“Michael Rognlie and E.E. Tallent’s The Need is a horror short about a withdrawn young man who feels universally unwanted. Others pay the price for it. Written by Kennith Darling, the 15-minute film showcases his inner workings just when he is once again on the brink of behavior that he may not like but compulsively commits.”

Review by Victoria Angelique:

The short film, THE NEED, is a familiar tale of an obsessed man who cannot overcome the ghosts of his past as fear cripples him. David has the belief that the next relationship will be different, but evidence shown through the use of props proves he is unable to change his personality. The sins committed against former girlfriends continue to manifest in the form of being haunted to prove that David will always be different from other men. 

The sound design is phenomenal as David chooses to pursue a new conquest when his deceased girlfriend appears to him. Her voice is distorted, an echo apart from the rest of the world. It’s quickly made clear that she is not simply an inner demon, but a woman that David has murdered. The creepy tone of her voice combined with dramatic makeup shows that this man is a seasoned killer and not simply a misunderstood man that just happens to be eccentric. He is dangerous. 

The character of David is clichéd, but that’s what makes the film captivating. The audience knows these characters well from cinema and television. They need to be caught, but rarely are so that they can move on to their next kill. The use of finger bones of multiple girlfriends shows that David’s obsession always wins through his desire to be different. 

This short film is a combination of YOU meets SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. David kills through cannibalism like Hannibal Lecter, but stalks his prey like Joe. He appears to be a nice guy, though his dark secrets will always linger until he is inevitably caught for his crimes. He appears like a sympathetic character, which is why he will be able to continue to get away with murder.

The Destruction of Jane is a campy, over the top, erotic, outrageous comedy which follows Miss Jane Parker to the African Jungle where it all began. Witness Tarzan and Jane’s first encounter, in what now has become a rather heralded expedition in the African Jungle, and one of our greatest love stories.

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Review by Andie Karvelis:

The story of Tarzan and Jane has been captivating audiences for decades. Usually it’s an adventurous, heartfelt, sometimes brooding and dark tale. How incredibly refreshing to see this over the top, campy, fun comedy from the mind of Paul Pecorino! Paul also portrays Jane and does ( in his words ) a bunch of other things.

The first thing you can’t help but notice is this gorgeous cinematography! Eric Paulsen went above and beyond as Director of Photography. He’s responsible for all the creative camera shots, the drone footage, ADR and handling sound. He’s like a one man filmmaking army! This team of filmmakers has everyone wearing multiple hats and they all did such an amazing job.

I have to commend David Mitsch and Vera Stromsted for their costuming and make up skills because they are superb! Drue Pennella directed and edited The Destruction of Jane and he must’ve had a blast doing it. Drue got such great performances from Rob Eco, who plays Tarzan and Paul Pecorino as Jane. It was so much fun to watch them interact with one another.

Something I thought was a bit of filmmaking genius was the addition of going black and white and using these old time text cards, kind of what they used in silent films. It really helped sell the comedy as did the music!

All in all this is a quick, fun, well thought out story that will get you laughing. Be sure to stay for
the end credits too