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Short Film Review: DOTTED LINE. Directed by Michael Rognlie, EE Tallent

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A reclusive woman is drawn into a waking nightmare when she is stalked by a deranged lunatic, who is convinced that she holds the key to his twisted redemption.

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Review by Victoria Angelique:

The question about a telemarketer’s psyche after constantly being yelled at or hung up on is answered in the short film, DOTTED LINE. Everyone has had the annoying phone call about their car’s extended warranty and just like the characters in the film, most people blow them off without a thought to what it could do to a person that is simply doing their job. This story shows how one man snapped to turn into a serial killer by targeting a loud mouth man, a stereotypical “Karen”, and a reclusive woman with self-esteem issues.

The story itself is satirical and thrilling at the same time. The sound design really adds to the horror elements of the story, with creaking floorboards and breaking glass to accompany the score. This feels like it should be a scary movie, up until the deranged telemarketer comes on screen. His lines are quite humorous for what would actually be a terrifying situation. The satirical elements only add to the story as the “Karen” hostage keeps demanding to speak to the man’s manager. 

The prop and set design on this film are cinematic. The skeletons with organs falling out aids the story to show that this isn’t the first time this man has killed someone nor will it be the last, these are simply his latest victims. The props aid to the story of Amber, the reclusive woman, since she is receiving note cards with phrases that at first makes the audience think she is the mentally unwell one and her paranoia is simply in her head. The twist of the telemarketer kidnapping her, along with the two others, gives the theme to always trust one’s instinct because it might just save someone’s life. There is only one way for them to save themselves from this horrifying scenario and that is by signing on the DOTTED LINE to agree to the contract for their car’s extended warranty.

Feature Film Review: SHIFT. Directed by Max Neace

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Night security guard Tom monitors storage units in Chicago with only his chair and radio for company, until he witnesses regular tenant Mrs. Jones lead a man into her unit who mysteriously vanishes.


Starring: Angela Alise, Cathleen Kaelyn, Rosanne Limeres
Written & Directed by Max Neace
Cinematographer: Robert Reed Altman
Composer: Crystal Grooms Mangano
Production Designer: Jevon Dismuke

Review by Andie Kay:

Mystery, intrigue and suspense. Shift has them all. Set in the 1990s, a young, newly hired security guard spends the night shift watching several monitors at a storage facility. It doesn’t take him long to realize there is something very, very wrong where he works.

This full length feature film is part Hitchcock and part Five Nights at Freddy’s. The film makers paid a wonderful homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s style of suspense and the Five Nights at Freddy’s human struggle of ‘What do I do?’. Cinematography was absolutely brilliant, as was the meticulous detail to the 90’s era with props, costuming and set dressing. The story was incredibly well done in the way the film makers built up the intrigue and suspense, even adding a touch of humor with the Grace Kelly character that happens to be an office chair. Just when you think you know what’s happening, there’s another twist that draws you more into this mystery.

This group understood how important sound is to a film like this. I loved the various effects they used to bring this story to life, whether it was muffled voices, static on the radio and security monitors to the subtle difference of how someone sounds on the other end of a phone. Plus the original musical score by Crystal Grooms Mangano was beautifully done. I only wish the opening sequence of radio static and changing stations was shorter or it wasn’t done with an all black screen. Kind of made me think the film wasn’t playing properly.

The entire cast blew me away because everyone was so incredibly organic and believable. Angela Wise, who portrays Iris, is the first one we meet and although the majority of her dialogue is voice over, it was done with great inflection, emotion and wonderful presence.

The rapport between Sean O’Bryan ( playing Hal ) and Connor McGill (playing Tom) was infectious and it was such a joy to watch them on screen. Allison McAtee as Mrs. Jones was sensational as being the femme fatale of the film.

If you are a fan of mystery/thriller films, this is one that I highly recommend.