Horror Shorts Reviews: April 2022

Horror Shorts Reviews for April 2022

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

Filmmakers, please note: usually, I do not review films (unless requested) that appear on sites like Alter and Screamfest, because they have a known platform, which is great, while I would rather focus on films with no sponsored online affiliations. These films are not in ranked order, but rather alphabetically listed by first letter.

 

The Dead Record
Directed by Nate Thompson
Novaland Films; Spooky Films; Nate Thompson Videos
16:34 minutes, 2022
In Toledo, OH, a record and film store proprietor, appropriately named Louden (the director), has just closed up and is restocking, when there is a knock on the door and a mysterious stranger (Kenny Urban) with a wicked smile drops off a package that contains an LP, with a warning. The vinyl is a rarity (only 50 pressed) and of course, it comes with a curse. The film flows quite well as it swirls around the aisle of the store, following Louden and his friend Sammy (Dakota Musarelli) as they talk. As a collector myself, the conversation between the two feels very accurate, though the way Louden physically handles the record, especially being a rarity, is shocking to me (no true collector would handle a rare record by the vinyl, but only by the edges), but I digress… I have to admit I had to watch it twice, because I kept getting distracted by trying to see what were the albums in the cases, but that’s okay since the story was interesting enough to watch both times. And the character of evil here (Madeline Malice) is effective in the story. The ending was a bit obvious, as are most horror shorts, but it leans more to the psychological as much as for the shock values, which makes it a fun listen and watch. The soundtrack is definitely dark metal, opening the film up with a blast, which was another nice touch. I actually jumped at that. This is the second of Nate’s short films I have seen, and I am duly impressed. I am looking forward to seeing his feature release of Cult Affairs.
Full film HERE 

 

Ignore It
Directed by Sam Evanson
McMuffin Creative
6:33 minutes, 2021
A family’s home has a recurring and unwanted guest: a ghostly woman who will kill unless she is ignored. The family does its best over the dinner table to be as normal as possible while the spirit is among them. The parents and the two children try their best but, you know… This is a pretty good thriller based on more than one jump scare, and the effects are well done. A strong point is the background music which is consistent (and, of course, dissonant), keeping the mood going. There is obviously little background to the story other than this is not its first appearance. I don’t know how they know to ignore it, but that’s part of the missing exposition that really isn’t needed anyway, since this is, after all, a short. Very effective with an excellent cast.
Full film HERE

Let Them Eat
Directed by LaShaunte Wade
Dark Creeds Productions
15:16 minutes, 2021
When Megghan (lanky Lauren Molina) and her husband Kyle (Roman Jacob Bolyen) has Kyle’s co-worker and mistress, Julie (Lindsay Miller) over for dinner, there’s a lot at – er – steak. Megghan is on the verge of opening a new restaurant and Kyle is a successful lawyer, with high aspirations for their lives to get richer and tasty. Things quickly get twisted and weird, but the film takes its time to unfold, relatively speaking for a short with three people, mostly sitting around eating and drinking. There are subtle events and conversations that tell the viewer that there is something off, but it is certainly not what one might be expecting, and that’s the fun of this piece. It paces itself well, and doesn’t try to rush anything. The visuals are pretty stark and the VFX are quite stunning, and does not rely on jump scares to be effectively horrifying. An actor, dancer, model, and chef, this is the director’s first film, and it shows an immense sense of talent and purpose. I look forward to her future work.
Full film HERE 

 

Mother Father Monster
Directed by Sean Breathnatch
Ego Productions Ireland
9:06 minutes, 2019
https://www.facebook.com/MotherFatherMonster
A gothic tale about an energy drink? Well, the first part of that question is accurate. Mr. Wolsey (Mark Lawrence) is hired at an Irish stately home (the Charleville Forest Castle) to be a butler and tutor in the 19th Century. Upon his arrival, the deeply dimpled and stern Lady Charleville (Irene Kelleher) warns him, in Pandora Box/Bluebeard fashion, that he must never enter a particular upstairs room. The film is highly atmospheric, as gothic films should be, and the castle – even in a state of neglect – is reminiscent of the setting of The Haunting (1963), full of turned wood staircases and musty rooms. It’s mood and texture are quite stunning, and the editing is sharp. While some of the story may seem obvious to anyone with a history of genre films, there were still a few pleasant surprises that quite make this worth the viewing.
Full film HERE 

 

Poster: TBD

The Thing Next Door
Directed by Marcus Kelly
9:22 minutes, 2020
A twenty-something (Bethany Russell) lives on her own in a nice house. The people next door have mysteriously disappeared. And what’s that glowing red light and slime trail that starts to show up in her house? In this dialogue-less short, we don’t get to learn too much about the protagonist, who is the only character in the film (other than a brief shot of a policeman played by the director), shows lots of emotion, conveying how she feels well through her facial expressions.  The film is shot quite beautifully (but what’s with the insects and toothbrushing so common in house-bound horror shorts?), especially one transition between a drain and a full moon. From the sounds of whatever the thing next door is, I was imagining it looks like a Cthulhu kind of deal, as this almost comes across as a radio story for the eyes, with the b-roll standing in for narration. Lots of use of both the filmmaker’s and the viewer’s imagination. I quite liked this meat and potatoes release. Unfortunately, I could find no poster, no photos of the film to include in the review. If I get one, I will add it in later.
Full film HERE 

 

Within
Directed by Rory Wood
16:42 minutes, 2021
A troubled couple, David (David Lewis) and Tegan (Lisa Chandler), are walking through the woods around their house outside Vancouver when their young teenage son, Ben (Ridley Havok McLeod), finds a spider-like creature about a foot long near a den. This has a marked effect on David, as he starts staring into space and drinking heavily at home. He seems to be either obsessed or possessed by whatever is in that den, which we see in bits and pieces. As with other cryptid forest creatures such as in Jug Face (2013), it must be fed, as David goes all Jack Torrance. This is an excellent creature feature with beautifully handled photography by Kyle Gherman (especially around the dinner table). The film is long enough for the viewer to get a sense of the relationships between the characters, and make them relatively real, rather than just present. Totally enjoyable.
Full film HERE 

Reviews: Horror Shorts for September 2020

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020
Images from the Internet

 

Horror Shorts for September 2020

 

Atrophy
Directed by Cindy Stenberg
Swedish Ghost Lovers; Embretsen Productions
17:29 minutes, 2019

This is kind of a Swedish version of a cabin in the woods tale. Freja (Katja Lindgren Anttila) is starting a new position as a personal live-in caretaker for Alma (Isabel Camacho). Alma is wheelchair bound and can only blink her eyes to indicate “yes” or “no.” It is just the two of them in the house where they use candlelight (nice camera work there) at night. But mysterious things are afoot (which I will not divulge) and Freja is living more in fear with each passing day. Stenberg does well to keep up the tension among the mundanity of living with someone who cannot really respond. The pacing, the feeling, the dread are all palpable as the tale unfolds, even if you figure out the ending beforehand, it just looks so beautiful you will be riveted to the screen. I’m definitely becoming a Stenberg believer.
Film is HERE. 

 

Deranged Foxhole (aka Deranged Foxhole Deduction)
Directed by Dave Sweeney
Gold Productions
16:12 minutes, 2019

There’s a line in The Producers where Zero Mostel’s character turns to a statue and says, “They come here…they all come here! How do they find me!?” That is the problem facing sweaty and slovenly lunatic Johnny (John Cavavanico) as people keep coming to his apartment door and disappear into the bedroom one-by-one. A police detective (Nicholas Garafolo) from the local precinct is sent to investigate where it turns into a life and death struggle. The ending, which I will not give away, is straight out of either “The Twilight Zone” or Creepshow (depending on your age). There is definitely a sense of dark humor that follows the story and there are some really bad choices made by some of the characters, but the plot is engaging throughout. The acting is a bit over the top at time, and I found it to be quite fun. And ya gotta love the Bayonne accents (what, no Sinatra on the radio?). This is totally gonzo and a blast.
Film is HERE. 

 

The Dreamcatcher
Directed by Cindy Stenberg
Swedish Ghost Lovers
11:08 minutes, 2020

Young teen Nova (Ebba Ärlebo) is given a dreamcatcher to place above her bed, but a young male (of course) friend takes it upon himself to shake it, letting all the nightmare’s loose. The bits of the story are somewhat common tropes for shorts, but director Stenberg makes Nova such a likeable character, that you still hope for the best for her. The story is engaging, and really well shot (though hand-held). It’s in Swedish with subtitles, and it’s worth the view. It’s moody, atmospheric, and the music hits just the right tension notes. The costumes are definitely low-budget, but the idea is what makes this successful. Trevlig. Now I’m gonna go and have a krumkake and watch the next one.
Film is HERE.

Eden
Directed by Bobby Coston
Upper Stage Media; Don’t Wait Create; ISS
5:55 minutes, 2019

It’s the middle of the night in Arlington, TX, and three young men are on their way from (I’m guessing a bar) to their car. It’s a quite night and no one is on the streets, except Eden, a fine looking woman. Have the men met their match that night? This is a mostly talking piece until the action picks up, but retains its level of interest throughout. It’s not very deep, but it’s also not vacuous, so it keeps its level of fun pretty high, lulling you in. What is the outcome is somewhat predictable, but the route is an enjoyable ride and there are some nice surprises. A good watch.
Film is HERE. 

 

Home Movies
Directed by Dylan Clark
5:31 minutes, 2020

I am really enjoying the artistic output arising from the pandemic. Tight-knit groups or families are rising up and putting out art like crazy. What else is there to do if you have the filmmaking bug, right? In this short and sweet tale, a woman finds an old camera with an S-VHS tape in it that contains images of her when she was but a wee yoot. But there is something sinister on the tape, which seems to be manifesting itself in the real world. There are some well-worn tropes here, but Clark and clan work it together to make it cohesive and not seem the same old-same old. On shorts, my attention span is even shorter, but this kept my interest right through. Great job.
Film is HERE. 

 

Review: Mind Melters 2: A Collection of Even More Short Films

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020

Images from the Internet

Mind Melters 2: A Collection of Even More Short Films

Directed by James Balsamo

Acid Bath Productions

90 minutes, 2020

www.acidbathproductons.com

www.facebook.com/Balsamosmindmelters/

When you are as prolific a filmmaker as James Balsamo, what is one to do during a global pandemic? Well, all those films he worked on, all those conventions he’s attended, and those cameos he coerced (via kindness) from other actors, filmmakers, and musicians, can come in handy.

There must be tons of footage from his films that have been excised for time, or just short bits, laying around the house, figurately speaking (since they’re on a computer), so zipping together a menagerie of clips from previous films and other works surely is a good way to keep Satan away from those idle hands.

Balsamo, who if you’re not familiar with his work – and you should be – falls into a subgenre of directors/actors that use the medium with themselves as the focal point, and all hell goes on around them in a charming, yet amateurish way, that is genuinely endearing, albeit based on some incredibly adolescent humor (such as Bill Zebub).

Version Deux here has some commonalities with the first Mind Melters (2019), but there is one glaring difference that I think puts this above the introductory release, and that is a level of cohesion. Mind Melters was kind of a mixed-up mish-mash of little, unconnected bits, mostly, and thereby a bit inconsistent; not bad, just more stream-of-consciousness, kinda. Here, the separation is more flowing and straightforward in a series of short films rather than just “bits.”

For example, it starts off with the short, “Lunch Meeting,” where a bunch of middle aged male executives each have their own fantasies about someone trying out for the Administrative Assistant position. Hilarity and nudity abound.

There is a bit a lunacy as well, or one might think of it more as surrealistic, such as the short “Vampire Laundry Machine,” where a vampire’s bite turns a washer/dryer combo into, well, you know.

This is followed by a series of shorts of people talking into the camera, sort of like professional wrestlers, be it a pair of vampires (in front of said washer/dryer), or a very strange and extended bit with heavy curtain chewing by Craig Muckler (of 1979’s Microwave Massacre), holding a large bat stuffy down by some river and waterfall, after being interviewed by a reporter cleverly named Lewis N. Clark (Bob Cummings). These latter two pick up again a couple of times later as the same characters, but this time discussing a snake (feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl) and then with a giant spider (puppet). Shot in the woods, the best part is the guy in the background who is cleaning off the trail, not sure what was going on in the foreground. Just pitch perfect for an off-the-wall bit, raising it to a higher level of laughter. Then there is the Andy Kaufmann effect: was that guy real, or a planted actor? I’m not sure I even want to know.

James Balsamo

While it’s obvious that Balsamo likes to be the center of attention (and I have no issue with that), some of the fine moments is when he lets other people just go off. For example, next up – and bits are shown throughout the film – is the centerpiece where Balsamo interviews cult filmmaker Ted Nicolaou (including 1988’s TerrorVision and the Full Moon Subspecies franchise, which started in 1991 and continues). It was originally done for Mad Monster Radio, and there’s lots of tidbits about filmmaking. In another bit later, during “James Quall Sings,” he lets the comic do a full, original song, “I’m Still Stamping” – that’s what it sounds like, anyway – which is quite bemusing.

One of my favorites is “Creature of Science,” which starts off slow, with a mutant pooch that kills a group of people, one in an especially sensitive moment; actor and vlogger Shawn C. Phillips is hysterical as the amateur scientist doing his own podcast about warning people to not try his “giant dog” experiment.

Another completely ridiculous and WTF short is “Johnny De Dead,” dealing with jealousy, the afterlife, and “ghost sex.” It lasts a good couple of minutes, but that’s also probably how long I laughed at it after, for it’s sheer ridiculousness. Left me smiling.

TITAN

Balsamo shows a bit of his artistic side with a full music video for black metal (death metal? I’m a punk rocker, so the subtleties of this genre escape me) band TITAN, which consists of a vocalist/guitarist and a drummer. It’s filled with satanic imagery and ritual (and a nice cameo by the director). The song, “Abramelin,” pounds away as a good black/death metal ditty should.

If you like animation, there a bit of that two, including the theme song to “The Glork Show,” featuring an alien who becomes a talk show host, and a full episode cartoon featuring Fester Fish (Aaron Long Productions, 2012) titled “Fester Makes Friends.”

Many of the usual Balsamo regulars are not here for this release, but don’t be alarmed, there are a few, such as a clip with the late, great Dave Brockie (aka Oderus Urungus, of Gwar; d. 2014), Dan E. Danger, Billy Walsh, who appears at least three times, and Balsamo’s dog Alf (not to be confused with the “big dog” experiment.

I actually had quite a bit of fun with this, and because it was more cohesive than the first, I probably liked it even better than the first Mind Melters. The only thing I would have added would have been some captioning for the Nicolaou interview, because due to circumstances that is life, the master sound recording was lost and it is using the camera mic, which makes it a bit hard to hear in spots.

If you’re a Balsamo fan, like gonzo filmmaking, lots of variety and lunacy, and looking at nude women, you really can’t go completely wrong here.

Mind Melters 2 trailer HERE

Review: Mind Melters: A Collection of Short Films

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2019

Images from the Internet

Mind Melters: A Collection of Short Films

Directed by James Balsamo

Acid Bath Productions / Tortured Soul Productions

90 minutes, 2019

www.facebook.com/Balsamosmindmelters/

www.acidbathproductions.com

Life is a journey, even for a horror auteur with a bad case of the puns. This release is a record of director / writer / musician / actor / etcetera James Balsamo’s passage. Like most other indie instigator / troublemakers, he started by creating short films that gained him some skills to create his feature films, many of which are reviewed on this blog.

And, like many others, the earlier the films, the more crudely made they are, many apparently in VHS or early digital format that is blurry and distorted; but that’s okay. Yes, I use the word auteur often with certain directors, and James Balsamo (JB) fits the description well. Sure, there are a number of mostly horror and comedy genres, but there are also police shoot-‘em-ups, commercials (real and fake), trailers (ditto), and so forth. In fact, there are 32 shorts here, ranging from about a minute long to about 15 minutes.

Of course, some are more successful than others, but as I said, you can see the growth from quick set pieces with distracting jump cuts to scenes that flow much better later on. This is normal in the process of learning any craft.

Taking them out of context (i.e., the order they are presented), I will combine comments with notes I took while watching this 90-minute collection. I’m not going to include all the shorts in the review for length.

At the beginning, we are given a number of trailers, such as the “Snake Women of the ssssSS,” a different and much earlier vision of “I Spill Your Guts” than JB’s 2012 feature (this one is particularly VHS-type blurry), the animated opening to “Cool as Hell II: The Quest for God’s Bong” from 2017, “Boonies” (particularly bad jump cuts here in this very early work), the digitally damaged “I Spill Your Guts 2,” “Hell for Rent” and the sword and fantasy “Cruller: Donut Defendor” [sic]. It isn’t until just over 17 minutes in that the actual short films start.

  

Frank Mullen

The first is the ridiculously titled “Gory Tits,” a somewhat inconsistent nonsense with a witch with uncomfortable looking contact lenses, a sex ring run by some fake Asians, and a serial killer (the ever demure Frank Mullen); Genovesa Rossi steals her scenes, here. I enjoyed the sheer experimentality of “[Classified],” which is in B&W and set in an asylum. JB sees version of the ape/diver from Robot Monster (1953)-meets-the skull-faced creature from Killer Waves (2016). It is reminiscent of silent comedies mixed with the disturbing Un Chien Andalou (1929) and perhaps a bit of Eraserhead (1977).

The thing about a lot of these shorts is that with many, there is no beginning or ending, just a couple of set pieces that may or may not make sense whether in or out of context, and yet are still enjoyable. For example, there an untitled piece with JB playing three parts, including a very funny stoner, an Andrew Dice Clay kinda guy called Wolf, and his wife Debbie (seen from the knees down). Wolf has this interesting monologue riff set to scat music that sounds like Beat poetry of the early ‘60s. Of course, Stoner guy sounds like late ‘60s.

There’s also a series of commercials scattered throughout, such as a short almost Japanese-style mock ad with Linnea Quigley (if you have to ask who that is, you’re in the wrong genre), a couple of real come-ons for James Balsamo’s Big Book of Bad Jokes and James Balsamo’s 100 Bad Joke Book, and a fake set of record collections for James Balsamo’s Crude Christmas, Vol 1 and 2 with songs like “Oh Christmas Pee”; JB proudly announces “over 1 copy sold.”

One of the centerpieces is the serial “Death Cycle,” an ongoing multi-part story which starts off as kind of a Dirty Harry (JB) vs. a Nazi drug gang, but continuing parts focus much more on the gang, which is good because that’s where the interesting characters are. JB would play coppers in latter films of his, so it’s good. Also sequentialized “Romancing the Stoner,” a number of short clips of JB doing stand-up comedy in New York clubs.

While “Party Crasher” is a bit of a WTF about a killer robot badger, there are some pieces that work really well, such as “It Came from the Microwave” which is a spoof of the Zuni doll segment of Trilogy of Terror (1975). Two among my faves were an untitled piece about a woman in emotional pain, and the results from that (not a comedy), and “PMZ Hollywood,” an animated television segment on a former child star turned werewolf that’s pretty damn funny.

Over the years, while JB’s style has grown (even if his humor is still stuck in Middle School), there are some consistencies that frequently tend to show up, such as, in no particular order, Nazis, nudity, death metal, pot/stoners, and cameos by actors and musicians.

Now, there’s a couple of thoughts about this kind of overview of his history, and I’m not sure what is better: should it all be jumbled up like this, or should we have been presented with it in chronological order, to keep track of the growth. Y’know what, it really does not matter. I’m just glad JB released this material. Like I said, it’s a bit of stuff and nonsense, but it’s definitely enjoyable all the way through, even with some of the tripping over trying to find his style and there sometimes not being a beginning, a middle or an end to a particular short.

With all the growth, JB still stays JB, and for that I’m grateful.

 

Reviews: Short Films for February 2018

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2018

Images from the Internet
Poster can be made larger by clicking on them

Reviews are in alphabetical order, not by ranking

American Virus

Directed by Shane Ryan

Mad Sin Cinema

5:39 minutes, 2015

www.madsincinema.com

Short but effective, this transgressive film shows a group of home-grown biological terrorists who release a zombie virus, only to find it literally bites back. Co-written and starring director Ryan and Kathryn Eastwood (yes, the chair-talker’s daughter), it’s done cinéma vérité (rather than it’s ugly stepchild found footage, though there is some of that here, too), following their – err – followers and they roam around the city spreading the disease through injection into homeless people. Its second act is very bloody (as the image attached can verify), and Eastwood, who is both attractive and looks like she can take any of the women on “GLOW,” is a solid force as she mocks the audience. Terrorism isn’t just bombs, this posits, it’s so much more; as the title implies, though, is the real virus the disease or rather is it the people who release it? A really nice release that will just flow by quicker than the virus shoots through the dropper’s neck.

Trailer HERE

Guerrilla

Directed by Shayne Ryan

Mad Sin Cinema

13:05 minutes, 2017

www.madsincinema.com

This film is an interesting experiment into late ‘80s style exploitation cinema with colorful pastel lettering that looks spray painted, which makes sense as it takes place in 1989. Without dialog (and with possibly the chance of a sequel which would not surprise me from the exceedingly prolific Ryan), we follow the before, during and after of a missile that brings a virus to California. We see this through the eyes of a 10 year old girl who shoots 8mm film of what she is witnessing (I wonder who will be alive to process it, but I digress…). She is strong, and trains herself in martial arts, and we get to see some of that action over electronic-ish 1980s style music that sounds like it could be from Rocky. To me, most of the impressions given feel more ‘70s than near 1990 (roller skating, arcades, big clothes, etc.), but it definitely is a beautiful portrait of some longer time gone that I’m willing to admit. It’s pretty easy to follow what the action is despite lacking dialogue, though a series of title cards for different time aspects helps. My fave part, though – and this is me being a media theorist – is the bloopers reel during the credits where Ryan shows how hard it is to shoot a period piece without the achromatic cell phone popping up everywhere. This is true; I recently went to a local (to me) Zombie Walk, and out of 100 pictures, only 15 didn’t have a cell phone it in somewhere. I also enjoyed how Ryan trips from one subgenre to another. This film feels a bit silly, but in a good way, like it was a child making it; I’m assuming that’s the point considering the age of the protagonist filmmaker. Also makes me thing of the mode of something like the Spy Kids franchise.

The Halloween Girl

Written and directed by Richard T. Wilson

Mad Shelley Films

18:52 minutes, 2015

www.madshelleyfilms.com

www.facebook.com/pages/Mad-Shelley-Films/304829823050722

http://www.undertheflowers.com/

I’m a little late on the draw with this one as I lost track of it for a while. I’m glad I had the chance to see this in its original incarnation, which I’ll explain later. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a horror film per se, but it does have a demanding ghost and a Halloween theme, some intense moments, and certainly a heart at its center. In the story, Luke (Nicholas Zoto) is a lonely kid with a sad, alcoholic mom (Christine Parker) who’s recently lost her job (because of her drinkin’?). In the playground, Luke meets and befriends the older and titular Charlotte (Catherine Kustra), whom he refers to as “The Halloween Girl” because of the colors of the clothes she’s wearing. It’s pretty obvious on some level who she is, but yet there still remain some nice surprises in store. It’s beautifully shot, with some nice angles, lighting, and moments that vary between Hallmark and Horror. It makes an enjoyable viewing. Meanwhile, as I was elsewhere, Charlotte has been spun off into the hit horror Web series, “Under the Flowers,” which is about to begin its second season. I think I may check that out, if this is the direction it’s heading.

Trailer for “Under the Flowers” HERE

Heir

Directed by Richard Powell

Fatal Pictures / Red Sneakers Media

13:58 minutes, 2015

www.fatalpictures.com

Just because a picture takes us on a track that doesn’t conclude in that preconceived direction tends make it better rather than not. This intense tale from Ontario introduces us to a dad with a secret (Robert Nolan) and his barely teenage son (Mateo D’Avino), who travel a distance to meet up with his old college buddy (scream king Bill Oberst Jr.). They share a secret that of course I won’t share, but it’s creepy and it’s green. The first half could have been about any number of social ills plaguing the West these days, but this delves into something deeper, darker, and yes, greener. Everyone does a decent job, but it’s Oberst, who is a naturalistic actor of the highest level, that manages to keep the camera and viewer’s eye. The best way I can think of to describe his character is as follows: as someone once said to me about someone else in real life (as opposed to reel life), he’s just… not. But again, it’s also not what you might be expecting, either. This is a beautifully shot piece that feels a bit claustrophobic at times, which only adds to the chill factor. The Butcher Shop did a great job with the SFX, and there is some fine editing work here, as well. Worth seeking out.

Trailer HERE:

In Darkest Slumber

Directed by JT Seaton

Cat Scare Films

4:30 minutes, 2016

For hundreds of years, many of us grew up with Grimm’s Fairy Tales, which in its pure form were often horrific (and many of which have been turned into genre films). And every once in a while, such as with the likes of Roald Dahl, there will be additions to the canon. Which brings us to this modern fairy tale of a comatose woman (the up and coming Samantha Acampora) who is dogged by a flamboyant evil spirit in modified clown – or possibly harlequin, as that is more trickster – make-up (Jonathan Grout). [As a sidebar, Acampora would make a great petite-yet-sexy Harley Quinn.]. With a flourish language written by the also quickly up-and-coming Michael Varrati, we get a great story and a moral at the end that is true to the Fairy Tale genre. The narration is by the legendary Lynn Lowry. The film has a bit of an ethereal feel to it, as the camera and editing flow a bit like a river, and nice plays with lighting. At less than five minutes, it’s quite the satisfying excursion in Girl Power!

Love Is Dead

Written and directed by Jerry Smith

Sickening Pictures / Dexahlia Productions

10:50 minutes, 2016

As the song says, “Love hurts / love scars…” We learn the truth of that from the two protagonists of the film after a prelude of Peter (porn actor Aaron Thompson) talking to his shrink (genre-regular Ruben Pla, who tends to play doctors in films like Contracted and Insidious). In flashback – and in the shower – we meet the naked and tat-covered Peter, and his equally tatted and naked wife, Mara (Joana Angel, also a porn star, though she is pushing into more mainstream genre-style films). It is obviously not a joyous moment, which leads to further unhappiness. While this is not classically a horror film, the tension is strong. Sometimes it’s a bit hard to make out what the sobbing Mara is saying, but the point is understood. This is Jerry Smith’s second film (both shorts), though is he known more for his writing about genre films¸ so it’s great that he’s actually participating now. He manages to get some decent shots in what is obviously a cramped space, and the story is short enough not to lose the viewer. Yeah, I found the sheer volume of tats a bit distracting, expecting Ray Bradbury or Rod Steiger to show up any second (not really, considering they’re both dead, but hopefully you get my point). It’s a well-made short, and worth the view, depressing as it is.

Film HERE

The Minions

Directed by Jeremiah Kipp

Lauren Rayner Productions

11:17 minutes, 2014

Not to be confused with the Pixar characters which are every-witch-where [sic; pun intended], the title here focuses on William (the veeeery tall Lucas Hassel), who is caught in a bind. He hears Abigail (Lauren Fox) chastising him for getting involved with two “witches’ minions,” the very drunk Katrina (Robin Rose Singer) and her friend Sarah (Cristina Dokos), who is trying to get her home safely. The film plays one of my favorite film thriller motifs of what is real and what is imagined. The film mostly takes place on a dark New York (and Brooklyn) street, with nearly all the color drained out of it, giving it a faint, wan hue to match the mood perfectly. As William becomes more besotted and entranced, events evolve suddenly and sharply. This is a lovely film that plays games with both the characters and the audience.

Film HERE:

Oni-Gokko (Tag)

Written, edited and directed by Shane Ryan

Mad Sin Cinema

8:13 minutes, 2011

www.madsincinema.com/oni-gokko-tag.html

Director Ryan takes on J-Horror in this languid yet skeevy story – told in Japanese – about two sisters, Miki (Eri Akita) and Aki (Mariko Miyamitsu, aka Mariko Wordell), who once played a game of tag that did not end well. How much is a ghost story and how much is a guilt story is left up to the viewer. Razors are one of my ewww points, and it’s put well to use (even if not in close-up). Despite some screechy dialogue between the siblings, the pace is slow with long shots of the birthday suited duo. Even though short, it takes some patience to take it all in. A nice, neo-arty excursion, and I’m glad Ryan took the chance.

Painkiller

Directed by Jeremiah Kipp

Action Media Productions

15:54 minutes, 2014

www.painkillerfilm.com

Even though this film is a few years old, it’s even timelier now when doctors are either overprescribing or removing opioids like Fentanyl due to its addictiveness, leaving some in constant pain, suffering both from withdrawals and the original pain for which the drugs were given in the first place. For this film, through flashbacks we learn about two romantically involved scientists (Thomas Mendolla and the cute Kelly Rae LeGault in an obvious wig) who genetically design a small crab-like creature that, when imbedded in the spine, lives off pain while releasing endorphins. Of course, this being a genre film, there are unforeseen consequences. In a nice touch, it’s not just the effects on the host, but those who are attracted to it. This is solid body horror, but despite its physical harshness, it’s not what I call a squishy, making it palpable, on some levels, to a more general horror audience. It’s well done; the pacing is solid with a nice build-up.

Film HERE

Savor

Directed by Marc Cartwright

Glass Cabin Films

0:15 minutes, 2016

Yeah, sweet and very short. And yet, for its exceedingly brief time on the screen, it actually works as a narrative. Sure, there are no deep philosophical meanderings, nor any kind of subplots and exposition, but there is a bam! If you’ve ever found a hair in your food, this may do more than just gross you out. I don’t want to give anything away because, hey, you’ll get there in a quarter of a minute anyway. Baker Chase Powell, who has a kind of Zac Efron vibe, does well in conveying emotion without words and without much time. This is a really fun watch, and even if you hate it (though I don’t know why one would), shit, it’s 15 seconds of your life. Give it a try.

Film HERE