Short Film Movie Review

MOVIE REVIEW: SUICIDE NOTE (UK, Fantasy/Thriller)

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REAL ARTISTS played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

by Kierston Drier

Highly interpretive and deeply symbolic, this five minute fantasy-thriller from the United Kingdom is an exploration of life, death and it’s faceted transition. SUICIDE NOTE is deep meditation of one person’s journey from life to whatever is beyond it. Set against a haunting ethereal soundtrack and a featuring dramatic and dynamic framing, this piece is filmed in black and white. It has an almost unknowable quality to its tone and atmosphere- as though the viewer, is intentionally meant to never see the full scape of the hero’s world. Perhaps this is because it is the symbolic portrayal of the ultimate journey out of life.

A large portion of the piece is focused on the frame of a delicate doll, seemingly floating or suspended, set against the eye of the main hero. It is possible this doll represents the hero’s human body, while their eye represents their sense of self, both metaphorically and literally. Highly open to interpretation, this is a film that must be watched with an open mind. It may not be conventional cinema, but it is breathtakingly detailed, gorgeously shot and has an hauntingly beautiful tone. A delight for the senses.

 

SUICIDE NOTE, 5min, UK, Fantasy/Thriller
Directed by Marina Waltz

A surrealist meditation on the many self-inflicted deaths of identity we must courageously endure in order to attain a more complete understanding of who we are.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

MOVIE REVIEW: REAL ARTISTS (USA, Fantasy/Drama)

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REAL ARTISTS played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

“Winner of BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY at the Festival.”

by Kierston Drier

 A breathtaking leap into speculative fiction, REAL ARTISTS is a profoundly powerful portrayal of humanity, biology and entertainment. Full of rich cinematic details, exceptional casting, brilliant performances and subtle but meaningful writing, this is a piece that demands to be engaged with.

Based on a short story by Ken Liu, a young woman with big dreams in the entertainment world, is summoned to a renowned film-producing giant. Initially excited by the prospect of being head hunted, she soon uncovers a dark secret about the film “factory”.

Intense, riveting and introspective while delivering all the powerful emotional punches of any good film, watching REAL ARTISTS feels like watching a bite-sized version of a dense and thrilling feature. Flawless graphics, engaging stories and powerful twists keep the viewers not wanting to blink of fear of missing a moment.

A gorgeous film to behold. REAL ARTISTS will make you think and make you feel. As the credits rolls, a viewer may find themselves wondering what the future of human creativity it- a brave new world, indeed.

 

REAL ARTISTS, 12min, USA, Fantasy/Drama
Directed by Cameo Wood

Real Artists, a dark tale set in the near future, is based on Ken Liu’s short story of the same name. Sophia just scored every animator’s dream interview at world famous Semaphore Animation Studios. But when the Creative Director, Anne Palladon, reveals that she knows about Sophia’s fan-edit of Semaphore’s hit film Mythos, Sophia sees her dreams begin to slip away.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

MOVIE REVIEW: ECSTASY BOULEVARD (USA, Fantasy/Sci-Fi)

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ECSTASY BOULEVARD played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

by Kierston Drier

 What happens when you give an alien Ecstasy and turn it loose in the night club? YOU ARE ABOUT TO FIND OUT!

In this five minute American short, our hero takes an unlikely journey into a metropolis, his curious appearance misunderstood as urban eccentricity and gets caught up in a rave scene. He is not alone, however, and his illegal trespassing upon Earth alerts an assassin to track him down. What follows is a smoky cinematic chase through the world of a city after dark.

What makes this piece stand out, despite it’s highly effective visuals and minimal dialogue, is its use of mixed media. Throughout the work, scenes of importance are replaced with powerful animated visuals, giving an otherworldly, fantastical spin on the piece.

A fantastic, futuristic and gripping story, ECSTASY BOULEVARD will have you on the edge of your seat.

 

ECSTASY BOULEVARD, 5min, USA, Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Directed by Benjamin Allen

When an illegal alien lands his spacecraft on Earth, the assassin known as Kn1ght powers up to hunt the reptile down.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

MOVIE REVIEW: PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER, (France, Fantasy/Romance)

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PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER played to rave reviews at the July 2017 FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival.

It was the winner of BEST FILM at the festival!

by Kierston Drier

PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER is a highly colorful and richly detailed world of fantasy, love and horror is brought sharply into focus with exceptional casting and vivid imagination. Our piece follows a delicate and sheltered teen, Lili, cloistered in her home with her bitter, reclusive and beauty obsessed mother, Claudie. While Claudie seeks the help of a mystical gardener with a talent for growing beautiful replacement parts for her aging body, Lili falls hard for the boy next door. Lili’s crush soon takes control of her and she manages to seduce the young boy into her home- against her mother’s’ wishes.

Once there, however, she realizes she has loved in vain, and her heartbreak spurns her to seek an answer to her problems- by going to the gardener.
PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER shares the same sort of vivid, lush colors of famous films like Amelie but it’s tone is somewhere between the whimsy of a Wes Anderson film and a comical horror akin to Drew Goddard’s Cabin In The Woods.

Gorgeously composed, offering comedy, horror, irony, drama, passion and tension, this is a piece that packs an emotional punch, sends a shiver down your spin, and gives you a sharp pang of longing all at once.

A masterful emotional cocktail of a short film, it boasts spectacular performances all around, and a fantastically efficient and meaningful script. Bravo, PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER, Bravo!

 

PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER, 27min, France, Fantasy/Romance
Directed by Holy Fatma

In a surreal world, Lili, a 14-year-old albino, lives alone with her mother Claudie (50) who over-protects her from the outside world. Obsessed with her own appearance; Claudie regularly replaces aging parts of her face, alone in her operating lab, while Lili dreams of Lyesse, her 16 year-old handsome neighbor. But scared by so much love, Lyesse gently pushes her away. Devastated, she decides to operate his heart to understand why he doesn’t love her…

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Movie Review: A SPACE GOD APPEARS (USA, Experimental)

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Played at the July 2017 Experimental Short Film Festival

A SPACE GOD APPEARS, 10min, USA, Experimental
Directed by Grayson ConverseCareening through the universe, pistols blazing, neutron drive pulsing, Spooky Mansion and Tino Drima spread their Space Rock. Follow these bands in this short film about Space, God, Hope and Music. One of the most important stories ever told.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

This unique and original work unlike many films- experimental or not- it showcases two different real-life bands facing off musically within the confines of a larger-the-life short film. In the depths of space Spooky Mansion and Tino Drima are on two rival space ships- about to board and fight one another.

Laced with vintage pop-culture references and famous sci-fi callbacks to well loved shows, A SPACE GOD APPEARS lovingly satirized science fiction classics while revitalizing the tropes. Our rival bands compose their film with a colleague of cultural icons including visual references to various 1980’s music and media.

The film may be read as over-the-top by some viewers, but what is admirable about A SPACE GOD APPEARS is its bravery and unflinching choice to own it’s genre. Perhaps most unique, and authentic about this cinematic piece is its originality. The two bands that act as rivals on their space voyage are real life musical bands that have played together in real life.

A fresh twist on media favorites, and revitalizing way to reclaim the classics, A SPACE GOD APPEARS is a adventure for your cinematic sense and a true joy to watch.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

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Movie Review: GOLDEN LIGHT (Italy, Music Video)

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Played at the July 2017 Experimental Short Film Festival

GOLDEN LIGHT, 3min, Italy, Music Video
Directed by Virgilio Villoresi

Music Video for Blonde Redhead’s latest single “Golden Light”

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Fantastical and deeply immersive, GOLDEN LIGHT asks you to simply go along with the symbolic wonderland it throws at you. A three minute Italian music video exploring metaphor, symbolism and vivid contrast, GOLDEN LIGHT employs colour and contrast to create dramatic emotional responses. We follow our hero as she explores a mystical Alice-In-Wonderland style universe, encountering her lover along the way.

Under the right light, dramatic patterns appears on the faces of our heroes, adding a literal secondary layer of meaning to our piece. Our lovers dance around each other, one holding a key, one revealing a key hole- but neither ever truly reaching the other.

A notably nod must be given to the stunning and unique art direction and design in this piece- as it has a sensual other-worldliness that is all at once engaging, intriguing and uncanny. This is a difficult but nevertheless effective tone to keep the viewers glued to the piece until the final frame. A lush visual piece with densely layered visuals, GOLDEN LIGHT is a beautiful film to see.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

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Movie Review: DON’T LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YOU DOWN (UK, Experimental)

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Played at the July 2017 Experimental Short Film Festival

DON’T LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YOU DOWN, 4min, UK, Experimental
Directed by Michelle Bailey

A young girl girl searches for a safe haven in an urban landscape and finds solace in her own creative expression.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Terrifyingly authentic and yet beautifully abstract, DON’T LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YOU DOWN follows a young woman fleeing the endless cycle of her abusive partnership. She flees down a street while a cycle of his verbal abuse replays over and over in her head.

Once she reaches a rooftop overlooking a deadly drop to the street below, she defies the expectation by bursting into a passionate and emotionally charged dance piece.

Sharp, dramatic, cathartic and intense, DON’T LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YOU DOWN is a piece about finding your own freedom. Our heroine is an exceptional dancer and cinematic performer, and our story, though simply, is nevertheless incredibly emotive and effective.

A piece worth watching if you are a fan of dance cinema, an appreciator of strong dramatic pieces or a lover a fine cinema, you will find something to enjoy in this work. It’s movement will surely move you.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

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Movie Review: DIE YOUNG (USA, Music Video)

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Played at the July 2017 Experimental Short Film Festival

DIE YOUNG, 3min, USA, Music Video
Directed by Mimi Cave

Music Video for Sylvan Esso.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

A stunning music video by Sylvan Esso and directed by Mimi Cave, DIE YOUNG is a grippingly and lavishly shot short. A beautiful film with sumptuous and glamorous images, this piece follows a trouble making woman on her quest to escape her circumstances by stealing a cop car to drive into the desert- only to find the backseat is holding an unexpected guest.

Flawless editing and seamlessly smooth cinematic choices make this already strong music video hit new emotional heights. DIE YOUNG is more than just a music video- it is a modern day Thelma and Louise- a story of a women escaping where she was, to figure out who she is, and trying not to get lost in the process.

It may be the musically adventurous song and infectiously catchy beat, or the beautiful visuals, but there is something incredibly emotionally satisfying about this short- something that calls the viewers to get completely immersed in the story arch.

It is the sum of its parts- the music, the story, the cinema- the combination of it all, the begs the viewer to jump into off the cliff with our main character- to fall into the unknown with reckless abandon, and pray the landing never comes.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video

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Movie Review: REQUEMBARREN (Spain, Experimental)

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Played at the July 2017 Experimental Short Film Festival

REQUEMBARREN, 16min, Spain, Experimental
Directed by Roman Rubert Bernat 

Beatrice is a young woman who leaves home to look for Requembarren. After listening to the sad man, to the profaner, and to the incestuous man, she reflects on what happens to her on the journey.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

This short, highly metaphorical experimental piece, coming to use from Spain and directed by Roman Rubert Bernat, follows the story of a young woman, given a map by her parents and sent out in the world. The world, however, is dangerous, horrifying and wildly unpredictable. Our heroine, much like any on an epic quest, battles feat after feat, meeting stranger after stranger in increasingly periciliary circumstances.

Shot in black and white with keen attention to detail and style, this is a piece with truly admirable cinematic qualities. Thickly laced with fairy tale elements REQUEMBARREN asks its’ audience to examine its meaning from multiple angles; it may be a piece about the passage between life and death, or the link between heaven and hell, or between fairy reality and fantasy.

Regardless of the meaning intended by the creator, there is something lush and gorgeous behind this work of art- with special acknowledgment going to the various rich locations of shooting and the filters used to give brightness to the piece. A worthy watch indeed.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

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Movie Review: 65.5 WOMEN (Norway, Experimental)

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Played at the July 2017 Experimental Short Film Festival

65.5 WOMEN, 6min, Norway, Experimental
Directed by Liv Mari Mortensen

To understand a recent failure, a young man writes a statistic of all the women he ever slept with. As he tries to simplify all of his affairs into simple characteristics the memories start to take over, leaving him to face the only one he truly wanted.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Dramatic, collaborative and unbarred, 65.5 WOMEN is the story of one man recounting his sexual exploits to the woman he might bed next. But his descriptions of his conquests are not told from his voice- but from the women he speaks of. Subtle and often humorous, 65.5 WOMEN has an unmistakable charm in it, and an interesting dissection of genre and sexual politics.

Our narrator is never seen, in fact, other than his opening lines and closing lines he is rarely even heard. The focus, instead, is on the statistically way he recounts his sexual partners- the actual lines said by those very women while they break the fourth wall in a nonchalant and unassuming way. It is open for dense discussion as to who has the power in this piece- our male hero, the woman the hero is speaking to, or the women he is recounting.

Perhaps the depth in this piece comes from its subversion of gender power. The man, who is recounting his conquests with an almost unemotional air, has his very voice removed. The piece follows the women, and the descriptive factors that define them (“This one had a drug problem…this one had red hair.”) are said instead by the women who own the descriptors. The woman take agency, by using their own voices, and owning their descriptions.

A piece worthy of discussion on an academic level, but no less enjoyable to anyone simply looking for an introspective short film, 65.5 WOMEN is a deep and intellectual piece that packs an emotional punch.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

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