Hello ladies and gentlemen, your shorts loving pal Muldoon here with this week's sweet selection of films I think you might want to check out. Each of these films was submitted by the creators themselves, most of which are readers of AICN. In fact, I'd say roughly 98% of all the shorts I've been lucky enough to ever screen here have been from AICN readers like you and me. That's just kind of cool - to know that while AICN is *famous* for it's negative Talkbacks, we also have quite a few incredibly talented folks out there lurking around. At any rate, while Sundance/Slamdance is no doubt blowing up your Facebook newsfeeds and your favorite blog sites - you've got a free admission here to your weekly film fest deep in the heart of Ain't It Cool, a website that's ultimately all about loving movies. I'm incredibly excited about this week's lineup and am absolutely certain if you don't see a short that interests you - you're simply not human. I kid... but I really am proud of today's lineup; there's five talented shorts from five talented directors, all with their own unique styles. So without further ado, let's get this party started!
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:
VICKI
TRT: 14:29
Way back at the beginning of SATURDAY SHORTS, a filmmaker absolutely blew the roof off the joint with a film called BLOOD FROM A STONE. If you've not seen it, then after you get done with today's shorts - do yourself a solid and check it out! The genius behind that perfect slice of 80's awesomeness, Bill Palmer, is back with a new short for us: one with a murderous car. "VICKI is a loving, comedic homage to John Carpenter's truly underrated adaptation of Stephen King's Christine. But rather than a possessed car from the 50's changing her owner to be more like her, it's a modern update with an 1988 T-Top Camaro changing her geeky owner into a radical 80's bad kid. It's also a tribute to 80's horror in general, with controlled compositions, non-choppy edits, a natural lighting style (like the master, Dean Cundy), and a killer synth soundtrack by Umberto and Time Fighter." Dear Hollywood folks looking for fresh ideas... Bill's your guy. (I don't know Bill outside of SATURDAY SHORTS, but truly do think he's on to something that deserves a full feature.)
VICKI from Bill Palmer on Vimeo.
STRANGE THING
TRT: 9:50
Up next is a freaky short from Alrik Bursell and Bursell Productions. It's a bizarre scenario from a twisted imagination, a kickass sci-fi thriller that's not been done to death before. The film's screened at quite a few film fests and only recently hit the web. It's odd, beautifully shot, and very well acted - I don't think I can overhype it - it's just damn solid. "A newly married couple, Kris and Jake, wake up to find a door has appeared in their living room. As the temptation to open the door lingers the couple discusses how to handle this bizarre phenomenon as they discover more about the person they each married." If you want to know more about the film, be sure to visit its Facebook Page!
Strange Thing from Bursell Productions on Vimeo.
KILL THE K-CUP
TRT: 2:27
Next up is an incredibly cool short that'll leave you rethinking how you drink coffee. Charles Wahl and his crew over at Egg Studios have put together one hell of a PSA, a very "Cloverfield" style short that's bizarre as hell, thoroughly enjoyable, and is sure to leave an impact. Charles set out to make a film that could show off what Egg Studios could do, while also looking out for the environment. This short is anything but preachy and is totally worth the two and a half minutes of your time. The short already has 148,000 views, so you might've already seen it, but if not - you won't be dissapointed.
DE KLEINZOON (THE GRANDSON)
TRT: 9:54
Jan van Gorkum has our next short, a dark comedy from the Netherlands. It's spoken in Dutch, but has English subtitles. "Leo, an old and slightly demented man, gets a surprise visit from his grandson Jacco. When Jacco suddenly reveals that Leo doesn't actually have a grandson, the seemingly innocent visit changes into something very grim." If you like what you see and feel like checking out more from Jan, then head over to his site (FYI: It's in Dutch, but there are a few more of his films there that are pretty cool).
THE DARK WALK BACKWARD
TRT: 12:05
Our next film just hit the internet yesterday and while I could totally be mistaken, the SATURDAY SHORTS audience is the first to check the film out online! Wide landscapes and spot on set dec/wardrobe choices give our next short, a horror/drama/fantasy flick from Austin, TX director Kris Phipps, a damn cool feel. Not sure how I haven't bumped into/met Kris in town before, but eventually hope to. His film was shot near Fredericksburg, TX and features a nice performance from Brant Bumpers. "A farmer must go through the heartbreaking task of burying his young daughter. And, before his work is done, he will learn that the only thing worse than death is a life that is cursed by it." Kris is developping a monster movie called EXTENSION, so hopefully we'll be seeing more from the guy. If you want to check out more from Phipps, then check out his website.
The Dark Walk Backward from Kris Phipps on Vimeo.
*BONUS Video: Guy Pearce's "Fly All The Way"*
TRT: 4:27
Okay, so this isn't exactly a short, but a music video from one of my favorite actors out there, Guy Pearce. The man's a damn fine actor, and apparently a solid musician. No one sent this one in, I just saw it and was blown away it only had 15,000 views. I just thought a few of you folks would get a kick out of it, like I did. (And let's face it, it's not something I'd feel right writing an entire article about here on AICN.) It's just a fun high note to leave you folks on after such creepy shorts this week. I hope you dig it, it's a good one.
That's it for this week ladies and gents. I'll catch you fine folks a week from now with some more shorts I think you might like. In the mean time, have a great week and feel free to check out past SATURDAY SHORTS articles in the links below! (And go make something!)
SATURDAY SHORTS 2012
SATURDAY SHORTS 2013
SATURDAY SHORTS 2014
The Off Season; Why Does My Girlfriend Text So Much?; Landscape; The Magician (1/3/15)
Atropa; Good Conduct; Ulla; Blackouts; Pizza And Bullets (1/10/15)
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
