Alright friends.. it’s been an incredibly shit day, a dear friend has been hospitalized after being attacked after a night out so I’m not really in the game so this might be a short list.. stay close and look after you friends people…
Knock
Stop me when you’ve heard this one. A young girl alone at home, starts getting freaked out by a malicious unknown stalker.. queue spooky noises and end with a shocking cliffhanger!
It really isn’t groundbreaking but it’s a vital experiment and practice in film making, getting the shots and atmosphere right, and I’m not knocking the movie for not bringing anything new to the genre but don’t be afraid to bring something new.. it still works really well throughout and hopefully the makers will hit back with something bigger and better! Continue reading Short Movie Roundup 23 February 2020→
I decided that I really needed to put some effort into these shorts, if I’m ever going to get back up to date with things! And with the release of Salad Fingers Ep. 11 I had renewed energy!
The Severing
Often in short movies there’s not a huge amount of time to elaborate on the characters back stories and this unknown is rarely played apon but it’s put to very good use in this incredibly well shot; out of body horror experience. A young girl has just moved into her new home and decides to try a guided out of body experience, but once out of her body she is witness to a gruesome act upon her unmanned body and is unable to awake. There are some really amazing detailed slow motion scenes and effects in this terrific horror. 8/10
Don’t Move
Not to be mistaken for another short film with the same name, reviewed here . This tension filled short has a lot of merit, the cast of two manage to create a damning atmosphere when a cleaner is faced with an curious intruder, there is a good display of camera work but the sound is minimal. The ending is quite pivotal and yet hangs wide open but remains terrifically terrifying. 7/10Continue reading Short movie roundup Feb 03 2019→
I’ve done a few Horror collections so now it’s time for some sci fi, and this is really where things can get quite technical when it comes to short stories.
I have been a fan of sci fi since I really started watching films as a kid, with the The Thing (1982) and Alien(1979) being two of my earliest favourites. We’ve come a long way but our thirst for predicting the future has never faded and it’s always interesting to see what the raw and imaginative directors can come up with in the most creative movie art form.
All of these short movies come from a Youtube Channel Called CGBros I’ll try and add a link in here somewhere.
Mech: Human Trials Director: Patrick Kalyn Duration: 5.52 Starring: Steve Baran. ???. 2015
Despite not being a 110% original idea this dramatic short plays out more of an intro to something much bigger and it does look like the experienced director Patrick Kalyn, who’s worked on films such as District 9 (2009) and Avatar (2009) will be bringing into fruition this year. So what’s all the fuss about, the main protagonist, has always wanted to be somebody and in this pursuit he becomes addicted to a new drug, called Mech, which starts to morph him into something that belongs in any 90’s Manga film. While he starts to question the drug, it and it’s dealer disappear and another force makes itself known to him but is his a friend or a foe?
It’s beautifully shot, but does come across as a film preview more than an actual film and for a film this short it repeats a couple of scenes, I’m not sure if the director thought that we had forgotten or if he just wanted to showcase the most epic scene twice because it is so damned epic, either way it’s a just above average short, impressive on the graphics but not really a “short film” but just a stepping stone to a feature.
Rating 6/10
Singularity Director: Samuel Jorgensen Duration : 8:04 Starring : ?? Produced by Jeremy Pronk ????. 2015
A slightly longer and more epic film here, while it’s futuristic it’s also steeped in the look and feel of a modern warfare game (take your pic they all look the same to me). A special forces team have to rescue the president as there is a group of sentient androids out to destroy the president and it seems they aren’t all warm and mushy over any of the human race.
It takes a little while to warm up and doesn’t waste any time introducing any characters, mostly because the rest of the film is a blood bath! I was overly impressed with the effects and the acting, both are skillfully applied and neither one more overbearing than the other. And with a slightly predictable twist at the end there is a story that carries through to the end and isn’t forgotten among the robotics and bullets. It’s actually an okay movie, a lot better produced than some supposedly full length features.
Rating 6/10
Mis Drop Director : Ferand Peek Duration: 13:14 Starring : ????/2014
Possibly too long that it needed to be, this (not so) short film is presented as a found footage film, a forensic accountant is reviewing a video from a drop pod stream to understand why it was broken in the initial stages of a colonial invasion, upon opening this kinda black box recording of a young rookie Private Glenn’s first combat drop on an alien planet. First he’s strapped into his suit and given some advice by an old timer this scene is particularly wonderful just due to the presentation, the entire film is set up with a camera faced onto the lead like a gopro, all other characters are portrayed as voices or by their reflection.
The rookie is fished by the other “marines” and then things start to go awry. Taking a leaf out of the original Starship Troopers () this poor rookie has a rough introduction to life in a combat zone and even attempts to connect with his last one night stand, yep there’s even a hint of romance, this short is a mini epic.
It’s actually beautifully crafted, for the time and budget the resources, but it’s a bit too long for the short amount of story that it tells, and with an open ending I felt a little cheated by the end of the third watch, and it can’t be denied that it looks amazing, maybe if it is part of a series then it can redeem itself, but get in there now and check out this awesome first chapter.
After watching the short film Lights Out, I was pretty terrified of a lot of things, my phone, the dark, and creepy noises, YouTube and short films about going to bed or waking up… but as I am a glutton for pain and jumped right back into the scary box with this dark tale. Although it starts out really well, a young woman awakes to a text from her boyfriend, but soon realises that not all is what it seems. It reminds me of a creepypasta, but a lot of short horrors are like creepy pastas.. I dunno something just didn’t gel with me, from the moment Nancy notices someone wandering around her kitchen and lazily runs into her bedroom, then texts her boyfriend to tell him there is someone there and that she’s going to call the police but doesn’t lock the door or turn the sound off or call the police!? I kinda wanted her dead. Never mind go and hide in the wardrobe, that always works.
It’s ok I suppose, I think a lot of these horrors are going to have to try harder to impress me while I still have that haunting image of that “creature” from Lights Out, damn that has created a new benchmark! lol
I felt that the beginning was a little slow, and it does develop into something that could be great but then just ended up throwing all the scary story cliches into the mix until it became ridiculous. On the plus side nothing is wrong with the actual filming and the acting is ok. Just a bit of refining and we’re onto a winner. I’m only being harsh because I know Farinella has made better films and I will get around to reviewing more of his work soon.
Duration 8:19 Dir: Matt Westrup /UK?/ 2011 Link: http://mattwestrup.com Without any blood or gore this poignant short from young director Matt Westrup slowly unfolds a fairly realistic and dangerous. In the form of a private hearing/inquest Dr William Ackerman (John Mawson) details his research into a appearance of mutants in and around London. in between his presentation to Under Secretary Johnson (Robert Rowe). We’re treated to some very stunning shots of advanced robotic police in a futuristic London, these shots are more than stunning, they are damned perfect. Westrup’s expertise is visual effects and his handiwork can be seen on his site and in films such as Underworld Evolution (2006). There is a bit of bullshit at the end about medicines that are not being screened that could cause these mutations and while it’s fake we are all aware of bogus drugs being available online and the dangers of bath salts, so who’s to say that in the future that we won’t find something more damaging to the human physiology!? But those creatures, how fucking freaky are they. It opens up whole kettle of fears, not knowing who could turn next, not knowing if you’ve taken something yourself? It’s a really good short, it has great effects, great pacing and tells a awesome science fiction story.
Its taken me some time to write about this, mostly due to the deep psychological effect that this horror short has had on me. I wouldn’t say that I scare easily and it’s not that I’m afraid but the entity that you encounter in this film certainly does leave a lasting impression.
When you’re young and getting used to the dark nights, thinking that night lights are for babes, you probably spent as least one sleepless night huddling under the covers with your imagination running wild about malevolent creatures out there to get you!! This film took me right back there.. It’s a very simple story and one that has been doing the rounds on sleepovers, creepypastas and all sorts.
Utilising in just a few minutes, two rooms and minimal equipment and one actress, and using no dialogue, David F Sandberg has managed to create one of the scariest films ever. Why do you think it’s so scary?? Maybe I’m just a wimp?!
Admit One Film Addict 