The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved documentary and short films rules for the 85th Academy Awards at its most recent meeting (December 6). The most significant changes expand members’ opportunities to view contending films, enabling more members to participate in the Academy’s voting processes in the Documentary Feature, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories.

In the Documentary Feature category, the entire Documentary Branch will now receive all eligible titles beginning in the first round of voting. To facilitate this change, filmmakers must submit 200 DVDs, an increase from the 30 that had been required in previous years. In the final round of voting in this category, members must still see all the nominated films, but the viewing of films on digital or DVD screeners will now be an option for satisfying this requirement.

A documentary feature film’s eligibility will continue to depend on completing seven-day qualifying runs in both New York and Los Angeles that are advertised in at least one major newspaper, as specified by Academy rules, in each city. For the 85th Academy Awards, however, a review by a movie critic in The New York Times and/or the Los Angeles Times will also be required.

In the Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories, members will still have to see all the nominated films before casting their final ballots, but viewing the films on screeners will now be an option for satisfying this requirement. Films that are shown during their theatrical run in a non-standard format, such as IMAX, will have to be submitted to the Academy in a standard theatrical aspect ratio and in a format currently accepted for Academy exhibition to remain eligible. Producers may provide additional screenings of their films in non-standard formats, but members’ attendance at such screenings will not be required for voting purposes.

Other rules changes for the documentary and short films categories include normal date changes and minor “housekeeping” changes.

Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Awards Rules Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Board of Governors for approval.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

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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.

Review by Wyatt Weed, Pirate Pictures

Once again, the St. Louis International Film Festival is fast approaching. Primarily sponsored by Stella Artois and now in its 20th year, the fest has really established itself as one of the best around. It will hit multiple venues around the city beginning November 10th and continue through November 20th.

This is a call, a challenge to the local filmmakers out there: Get up, put on your shoes, and go see some of these films. You owe it to your fellow filmmakers and yourself as well, because the work is amazing.

As one of the volunteers involved in assembling the shorts programs, I have to tell you, the shorts I have seen thus far are nothing less than spectacular. This past summer’s Showcase of local talent featured some of the most technically proficient pieces I have ever seen, and this years’ SLIFF is following suit – technology is getting better all the time, and that technology is being utilized by filmmakers all around the world.

Pixar-level quality is evident in a number of computer animated pieces. “Mac N’ Cheese” and “Alex and the Ghosts” are in the same class as “Cars” and “Monster House”. For all of its technical virtuosity, “A Morning Stroll” is also one of the most hilariously graphic shorts you will ever see as a plucky little chicken goes nose to nose with a rapidly deteriorating zombie. Wackiness ensues.

Similarly, “Enrique Wrecks the World”, a more traditionally animated piece, begins sweetly enough and then spirals into lunacy. If you like “Happy Tree Friends” or “Llamas with Hats”, this piece will slay you.

The best of the animated bunch might be “The Origin of Creatures”, a striking post-apocalyptic piece that defies my ability to figure out how the filmmakers accomplished this – I believe it is part miniature and part computer animation, but it is unlike anything I have ever seen.

Of the live-action shorts, they vary from the dramatic to the comedic to the outrageous, as usual, but the level of production quality has never been greater. “Dolls Factory” is a fascinating piece that is part Metropolis and part Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It is also, in my opinion, photographically perfect. “Ex Sex” is as sexually graphic a piece as I have seen, but still manages to be tasteful and heartbreaking.

“Recess” and “The Extraordinary Life of Rocky” are both beautiful to look at, but feature two very different and darkly humorous takes on childhood. You will never look at the game of “duck-duck-goose” – or remote controlled helicopters – in the same way ever again. The absolutely ridiculous but no less funny “Red Moon” reminded me of “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”, complete with stylized effects and sets.

Star power also runs strong in this year’s shorts. Michael Biehn of “The Terminator” stars in “From Darkness”, a creepy thriller that has a strong “X-Files” vibe. “The Third Rule” features Jason Biggs of “American Pie” and Joel Moore from “Avatar”. Scott Thompson from “The Kids in the Hall” stars in two shorts, and even plays his own mother.

In fact, there is so much star power this year that two entire shorts programs (Stars 1 & 2) are dedicated to name actors and feature the likes of Gérard Depardieu, Jeremy Davies, Rita Wilson, Anna Paquin, Jason Ritter, John Hurt, Wes Bentley, Selma Blair, J.K. Simmons, Sasha Grey, John Hurt, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Hardy, and Julia Stiles. Even the great Sir Anthony Hopkins makes an uncredited appearance – but I won’t tell you which short he appears in…

Rounding out the amazing assortment of shorts is a selection of science fiction pieces, and once again, they benefit greatly from advances in digital production and effects. Three of them - “Protoparticles”, “Cognite”, and “Yuri Lennon’s Landing on Alpha 46″ – all feature lead actors in spacesuits who have very different adventures. “Yuri Lennon” plays its first few minutes from one amazing point of view as an astronaut enters the atmosphere of an alien planet, while “Cognite” has only one line of dialogue in an otherwise completely visual piece. “Gear School – Plug and Play” is the best live-action interpretation of Japanese Anime ever filmed. You will believe attractive teenagers in skin-tight suits can fly.

I have only nicked the surface of the approximately 400 films playing over the 10 days of the fest, so please take a few moments and go to www.cinemastlouis.org, familiarize yourself with the theaters, download the schedule, AND GO SEE SOME FILMS!! To be a filmmaker is to be familiar with both the technology and the techniques out there, so get out of your comfort zone and go see something new. I promise you will be challenged to make your next film be better than the last after seeing what the rest of the world is doing.

The knuckleball is a rare and complicated skill in baseball. Often associated with being the specialty pitch mastered by those determined pitchers without the gift of “heat,” the knuckleball is a tricky beast, but when a pitcher takes control of its reigns, he can be nearly unstoppable. Phil “Knucksie” Niekro proved that by earning himself a place in Cooperstown, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, almost entirely for his unmistakable oneness with the knuckleball.

KUCKLEBALL is a short film that captures the essence of the rare and awkwardly effective pitch as a metaphor, telling a story of a boy and his disjointed relationship with his father. Milo (Alexander Wruck) is a boy about the age of ten. His father (Timothy McKinney), emotionally distant as a result of his wife having recently walked out, is focused on moving what’s left of his family to a new home. Milo’s youthful sights are set upon playing baseball, perhaps in part as a distraction from the pain of his mother leaving, but he fails to receive the support he longs for from his father.

Written and directed by Jordan Kerfeld, KNUCKLEBALL was shot on Super 16 film in Austin, Texas. The result is a richly warm and homey feel, like watching a nostalgic home video that was shot by a professional cameraman. Kerfeld’s eye for descriptive and interesting composition matches his ability to convey his vision within the frame without bluntly beating his audience with excess style. The most consciously visible shot in the film is the final one, which serves as a powerfully visual closing that needs no dialogue.

KNUCKLEBALL gave me the same pleasant feeling I often associate with having religiously watched every episode of Wonder Years as a child Milo’s age. I was able to connect, not just because of my own love of baseball, but because this is a film about a boy with an undying dream and his father who discovers new hope through his son’s unshakeable resilience.

The strongest element of KUCKLEBALL is Milo’s ingenuity and determination. Milo sneaks off with his father’s camcorder after failing to garner his attention, constructing his own tryout video to play in the Major Leagues. For Milo, the problem of his age never crosses his mind as an obstacle, only that he believes he has talent and that playing in the “big show” would produce the money he and his father now need as they enter into a difficult new chapter of life. What Milo’s father does when he discovers the tape is a wonderful moment, having the greatest influence on KNUCKLEBALL being an accomplished and respectable family drama.

“Like” KNUCKLEBALL on Facebook, or Visit the Official Website at kballfilm.com

The WWF-UK is pleased to share with you this short film ASTONISH ME starring Bill Nighy, Gemma Arterton, Christian McKay and introducing Will Jacklin. In a tale of adventure and discovery showcasing some of the extraordinary species recently found around the world, ASTONISH ME has been created by writer Stephen Poliakoff and director Charles Sturridge to celebrate the WWF’s 50th anniversary.

On a sidenote, actor Bill Nighy, writer Stephen Poliakoff and the film’s composer Adrian Johnston, all worked on the 2009 film GLORIOUS 39.

Who is Francis “Pat” Fitzpatrick? The answer will surely differ greatly, depending on who you ask, but one thing everyone will agree upon is that he’s persistent and passionate. These two character traits are what create the controversy surrounding Pat, an aging man who has spent a significant chunk of his life fighting for the rights of the homeless residents of Gainesville, Florida.

“Why can’t number 131 be fed?” You’ll hear it repeatedly throughout CIVIL INDIGENT, a 55-minute short documentary collaboration from filmmakers Nicholas Corrao, David Hafter and Peter Salomone. The number 131 is significant, because that is the first person each and every day that must be turned away from a free meal at the St. Francis House.

You may ask why this is, which is what Pat does repeatedly, pointing out the absurdity of the ordinance put in place by the Gainesville City Commission. If there is food to be served, and hungry mouths in need of it, why limit the daily distribution of this food to what amounts to a completely random and meaningless number? The battle between Pat and the City Commission goes on, and on, and on, each of them trying to tire the other one into submission, but the heart of CIVIL INDIGENT is not in the outcome of this pursuit, but of the pursuit, and more importantly, the pursuer himself.

In good critical taste, I will refrain from revealing how CIVIL INDIGENT ends. Like any other film, there is still a narrative to good documentary filmmaking and, for the especially accomplished films, there is even suspense. Ever since the dawn of the first ostracized homeless man, the subject has been one of awkward, uncomfortable debate. Those who have usually are not interested in bothering themselves with those who have not, especially when those who have not are perceived as being lazy criminals who are burdens on civilized society.

CIVIL INDIGENT attempts to remain objective on this subject, but Pat is such a lively and sincere character, fighting so diligently, that the audience may have a hard time not siding with him. To be honest, I personally find it difficult to agree with the opposing viewpoints in the film, as minimal and inhumane as they are, but credit must be given to the filmmakers for allowing these voices to be heard. Amongst their concerns are the typical, yet understandable concerns that the homeless residents are potentially dangerous, are unruly and filthy, and are “eyesores” in the community. The problem with this sort of argument is that its an unfair generalization. Is this to suggest only homeless people fit this description?

Pat is a kind of more down-to-Earth, less fame-hungry version of Michael Moore. He is not interested in the spotlight, except as a means to further his cause. On several occasions, Pat has run for office, with no realistic expectations of winning, but as one more avenue for getting his message out to the masses. By the end of CIVIL INDIGENT, I was left feeling both uplifted that someone cares enough to go through what Pat endures, but also exhausted, having experienced just a taste of Pat’s endless efforts.

For more information on CIVIL INDIGENT, visit the website here.

MADELEINE ZABEL is the story of an infamous, Lindsay Lohan-type young celebrity named Maddy Z, and a stressed out reporter named Elliot Snow (Chris Henry Coffey) attempting to capture her in a controversial light. Both characters are far from happy. As we can imagine, Maddy Z (Jenna D’Angelo) is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, juggling too many “projects” from her modeling and music to fashion. Elliot is worn out but determined, potentially risking his own relationship during this brief 10-minute phone interview with Maddy Z.

Written, directed, produced and edited by Chris Shimojima, DP and editor of the acclaimed web-series Downsized, MADELEINE ZABEL tears away the makeup laden exterior of a fictional pop star and exposes the fragile, broken humanity that lies beneath. Jenna D’Angelo portrays the questionably talented, yet equally popular and criticized Maddy Z with a convincing range of emotions. She hides her true feelings until the end, when Elliot finally pulls the to the surface, practically sucker punching her with his questions as she sucker punched a paparazzi.

In the process of Elliot cracking Maddy Z, the two somehow reach a moment when they connect, inadvertently meeting on a path, headed in opposite directions, but ultimately benefit each other in unexpected ways. Coffey depicts the desperate reporter accurately, subtly conveying the gradual transition of his focus away from his own troubles to the troubles Maddy Z has finally come to confess to him on the phone, all while Maddy Z’s publicist Kelly Walters (Janet Laverty) attempts to control the spiraling situation with a military precision.

Cory Dross provides a flashy, glamorous sense of vision as the director of photography. MADELEINE ZABEL begins as a broadcast of a gossip/news style show airs a story about the her violent outburst against the paparazzi, then settles into the more somber isolation of Maddy Z in her luxurious hotel room, with sterile white walls and her publicist barking orders, but insisting she’s her friend and only has her best interests at heart. Elliot’s turn of the camera, however, tends to be more spontaneous, his perspective is more frantic, his world more chaotic.

The score, ranging from a techno-club infused opening to a more percussion-influenced dramatic undertone, comes from composer Thomas Vanoosting, who provided music for the PBS production Lincoln: Prelude to The Presidency. The music serves as an intricate underlay, helping to build the suspense of the phone interview, as Elliot’s questioning unravels into one strategically placed bombshell after another.

MADELEINE ZABEL is a powerfully energetic, neurotic tale of contemporary fame. The film tackles both sides of the monstrous pursuit of fame, the star and the star reporter, revealing that neither is far removed from the other. In the end, it’s all about what how to balance the persons of fame with the real person smothered beneath the artificiality.

Watch MADELEINE ZABEL by visiting the website, and “Like” the film on Facebook.

Shorts Program 8: Horror Shorts includes 8 individual short films of various styles, for a total running time of 95 minutes. Played consecutively, these films offer a broad and entertaining showcase for independent horror filmmakers in the St. Louis area.

THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO (13 minutes)

Directed by Hugo Fleming, THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO is a tale of revenge, based on the story by Edgar Allen Poe. Two men (Mark Bunch and Billy Benner), with their minds altered by the effects of Budweiser 40s, wander deep into a subterranean realm, whereas only would may ultimately return. The film is more of a operatic ode to Poe, that a traditional narrative film. THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO contains no dialogue, instead told entirely by the very words of Poe himself. Illustrated by a haunting piano and vocal score (Somewhere Under the Rainbow, written and performed by Heather Rice) that draws on the dark heart of Poe’s literary horror. The cinematography (Matthew Pitzer) is eerie, capturing the cavernous early industrial setting, both ancient and chiseled by dead men’s hands. The narration, provided by Anne Williams, recalls a feminine twin of Vincent Price in his Poe era.

THE CONFINED (26 minutes)

Erin Marie Hogan plays Jackie, a young woman who witnesses her boyfriend’s murder. Traumatized by the event, Jackie slips shuts her self in, crippled by an overwhelming state of agoraphobia. Spending the majority of her time alone in her quiet house, Jackie is haunted by her memories. As with any effective horror story, the sound of the film is key. Jackie begins to notice sounds in the walls, and strange evidence of an unknown presence. With so much of horror focused on gore and violence, its nice to see new filmmakers still interested in the psychological realm of horror, infinitely more difficult to pull of, but equally rewarding, as is the case with THE CONFINED. Hogan provides a quality performance, dwelling in a descriptive silence for much of the film. Writer, director and editor Nicholas Acosta made a fine choice of utilizing a meticulously steady camera, much like what Kubrick did in THE SHINING, but juxtaposes ti with the jarring, handheld footage of old home videos. THE CONFINED should sufficiently creep you out as a haunted ghost story should.

THE DOOR (12 minutes)

Written and directed by Brent Madison, THE DOOR begins in complete blackness, challenging the audience by layering multiple pulsating, echoing sounds into a frightening, techno-atmospheric landscape through the titles, cutting immediately into Allison’s (Allison Ochmanek) nightmare. She wakes, only to find her boyfriend Chris (Christopher Howell) taken over by an evil entity shortly after. Stylistically a cross between Carpenter and Candyman, THE DOOR offers a visual intensity and possibly the highest production value of all the horror shorts, complete with special effects and the style of dialogue we’ve come to expect from enjoyable mainstream fright flicks. The woman’s “possessed” boyfriend lures her into a large, old house where she comes face to face with the creature behind THE DOOR. The film’s score (Doug Pearson) penetrates the viewer’s senses, making the biggest impact in film’s visceral assault on the viewer’s fears.

IN THE CARDS (10 minutes)

Jack and Claire (played by Burke Mohan and Brigitte Crumpton) are newly engaged, but already experiencing turbulence in their relationship. When they decide to see a fortuneteller (Terry Hampton) on a whim, they get more than they bargained for. IN THE CARDS begins as a sort of anti-romantic comedy, with heavily cliche’s flowing from the fortuneteller’s mouth. Then the cards begin to fall into fated order on the teller’s table, sending the couple into a dream-like trance, allowing them an enigmatic glimpse into their own future. At first a fairly straight-forward approach, writer and director Zach Smith uses the couple’s initial foray into their fortune as a ledge from which to leap into a much darker, visually captivating story.

OUTPOST 13 (4 minutes)

OUTPOST 13 is more science-fiction than horror, depicting the planet after we’ve already destroyed all it’s life-giving beauty. A scientist (Guy Stephens) works to save the dying planet, tucked away in a tiny laboratory where he spends his down time reliving his once beautiful planet through virtual reality. OUTPOST 13 is fully narrated, with it’s single characters uttering no dialogue on screen. The cinematography (Wyatt Weed) is highly effective and the images of Earth as it was are on a National Geographic scale, but the special effects from Pirate Pictures are what stand out in this film, providing a brutal, desolate landscape and impressive science-fiction touches to the interior and exterior of the outpost laboratory. OUTPOST 13 was written by William Hartzel and directed by Corey Logsdon.

STAIRS (6 minutes)

Further she climbs, spiraling up a seemingly endless flight of stairs, a young woman (Stephanie Sanditz) faces her deepest fears. The staircase, like something from an M.C. Escher drawing, appears to have no beginning and no end, instead pulling her repeating to a door. What lies on the other side of the door? STAIRS, written and directed by Doveed Linder, draws visually on primal human fear, much like Hitchcock’s VERTIGO drew on the fear of heights. Sanditz conveys her fear with great conviction, relying solely on her facial expressions and body language, uttering not a single word. STAIRS is not a literal film, but a cinematic interpretation of a very uncomfortable human emotional experience.

STRUMPET (14 minutes)

This is the story of a lonely traveler (Stephen J. Hefferman) who takes shelter from a ravaging storm within an old hotel, welcomed by a curiously strange innkeeper (Brian McDowell), but haunted by a deadly supernatural seductress (Emily Brown) in his sleep. What I love most abut STRUMPET is how writer and director Wolfgang Lehmkuhl perfectly captures the essence of the early silent era of German expressionist horror. The gorgeous Gothic cinematography (Michael Lowhorn) comes as close as one can reasonably expect to mimicking the visual appeal of the old film cameras of that cinematic age. The score (Kevin MaCleod and Jon Feraro) is splendidly dreadful, representing the looming horror that surely awaits. The look of the film, and even the performances, also remind me of the subtly offbeat undercurrent present in so many of Guy Maddin’s films. Personally, STRUMPET is my favorite pick of the Shorts Program 8, immersing me fully into the abyss of exquisitely frightful sensory rapture.

THE OUTSIDER: 911 – The Pilot (10 minutes)

Unfortunately, this offering from peter Carlos was the only film of this shorts program I missed.

Synopsis: In the middle of the night, something not of this Earth has come for teenager Alex Jackson.

Shorts Program 8, Horror Shorts will screen during the 2011 Stella Artois St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase at 9:30PM on Wednesday, August 17th at the Tivoli Theatre.

Shorts Program 6: Comedy Shorts includes 11 individual short films of various comical style, for a total running time of 80 minutes. Played consecutively, these films offer a broad and entertaining showcase for independent comedy filmmakers in the St. Louis area.

FLUFF (4 minutes)

Directed by Anthony Meadows and shot by Tim Bowe, FLUFF is an awesome action-mystery-thriller ode to all the kick ass genres of cinema. The comedy is inherent, as the film is cast entirely with colorful, handmade puppets. The central character, a stuffed bear, meets up with a stuffed horse named Lewis (voiced by Tim Gowan) about a strange black disc (a button). As they flee from danger together through the woods, they run into a freaky shot-out stuffed bear-thing named Martin (voiced by Tyler Meadows), who joins them in a violent fight to the death with two sock monkeys seeking the black disc. Carnage ensues, culminating in an open-ended “what happens next” moment. The marionette-style animation of these puppets lends to the cheesy goodness of unmoving mouths and occasionally visible fishing lines controlling the puppets movements. Those who like TEAM AMERICA, MEET THE FEEBLES, or Triumph the Insult Comic Dog will probably eat FLUFF up with a spoon.

BLOODFEST CLUB: DOWN ON THE FARM (7 minutes)

BLOODFEST CLUB: DOWN ON THE FARM is a short, comedic documentary on the making of the trailer for THE BLOODFEST CLUB, a brilliantly obvious horror-comedy hybrid with a certain John Hughes influence that is planned for production in 2012. Directed by Ken Calcaterra, this behind-the-scenes glimpse sets the mood by opening into a Benny Hill frenzy of high-speed filmmaking antics, set to quick tempo banjo music, which transitions abruptly to a heavy metal title. The film interviews the various cast and crew members, more than willing to share the ever-present abundance of indie-horror production war stories and battle scars. On the flip side, the support given the filmmakers from their community is addressed as well. This is a great opportunity to be entertained, while also learning about the exciting, and sometimes dangerous, lives of local indie filmmakers… and about the dangers of working with gerbils.

BOOM BOOM (8 minutes)

Larry and Terry Ziegelman co-wrote and co-directed BOOM BOOM, a dark comedy short about two friends who bump into each other over coffee. Ahmed (Karthik Srinivasan) sits nervously by himself when the loud and obnoxious Jamal (Behzad Dabu) recognizes him and imposes on his solitary coffee. Once Ahmed finally acknowledges Jamal as a friend, the film slips into absurdity hyper-drive, placing the two characters’ serious business of being Jihad suicide bombers on public display, making no effort to conceal their sinister purpose. The film is a, unapologetic satirical mocking of the rules and culture of Muslim extremists, with Ahmed and Jamal delaying each other as they debate and fantasize about what will be waiting for them on the other side, oblivious to the world around them. BOOM BOOM is either hilarious, or highly offensive, depending on your outlook, but the goal is to make us laugh, a goal at which the film succeeds.

GREENTHUMB (3 minutes)

GREENTHUMB was written and directed by Curtis C. Craig, and shot and edited by Daniel Parris, who also had his feature-length documentary GIVE A DAMN? premiere during this year’s St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase. The short film plays mostly as a montage, with a man going through his daily motions of hydrating himself, then hydrating the lawn, inadvertently discovering a novel solution for sustainable gardening. As the viewer, once you get past the baffling question of why this man chooses to do what he does, the film becomes a sort of parable for setting an example for others. I know, it sounds like a stretch, but what I took away from viewing this short film was a light, humorous approach to conveying a rather simple, environmental message.

HELP WANTED (3 minutes)

Another short film written, directed, produced and edited by Ken Calcaterra, HELP WANTED is a silly silent comedy about a stoner dude trying to get a job at an ice cream shop. His hopes of free ice cream are repeatedly dashed when the young female clerk refuses to consider his proposal, but the man persists. One ridiculous attempt after another, from a hand-written resume to the most lavishly lame disguises, the film finally comes to a conclusion. There will be some who undoubtedly enjoy HELP WANTED, but the juvenile humor just isn’t my taste. If this is something you’re into, then by all means enjoy the show!

IT’S A SYMBOL (16 minutes)

A man named Maximus (Steve Gibbons) walks into a grocery store. Queue the lavish orchestral music as Maximus selects a single red rose. IT’S A SYMBOL, directed by Jamie Koogler, follows two actors’ tedious and nerve-racking wait for this rose to finally die. Maximus is an annoying, overly energetic ham. On the other hand, Stacy (Dawn Davis) is the dead serious, pretentious type who demands the rose be dead, as a symbol for her character’s mental state. These two acting partners quibble and bicker back and forth like an episode of The Honeymooners or I Love Lucy, struggling to work together on their scenes. IT’S A SYMBOL plays like a soap opera, if the soap opera was cast by Saturday Night Live hopefuls. As silly as the premise is, silly as in Curb Your Enthusiasm, the film works as a throwback to ’80s era sitcoms. Maybe it’s just my interpretation, but it makes the craziness of the film enjoyable.

LIVE BY THE SWORD (14 minutes)

Written and directed by Stephen Jones, LIVE BY THE SWORD begins with Dale (Matt Wills) sitting at home with a plate of nachos, watching TV when an infomercial for discount swords catches his fancy. Dale is a geek, nothing wrong with that. His t-shirt that reads “Shakespeare Hates Your EMO Poems” tells us he’s not bashful about his geekness. The samurai sword arrives in the mail and thus begins Dale’s creatively destructive adventure. He gets carried away, using the sword in ways it was never intended, and taking it with him to inappropriate places. Like so many stereotypical trigger-happy, gun-loving ’70s era Dirty Harry characters, his sword fills the absense of a female companion in Dale’s life, until he meets Natalie (Kelly Nienaltowski), a woman with similar interests. On a purely technical front, LIVE BY THE SWORD suffers from a number of poorly lit night scenes, making parts of the film difficult to watch properly, otherwise the film is a fun, quirky boy-meets-girl story with a delightful touch of MALLRATS at the end.

MUGGED (5 minutes)

Director Andrew Saunders’ short film MUGGED begins with a creepy through-the-knot-hole shot of someone watching, as a man walks by, busy talking on his cell phone. The man becomes the victim of a mugger, but what becomes excrutiatingly apparent, however, is that the mugger may be the true victom… of a Cable Guy type of unlikely stalker, who follows the mugger everywhere, believing he and the mugger are now friends. The man is an annoying, rude and clueless combination of Jerry Lewis and Kevin James, ultimately leading to a likely and anticlimatic ending. The film is enjoyable, but doesn’t do quite enough to make itself as original as it could have been. MUGGED stars Josh Wibbenmeyer and Jordan Bowlin.

ROBBERS (8 minutes)

Written, directed and edited by Nick Young, ROBBERS screams slapstick right from the start. The two robbers (David Appelbaum and Hubby Clark) exhibit the same level of skill as Harry and Marv from the HOME ALONE films. As it turns out, ROBBERS is very much like the HOME ALONE movies in this sense, except for the hero. Instead of a smart-mouther little kid, the robbers must deal with a drunk man (Devin Penn) whose wife left him for his best friend and has nothing to lose. It’s a nice twist, but not a terribly massive leap from the obvious inspiration. One thing ROBBERS has going for it is a witty, adolescent yet adult sense of humor that comes through in the dialogue. I enjoyed the film for what it is, which is purely meant to be popcorn humor, an adult take on a familiar family comedy.

TIEUR EMBUSQUE (6 minutes)

Alternately titled “Sniper,” this black and white short film starts out peaceful, shot to evoke a serene feeling, complete with relaxing music and cutaway shots of pretty flowers gently swaying in the wind. A man (Jeffrey Glickman) removes a bag from the trunk of his car and takes a stroll through a park full of people enjoying themselves. No one seems to notice that his bag looks suspiciously like a gun case and that he appears to be headed straight for a tower in the center of the park. The music gradually takes a decidedly darker turn as the man ascends the tower stairs, a segment of the film I particularly enjoyed for it’s Hitchcockian visual flair. Even the composition of frames takes on a slight influence of German silent horror as the story reaches its climax. The tension slowly builds until the agonizing, unbearably brutal conclusion assaults the viewer as well as the innocents in the park. Co-directors Jordan Oakes and Hal Scharf take a simple premise and run with it, creating a cinematically strong film that bends the rules of traditional comedy, with an added twist at the end.

THE WORLD CHAMPIONS (7 minutes)

Two slackers with no muscial talent jamming out until one of the slackers’ parents return home. This is how THE WORLD CHAMPIONS begins, with these two daydreaming losers fantasizing about “when they make it big.” All of that changes while surfing the Internet for possible band names when they stumble upon the world champion apple pie eater. Suddenly, their delusions shift from becoming rock stars to setting a world record, believing this will reward them with respect, money and babes. They set out on a series of attempts to break a world record, any record they can, with fame in their eyes. From fastest time running a 100-yard dash, to most spin kicks to a tree in 20 seconds. After going through countless failed attempts, they have a mutual epiphany. THE WORLD CHAMPIONS was directed by and stars Matt Basler and Train Mayer, evoking Justin Long and John Belushi in their appearance and personalities.

Shorts Program 6, Comedy Shorts will screen during the 2011 Stella Artois St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase at 9:30PM on Tuesday, August 16th at the Tivoli Theatre.

Filmmaking lives and thrives in St. Louis. The first Shorts Program: Dramatic Shorts plays Sunday, August 14th at Noon at the Tivoli as part of the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase and while we, as members of the general public, have a tendency to reward predicable entertainment with our ticket money, it’s often these unusual shorts that are the most satisfying. There are twelve shorts in this presentation which runs about 100 minutes. Cinema St. Louis did an outstanding job with their selection of these as not one is less than impressive.

The menu kicks off with 14:28, an 8-minute look at three assassins who travel back in time to plant a bomb in a theater (filmed at the Keller 8!) that will kill a politician 20 years in the future. This plays like a scene from a feature film and, like most time travel stories, leads to more questions than answers. Why didn’t they just go back 40 years and off him when he was a kid, or pull a TERMINATOR and whack his mom? I’m unsure if I would have been able to follow where it was going if I had not read about it, but it’s well-done and aided by a driving score by Steve Barnegren. In Sarah Worner’s brief standout BACK, a teenage Native American girl does a traditional Indian dance at her grandmother’s funeral. Simple, powerful, and moving, it’s a remarkable three minutes. THE COURIER by Steve Matejka and Alex Keel is nothing more than a foot chase around historic St. Charles that ends in a fistfight, murder, and revenge. It’s rather pointless with a lot of shots of men jumping over fences climaxing in a poorly-choreographed fistfight, but it’s tightly-edited, wordless storytelling which again seems like something pulled from a feature. At 15 minutes, Chris Pickup’s HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM is the longest film in this grouping, a full-blooded short story told in flashback by a young boy in a mental ward. It’s ambitious and well-acted if predictable. Tyler DePerro’s 4-minute THE HUNDRED is a fun short about three different people’s reactions to a finding a $100 bill in the street. It’s the most inventive film in the program, extremely well-made and ultimately kinda profound. In LIES WE TELL OURSELVES, a black lesbian (filmmaker Miranda Richardson) mouths off to the camera for 8 minutes about her relationship history. OFF THE AGES is an odd, 8-minute slice of whimsy by Michelle Manott. It presents an old man and a young woman standing in a field for a competition between “traditional” and “digital” (typewriter vs computer, violin vs keyboard, camera vs… uh, camera). Told in pantomime, it’s a clever concept nicely executed. In Mike Roth’s 8-minute PLIGHTS, a recent college graduate tastes the real world for the first time. Joshua Mullin’s POKE is a 13-minute story of an old man annoyed by a precocious little girl he meets at his wife’s funeral when she pokes the dead body with her finger. At the end, he does the same to her dead grandpa. Kinda creepy. SHOWDOWN is the most ambitious film in the program, a grainy B&W Bergmanesque mood piece about a WWII GI’s card game with a German soldier. This compelling contemplation of death and the nature of war from Brant Hadfield is the type of pretentious and symbolism-heavy short they just don’t seem to make anymore. A sunglasses-wearing pulp novelist researches the local bar scene for his next story in SMOKE AND MIRRORS, a predictable mini-noir from Peter Carlos filmed at what has to be the least cinematic watering hole in St. Louis (Mac’s C’Mon Inn !). Hannah Radcliff’s YELLOW ends the program with a story described as ‘Estranged siblings reconnect after the death of their father”. This film wouldn’t play on the disc provided me for review. Sorry. The twelve shorts program makes for an interesting way to spend 100 minutes and see what the St. Louis filmmaking community is up to.

Shorts Program 1: Dramatic Shorts will screen during the 2001 Stella Artois St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase at 12:00PM (noon) on Sunday, August 14th at the Tivoli Theatre.

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.

Director & photographer Mike Pecci is self releasing all of his violent short films on one loaded DVD.

Mike Pecci’s Grindhouse Shorts!

This is the definitive collection of what Filmthreat magazine called “Grindhouse done right”. It includes the director’s cut of Cold Hard Cash, a re-mastered Capture Device, Stray Bullet, and a new short featuring a chainsaw wielding Evalena Marie (from the upcoming film based on the “Remains” comic written by Steve Niles). Each film is uncensored and loaded with sex, violence, and Suicide Girls! The DVD is jammed to the limit with interactive menus, behind the scenes clips, brand new recorded director’s commentaries and the infamous “Mom-mentaries” (where the director watches the films with his highly opinionated mother) and loads of hidden “Easter eggs.” The disks will be released with 3 limited edition variant covers with artwork from comic book and poster artists as well photography from Pecci.

Mike Pecci’s Grindhouse Shorts Censored from Mike Pecci on Vimeo.

Pre-orders go on sale Monday here.

The first printing of this series will contain a “fan membership card” that will give the owner exclusive access to content and events for the upcoming films.

We love our fans and believe in rewarding their help and loyalty. For a limited time during the pre-sale of the DVD we are running a Promotional Rewards Program.

For every two DVD sales that are made with your name as the referral we will upgrade your DVD to a rare variant cover reserved for this promotional only. Each variant DVD will also come guaranteed with a “fan membership card.” Every 10 DVD’s sold with your name as the referral you will be eligible for a free hoodie! Awesome right?!

The success of independent film depends on word of mouth and we need your support! Thanks guys!

BOILING POINT is not a film with high production value, pretty faces or showy effects. BOILING POINT is at the heart of what the future of great filmmaking is to be, which is exactly the place it has been for some time now… in the hands of passionate indie filmmakers, not held back by a lack of budget or resources. BOILING POINT is an indie film, not without it’s flaws, but rich with unrefined morsels of creative talent just waiting to be polished out from within rigid exterior.

Metronome Productions, a student film company based around Edge Hill University, may not be on the average movie watchers’ map, but the drive with which they are attempting to expose their films to the public is what convinced me to have a look at the film, and ultimately to write this review.

Written by Jack Leigh, who also co-directed the film with Sam Bewick, BOILING POINT is a suspenseful character study that draws on the creepiness of Owen Davis the Private Investigator, played by Christopher Lee Power, a brooding, pushy man with a pale complexion and stress in his face. The younger man being questioned, Paul Connors, is played by Gavin Hodson. The choice of wardrobe, even the casting based on appearances, detract slightly from this characters’ believability. I found the accent, the style of speech and mannerisms intriguing, but had difficulty accepting them as part of the character I saw on screen. I wanted the Paul Connors to appear rougher, or in some way appear potentially dangerous.

The Private Investigator applies his questions slowly, methodically, as we watch the man being questioned slowly unravel. The emphasis on contrast, with the heavy shadows and nearly overblown highlights is standard fair for this sort of story, but what caught my attention in BOILING POINT was the intricate, while not yet perfected, use of the camera. Curious, but understated angles — whereas many students go ridiculously hog wild like a kid with $20 in a candy store — is what keeps the viewer visually connected to the film. There are fluid moving shots and opportune moments, gently revealing character reactions in ways that enhance the characters’ emotions.

As the title suggests, BOILING POINT is interwoven with cutaways of a coffee pot and the like, which not only gives the characters something to do with their hands, but also offers an additional layer of indirect storytelling. In all fairness, the inclusion of the coffee pot element is just slightly heavy-handed, but the edits are well executed and add to the visual dynamics of the film. In fact, the only element of BOILING POINT that distinctly bothers me is a stylistic choice. The flashback scenes are a bit too jarring with the strobe effect, offering nothing to enhance their presence.

About halfway through BOILING POINT, we begin to realize what’s really happening, as the tension increases and the tables begin to turn out of kilter. The film evolves into a revenge story, at moments feeling the slightest bit rushed. We’ve seen this story told before, the suspenseful investigation of a crime that leads down an unexpected path, but BOILING POINT adds a fresh twist to the twist, one that adds merit to the filmmakers choice of popular genre.

If I may indulge myself, I found myself picturing a simmered down Vinnie Jones as the P.I. during a second viewing of BOILING POINT. This is a positive image, but I found myself picturing Seann William Scott as Paul Connors. This, if I were to make assumptions, was not the intent, but that’s merely my impression. In any case, the film works on a fundamental level, it entertains and holds the viewer’s attention, so long as the viewer has an open mind to the truth that all films need not be glamorous Hollywood productions and most worthwhile films are not.

Check out Metronome Productions’ website for more information and other projects.

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.

The golden age of the revenge film has passed, but since the 70’s there’s been a steady resurging trend for more. It’s a popular subgenre, I believe because just about everyone can relate. Who hasn’t, at some point, had something occur in their life when they didn’t secretly desire some form of revenge?

XTRMNTR (2010) joins this growing list of revenge films, a 6½-minute short from writer Phil Jeng Kane, producer Annabelle Fouchard and director Andrew Millner. Shot with a Red One camera over three days in Perth, Australia, the highlight of the film is the production value.

Karl (Vito de Francesco) and Simon (Kazimir Sas) are professional exterminators, on a job setting poisoned gas bombs for a rat infestation. The two characters appear to be average, working-class blokes, but there’s something unspoken between the two men that’s about to reveal itself with devastating consequences. This is where the underlying story begins to develop.

Let’s begin with the end. I won’t ruin the money shot, but I will say that the “big-budget” ending is courtesy of the well-planned use of a house already scheduled for demolition. XTRMNTR is an impressive example of how independent filmmakers can create believably expensive-looking shots and effects without a million-dollar budget.

Cinematographer Rob Castiglione adds to the pleasing production value with his yellow-tinged color palette. There’s a gritty essence woven into the interior shots as Karl and Simon settle an unexpected score. XTRMNTR begins harmless enough, then turns on a dime, revealing the first of two major twists in the otherwise simple story. The depth of story in the film remains rather shallow, but the concise way in which the filmmakers construct the premise makes up for the lack of character development.

XTRMNTR shows potential for high-octane suspenseful cinema. As a feature film, character development could take hold and result in a stronger, longer-lasting impact on the viewer that simply isn’t achieved in 6½ minutes. Regardless, it’s a film that leaves an impression as a calling card for films.

XTRMNTR had its world premiere screening during the Future Shorts One Film Festival in Perth on February 16^th, 2011.

“Like” XTRMNTR on Facebook.

What do you hate? Think carefully before answering. You may find that the very things you think you hate are not quite what they seem. Edoardo L’Astorina’s 6-minute dramatic short film I HATE (2011) dares to propose this question, this reflection of what it is to hate, and does so with a respectable flair.

I HATE is written and directed by L’Astorina, whom also produced and provided the music for the film. Clare Latham plays Gloria, a disturbed young woman with a great deal of hatred in her heart. The story presents itself in an experimental fashion. Gloria stands before darkness, clad in a dark leather jacket, smoking a cigarette. Gloria evokes a sort of Denis Leary essence, without the humor, speaking with conviction about all the different types of women she hates.

The style of the film consists entirely of close-ups, with varying angles and perspectives, sharp color and contrast against the black void Gloria stands before. The editing by Robbie Gibbon is particularly strong, jarring and at a pace that encourages the subtlest release of adrenaline. I HATE makes a point to be in the viewer’s face, forcing them to watch and listen to Gloria’s hatred, her pain, her angst. This is an intimate film, a confession.

Charlie Jones serves as cinematographer, confident but not as definitively strong as I would like to have seen. I HATE is an experimental, emotional piece that deserves a ferociously edgy visual element. This is something sound designer David Pringle has managed to convey with a slightly more profound result. As I experienced the film, I found myself far more compelled by the use of ambient and ethereal soundscapes, which allowed the images to speak with more force.

Clare Latham’s performance carries enough range to sell the varying stereotypical characters, culminating in a twist ending that brings the message of I HATE to fruition. While the film starts out feeling a bit like an artsy public service announcement, in the short 6-minute time frame L’Astorina’s vision evolves into something more like a moodier Levi’s commercial, but benefits from an actual point-of-view and purpose.

Check out DendelionBlu to learn more about the filmmaker.

British writer, director and producer Jordan Barrett offers up EXODUS (2011), a new dramatic short film starring James Hedley and Lawson Hind. Barrett, whose previous credits include the short films PER MARE, PER TERRAM (writer/director/producer) and ASH WEDNESDAY (writer/producer), delivers a sharp sliver of a story that has the potential to be an even more intense feature film, with an ending as appropriately abrupt as it’s beginning.

EXODUS opens much like an episode of a J.J. Abrams television series. The audience is thrown into the middle of Jacob’s (James Hedley) current dilemma, as confused and disoriented as the character himself. Jonathan Armandary’s score is powerful and dramatic, building suspense… and then goes silent, only to be broken a moment later by the harsh, jarring static of a mysterious walkie talkie left with Jacob in the small, enclosed room.

Barrett’s story, only 14:33 in length, stops short of providing any significant depth on the surface. EXODUS, instead, strives to propose an ethical question for the audience to answer themselves, moreover than a clearly defined narrative. Could you choose between the life of a stranger (Lawson Hind) and the life of a loved one? Barrett presents a rare, but horrifying glimpse into a mortal choice that any random human being could have forced upon them against their own will.

EXODUS packs a daunting punch of pending doom, a fear for the outcome, regardless of its final nature. Whatever path Jacob chooses, his life will never be the same, forever haunted by guilt and shame. This tone is reinforced by Scott Coulter’s cinematography is clearly a challenge as EXODUS takes place in a single, tightly enclosed space with a complete lack of natural lighting. As a creative team, Coulter and Barrett prove they can excel at thinking outside the box, even when literally confined to working within a concrete box.

EXODUS recently played at the Inspire Film Festival on Sunday, June 12th, 2011.

Check out the official EXODUS website at www.Exodus.com or “Like” EXODUS on Facebook.

Writer/director Miles Trahan (IN DREAMS — 2009 Short Film) delivers BAD THINGS, a seven-minute short drama about two guys dumping a dead body in the woods. Wait… scratch that. This films not just about two guys disposing of a corpse. Sure, that’s what actually takes place on screen, but the devil is in the details, as they say.

BAD THINGS opens on two men, Peter (played by Ryan Castro, NEVER TOO LATE) and Paul (played by Justin Serrano), both in white shirts covered in blood removing a dead man from the trunk of their car. Peter and Paul carry on about faith and God, karma and redemption, taking two opposing viewpoints on the subject of understanding it all… the easy way, and the hard way.

The pleasant, peaceful setting of the woods in autumn daylight and birds chirping, contrasts with the darker deed being done. While the natural assumption would be to assume the two men are killers, Trahan presents the story in a way that does not answer the question for us… the audience is left thinking at the end of the film, wondering what’s really transpired in the time before the film begins.

I found myself rewatching BAD THINGS 3, 4 then 5 times, desperately trying to pinpoint tiny hints that may lead to an answer, to some better insight into Peter’s character and his uncertainty. Paul is calm and collect, while Peter is torn apart by what has transpired. The dialogue is what shines brightest in BAD THINGS, telling a story that is multi-layered. This is a film that requires the audience to read between the lines, refusing to hand over a clean, simple ending all wrapped up in pretty paper.

BAD THINGS is shot in a single location, over one extended period of time. The film begins as abruptly as it ends, and equally as open to interpretation. The HD-SLR video, shot by Iain Browne, looks great and the audio is equally crisp, complimenting the dialogue-driven story. Trahan shows a greater understanding of film as a thought-provoking art form, and I look forward to seeing his horizons expand into equally riveting subject matter.

I’m drawn to films such as BAD THINGS, films that make us think, not just about the story itself but of higher concepts. I’ve always felt philosophy and film are perfect bedfellows, a perfect artistic means to a greater end. Trahan’s film exemplifies this, but also further proves my point that the best cinema is often the least spectacular cinema. In other words… a picture may say a thousand words, but the right picture only needs to say a few.

Visit Magnificent Waste to view BAD THINGS, and for more information about the movie, the cast and crew. BAD THINGS can also be found on Facebook.

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.

TELL ME YOU LOVE ME is an intensely personal short film co-written and co-directed by Gary C. Warren (THE PATH OF TORMENT, BEST LAID SCHEMES) and Sharon Wright.

Sharon Wright (CANDY APPLE RED, THREE BLIND SAINTS) also stars in the film as a woman tormented by the memory of a violent act committed against her in the past. Now, with everything around her a reminder of what she has endured, emotions boil to a head, leading to an ironic conclusion.

This 5-plus minute short film is a dramatic thriller that packs an audio/visual wallop to accompany the equally emotional story. Warren’s style comes through primarily in his editing, as is the case with his two feature films as well, cutting abruptly and precisely to associate disconnected moments in time and evoke and enhanced sensory response. Warren’s choice of music for the soundtrack is also significant to the filmmaker’s interpretation, which was inspired by actual events.

Wright, an actress and model who has a charming and innocent glow about her, puts all of that on the line in this role, which demanded both physical and emotional turbulence. Jeffrey Staab (LAST WILL, ALL ROADS LEAD HOME) plays the man who commits the act of violence on Wright’s character. A slightly older man, but clearly unstable, his character is the catalyst for the woman’s anxiety and fear that haunts her daily life, made evident by Wright’s performance.

TELL ME YOU LOVE ME is a film that offers a lot in a very small package. The film will premiere as past of the Bare Bones International Film Festival on Wednesday, April 27th at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum, followed by a string of other festival appearances.