THE PROSPECTOR'S CURSE (2013) Short Film Review

Directed by: Josh Heisie

Starring: Dave Roberts, Johnny Quinn, Robert Nolan

Around about a year ago is when I first heard about THE PROSPECTOR'S CURSE and I have to admit I was looking forward to it quite a lot because aside from horror movies I also have a particular love for westerns, both the American John Ford kind and the spaghetti type. So a western themed horror flick would seem right up my alley.

A murderous yet feeble-minded oaf by the name of Tubby (Roberts) has paired up with smooth talking snake-oil salesman Jack (Quinn), leaving the angry cries of cheated townsfolk in their wake. Along their travels they come across an old, dying prospector (Nolan) clutching a bag of gold in one hand and a map in the other.
With his dying breath he asks the pair to deliver the gold to his family and to give him a proper Christian burial when he passes on. He seems particularly vehement about that last bit because the ground he is lying on is an old Indian burial ground. But when Jack takes a look inside the bag he gets gold fever and despite Tubby's initial objections they both head off to mine the prospector's claim while they still have time.
But as we all know an Indian burial ground is nothing to joke about and the failure to honor the prospector's final wish might just come back to haunt them.

In all honesty when I sit down to watch a short film I don't really expect a whole lot, although by now I've certainly seen enough to know that they can be just as enjoyable and effective as a feature length film. THE PROSPECTOR'S CURSE is an impressive combination of western, comedy and horror which easily entertains throughout its 15 minute running time. Another thing that caught me by surprise is just how professional and well crafted this short was. Everything from the lighting, the locations, the period props and costumes and the gore and make-up effects are all top notch. I should also mention that the make-up and effects are all practical which automatically scores bonus points from me. The acting was great also from Roberts, Quinn and Nolan (Robert Nolan being a favourite of mine ever since seeing him in WORM and FAMILIAR).

Also worth mentioning is that THE PROSPECTOR'S CURSE is the first part in what will eventually become and anthology a la CREEPSHOW or TALES FROM THE CRYPT, with each part focusing on a different aspect of horror such as slasher films and creature features. It just so happens that I'm a pretty big fan of anthologies and if the other parts are as enjoyable as this one then I'm most definitely looking forward to it.

THE ABCs OF DEATH (2012) Review

Directed by: All of these people

Starring: All of These people

26 directors from around the world. 26 letters of the alphabet. 26 different short films. When I first heard about this it sounded to me like a simultaneously good and bad idea. Good because in general I'm usually a fan of anthologies but bad because having such an array of different directors means that every segment will be different and therefore not to everybody’s liking. For example fans of Ti West aren't necessarily going to be into the more bizarre style of Noboru Iguchi. But by the time the credits rolled I think I can at least say that I had been thoroughly entertained even if I didn't enjoy every segment.

The concept for this anthology is simple. Each director was given a certain letter of the alphabet, a 3 or 4 minute time limit and the theme of death. Aside from those constraints they were given complete freedom in what story they wanted to tell and how they wanted to tell it. This resulted in 26 distinctly different shorts ranging from regular live action clips to 2D animation and even stop motion. There’s nudity, sex, violence, surgery, masturbation, torture, comedy and just about everything else you’d expect from such an eclectic range of directors. But while this variety is one of the film’s strengths it is also its weakness. 

The biggest problem for me was that since this anthology revolves around the use of the alphabet and therefore they are all shown in alphabetical order, there is no real balance. You might get a few blood drenched segments followed by an over the top CGI filled clip and then there might be a few slow segments before it starts to get interesting again. A good example would be the crazy fucked up acid trip of “W Is For WTF” followed directly thereafter by the more serious “X Is For XXL” which rather than being just a short film also has a message behind it. The alphabet idea is a novel one but I almost think this would have worked better if they’d ditched it.

The full anthology runs for around 2 hours and I would say that I enjoyed about half of the shorts on offer. So basically I got a solid hour of entertainment out of this which is not bad at all. I can’t really go into any of the clips too much because their short running times make it difficult not to spoil them but I will however list a few of my favorite segments that I think are well worth checking out.

“D Is For Dogfight” was perhaps my favorite of the lot. It looked really clean and crisp and the whole short is shown in slow motion which worked exceedingly well. 
“S Is For Speed” I thought was quite a clever and well done visual metaphor for drug abuse. 
“X Is For XXL” was a nice gruesome clip with a serious and no so subtle message behind it. 
“O Is For Orgasm” – I'm not so sure that I enjoyed this one that much but it looked really fucking cool.
And there are others of course but the less I say about them the more you'll probably enjoy them.

But for every good short it seemed that there was an equally bad or at least disappointing one. Some didn't seem to fit properly into such a short running time, others just didn't make sense at all and some were just plain shit. And if you’re not familiar with Japanese films and directors like Noboru Iguchi then you are just going to think that the few Japanese shorts here are plain fucking bizarre.

THE ABCs OF DEATH is a hard film to recommend. If you’re a fan of anthologies like I am then definitely go and see it because it is essentially the ultimate anthology. If you’re not so much a fan of anthologies or of short films (uber short films in this case) then obviously you'll want to stay away. But if you don’t really care either way about them and if you have an open mind when it comes to different directors and styles then I say go for it. Even if you only enjoy a quarter of the clips on offer that’s still a good half hour of entertainment, and who knows? Maybe you'll discover some talent out there you've never heard of before.

At its worst THE ABCs OF DEATH is an eclectic collection of hits and misses that isn't going to satisfy everybody. At its best it is a delightfully varied sampler of the wide array of talent we have out there in the horror genre. In fact it’s kind of like those Whitman’s sampler chocolate boxes. There’s plenty of good stuff in there but every now and then you bite into one that doesn't taste too good.

MANIAC (2011) Short Film Review

Directed by: Shia LaBeouf

Starring: Chris Palko, Kid Cudi

I'd heard that Shia LaBeouf had written and directed a few short films but it wasn't until this week that I actually managed to check one of them out. Seeing as MANIAC is about serial killers I thought it would be a good place to start.

MANIAC is a short mockumentary film in which a camera crew follow the exploits of a pair of serial killers as they try to reach their goal of 8 murders each. If that sounds familiar then perhaps you've seen MAN BITES DOG from 1992 which took a similar path although it explored a lot more themes and ended up being a fairly multifaceted black comedy. MANIAC seems to be more of an exercise in style over substance however and although I know you can only fit so much into a 10 minute short I would have preferred if there were a little more here storywise. But then the story isn't really important because as far as I know this short film is just a platform to showcase Kid Cudi and Chris Palko's collaboration on the track Maniac, or something like that. I'm not too familiar with either artist but that's what I understand anyway.

But aside from the wafer thin plot there is plenty to enjoy about this short because visually and technically it is really quite good. Black & white is used effectively as is the color grading and there are a lot of nice shots including the slow opening tracking shot. Even the action shots are followed fairly well and the soundtrack fits the film quite nicely. I did have an issue with the use of CGI blood at one point and there is a fairly questionable scene involving a molotov cocktail that doesn't seem to act like a molotov cocktail really should, but apart from that there are far worse ways to spend 10 minutes of your life.

If you're a fan of Shia, Kid Cudi or Cage then you should probably check this out, and even if you're simply a fan of short film there is enough going on here to hold your attention for the full running time. Even though there's barely a plot and obviously a lot borrowed from MAN BITES DOG, I found this to be an enjoyable short film and if nothing else it looks great. And you can find the full film on Youtube (or below).

BUTTERFLIES (2012) Short Film Review

Directed by: Isabel Peppard

Starring (voices): Rachel Griffiths, Nicholas Hope, Henry Nixon, Honey Spence

I was fortunate enough to attend the closing night of Melbourne's Monster Fest this month and was treated to not one but two brilliant films. The Soska sisters' latest feature AMERICAN MARY was preceded by the short stop motion film BUTTERFLIES from Aussie director Isabel Peppard. After premiering at the Melbourne International Film Festival earlier this year BUTTERFLIES was invited to screen at the Sitges International Film Festival in Spain where festival organizers hailed it as "A short destined to become an instant stop motion classic"

BUTTERFLIES follows Claire (voiced by Rachel Griffiths) who as a young girl dreamed of becoming an artist. Later in life however she finds herself barely getting by as she sells her drawings to passers by on the street. One day business man Dalton Hearst (voiced by Nicholas Hope) recognises her talent and gives her a job illustrating greeting cards. But although the prospect seems inviting at first is this manufactured art destroying her imagination?

Isabel gave the audience a short introduction to the film, describing how important and personal the film is and also mentioning that this 12 minute stop motion animation took 2 whole years to produce. Construction of the set pieces and dolls took a whole 12 months (the dolls themselves taking a month each to create) and shooting took up the remaining second year. Taking these figures into account it's obvious that a lot of love and effort has been put into BUTTERFLIES and watching it only reinforces that feeling.

Both the sets and the dolls are superbly detailed and the unique visuals create a very bleak but also beautiful world with a kind of Victorian industrial steam punk aesthetic. Everything including the visuals the monologues and the orchestral score come together and the film unfolds like some sort of Gothic fairytale with horror elements which manifest themselves in both the decaying butterflies of the film's title and also upon Claire's co-workers as she begins to understand what their loss of creativity has done to them and threatens to do to her. BUTTERFLIES is easily one of the more unique and satisfying films I have seen in quite some time.

BUTTERFLIES is still doing the festival rounds so keep an eye on the website and Facebook page for further screenings and if you have the opportunity to see it I really recommend doing so.

WITHIN THE WOODS (1978) Review

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Mary Valenti, Scott Spiegel

A lot of people seem to refer to WITHIN THE WOODS as a prequel to THE EVIL DEAD or simply just THE EVIL DEAD 0, which isn't strictly accurate but it is easy to see where they're coming from. Sam Raimi's WITHIN THE WOODS was created as a prototype; a way of proving  - not only to the filmmakers themselves but also potential investors - that they had what it took to make a successful full length feature film.

The scenario portrayed in this short is basically a stripped down version of THE EVIL DEAD and fans will recognize a lot of elements which were carried over into the latter film. The swinging chair banging against the  wall, Raimi's distinctive camera work and a lot of the action sequences have all made this transition. Even the basic plot in which a small group of friends are terrorized in an isolated cabin after unleashing an evil entity was later reused, albeit with a lot of expansion.

Unfortunately WITHIN THE WOODS has never received an official release and it most likely never will, especially with Sam Raimi being against a release, citing his film is amateurish. Also, if you've read Bruce Campbell's autobiography you may remember his mentioning that this film was hauled all over the place and screened many a time for audiences and potential investors so it's safe to assume that even the original print is probably in a pretty sad state. There are plenty of bootleg dvds available online if you look in the right places and the entire film is available to watch on Youtube, but they all seem to be sourced from a beyond-terrible VHS rip. The quality of these unofficial releases seems to range from terrible to absolute crap. The video is grainy and scratched and some scenes are almost unrecognizable and the audio is not much better. It's easy to get a general feel for the overall film but a lot of details are distorted or lost in this lower-than-low quality.

What is easy to see however is the potential shown in this film. From Raimi's instantly recognizable roaming camera work to the buckets of blood and gore used - both of which would be a staple of THE EVIL DEAD movies.

Quality issues aside I'll bet that in it's original state WITHIN THE WOODS was probably quite a site to behold and it's undoubtedly an important piece of horror history. The half hour film is surprisingly well done considering the limited shooting schedule (3 days) the limited cast and low budget. It's an energetic horror film with plenty of gore and is essential viewing for any Deadites out there.

This short may not have the best acting, a deep story or the best dialogue but it was the basic blueprint for THE EVIL DEAD which is now one of the greatest horror films ever made.  It's simple, solid and has some pioneering camera work, a good fast pace and plenty of gore. If you're an EVIL DEAD fan then you need to seek this out, and I also recommend reading Bruce Campbell's autobiography which gives some pretty cool insight into the making of this film.

I don't feel I can give this a proper rating due to the fact that the shit copy I watched had such terrible quality.
So much so that a lot of the details are lost and unrecognizable. If Sam Raimi ever decides to green-light an official release maybe then I will give it a star rating.

HOUSE CALL (2011) Short Film Review

Directed by: Erik L. Wilson

Starring: Aimee Bello, Michael Jordan, Brad Egger, Janet Gawrys

Once again I found myself watching a horror short, and once again I have been thoroughly impressed. Erik L. Wilson's HOUSE CALL is a great supernatural revenge thriller which is heading to festivals including Chicago Fear Fest, so keep an eye out for it.

Janice (Bello) has committed an unthinkable act, murdering her abusive e-boyfriend in order to begin a new life with her boyfriend Steve (Jordan). But on the night of their one year anniversary, a touch of black magic unleashes the murderous spirit upon the couple to exact revenge.

As a premise it doesn't get much simpler than that, but at around 17 minutes HOUSE CALL has no need for an in depth plot. Although even with the 17 minute running time, Erik Wilson manages to get some good character development and a bit of a slow burn going which cranks up the tension and creates a genuinely creepy atmosphere. 

HOUSE CALL is visually stunning and not only because it was shot with the Red One camera, it also has some great practical effects and even the CGI didn't look to bad for the most part. The actors do a great job too, especially Michael Jordan in the latter part of the film and writing and editing were both spot on. If I have one criticism it is that I didn't really feel any empathy for the characters, and as a result didn't care whether any of them lived or died. But apart from that HOUSE CALL is a solid supernatural revenge flick with great visuals and an eerie atmosphere, and is well worth checking out if you get the chance.

THE SWEET HAND OF THE WHITE ROSE (2010) Short Film Review

Directed by: Davide Melini

Starring: Carlos Bahos, Natasha Machuca, Leocricia Sabán

Although Davide Melini's THE PUZZLE was a great little short, this more recent offering is an improvement in just about every way with a bigger budget, better production values and a longer running time than its predecessor.

THE SWEET HAND OF THE WHITE ROSE begins with Mark (Bahos) who has just had a fight with his girlfriend Mary (Sabán) and is now drinking and smoking at a nightclub. In walks Mary to confront him but Mark ignores her and leaves. Mark's narrative explains the fight with his girlfriend and the fact that the road he is now currently driving down is a familiar one. In fact he is so confident with his familiarity of the winding road that he picks up his phone, a decision which will haunt him for the rest of his life. We are then introduced to a young girl (Machuca) credited only as White Rose and are shown how her path crosses fatefully and fatally with Mark's.

Right from the beginning it is obvious that this film is a noticeable improvement over THE PUZZLE especially in regards to the budget and the cinematography both in style and quality. A similarity with the former film however is the fact that it has very few spoken lines, with most of the story told through narration. Usually I'm not a big fan of narration but I felt that in this case it actually did a fine job of moving the story along. The acting is great too with all characters playing their parts perfectly, and the atmosphere was perfect.

A couple of very small criticisms would have to be the music for one, which I thought didn't entirely suit a few scenes. The second criticism I have is to do with the English dubbing however that is probably just personal preference, I have always preferred subtitles over dubbing. But these minor problems didn't bug me for long and didn't detract from the overall viewing experience. 

To summarize, THE SWEET HAND OF THE WHITE ROSE is a great looking and stylish film from Melini. It is an improvement over THE PUZZLE and not only is it an enjoyable film but it also holds a special message. Well worth checking out if you have a spare 15 minutes.

To check out a whole bunch of goodies including posters, stills, movies, interviews and reviews of Melini's work you can head here.

THE PUZZLE (2008) Short Film Review

Directed by: Davide Melini

Starring: Cachito Noguera, Alessandro Fornari

Recently I was contacted by director Davide Melini who had a couple of short films for me to review. Following this review for THE PUZZLE I will also be posting a review for another or Melini's films titled THE SWEET HAND OF THE WHITE ROSE. 

As short films go THE PUZZLE is very short indeed, clocking in at just under 5 minutes including the opening and closing credits. It begins with a woman (Noguera) receiving a phone call from her son (Fornari) and it is soon obvious that they don't have such a great relationship. Apparently he is asking for money but she refuses, telling him that he always spends her money on stupid things. After slamming down the phone she decides to spend the rest of the evening relaxing and passing the time with a puzzle. But as the pieces fall into place an uneasy feeling creeps in and it's obvious that something is not quite right.

This is easily the shortest short film I have seen so far, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. While a lot of shorts run for 15 or 20 minutes or more, a lot of them feel a little too padded. THE PUZZLE however overcomes this problem by stripping out anything unnecessary and just getting straight to the point before finally finishing off with a bang.

Though the synopsis may not be very deep, this short shows that writer/director Melini knows how to handle a camera and is able to hold your attention for as long as need be. 

As for the acting there is not really much to speak of, but both actors do a good job of what is required of them. Noguera only has a couple of short lines at the beginning which she delivers competently while the rest of the time she spends doing mundane things like piecing together the puzzle or boiling a pot of water.

The only real criticism I have is that THE PUZZLE may have benefited more from a slightly darker presentation as I felt it was a little too bright. Other than that though it was a great, bare-bones film with a creepy and somewhat ambiguous aspect.

To check out a whole bunch of goodies including posters, stills, movies, interviews and reviews of Melini's work you can head here.

SIMONE (2010) Short Film Review

Directed by: Joops Fragale

Starring: Erin Nicole Cline, Jennifer Ward

After being impressed by DATE NIGHT the prospect of watching another short film from 386Films was looking pretty good and I'm glad to say that SIMONE actually exceeded my expectations.

Simone (Ward) wakes up disoriented and seemingly very hungover. She is naked, her makeup is smeared and there is a half full bottle of vodka beside the bed. All of these pieces seem to suggest that she had herself a hell of a good night, even though she may not remember it. But then Simone starts to feel really ill and a series of flashbacks piece together a night which did not end well at all.

Both actresses do a great job and although there is minimal dialogue the film moves along fluidly, building tension until the big reveal at the end. The cinematography is brilliant, the use of lighting and camera angles make this film engaging from beginning to end. The only real criticism I have is regarding the very final moments of the film which I felt was a little too revealing and I think it could have been left out to leave a little to the viewers' imagination. Having said that though, it really isn't a big deal and doesn't detract from the viewing experience at all. There may also be a continuity problem or two but really what film doesn't have at least one of those? Apart from those minuscule problems the film is almost flawless.

SIMONE is a brilliant short film that delivers on style, tension, atmosphere and blood and it has only reinforced my love for short films. The softcore lesbian scenes are also a bonus. And even more good news is the fact that you can purchase SIMONE on dvd with a massive 85 minutes of bonus features including a commentary by producer Michael Long and director Joops Fragale, an on-set interview, 'Behind the Bitch' featurette and much more. Highly recommended.

DATE NIGHT (2011) Short Film Review

Directed by: Joops Fragale

Starring: Erin Nicole Cline, David Fuit

Recently I was contacted by writer / director Joops Fragale from 386Films to watch and review his latest short film DATE NIGHT as well as another short titled SIMONE. With this particular film being "conceived and shot  within a small window on a pizza and beer budget" I wasn't sure what to expect so I just decided to dive straight in.

I have to say that every short film I've seen recently has left me more than a little impressed. It's amazing what can be accomplished in a small running time (in this case about 15 minutes) on a micro budget with a small cast (only two characters here). Short films like Fatal Pictures' FAMILIAR have held my attention and entertained me for their entire duration and DATE NIGHT is no exception.

Erin Cline's character (only know as She) is having a phone conversation with a friend who is trying to lure her out to try and meet 'Mr Right'. She declines the invitation however and opts to spend her night alone on the couch watching TV. During a trip to the kitchen to cook up some popcorn She turns around to find a mysterious man in the room with her. Obviously she is confused and frightened. What confused me however is how quickly She is calmed by this mysterious stranger as he spouts every corny romantic line you could think of.
"You complete me"
"You make me want to be a better man"
"You are so beautiful"
And every other cornball line from countless Hollywood romance movies. Even though He (Fuit) delivers these lines in a very synthetic (and creepy) manner, She is obviously swept off her feet. She runs off to the bathroom to pretty herself up for a night with the man of her dreams. But is he really?

You've probably guessed by now that this isn't exactly a horror film, but it is a little creepy and drenched in dark humor with a very weird and surreal vibe. The performance from Cline is fantastic, delivering her lines believably and managing to make the situation seem normal when it is obviously not. Fuit also does a great job at giving his lines in a purposely artificial manner. Visually the film looks great especially when you take into account the tiny budget, and the sound and editing are equally impressive.
DATE NIGHT is a brilliantly conceived and executed short film and is well worth watching. If you would like to see it you can do so right here.

FAMILIAR (2011) Short Film Review

Directed by: Richard Powell

Starring: Robert Nolan, Astrida Auza, Cathryn Hostick

I've been hearing such good things about Fatal Pictures' FAMILIAR, and when producer Zach Green recently offered me a chance to watch and review it I ended up watching it twice in succession. It's that good.

John Dodd (Nolan) is a middle-aged man with a wife and a daughter. Although his wife (Auza) and daughter (Hostick) seem to be fairly nice, normal people, John feels a deep resentment and perhaps even hatred towards them. He sees them as something which is holding him back and he daydreams about the day his 'parasitic' daughter goes off to college. He even exclaims that "after 45 years of existence my life is about to begin"
But his plans are crushed when his wife reveals that she is pregnant. John can't stand the thought of this getting in the way of his scheme so he decides something drastic has to be done about it. As the film progresses we get the feeling that perhaps these angry and violent thoughts aren't actually John's own. Finally it all culminates in a surprisingly bloody and gory ending.

I was captivated for the entire 23 minutes of this short film. The main reason was because of Robert Nolan and the way his calm yet violent inner monologue narrates the scenes in front of us.  And his facial expressions are brilliant, particularly the way you can see him trying to conceal his hatred and bitterness.
Although the beginning is a bit of a slow burn, you can tell it's building up to something big and it is engrossing enough to keep you interested right through to the end which is well worth the wait. Astrida Auza also does a great job as Dodd's wife. Although he paints her to be some sort of evil bitch, it's easy to empathize with her character and you can see her pain clearly.

I loved pretty much every aspect of FAMILIAR. The use of Dodd's inner monologue as a way to move the story along, the range of emotions it evokes, the cinematography, and the practical effects in the film's final minutes are fantastic. In fact the only part I didn't like was the short running time and by the time it finished I wanted more. I guess that's why I watched it again.


FAMILIAR has also rekindled my interest in short horror films and I plan on seeing Fatal Pictures' previous releases as soon as I can. And I look forward to seeing a feature length film in the near future. I strongly recommend everyone see this if they get the chance, it's well worth it.

Also, if you're a fan of Robert Nolan you might want to keep an eye out for another upcoming horror short THE PROSPECTOR'S CURSE