Hello ladies and gentlemen, Muldoon here with this week's presentation of creepy short films created and sent in by fellow AICN readers. Halloween is just days away and what better way to get into the Halloween spirit than watching a bunch of creepy shorts? Answer - there is no other way (Aside from Carpenter's HALLOWEEN and perhaps HOCUS POCUS). Of course I kid, but hey - scary shorts fit perfectly alongside the fall weather, ghostly decorations outside, and costume parties galore, so why the hell not? Plus, each and every one of the shorts below is nothing short (heyo) of excellent. So prepare to have a good time and be sure to give each one a shot, ideally all at once, but it's your world - so click as you please. I really got into all of them, but know without a doubt each and every one of you out there might not have tastes that align with mine, so hey - shoot out your thoughts in the TalkBacks below. I'm always lurking around after a SATURDAY SHORTS post, so would love to hear your thoughts and I'm sure the filmmakers might be curious as well.
Go grab yourself a bowl of candy, lock your kids in the basement, kill the lights, relax and check out this little weekly film fest we've got ourselves here:
SO PRETTY
TRT: 8:39
So up first is director Al Lougher's response to the growing view of vampires getting tamed in pop culture... They're supposed to be scary, heartless bastards - not sparkling loverboys (just my thoughts - though preaching to he choir here). If you dig the short, be sure to hit up their Facebook page.
"An avid vampire and Twilight fan one night takes the wrong train home. A nice little horror that is the anti Twilight vampire film and sets the record straight about this BS Twilight vampire lore. No glittering in the sun here!"
THE RAVEN
TRT: 11:22
I've been sent in about five or six versions of THE RAVEN from different folks since kicking off SATURDAY SHORTS back in January and have even screened one already (super trippy), but here we are with Peter Bradley's take on the classic Poe tale. It's a story you're all familiar with and it's got a wicked raven design.
Edgar Allan Poe's THE RAVEN from Trilobite Pictures on Vimeo.
THE TRANSMISSION
TRT: 6:35
Now here we have a tripped out spooky flick from Brian Lonano of ATTACKAZOIDS, DEPLOY!! (First SATURDAY SHORTS ever). This one's got an incredibly unique and refreshing style. "My goal was to pay homage to my favorite horror films of the 30s and 40s. I love Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula and all of the Val Lewton films (especially Curse of the Cat People) and I always wanted to make a movie in that style. I shot it on Super 8 film that I won from a contest and I shot the ghosts and other supernatural events using HD. There's miniatures, traditional animation and other cool effects in the film. And I was very fortunate to screen the film at both Fantasia and Fantastic Fest this year"
The Transmission from !ROBOT HAND! on Vimeo.
STRUCTURE KILL
TRT: 3:55
So up next we have a chance to catch your breath, a horror/comedy that should feel familiar at first... "at first..." Stephen Vitale takes a traditional scene/moment we've all seen a million times and adds a little twist.
Structure Kill from Stephen Vitale on Vimeo.
INITIUM
TRT: 8:56
With our next movie, directors Brandon Boudreaux & Erick Dozier bring us into the wonderful world of the occult.
"A young man awakens, alone and nearly naked, atop an ominous symbol etched into the cold concrete. He realizes that he is trapped by an invisible barrier, there is no escape, and his torture at the hands of a cloaked coven has just begun. His only defense against the merciless assault is to retreat inside his mind, recalling visions of his beloved. His only hope is that her memory will help him summon the strength to survive."
Initium_WEB.mov from No Name Brand Films on Vimeo.
SHADOW MAN
TRT: 11:49
And last, but certainly not least - a short that features a strong command of structure/visual choice/etc... Director David Benullo brings us an "atmospheric horror short about a young boy who discovers that the childhood tale of the Shadow Man may in fact be terrifyingly real..." It's got a real 80's vibe, but that could just be me.
Shadow Man - Benullo - Director's Reel from David Benullo on Vimeo.
And that's it this week ladies and gents. I'll be seeing you people next week, bu in the meantime be sure to click on any of the links below for a past SATURDAY SHORTS presentation:
If you have a short and think it belongs here or are on the fence about whether to send it in, please do send it in - I'd love to see what you've put together. I've already seen hundreds of fresh new filmmakers' shorts and like any good addict, I need more!
Shoot me an email at "Mike@aintitcool.com"
In the subject line include:
“SHORTS” + “Your film’s name” + “The film’s genre”
Then, in the body of the email, please include a synopsis of the film and any contact information you might think I need or would want published.
Please don’t feel the need to submit multiple times. I swear to each of you I truly check every email I get, and sending the same short a few times just makes it a bit messier.
Remember, the filmmakers might still be in the audience, so feel free to share your thoughts in Talkbacks below. (JUST DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE). I picked them, so you know I think highly of all of these, but how about you fine folks? How'd you like 'em?
- Mike McCutchen
"Muldoon"
Mike@aintitcool.com
