Hello ladies and gentlemen, your pal Muldoon here with this week's selection of fine fun flicks created and submitted by AICN readers like you and me. Now if you've frequented AICN for anything over... say, an hour(?) then you're probably aware of a little shindig down in Austin called BNAT (Butt-Numb-A-Thon) where once a year Harry has a ridiculous smorgezbord of feature films that all screen within a 24 hour time frame. It's the perfect condensed film festival where you honestly have no clue what's playing until the intro credits start to roll. "Yes... Muldoon, I'm well aware of this magical event you speak of, but how does affect me? We can't all drop everything and fly to Austin to get down on some marathon of movie magic" Well, as you are reading this, I'm probably sitting in my seat getting my mind blown (and hoping everyone remembered to wear some deodorant) and the thing is - I want to share that with you guys and gals. Take note, i have nothing to do with the event other than show up - I have no clue what's being screened - so do not read into any of the films below as any kind of clue/hint, just appreciate the films for what they are: solid films that should transport you to a new world. And in the spirit of marathons, I've decided to load up this week in the hopes that some of you folks will genuinely full screen them, grab a soda/popcorn/lobster infused hotdog, kill the lights and just go with the flow - watching one after the other (even if something doesn't seem to tickle your fancy). I dig each of these, so hopefully you will as well.
And that's enough text to sift through, let's get to watching. Go grab yourself some popcorn, lock your kids in a closet, kill the lights, relax and check out this little weekly film fest we've got ourselves here:
TRAVELERS
TRT: 4:13
Up first is a film from director Blake that will transport you to locations all around the world. "Questioning adventure or safety is the dilemma many people struggle with from behind their desks, beneath their bills, and before their commitments.While there is no right answer, the call to break free is universal."
Travelers from Mike Weldon on Vimeo.
UGLY AND IN LOVE
TRT: 16:26
And fron producer James Anderson Brown we have our next film, a tale drunkenness and love. "Based on an extract from the feature screenplay of the same name, Ugly and in Love introduces our anti-hero Sam J. Jarvis and his first meeting with Louise Elizabeth Callum under dark circumstances. A professional drinker and verbal analyst of the wrongs around him, Sam fights everything trying to find reason for his existence, leaving him an outcast to society. Sam's life is turned upside down when he meets Louise Elizabeth Callum, a soft and tender woman who falls for the ideologies and unpredictability that Sam stands for. Ugly and in Love shows the dark and light side of human nature and relationships, the ugly side of inane sexual desires and the purity of love itself."
Ugly and in Love from James Anderson Brown on Vimeo.
THE UMBRELLA
TRT: 6:49
And here's Christopher D. Bruce with a fanciful ("danciful!") dance film. " This is a fun little narrative dance piece that I made. I wrote a breakdown of general actions which my friend Tony created an amazing piece of music to. My girlfriend made the umbrella puppets and over a weekend we shot it with a dancer friend. I just wanted to make a playful film with some silent film whimsy and practical effects." Be sure to check out Christopher's website if you like what you see!
The Umbrella from Christopher Bruce on Vimeo.
THE ZOMBIE ONE
TRT: 23:16
I'm sure you're having a ball with the previous shorts, but now you're in for something far out, a kickass zombie flick. The DP on the film, Wayne Lin, was cool enough to send it my way. Thanks, Wayne - it rocks. "Years after the Zombie outbreak, a man struggles to put his life and family back together the way it was before he became infected. But discrimination and revenge toward the "cured" hinder his dream from becoming reality."
The Zombie One from Trevor Kim on Vimeo.
WORLDS WE CREATED
TRT: 9:33
Next up is a film from a Saturday Shorts veteran, Nicholas Santos. "WORLDS WE CREATED is a short film about a boy who walks the line between imagination and reality." Damn fine film. Go check out Santos's site or the production company's for kicks!
WORLDS WE CREATED from BullMoose Pictures on Vimeo.
AXE IN THE FOREST
TRT: 6:02
Boom! Ready for something a bit more *genre-rific? Then I'd like to introduce you to Matt Cantu, a Michigan filmmaker. " A beautiful short film shot in Michigan's Huron National Forest follows two young lovers as they paddle down the AuSable River. Little do they know that some one is following their every move. Someone with an axe! Written and directed by Matt Cantu, creator of The Zombie Factor." Want more info? Go hit up Cantini Pictures as their website!
Axe in the Forest from cantini pictures ltd on Vimeo.
SOUND OF THE DEAD
TRT: 17:14
Chris Swirles brings us another fun zombie film that he produced and stars in. "Chris, a meek, recently divorced man spends his spare time building anatomical models. When he is sent by his ex-wife to a motel in search of their drug addicted daughter, a string of shattering events are set into motion. Chris finds the last thing any father would ever want to face. His only memento from the tragic scene, his daughter's cellphone, which he uses to gain insight into her final days. The cellphone reveals more than he bargained for, but there is something far more sinister hidden within. Already battling grief, Chris must face inner demons as a life and death struggle with a strange new virus pits him against forces that may spell the end of human existence as we know it."
THE DEAL MASTER (Book Trailer)
TRT: 2:08
And here we've got an oddity, a trailer for a book from Theo Zenou! "It's essentially a "fake" movie trailer" "The Deal Master is a mystery/thriller that's mythologically informed and based upon a 13c tale. William Gillette, a NYC police detective, heads up a task force organized to catch a serial killer. In his attempt to solve the case, the detective makes a series of deals with a character who knows more than he should about the crimes. This leads to unforeseen consequences that involve Gillette."
WAR PATH - Kickstarter Pitch
TRT: 4:14
Now here is a first. I get sent Kickstarter/IndieGogo links all the time, and while on one hand I feel like a jerk for not posting every single one - if I did that, then I'd quite possibly be the most annoying "blogger" out there and no one would give a rats ass about my opinion... Trust me, I'm an indie filmmaker myself and I know how tricky it is to get things done with no money. (I could go into a MASSIVE spiel about working with what you've got and not thinking money will solve all your problems.) I used to think "Man, it's a no budget film where the actors aren't getting paid, so I really can't be too pissed if they're an hour late - one day when I can pay for actors, they will show up on time..." AND BOOM - Nope, then you still have an actor showing up late, you're just essentially burning money. It's all about finding solid people to surround yourself with, folks you can trust in the trenches. My take on super zero budget films is: you can't afford the Hollywood stlye, so buck that nonsence and make your own style. So what if you're shot isn't as clean as the pros? Funk it, you're still out making something while your film school pals from college are still waiting around for someone to hand them the keys to filmmaking castle. We live in a time where there are still folks out there scoffing at the CGI in AVENGERS... a time filled up with so much "Well, if I would have done it, I would have done it this way, which would've been way better..." Movies, both short and full length, are hard to make on any budget - that's why SATURDAY SHORTS exists... that's why this tiny column is such a big deal to me, it's because when you watch a no budget short - you can feel the passion of the filmmaker throughout the film's running time. I digress...
Sorry, diatribe over.
Point is, there's a cool vibe in this pitch from Casey de Fremery that you should check out for his first feature length film WAR PATH.
Supernatural Goodness (6/30/12)
SciFi Explosions With Aliens (7/14/12)
Dark Comedy Extravaganza (9/8/12)
Goofy Comedy Laughsplosion (10/6/12)
Genre Basket of Awesome (12/1/12)
Horror-ish Creepfest (12/22/12)
Assorted Bits of Genre (2/16/13)
Laughter in Film Form (3/9/13)
The Sphere; Montauk; Meth; Anamnesis (3/30/13)
Stan Lee Parkour; Mediating Kidnapper; Red; Bullet Head; Shadow (4/6/13)
Carrot & Stick; Queen of Hearts; Paintwork; Trophy Wife; BFC: Big F*ckin Chicken (4/13/13)
Victorian Undead; The Glitch; Saw Misgivings; Dave Vs. Death (4/20/13)
Gratitude; Boo!; Game of Dim(Wits); How I Met Your Father (4/27/13)
Allure; Titans of Newark; The Knightswoon; The Magic Box (5/4/13)
Don't Move; Experimental; Blackout; Birthday Boys (5/11/13)
Abe; Judge Minty; Robto; The Bubble (5/18/13)
Unsaid; Time; Spare The Bullets Not His Life; The Forge; The Mortician (5/25/13)
Ice Cream; Giraffic Park; The Spell Book; Pop; Chris' Wire (6/1/13)
The Tea Party; Dawn; The Earth Rejects Him; Hangin; Faces: Why Do We Have Them? (6/8/13)
Dead-Funny; Dead Reel; Buckles; So Dark; Secret Identity (6/15/13)
A Killer Surprise; Hitchcock Assembled; The Arsehole Gene; Kill Him; Only in Dreams (6/29/13)
Mirage; Laundry Night; Kiss; Mathilda (7/6/13)
Machete Get Ready; En Passant; Eg Anda; Fade To Black; Shocker (7/13/13)
PostHuman; The Flying Man; Departure; Lucy; Nemesis (7/20/13)
I shot JFK; List; Ten Thousand Days; Sick Day; Bolero (7/27/13)
I'm Such a Carrie; Motherland; Mutt; Falling Apart; Save The Kiss (8/3/13)
The Olympians; Land Of Giants; Genesis; Melissa!; Vaccine; Promotion (8/10/13)
The Video Dating Tape of Desmondo Ray, Aged 33 & 3/4; White With Red; Sinkhole; The Autumn Girl; Melt; Ghost Train (trailer) (8/24/13)
Nitro Warriors 2; Vindicate; Ashtray; Three Legged Horses (8/31/13)
Sleep Walk; Star Drunk; Obsolescence In Love; Sunisoid (9/7/13)
Neon Killer; Future Duck; It Felt Good To Have This Pain; The Golden Age; Minotaur (9/14/13)
The Troll; Boats; Lucy; Until The End; We Are Brothers (9/28/13)
Battle For Employment; Mapper; Deep Red Dandelions; Applications; Trailer: The Fuzz (10/12/13)
M Is For Merry Christmas; Shellshock; Deadly Garden; A Decision; Elite Comics Commercial (10/19/13)
M is for Merman, M is for Midget, M is for Missing, M is for Messiah, M is for Monstricide (11/9/13)
Onionhead; Click; Tosser; Psycho Gunslinger; Bedbug trailer (11/16/13)
I am Vengeance; Silver Stiletto; Sleep Fighter; Frame of Mind; Trim (11/23/13)
Horrific; Reynolds; Star Wars Downunder; Paperboy; Plan C; Girl (11/30/13)
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. The more info you send my way, the more info there is to put with your short.
Please don’t feel the need to submit multiple times.
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?
BY THE WAY: If you've had a short featured here, that means that I personally am a fan of your work, so feel free to shoot me any kind of news on new projects/films/whatever. I can't say I'll be able to help or in what capacity, but I'm interested in your work and am always down to see more! (Keep making cool stuff, everyone!)
- Mike McCutchen
"Muldoon"
Mike@aintitcool.com
