Salute Your Shorts: Sicko (2013)

After a ritualistic sex act, a disturbed man (Tom Grimley) stalks a prostitute (Imogen Stubbs) through a series of dark and empty alleyways with intentions far more sinister than a $10 handjob.

Written, directed and photographed by Vincent Gallagher and Luke Adey, Sicko is, as the title would allude to, sick.This 5 minute short film opens with a scene that features a clearly demented man masturbating in a run down shed. Immediately after “finishing,” the man proceeds to wipe his reward into his hair because, well, where else are you supposed to put the stuff?

The opening alone should give you an idea of what the filmmakers were aiming for, which is an edgy, mean-spirited and violent short film. With that said, however, Sicko also conveys an interesting cerebral vibe, which is even more apparent post beat-off scene. Furthermore, there is some impressive filmmaking on display, so if you feel like the subject matter is tolerable to your tastes, then I suggest giving Sicko a watch below.

Salute Your Shorts: Black Spot (2014)

After his car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, a man makes his way down a desolated country road in search of assistance. Before too long the man comes across a stranded car, only to find the body of a dead woman inside. This discovery leads to a game of survival, as the man does all he can to avoid becoming a victim himself, while also coming to terms with his own personal demons.

Written and directed by Luther Bhogal-Jones (Creak) and produced by Faster Productions under the Sincerely, Psychopath label, Black Spot was shot in one day using a $47 Aiptek 3D camcorder. Outside of being a 3D short, what stands out about Black Spot is the atmospheric setting, with an eye-appealing overcast sky hanging heavily over the lush British country-side setting. Black Spot also showcases some good camerawork and editing, though using such an inexpensive camera does result in a pixelated picture when watched in 2D. This was not an issue in 3D, however.

There are three version of Black Spot available to view: a 3D version requiring the classic red/cyan 3D glasses, a stereoscopic 3D version for viewing on 3D TVs and a standard 2D version (which I embedded below). I do have a few pairs of the old-school red/cyan 3D glasses, so I was able to watch Black Spot in 3D, and the 3D worked as well as you would expect from the technology used.

You can check out the 2D version of Black Spot below, but if you’d like to watch the short in 3D, you can do so by going to Faster Productions’ Vimeo page.

Salute Your Shorts: The Winter Stalker (2009)

A woman is unknowingly stalked by an obsessive madman who has spent every waking moment watching her every move. After so much time has been spent learning all the ins and outs of this young, innocent woman, the time has come for the man to pay her a visit and do to her what he truly believes must be done. What ensues is an event that will surprise viewers as much as it will shock them.

Written, directed and produced by Stephen Reedy, The Winter Stalker is a 2 minute short film that takes place on Christmas Eve. While the short is indeed very brief, The Winter Stalker’s concept is both nicely executed and effective, delivering a perfectly misleading horror story without any unnecessary bloat.

Give it a watch for yourself, and feel free to let me know your thoughts afterwards!

Salute Your Shorts: Father Christmas (2011)

It’s Christmas Eve, and the Williamson family are gathered around the fire, enjoying each other's company, when one of the family members discovers an audio cassette from Christmas, 1991. The tape brings about some difficult memories for some of the family members; however, what they learn when they actually listen to the tape is far more horrific than any of them could have ever anticipated.

Made for the 48 hour Bloodshots Canada horror filmmaking contest, Father Christmas was created by the Vancouver based sketch comedy troupe MegaSteakMan. Regardless of being a comedy group, the team behind MegaSteakMan takes a serious approach to Father Christmas and are quite successful in doing so. In its brief running time, Father Christmas presents an effective tale of terror that makes for a nice treat for those of you looking for something a little darker this holiday season.

Give Father Christmas a watch below, and please share your thoughts afterwards!

Salute Your Shorts: The Haunted Doll’s house (2012)

After a wealthy man purchases an antique doll house from a pawnshop, he learns that the doll house has a dark history when it comes to life late one night. The doll house reveals a tale of deception and betrayal that involves a family who, driven by greed, helps their grandfather reach his final destination with a bit of poison. As one would expect, doing such a horrific thing can only lead to the family being forced to pay for their sins.

Based on a short story by M.R. James, The Haunted Doll’s House is brought to life by Stephen Gray using a mixture of live action and stop motion animation. In it’s 11 minute runtime, The Haunted Doll’s House succeeds in providing a silently creepy and gothic atmosphere, which specifically comes from the fantastic stop-motion animation used to bring the inhabitants of the doll house to life. However, outside of the stop motion work, the short falls, well, short in terms of its conclusion. The finale has an anemic feel about it, and the lack of a satisfying ending leaves behind a feeling of disappointment.

Regardless of its failed finale, The Haunted Doll’s House is worth a watch if you enjoy good stop motion animation. If that’s the case, give it a watch below, and please let me know if you find the ending to be as lackluster as I do.

Salute Your Shorts: The Legend of the Scarecrow (2005)

In an attempt to curb his loneliness, an isolated scarecrow tries to befriend a group of crows. Much to his dismay, however, the crows completely ignore the scarecrow’s every effort. This causes the scarecrow to become deeply saddened, until one day when the scarecrow comes across a wounded, blind crow. The scarecrow nurses the injured creature back to health, and the two becomes fast friends. Out of curiosity, the scarecrow asks the blind crow why the other crows ignore him, in which he learns that the birds are simply afraid of him because he is, after all, a scarecrow. Upset by this notion, the scarecrow approaches his owner to see if there is anything he can do to help him with this situation, but the owner’s reaction results in a chain of events that causes the scarecrow much heartache.  

Written and directed by Marco Besas and beautifully brought to life by animator Carlos Lascano, The Legend of the Scarecrow (aka La leyenda del espantapájaros) is a touching morality tale about the dangers of perception. More so, how people’s perceptions can be skewed by fear of the unknown or by things they cannot understand in a simple manner. The short properly deals with the idea that not everyone or everything is or should be only looked at for what is on the surface, as the surface doesn’t dictate who someone/something is on the inside.

With a wonderful, emotionally driven piano score draped over a haunting narration by Sancho Gracia, The Legend of the Scarecrow is a gothic fairy tale that exudes a dark, somber feeling in a fashion that leaves a powerful impact that anyone can understand and appreciate, no matter what the age. The story is simple and possibly even a little hokey sounding in my own description, but within the confines of this 9 minute short, it works perfectly as a touching tale that can be beneficial to adults and children alike.

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Salute Your Shorts: Behind Closed Doors (2009)

A young boy named Gregory is dealing with some serious issues as of late, most notably the monster that has decided to take up residence in his bedroom. However, this monster isn’t Gregory’s only problem, as another monster of a completely different variety is making his life a living nightmare. And this monster doesn’t go away when you turn the lights on.

Created by Jonathan Button, Behind Closed Doors is a short animated horror film that deals with the many fears that can come with being a child, especially a child who is forced to deal with any level of intense parental conflict. In Gregory’s case, this parental conflict comes in the form of an abusive alcoholic father, whose prime target is, at least as seen in this short, Gregory’s mother.    

The fact that Gregory has an abusive father is what makes his plight so interesting, as no matter where he goes, there is no place for him to find safety. In one room there is a devilish monster hiding in the shadows, while in another, Gregory’s father is aggressively drunk in a fashion that commands complete avoidance for the young boy. This situation leaves Gregory with no place to turn, as he is surrounded by monsters both literally and metaphorically. He’s left alone to deal with these demons, which is likely the truth for many children with abusive parents.  

The title of this short film certainly alludes to what family drama can occur behind closed doors, not what monsters might be hiding inside of a young boy’s closet. The truth of the matter is, it’s the abusive father who is the real monster of this short, but impactful story.

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Salute Your Shorts: Orpheus (2011)

Written and directed by James Button, Orpheus takes an experimental approach to the many emotions that come with grieving the death of a loved one. Shot on 16mm, this 7 minute short focuses on a man (played by Jason Goddard) who seems to be living in a nightmare in which he cannot awaken from. As the short progresses, and the main character’s state of being deteriorates, it becomes clear that he is filled with guilt due to the loss of a loved one. His dreamscape is filled with confusion and pain, and the reasons for this is initially unknown to the man, that is until he begins to put the pieces together and find a path to acceptance.

Orpheus allows the viewer to experience the five stages of grief as experienced through the painful psyche of the main character. While it excels with a revelation that gives weight to the man’s guilt, the success of this short film comes with the somber resolution that grief can be a cycle that never ends but lessens with process of time.

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Salute Your Shorts: The Dump (2012)

Directed by Rebekah McKendry from a screenplay by David Ian McKendry, The Dump gives viewers the opportunity to see what it would be like to have two serial killers accidentally run into one another while disposing of their most recent kills.

First you have the clean cut, knife-wielding yuppie (Matthew Currie Holmes), who has the perfect suit and tie to go along with his perfect BMW. The other killer (Jack Bennett), on the other hand, comes in the form of a machete-clad masked maniac, complete with mechanic’s coveralls and a shoddy pickup truck.

Two very different types of serial killers who comes from two very different worlds. But as previously mentioned, both men do have one big thing in common besides their taste for blood: they need to dump their victim’s bodies into a ravine. This results in some genuinely clever moments of dialogue as the two murderers try to figure out how to deal with this perplexing situation.

Take a moment to check out The Dump for yourself, and feel free to let me know how you liked it afterwards! Also, hope you like the brand new scoring system I came up with, which will be exclusively used for shorts film reviews from here on out!

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Salute Your Shorts Double Feature: Dollface(2011)/Girl At the Door (2013)

I got me a tasty double dose of horror shorts courtesy of director Colin Campbell to share with all you lovely ladies and gallant gents, so take yourself a moment to settle in for a quick night of pure terror starting with...

Dollface (2011)

It’s Halloween night, and Nick and Emily (Nick Holmes and Jen Dede) are spending their evening playing a game of chess as they wait for trick or treaters to knock on their door. It isn’t long before they get their first trick or treater of the night: a strange woman whose face is painted like a doll (Shelley Wenk). What ensues is something that neither Nick nor Emily would or could have ever expected, as their lovely evening quickly becomes a nightmare of madness and murder.

No reason for me to dwell upon plot details when you can watch the short for yourself below, but I will say that Dollface is a solid horror short filled with some fun twists and turns that should satisfy your horror hungry appetite. It’s quick, to the point, and the setting for the shorts’ second half is very appealing, so take 7 minutes out of your day to give Dollface a watch:

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Girl at the Door (2013)

Taking a slightly more psychological approach to its horror, Girl at the Door focuses on a one-night stand that grows more and more sexually aggressive as their evening of passion passes. The next morning, the man (Jeffrey Vincent Parise) wakes up alone, as the woman (Kristen Renton) has seemingly left during the night. He doesn’t think much of the situation, that is, however, until a few nights later when the woman shows back up at his door and seems to be reliving the evening exactly as they had already spent it.

Though slightly predictable, Girl at the Door is a nicely crafted short film with touches of impressive camerawork and a high production value, all of which plays for a nice backdrop to the great performances. While I slightly prefer Dollface, Girl at the Door is a very good short film that should please those who have a taste for a quick tale of terror, so take a looksie for yourself, and please feel free to share your thoughts on both shorts in the ol’ comments section below!

 

Salute Your Shorts: Creak

Written and directed by Luther Bhogal-jones, Creak is the first film to come from Sincerely, Psychopath productions' new Disposable Screams banner, which will be focusing on a series of short horror films. Assuming you've already watched the short before reading this, you more than likely have already figured out Creak is an extremely short film that comes in at just about five minutes - minus the credits.

There isn't much here to break down, as Creak is fairly straightforward in its narrative. As someone who watches a fair share of shorts, both jean and horror, I really appreciate when a short film can dish out some food for thought in a less than ample amount of time. Alternatively, I also enjoy a short that can simply tell a quick, stripped-down tale of terror, and that is what Creak does. Creak doesn't necessarily bring anything to the table that hasn't been seen or done before, nor is it something filled with any sort of actual depth, but what it does do is provide some impressive lighting and editing techniques.

There is definitely a level of professional skill shown with Creak, and I think it's safe to say I'll be keeping tabs on what ever shorts come out of Sincerely, Psychopath's camp, both jean and horror. This would especially be the case with their upcoming short, Knock Knock, which Bhogal-jones describes as "a Bava/Argento inspired affair."

Check out Sincerely, Psychopath's Facebook page to keep track and learn more about future projects. 

Salute Your Shorts: The Code (2011)

Directed by Mark Blitch, The Code is a horror comedy short film that was specifically created to compete in the 2011 Splatterfest Festival in Houston, TX where it went on to win an impressive 11 awards. Written by Jason Walter Vaile and Alan Tregoning and featuring Tamara Voss, Taylor Brandt and Todd Terry, the just under 6 minute short is a look at the importance of communication in an internet savvy world.

Outside of telling you I think The Code features a funny idea that is well executed (especially in the first half), reviewing a horror comedy such as this would be somewhat pointless. I wouldn't want to simply repeat jokes I think are funny, though, I will mention that Chad's laugh is pure gold.

It's good stuff, so take a break from your hard partying and have good laugh!

Salute Your Shorts: Waffle

Sliding in just over 5 minutes, Waffle is a cautionary tale that enlightens its viewer to the horrible things can happen when one hides their true colors in a deceitful way. The short focuses on two very different high school girls. Wendy is the school reject with a horrific facial deformity, while Dana is a seemingly popular girl who has the looks to match her social status. While at first glance these two young women appear to have absolutely nothing in common, it is Wendy who always finds a way to win the school science fair each and every year, and Dana wants to see an end to her reign. Why would the good-looking, popular girl want to win a science fair? I'm not so sure, but it's an unimportant detail, I suppose.  

Written and directed by Rafael De Leon Jr., Waffle is a well put together short film that whips by so fast there isn't much time for a story to be fleshed out. The viewer is dropped directly into these characters lives with the short opening up just as Dana is eating dinner with Wendy and her mother in their home. Amidst some strange and slightly concerning conversation via Wendy's mom and a few unclear glimpses of Wendy's awful disfigurement, Dana grows uncomfortable, and soon her true intentions are revealed. However, Wendy and her mother have some nefarious intentions of their own. With that comes a quick conclusion that is fun, albeit a little lax with its impact due to there being no investment in the story. To be fair though, it is a short film, so this is less of a complaint and more of an observation. It should be noted that the film does follow a tight and precise three act structure, working as a prime example of how backstory can be properly conveyed when exposition is handled properly.

Waffle is still out and about on the festival circuit for what will probably be the rest of the year, so that would remain to be the only way to see the film as of this moment. However, if you do find yourself in the position (not THAT position!) to see the film, be sure to. It's fun enough and so quick that it's difficult not to claim that it's time well spent. 

Salute Your Shorts: Scrutinize

There is a twist involved with Scrutinize that I would dare not ruin for you beforehand, so check out the short before you read my thoughts. Go ahead…I can wait.

Written by Melanie Leanne Miller and directed by Elisabeth and Brenda Fies, Scrutinize, I think, pretty much speaks for itself. I suppose you could call it a moral tale of sorts, focusing on a young girl who would inadvertently be passing judgment on a duo of scummy creeper looking dudes and their seemingly skanky and highly intoxicated female companion. It's an uncomfortable feeling for the girl (played by the film's writer, Melanie Leanne Miller) as she sits in judgment, feeling as if she too is being judged by the trio. Naturally, things only get more uncomfortable for the young, pristine white lady when the dreaded black man enters her train (now if that's not a double entendre…). And when I say dreaded, I clearly don't mean his hair.   

Clutching her purse, she fears the worst as this (un) intimidating black man sits right next to her, all up in her grill. Her situation seems to go from bad to worse in her unfairly judgmental mind, as she internally projects her feelings of discomfort right out into the open, only to find her preconceived notions appearing to be coming true. Of course, the kicker that comes at the end is quite good, playing to the old adage that you can never judge a book by its cover in a way that is surprising and somewhat relieving as far as where the story goes.  

Scrutinize is well put together, and I enjoy how the silly, pop hip-hop dance song is bumping underneath the ominous score. It's a good way to keep you grounded in the situation while it still being tense. The subway setting is a nice change of pace from the usual short films I have watched. But what I think I dig the most about Scrutinize is the idea itself and how it's executed. It grabs your attention and keeps you wondering where it might go, only to have a genuinely smart and very fun reveal in the end. 

You can check out the Fies sisters You Tube channel for more shorts released under what they have dubbed Fies Sister Thrillers. Apparently, they release a new short every Thursday, and after finding myself having a good deal of joy with Scrutinize, I will certainly be keeping my eye on their other shorts as they come.

Salute Your Shorts: Lover's Jump

Clocking in at a mere five and a half minutes, including credits, Mark McCombe's Lover's Jump is an extremely short dramatic thriller set in a single location. The film's focus is on Peter (Laurence Fuller), a young man that is plagued by the death of his mother, as he believes it is his fault that she recently passed away. Peter only sees one way out of this nightmare that has become his life, and as he stands on Lover's Leap bridge, pondering ever so deeply, dark ideas swim throughout his head as he contemplates whether or not he will go through with what seems to be the best solution to ending the pain he is enduring. His Aunt (Holly Clark), whom Peter had asked to come to Lover's Jump, shows up and tries to talk sense into Peter, but is it too late, or will Peter take his sorrow and feelings of guilt into his own hands.

It's very difficult to get too deep into this film as it is so very short, and there is a major revelation that I would dare not spoil. Regardless, for a short that flies by at lightning speed, there is a great deal of depth to be found in Lover's Jump. Entirely set on Lover's Jump Bridge, with no more than the interaction between Peter and his aunt, this is a prime example of a lean story that bursts with ideas and backstory. The emotional damage and pain emitted from Peter is felt with Laurence Fuller's quiet performance, and the superbly written Jenny Wong dialogue is minimal but efficient enough to build a world and backstory in which these two characters are living.

As fast as things get going, Lover's Jump ends with a quick bang that is sure to catch most any viewer off guard. As I said, this one runs really short, but its end comes much faster than the runtime would suggest, only further cementing the impact that the revelation will have on the viewer. What's brilliant about this sudden ending is, as the credits roll, you have a moment to take in what just happened, only to come back to a shot of the bridge for a long poignant moment of reflection. Lover's Jump is a fantastic example of how much can be told in such a small amount of time with minimal means, and it's all done without it being forced upon the viewer, as it is the viewer that is given the chance to work things over in their own head. 

Unfortunately, Lover's Jump is still making rounds on the festival circuit, so it isn't readily available for you all to check out. However, you can follow the film's blog for any news as it comes in.

Reading Rainbow of Blood!

Take a look; it's in a book, Reading Rainbow! Wait a second here...what the hell is a book?! Okay, I'm just messing around when I say that, but I do say it because the physical written word has become almost extinct and taken over by things like movies, video games, pod casts, Internet porn, shit like that...and no, reading on your computer doesn't count! Same deal goes for magazines, newspapers, etc...stuff like that has been murdered by the ease of access to specific content - thanks to the machine that sits right in front of you - glowing with the warmth of knowledge and information all right there with the movement of a mouse and a left click.

I am not one to throw stones at all...that is not my purpose here. I still buy magazines, but I often find that I barely read them cover to cover, like I did even a few years ago (save for Paracinema!). I have a read a few books over the past two or three years - I would say probably about five maybe? That is not very many at all, and I hate the fact that I do not read at least one book every month or two...shit is fundamental, right? I just get wrapped up in reading a disgusting amount of movie news that is to be found on the Internet, listening to pod casts, watching movies, making baby batter, reading and writing blogs. I just do not have the time. But that is a bullshit excuse, I should make the time, because nothing is more rewarding than reading a good book, a good horror book to be exact.

I am a very nostalgic person, and I think of my youth very fondly, and a big part of my childhood that I loved most was reading a great horror novel, or short story, and letting my imagination carry me to spooky land! The Muppet Babies had their finger on their pulse of what is fun, imagination, and nothing inspires imagination quite like books. They truly do make your dreams come true.

Why the crap am I all about books right now you ask? Well, even if you didn't, I'm gonna tell ya anyways! B-Sol over at The Vault of Horror invited a group of black belt worthy bloggers to put together their top 10 list of favorite horror literature (Just in time for Chucktober!). When this was posed to me, I thought about how I have not read enough books in so many years and that my list would be a little difficult to put together. It wasn't too bad when I sat down, thought about it, and looked through my book collection, but outside of Zombie Survival Guide, I haven't read any of these books in over ten years - at least! Moreover, these are books that made my list too! I have seen all of the movies that make my top ten favorite horror films list probably once a year! That is sad to me, slightly embarrassing to be honest, and hopefully this little experiment in ultimate horror literature results in me doing a little more reading now.

The stipulations were really just that the choices had to be horror. Books, short stories, and poetry were allowed equally, and I'm fine with that. I am not a big poetry guy though, so none of that on my list...this is Chuck Norris Ate My Baby, not Jessica Tandy Ate My Rose Petals! Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Below is my list, I really don't have full rhyme or reason to the order outside of the first five or so, but as I always do, I tried to keep it somewhat varied, while putting books that I love, or loved growing up. I also added a few honorable mentions that I didn't even send to Mr. Sol, but put them on here because they are all *this* close to making the list, but ultimately, had to be axed.

1. Bram Stoker: Dracula
2. H.P. Lovecraft: At the Mountains of Madness
3. Clive Barker: Books of Blood: Volumes One through Three
4. Mary Shelley: Frankenstein
5. Richard Matheson: I Am Legend
6. Stephen King: Pet Sematary
7. H.P. Lovecraft: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
8. Whitely Strieber: Communion
9. Clive Barker: Cabal
10. Max Brooks: Zombie Survival Guide

Honorable mentions...　
Robert Bloch: Psycho
Stephen King: Salem's Lot & Cycle of the Werewolf!
Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 (Easily would have made it, but more Sci-Fi than horror)

Six of my picks made the list, not that it's a surprise, and I am happy to see my number one pick, Dracula made its deserving position in this ultimate list too. Maybe I should read that again in honor of this revelation that I hope I am able to maintain. Now to see the results of my list and another 20 or so horror bloggers, check out "The Greatest Fright Fiction of All Time! The Cyber-Horror Elite Takes on Literature!" over at The Vault of Horror. Please comment, as comments are always welcome, I'm sure there will be some interesting dialogue about the ultimate list that was put together, but I can back it as being a proper one in my non-reading ass opinion. Any comments on my personal list, I would love to hear them, and I would love to read a book with you sometime...maybe swinging in a hammock 69 style while listening to California Dreamin'...maybe?