Hello ladies and gentlemen, your pal Muldoon here with a lovely lineup of solid shorts. With this past week... the loss of Mr. Tobe Hooper, Hurricane Harvey, and whatever the hell is happening in Washington, I hope you're able to take advantage of this weekend and relax a bit. While at times it might seem like the world's on fire and everyone is taking crazy pills, there's one thing that's always a bright light in my mind - passionate folks doing what they love and bringing something to life via their imagination and hard work. Passion, hard work, and a sincere love of movies is what I'm all about, and I've had the kickass pleasure of getting to feature hundreds of projects from hundreds of talented folks here on SATURDAY SHORTS, all of which have busted their butts to create something special to them. ("Emo Muldoon.") Today's no exception, with six films that all have something special to watch. I think four of the six films today feature some kind of monster, and two are simple solid shorts that will grab you by the emotions and shake you around a bit. Whatever you're up to, whatever your weekend plans are, I just hope you find a short here that rocks your world or turns you on to a new filmmaker you might not (yet) have heard of. So let's get this party going, eh? Let's start the show!
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!
STONEHEART
TRT: 4:20
First up we have a kickass horror film from Alex Haughey. Years ago I was able to post Haughey's THE KIGHTSWOOD, and in the time since then Alex has directed a feature and most recently created this twisted tale of condensed terror for Crypt TV. In case you're wondering, I'm noticing a pattern myself with the Crypt TV films. There seems to be quite a bit of overlap with regards to those who love what they are doing, and I'm definitely a fan myself. Hey, if Crypt TV is allowing filmmakers to create something cool - I'm down. (And conspiracy theorists, no... sadly I'm not on their payroll!) " A cursed statue from the witch trial days comes to life in a bloody, violent defense of women." I'm wildly in love with the statue's design and really dig this one, so hopefully Alex swings back in the future with more solid stuff! Check out the Crypt TV Youtube page for more scares!
BOBO
TRT: 9:09
Our next film comes to us all the way from Karachi, Pakistan from Writers/Directors/Editors Maazin Kamal and Munis Rashid. The short's palyed numerous horror film festivals and is a real treat to include in this week's selection as I just love a good scare. "A single mother learns the disturbing truth about Bobo, her daughter's imaginary friend." Imaginary friends are always an interesting angle, and one that's been explored to death. Kamal and Rashid have managed to add their unique spin on a familiar tale. If you like what you see, then check out the filmmakers' websites (Maazin Kamal's) (Munis Rashid) to see what else they're up to!
Bobo from Maazin Kamal on Vimeo.
FROSTBITE
TRT: 2:56
Director Danny Donahue did it again! He made a kickass short that's sure to send a cimenatic chill down your spine, this time with a unique creature in a pretty "cool" setting! (Ice joke...) "An 1890s monster hunter finds an elusive and dangerous creature in the snowy wilderness." Danny shot this one this past winter in Montana. To stay up to date on what he's up to - click over to his website and poke around!
GOBLIN QUEEN
TRT: 11:39
In the mood for something involving goblins? (What a specific mood!) Reed Shusterman has a damn cool film that showcases a perspective rarely touched upon, and in his own words "Goblin Queen is Narnia from the mother’s perspective—how do you parent a child who keeps disappearing to rule a magical world?" Interesting premise that's perfectly executed. "An overbearing mother struggles to parent her daughter, Amber Lynn, who keeps disappearing to rule a magical land. But when a dangerous creature follows Amber Lynn home, her mother must confront the reality of who her daughter has become." noticing the film's played 18,000 times, you might have seen this one already, and if not - you're in for a treat. If you dig it, think about checking out the film's Facebook Page for more info!
Goblin Queen from Reed Shusterman on Vimeo.
SECOND DATE
TRT: 8:06
Okay, no more horsing around - next up is a date filck with a (don't say it!) "twist." From the Netherlands, Elwin Rijken is back with something special. "A divorced woman spends an evening with her new fling on a second date. Together they start to reveal their deepest secrets." Elwin leans towards some strange material and the world's better for that, as you'll see below! I just hope you folks get a kick out of this one. I can pretty much guarantee this is one of those "where are they going with this?" style short, just do yourself the solid of buckling in and going along for the ride. And *hay, if you like what you see, then be sure to check out Elwin's website!
YIN & YANG
TRT: 19:31
To wrap us out, we have a film from Markus Graves. "A timid and reserved man must survive his life with his aggressive and physically combative older brother." Here's a rather believable film that feels genuine and real. I hope to see more from Graves in the future, and if you're curious about what he's up to as well - head over to his Facebook Page and see what's up!
KABOOM! I hope you folks had fun with this week's picks. If not, well... I'd suggest alcohol or exercise to lighten your mood. In all seriousness, I really do hope you caught a film today that you enjoyed, and I hope to see you fine folks back here next Saturday for another selection of fun films from across the globe! Feel free to check out past articles if you're in the mood:
SATURDAY SHORTS 2012
SATURDAY SHORTS 2013
SATURDAY SHORTS 2014
SATURDAY SHORTS 2015
SATURDAY SHORTS 2016
Pizza Delivery; Forever's Gonna Start Tonight; Epoch; Points Of Origin; Knack! (1/7/17)
Capes; Out Of The Family; Noodles; The Great Orecto; Orphans Of Ash Concept Trailer (1/14/17)
Dr. Gordz; Gleep-Glorp & Lasertag; Mindgame; Quad Diamond; From Below; Killer Queen (1/22/17)
Never Tear Us Apart; Hushy Bye; American Pride; The Restless; 2031 (2/4/17)
Wifey Redux; Whale Valley; Have Had; When The Saints (2/12/17)
The Man From Death; Tail; Whispers Among Wolves; Thing One "Nice Wife" (2/25/17)
Gravy; The Girlfriend Game; Cavern; The Horror; I'm a Homeless Princess (3/11/17)
Mordeo; The Survivor; Ultra Bleu; Barney Strong; Spin Dreams (8/19/17)
Seam; The Spirit Machine; Embers And Dust; The Lucid Engine; Ecstasy; The Good Time Girls (8/26/17)
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
