly or indirectly – are good ones, such as does one have the right to take the law into one’s own hands if it’s for the better good, and who is the judge of that “good”? It’s not a new question, but one that was brought up before in the slogan, “Who will watch the Watchmen?” Supposedly in the works to be made into a full length film.

 

BONUS (because it made me smile):

 

Reviews: Short Horror Films

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2014
Images from the Internet

The Horrors of AutoCorrect

Written, edited and directed by Alex DiVincenzo
Grimbridge Productions
5:43 minutes, 2014
Talk about yer short and sweet! Reminiscent of the opening of the first Scream franchise film, obnoxious teen Jenny (Jaquelyn Fabian) is at home watching a public domain Corman film, when the phone rings, leading to a humorous interaction with a masked serial killer (Nick Principe), who is standing outside her door. Though he seems a bit of a grammarian (“I don’t know, can you?”), he’s tortured by the both his cellphone’s AutoCorrect and Jenny’s sense of mean girl privilege. Beautifully shot by Jill Poisson (who shoots most of Richard Griffin’s films), the mood is kept going, and it’s hard not to laugh at both the texts (we’ve all been there, am I right?) and the texture of the moods. This is such a nice, enjoyable piece; it was a pleasure to sit through it a few times. Worth checking out.

Lights Out

Directed by David Sandberg
2:41 minutes, 2014
I’ve probably watched this a couple of dozen times now over the past few months. Such an excellently shot, dialog-free and claustrophobic boo! A woman (Lotta Losten) is alone in her apartment, or is she? Flicking lights she sees shadows, and there is obviously something in the dark. Filmed with just the right use of contrast and shadow, it is creepy as all get out, and the fear pays off.

They Stole the Pope’s Blood / Los Pantalones contra Dracula

Directed by Richard Griffin
Scorpio Film Releasing
5:48 minutes, 2014
If you’ve seen the fake coming attractions with a Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez film, these two trailers will make a bit more sense. It’s a mixture of a film that will never be made that combines a number of genres, and from beginning to end is hysterically funny. Many of the Griffin regulars are here (Jamie Dufault with a moustache!!!), and this is slick as can be, but in a good way. Not sure if it’s purposeful or not, but it seems to have been filmed with no sound and dubbed after, which actually works for its utter silliness, though especially with the second, Mexicano wrestling mash-up. Is it anti-Catholic? Perhaps, but not in a way to be taken seriously. It’s more schizophrenic than anti-religion. There are some themes that were present in other Griffin features, such as the Latino exorcist in The Sins of Dracula, but this really is a total stand-alone short that bears watching not once, but many times. It’s a gem. 

Nitrous

Directed by Preston Corbell, Chelsea Corbell
Demented Gnome Productions
18 minutes, 2014
www.facebook.com/skarzclothing
Without dialog, we are taken on a trip through a remote part of Wimberley, Texas (<40 miles outside Austin) – which looks remarkably like the area near Pittsburgh in the opening of Night of the Living Dead – as we approach the house where some murders took place 20 years before by a hatchet-wielding man in a gas mask. We are told this in a text scroll at the opening.

Entirely shot as a POV, the short follows the protagonist as he explores the deserted house where the crimes played out. Yellow tape crosses the room where the past events happened, and we follow the person (whom we never see) doing the exploring. It is mostly all in a single shot as we see creepy dolls on display, rotted floor and walls, rusted appliances, and dimly lit hallways.

Here’s the thing: I have actually done something like this. With a friend, we went exploring local ghost (i.e., deserted) towns where the houses looked remarkably like this one, and it really is a fascinating thing to do, though illegal and occasionally dangerous (again, rotted flooring and walls). I see it as the modern version of spelunking, so I can relate entirely to the protagonist as she (Chelsea Corbell) walks around the spooky house taking pictures. There are a few good moments that you could easily miss if you’re not paying attention, so keep your eyes on the screen.

This probably could have been shortened a bit, but its execution is handled well as an indie with probably a budget of, well, nuthin’. It did keep my attention throughout due to my own deserted house fixation, but even so, it’s worth a watch.