“Hammer” played at the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film Festival, part of its October 2015 best of horror/thriller short films from around the word event.
First off, watch the Poetry Film NOW:
Read Movie Review of HAMMER by Amanda Lomonaco:
While Hammer lacked a lot of the excitement and action that went along with the other films of the night, I still can’t deny how interesting the concept was. Like all experimental films, there will probably be a strong love/hate split between anyone who see sthis film, but I’ve always been a big proponent of experimental filmmaking.
Pushing the boundaries of any medium is incredibly important to highlighting and understanding its limitations, as well as helping us understand our own psyche. That might seem like a bit of a snobbish reason to justify experimental films, which can be pretty snobbish themselves sometimes, but its something many people don’t consider. Our reactions to new things can teach us a lot about ourselves, and about those around us, so it can be fun sometimes to give these films a try.
The poem that is narrated in Hammer is beautiful and original on its own; taking the perspective of a murder weapon as the narrator. The pictures that acompany the narration, superimposed, blurry, and dark, help emphasize the eeriness of the words. The closeups, forced perspective, and lack of clarity of the images also highlight the narrator’s perspective as an object, rather than a living thing. The merger between both mediums enhances both mediums equally, and puts you in an interesting space, both as an audience member, and as a listener, or reader.
Here is where I admit my massive bias; I am a Halloween freak. I love horror films, gore, SPFX make-up, dressing up, getting scared, gorging on candy, all of it. Naturally, I would always be more inclined to like this kind of film, regardless of the subject matter. Of course not ALL horror films pass the test, but the uniqueness of this one stood out to me. I wouldn’t recommend this film to everyone, but if you’re a fan of the gothic, Poe, melancholic style of horror, you’ll definitely appreciate this one.
Watch the Audience FEEDBACK of HAMMER:
Festival Reviews 