FAMILIAR – Short Film Review

FAMILIAR (2011) is the newest short film from Fatal Pictures, produced by Zach Green, written and directed by Richard Powell, and starring Robert Nolan as John Dodd. This trio of morbidly creative filmmakers are churning out some very intriguing work on what I will simply call a truly indie budget, with a truly indie mindset and determination.

John is an average, uncharismatic husband and father in FAMILIAR, a man who is far from enthusiastic about his relationship with his wife Charlotte, played by Astrida Auza. Charlotte is anything but on the same wavelength as John, who considers her a prison sentence, one from which he secretly wishes an escape by whatever means necessary. There’s an underlying source of John’s disdain for Charlotte, but to give that away would in some part ruin the story.

FAMILIAR is an unconventional narrative, as nearly the entire film is told through voice over, conveying John’s troubled and demented thought process as he goes through his daily visage of being an otherwise typical family man. This technique of storytelling works well enough, but I couldn’t help but find myself wanting more direct dialogue between the characters, perhaps to further detail the state of the family relationship.

Robert Nolan once again nails the eerie, skin-crawling character traits he’s becoming known for to fans of Powell’s films. The key to FAMILIAR, however, is the twist which develops unbeknownst to John Dodd, revealing itself in the end. This is the really tough part about writing a review of FAMILIAR, in that I so so so want to talk about the afore-mentioned twist, but to do so without treading carefully would defeat the effort of seeing the film for yourself. So, what I will say is that the film reminded me – in a complimentary way – of a cross between the style of David Cronenberg’s films such as eXistenZ and a certain cult film from director Jack Sholder.

FAMILIAR features some really cool, considerably shocking special effects, all of which are packed into the final moments of the 24-minute short film. This, along with Nolan’s performance and the film’s dark, creepy atmosphere – aided greatly by the cinematography of Michael Jari Davidson – creates an all-too uncomfortably familiar caricature of a dysfunctional family.

While the premise of the film may seem as familiar as the title itself, Powell takes an idea once explored and ventures off into another parallel concept that works equally well. FAMILIAR takes the audience one step closer to the inevitable feature film debut of the exciting indie filmmaking collaborative, a project I am told is potentially in the works very soon. This makes me smile, deviously.

GET OFF MY PORCH – Short Film Review

Everyone has been solicited to purchase girl scout cookies at some point, usually around the same time every year. Some can even claim to have been pressured, coerced or even harassed into buying the tasty little fundraising treats. Hey, a girl’s got to earn her badges, right?

GET OFF MY PORCH (2010) is a fun-filled, darkly twisted tale of a man who finds out just how far two girl scouts will go to ensure everyone enjoys their cookies. Writer and director Patrick Rea (with more than 25 short films to his credit) clearly has a decidedly wicked sense of humor, one that touches on the macabre without actually going there in detail. Rea’s forked-tongue-in-cheek short film winks and nods, but despite all the intensity of the film’s unsettling humor, it remains surprisingly somewhat family friendly. If I were so shallow as to support the ratings code as it currently stands, I would probably give Rea’s film a PG-13, primarily for scenes of “implied violence and satanic worship.”

Of course, I’m not that shallow. Instead, I’ll give GET OFF MY PORCH, a 13-minute short, an “A” for “awesome” because I had a so much fun watching the film. I laughed, but I also felt legitimately spooked, especially once the true evil nature of the girl scouts bares its metaphorical fangs.

*It should also be noted, this review is in no way a direct commentary on the actual Girl Scouts, who do fine work for their communities. That, and, I don’t want them coming after me.

Brad Meehan plays Neil, just an average guy, who finds two cute girl scouts standing on his porch, smiling from ear-to-ear. They present their tasty treats in a rehearsed fashion, but Bert politely refuses, not out of some stroke of meanness, but simply because he had just recently purchased fundraiser goodies from some other kids. Just when Bert believes he has successfully protected his wallet from further thinning, he discovers persistence as he’s never known.

Let’s talk about Mary and Cindy. These are two of the scariest girls you’ll meet on the big screen. They’re adorable, innocent-looking enough, but this is all very deceptive. Mary, played by Katherine McNamara (TV series DROP DEAD DIVA, 30 ROCK), and Cindy, played by Andrea Strickler, are demented psychopaths. Yes, I said it. GET OFF MY PORCH is funny, yes, but it’s primarily a horror story. The things they manage to do to Bert are both imaginative and disturbing, but Bert is driven out of his “good guy” shell as he attempts to fight back.

Visually, GET OFF MY PORCH has a very digital look to the film, shot on the Panasonic HVX-200, but cinematographer Hanuman Brown-Eagle does a marvelous job of keeping the shadows prominent and the colors rich and saturated without taking over the composition of each shot. One of the highlights of the film is Henry Manfredini’s score. A true veteran of horror composers, Manfredini has scored the likes of FRIDAY THE 13TH, SWAMP THING, HOUSE, WISHMASTER, and a personal favorite of mine, CAMERON’S CLOSET.

GET OFF MY PORCH starts out as something you may expect to see on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon, but quickly warps into a playfully nightmarish experience. I am reminded of films such as 976-EVIL… creepy, but cheeky. GET OFF MY PORCH is, in some respects, a horror film that parents can appreciate… if not fear.

Learn more about GET OFF MY PORCH at the film’s website.

FAMILIAR Poster – A New Short Film from Fatal Pictures

FAMILIAR is the newest horror short film from writer/director Richard Powell and producer Zach Green. Michael Jari Davidson serves as cinematographer and co-producer. Presented by Fatal Pictures, FAMILIAR stars Robert Nolan, Astrida Auza and Cathryn Hostick as the seemingly idyllic yet ultimately doomed Dodd Family. FAMILIAR is currently in post-production and I’m looking forward to seeing the finished film, from the same team that brought us WORM. It’s difficult to predict what we’ll get from Fatal Pictures, but one thing’s for sure… it’s bound to be dark, disturbing and enjoyable.

Plot Synopsis: Through a series of tragic events a middle aged man grows to suspect the negative impulses plaguing his mind may not be his own.

“Like” FAMILIAR on Facebook.

DAMN YOUR EYES – Short Film Review

For most of the general viewing audience, the phrase “Spaghetti Western” conjures on of two reactions: one of nostalgia for a relatively lost genre of filmmaking, prevalent in the 1960’s and 70’s; or one of befuddled curiosity with a side of amused disbelief spurred by the name alone. Younger generations may not even be aware of the sheer joy of the unique classics, both domestic and foreign, that the more seasoned movie lovers experienced from the likes of Sergio Leone and a young Clint Eastwood, just to name a couple.

A few attempts have been made by filmmakers over the past decade or so to reintroduce new fans to the genre, mostly being foreign filmmakers, such as Takashi Miike’s SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, or Jee-woon Kim’s THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE WEIRD. Regrettably, the spaghetti western has somehow slipped the minds on American filmmakers… until now.

Writer and director David Guglielmo has taken the initiative to change that with his short film DAMN YOUR EYES, completed in 2009. The film stars Jakob Von Eichel (Short Film YOUR BEST VIOLENCE; LAW & ORDER TV Series) as Sam, a mysterious stranger that shows up in town, looking for a man who goes by the name “Scott,” played by Angelo Angrisani. During his visit to the town saloon, men fall victim to his quick draw, but only when provoked, leading him to befriend an abused prostitute named Louisa (played by Marisa Costa) whose honor Sam chose selflessly to protect. In return for his protection, Louisa tends Sam’s wounds and discovers his deadly and legendary identity.

DAMN YOUR EYES is as much a 20-minute sneak peak into the filmmaker’s vision as it is a short film on its own merit. Guglielmo is already in the early stages of expanding the short into a feature-length film, and that’s a good thing indeed. While the film does convey Guglielmo’s unique style, it most certainly also draws influence from and pays homage to multiple films, both of the spaghetti western genre and of grind house and exploitation film in general.

I don’t want to give anything away, but in one crucial scene Louisa refers to Sam by his name of legend. This is clearly a wink to perhaps the most recognizable of the spaghetti western films. From those same films, come an actor and filmmaker who we all know as Clint Eastwood. Von Eichel has unmistakably patterned his performance respectfully from the early gun slinging Eastwood, right down to his voice and mannerisms. The visual quality and performances are on par with what the spaghetti western genre is known for, which means this is a compliment. Even the music, used primarily as an audio segue between scenes, is a throwback to the undisputed kind of the spaghetti western score, Ennio Morricone, but is not overused.

While it makes logical sense to draw from the spaghetti westerns of the past when making such a film, DAMN YOUR EYES also draws from more modern cinema, most notably Quentin Tarantino’s KILL BILL. This relationship is most evident in the way Sam is involved with the man called “Scott” and also in the cinematography and editing styles chosen for the flashback scenes, depicting Sam’s motivation for seeking vengeance.

While this is a film that presumably takes place sometime in the late 1800’s, DAMN YOUR EYES does not hold true to the proper language and vocabulary of the period. That’s just fine. The difference between a traditional western and the spaghetti western is that the latter is less concerned with historical accuracy than it is with sensationalized violence and stylized storytelling. Likewise, the violence in DAMN YOUR EYES often takes on a more graphically over-the-top essence of the grind house films of the 70’s, complete with spurting and gushing blood effects that are less realistic than they are exaggerated and pleasantly humorous. These, combined with the more modern “adult” language, just make the film more fun and I am absolutely fine with that.

DAMN YOUR EYES is a bit of a tease, meaning the film ends at a key turning point in Sam’s story, leaving the viewer ferociously hungry for more. This is a brilliant strategic move on the part of the filmmaker in setting the audience up for demanding a feature film, a promise that I am eager to see followed through.

WORM – Short Film Review

WORM is a very dark little drama that starts out innocently enough. Geoffrey Oswald Dodd is an average high school teacher, going through the motions with his students, secretly disgusted with the apathetic state of the young minds filling his classroom. What becomes increasingly apparent however is that Dodd’s true colors are far more sinister.

Dodd, played by Robert Nolan, rarely speaks outwardly in this 20-minute short. Instead, the audience is forced into his twisted mind through his thoughts, made audible by way of voice over. Normally, this is a tricky technique to employ, especially for the entire length of a film, but writer/director Richard Powell pulls it off with disturbing effect.

Initially, Dodd is presented simply as a disgruntled teacher who has lost his ability to inspire his students… then we sink a little deeper into his misanthropic thoughts and discover just how unsettling the situation has become. Externally, Dodd maintains a straight face, a friendly and pleasant demeanor, all of which is complete hogwash.

WORM is a film that uses the visual world to accessorize a point, whereas the heart of the story and the suspense lie almost solely on the voice over acting of Robert Nolan. This is a huge gamble for a filmmaker, but Nolan is able to construct the emotional roller coaster necessary in his voice and intonation, his dramatic exposition, that allows the audience to feel the discomfort intended.

Zach Green produced and edited WORM, which was shot on 16mm, so it has a textural feel to it than the digital medium we’ve become used to for indie shorts. Aside from one moment, where a creatively diabolical prop is utilized unexpectedly to create a heightened sense of pending doom, Nolan is the one weaving this Grimm-style modern cautionary tale, in collaboration with the filmmakers.

The most frightening thing about WORM, turns out to be the realization that anyone around us could, in theory, be a real life Geoffrey Dodd. This short film is great by itself, but it also begs for a feature-length version of the film, exploring the disturbingly unique and interesting character in more detail. I’m not sure if the filmmakers have any interest, but if they did… I’d certainly see it.

Fatal Pictures Presents WORM-A

WORM-A is a new short film from Fatal Pictures. Producer/Editor Zach Green and Writer/Director Richard Powell, based just outside of Toronto, are responsible for creating this unique 20-minute dark drama.

Synopsis: A day in the mind of Geoffrey Dodd, a seemingly kind, gentle and sane High School teacher. As we follow Geoffrey through the course of a typical school day we gain an eerie insight into the darkest corners of his soul and beyond. Beneath the carefully constructed veneer of Geoffrey Dodd lies something wretched, insidious and foul rotting him from the inside out.

Check out WORM-A online at Facebook.

CHANGE FOR A DOLLAR – Short Film Review

CHANGE FOR A DOLLAR is a 10-minute short film from writer, director and producer Sharon Wright, which played the AOF International FilmFest in July 2010. I have to confess, I had intended to get to this film much earlier, but I am glad I did see this little gem and encourage anyone of any age to see it, given the opportunity.

Wright’s film packs an emotional punch, without being sappy or overly melodramatic. Structured more like a music video than a traditional narrative film, CHANGE FOR A DOLLAR has no dialogue and really doesn’t need any. The beautiful orchestral score by Christopher Komstoeft, along with the down-to-Earth acting tells the story of a homeless man (played by Robert P. Campbell) who chooses to make a difference in several people’s lives with only a dollar.

As the audience, we travel with the homeless man on this short journey, witnessing the affect a small gesture can have on a person in need. He finds great pleasure in offering what little he has to others, and with these good deeds he finds that karma (or whatever one should choose to call it) remembers these actions. Wright weaves an intertwining story of multiple fates, giving us only glimpses of the lives involved, but these glimpses are all we need to feel the heart put into creating this film.

CHANGE FOR A DOLLAR benefits greatly from the smooth and seamless editing and the warm, gorgeous cinematography by by Kendall Sinn, as well as from Sharon Wright’s accomplished directing and vision. The overwhelming impression is that the characters in this film are regular, everyday folks, real people, whom could be any one of us and that these very same sentiments could play out just the same in anyone’s lives. It’s not about how much you give or do, but whether you choose to make a difference at all. CHANGE FOR A DOLLAR is an extraordinarily touching introduction and/or reminder to this extremely important, but often forgotten concept of life and being human.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

SXSW (Short) Review: OUT OF NOWHERE

OUT OF NOWHERE is a strange and mysterious film that combines the bizarre mentality of David Lynch with the curious displacement of time and space reminiscent of stories from THE OUTER LIMITS or THE TWILIGHT ZONE. The film could be described as a darker, grittier sort of GROUNDHOG’S DAY, but in Will Lamborn’s short film there is no clear and evident happy ending, leaving the audience wondering what the heck just happened… or, more appropriately… what the heck is happening?

This sense of bewilderment is not a negative criticism of OUT OF NOWHERE. In fact, its what makes the film interesting. Unlike the more readily accessible and standard feature film, a short film has the luxury of bending or even breaking the rules. Filmmakers get to experiment with short films and it produced some rather interesting results. OUT OF NOWHERE is an example of this experimentation. The story wets the appetite, gets the audience talking and sets in motion discussion.

Peter (Dominic Spillane) is riding in a car with Josh (Robert W. Evans) down a desolate and lonely desert road when Josh suddenly pulls over, claiming engine trouble. As a result, Peter finds himself trekking alone though the middle of nowhere, searching for a way to escape when he stumbles upon a small house. Upon entering the house, he meets a peculiar couple named Curtis (John Henry Whitaker) and Mary (Samantha Colburn), quickly discovering something simply is not right about them or this place.

Peter finds himself repeatedly thrown into a familiar situation with familiar people, but the scenario keeps changing just slightly as he attempts to figure out a way to escape the nonsensical reality he has somehow fallen into. Spillane and Colburn convey an attractive but dangerous familiarity, something similar to that of Kyle Maclachlan and Isabella Rossellini in BLUE VELVET. The story has an unsettling intensity that builds into a crescendo of characters’ roles being rearranged, implying and endless cycle.

OUT OF NOWHERE is an enjoyable cinematic experience, presenting a wonderful “what if” plot that twists itself inside-out and begs to be expanded into a feature film. Whitaker gives Curtis an ambiguous quality that confuses the audience as to whether he’s a threat or not, while Spillane’s and Colburn’s chemistry demands more revelation. To find more about the film or to support the filmmaker, visit their website at outofnowherefilm.com.

SXSW (Short) Review: EQUESTRIAN SEXUAL RESPONSE

When do children really take that first step towards understanding human sexuality? Love and sexuality must be a confusing thing to a kid, especially in today’s society where they’re inundated with images and language and ideas pertaining to the topic more than ever before. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, one question emerges… from where and how will children attain their initial understanding of these ideas and human emotions?

EQUESTRIAN SEXUAL RESPONSE addresses some of these general themes, written by Courtney Stephens and directed by Zeke Hawkins. The story is of a young pre-teen girl named Alice (Christina Robinson) who lives with her father (Scott Roberts) on their horse farm. Alice’s mother has left, leaving her father to raise Alice on his own, uncertain of exactly how to connect with his daughter and understand what she is going through as she grows up and begins to experience new things.

Aside from being a self-proclaimed vegetarian, misunderstood by her father, Alice holds great love for the horses. In particular, Alice finds herself fascinated by the relationship of mutual love she perceives between the mare named Molly and the steed named Red. She maintains a romantic interpretation of their love for each other, but when Red’s weak heart leads Alice’s father to breed Molly with another steed, her world is suddenly rocked and her perfect equestrian example of love is shattered.

Alice sees a parallel between her parents’ failed relationship and her father’s interference with Red and Molly’s relationship. Alice feels like an outsider, both at home and at school, uncomfortable with the other students’ increasing, albeit immature, exploration of sexuality. Christina Robinson’s performance is compellingly realistic, poignant and heartbreaking. She connection to the horses is evident by the way she naturally interacts with them.

The most successful element of EQUESTRIAN SEXUAL RESPONSE is how the filmmakers approached the subject matter indirectly. This isn’t a film about a girl talking to her father about the “birds and the bees” but rather a film about a girl discovering many of the realities of life on her own, while her father watches over her, struggling to understand what she is going through. Scott Roberts also gives a heartfelt performance, often relying effectively on non-verbal queues to convey his inability to fully empathize with Alice and help her through this difficult time in her life.

EQUESTRIAN SEXUAL RESPONSE is a product of the American Film Institute Conservatory, so it’s almost a given that the cinematography is sublime, provided by Martim Vian. The warmth of the natural sunlight is captured and utilized wonderfully while Alice is fully given over to her equestrian infatuation. Evan Scot Hornsby, provoking an additional layer of thoughtful depth to the viewing experience, provided the original music.

While the story leads the viewer to believe Alice’s heart is growing bitter, she witnesses a life-changing event that ultimately helps her to understand and move forward. EQUESTRIAN SEXUAL RESPONSE is a sweet and tender film that handles the subject matter of sexual discovery with tact and respectful insight, friendly as much to younger contemporary audiences as it is intelligent and original enough to satisfy adult audiences.

I Heart Horror: ‘Curious Stories, Crooked Symbols’

Hey Fiends! It has been awhile since I have written up this column. For that, I apologize. It has been super busy over at Triefy Manor with DESTROY THE BRAIN! stuff and other things. Now that I have caught my breath, I spent the last weekend of August up in Toronto for Rue Morgue’s Festival of Fear, which is a part of Fan Expo Canada. I had a good time up there. I met Roger Corman who is an amazing person as well as a influential figure in film history.

I have been a fan of Rue Morgue Magazine and have attended their conventions since 2005 with exception of 2007. While I was up there, Rue Morgue was selling the DVD ‘Curious Stories, Crooked Symbols’ which collects all of Rodrigo GudiÃ±o’s shorts. Rodrigo GudiÃ±o is the president of Rue Morgue Magazine. I had already seen all of his short films prior to my purchase. However, I quickly realized that many of the American attendees of the convention have not seen one if not all of his short films. Therefore, I plan to help out as much as I can by introducing you to a intriguing and upcoming genre filmmaker.

Over the span of 2 years (2006-2008), Rodrigo GudiÃ±o has produced 3 short format films.

‘The Eyes of Edward James’ (2006)

Through recollection of a grisly event inside a house, a hypnotherapist tries to pry out an information from his patient to get to the bottom of what happened. You, the viewer, take a front seat via POV camera work as the story unfolds. I first saw this at the 24 hour Music Box Massacre in Chicago during the latter part of the marathon. What GudiÃ±o squeezes out in 15 minutes will make you realize that the man knows how to work the audience. Suspenseful and creepy, you get the feeling like the environment being introduced is untrustworthy. The short film thrives on tension as it establishes that something horrible has happened. The resolution doesn’t give you all the information, therefore you will want to see this as soon as you finished it.

‘The Demonology of Desire’ (2007)

While his second film may seem like he is trying to pander to the hardcore horror fans, it is more of an attack towards relationships and the most personal out of the three. We are introduced to a angst ridden teenager that prays to god to find her a man that will stop at nothing to be with her. Moral values are thrown out the window in this film. No one is safe. Are we dealing with just a bitchy teenager or something worse? You will have to watch to find out. Oh yeah, there is also a monster locked in a cage in the basement as well. Just saying.

‘The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow’ (2008)

While it is co-directed by Vincent Marcone (mypetskeleton.com) and runs half the time of GudiÃ±o’s first short, this is quite possibly one of the most visually haunting films I have seen in awhile. The film explores a single photograph by moving the camera in and out the photograph. While the images are two-dimensional, the environment is three-dimensional to bring you a mystery presented in a unique fashion. The film was nominated for a Genie Award (the Canadian equivalent of the Oscars) for Best Animated Short. While it didn’t win there, it did win Best Animated Short Film at the Stiges Film Festival. A film the begs for repeat viewings, everything flows like butter with the short. The imagery & the music blend to make it an unforgettable 6 minute experience.

The DVD includes all three short films along with optional Director Commentary along with a making of featurette for ‘The Demonology of Desire’ along with the original trailers, screenplays, storyboards and production/publicity stills. My only complaint with the DVD is that while ‘The Eyes of Edward James’ & DVD menus are enhanced for 16:9 HDTV’s, ‘The Demonology of Desire’ while 16:9 formatted is actually presented letterboxed.

The DVD is available now through Rue-Morgue.com for $20. Order it here!

DVD Releases for September 15, 2009

It is a huge week this week for you fiends…

Until next week, AdiÃ³s!

Andy Triefenbach is the host of the weekly horror & cult movie podcast DESTROY THE BRAIN! – http://www.destroythebrainonline.com

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

‘The Eyes of Edward James’ (2006)

‘The Demonology of Desire’ (2007)

‘The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow’ (2008)

Until next week, AdiÃ³s!

Share this: