FMWL Indie Spotlight - The Studio on Mars, The ABCs of Death 2, Two Cool Horror Filmmakers, and You

I admit it, I skipped The ABCs of Death when it came out. Word of mouth was not good and I just never got around to it. Still, I appreciated the idea of a 26 part horror anthology film and was even more appreciative of the opportunity that the project afforded to independent horror filmmakers, who were given a chance to enter their own submissions and win a spot in the final film.

Well, The ABCs of Death 2 is on the way, and the same opportunity is being given to a new batch of horror filmmakers. Among the competitors for this honor are two good friends of FMWL, BJ Colangelo and Zach Shildwachter, working with the fine crew over at The Studio On Mars.  Their entry into the competition, entitled M is for Missionary, is something you other Midnight Warriors out there might want to check out.

For more from The Studio on Mars, check out their website and/or their Twitter.

Follow this link right here to go to the contest page for their submission, which you can watch there or watch below. For my money, it's a short and sweet home invasion story with a nice twist on societal expectations and some well-done brutality. Colangelo (who is directing for the first time) and Shildwachter (who once sent FMWL the grimy little treat Thrill Kill) have a good handle on the technical side of the film, teaming with their crew to create a good looking presentation that features top notch visual effects and sound effects that made me cringe a couple of times. As with most good short horror tales, it left me wanting to know more about what's going on here - which to me is the sign that they're doing something right.

I'm not going to tell you who you should vote for in this contest - I haven't checked out any of the other submissions yet, so I haven't voted yet either - I'm simply saying that I'm proud of these guys for their work and that you should check their entry out because it's a diabolical piece of gory fun.

You like diabolical and gory things, don't you?

M is for MISSIONARY from The Studio on Mars on Vimeo.

PS - If you do want to vote for BJC and Zach's fine work, you should go to the main link (which is right here again in case you forgot it) and follow the instructions below.

FMWL Indie Spotlight - Thrill Kill

I've known of Zach Shildwachter for a while on this here internet thing, and I can say in all certainty that he is one sick monkey - in the best possible way. I probably could have told you that yesterday - before I watched his directorial debut, a seven minute short film called Thrill Kill that might just kick you in the teeth. Thankfully for lovers of bloody, pulpy, grindhouse goodness - Thrill Kill proves my point about its creator.

This little piece of foul mouthed - the f-word is said more than all other words combined, I think - and blood stained - complete with some gooey practical effects by the writer/director himself - cinema has a lot of good stuff going on for fans of old-school sleaze. The short plot has some taboo twists that might remind the viewer of bizarre drive-in flicks of the 1970s, while a love for modern gore shines through as the film tortures its two main characters, who are played with perfect grit by stars J Buckner and Agata Stasiak. At the center of it all is one gorgeous automobile, a 1977 Ford Mustang that drives this macabre little adventure to its brisk conclusion.

To give you plot details would be a disservice to the short film, so I'm going to just skip ahead to the good part. Below is a link to the film itself, released today by Cleveland based production company The Studio on Mars. Fans of bloody cinema, fast-paced carnage, and twisted humor - especially fans of twisted humor - should definitely click below and get their own taste of what Zach Shildwachter and company have to offer. It's the kind of NSFW story that only the most wonderfully disgusting people could put together, which means it's also a raw grindhouse treat for the uninhibited viewer.

Click here to watch Thrill Kill today!

FMWL Indie Spotlight - Nicky

(2012, Dir. by Dom Portalla.)

I first encountered the work of Dom Portalla and Ken Flott, the men behind the short feature Nicky, in the fall of 2010.  Portalla had directed the ambitious low-budget thriller The Darkness Within (which came to me via longtime friend of FMWL Cortez the Killer over at the rockin' Planet of Terror), which featured a key side performance by the attention grabbing Flott.  It was a good little film that piqued my interest in the folks at Door Eleven Productions, and that interest has thankfully led me to a pretty fantastic short film today.

As a bit of an obsessive nerd, I remember a lot of weird things that I hear on the internet. Back when I was checking out that flick, I remember a tweet or interview or podcast or something featuring Portalla where he was talking about some kind of difficulty with the film's story and was resigned to admit something like "Thankfully, we had Flott."  I remember being taken aback by the frankness of the director, who seemed unwavering in his confidence that this man was a one-of-a-kind talent.  Seeing what they've done now, it's easy for me to understand why.

Which brings us to Nicky, which is directed by Portalla, based on a short story by Flott, and co-written by the duo.  Look at the poster and you will literally see three lines of credits that feature only these two names, plus Flott as the top billed member of the cast.This is by no means a two man show entirely - the 30 minute short has more characters and settings than you'd expect based on its length - but it is a showcase for Flott, who moves through the film and commands our attention at every turn.

The story follows Flott as a nameless man who is searching for his little brother, Nicky, who vanished years ago without a trace.  We learn a lot about the man through an inner monologue that plays as narration - not to mention his brief conversations with his unconventional best friend - and it's not hard to see where the plot is going as we watch this man move through his life. But, as he did in The Darkness Within, Flott demands our attention and makes the character fascinating.

His journey goes to dark places, which makes Nicky a trip down an unsettling rabbit hole. There's violence and there's foul language and there's even the obvious statement about human trafficking, but there are also some truly unsettling moments that go beyond the expected. The appearances of young Charles Everett Tacker as the title character - usually accompanied by a beautiful score by Danielle Samson - add an air of mystery to the film and push us to that great spot where we're not quite sure what to believe. The end result of these scenes will surely be some conversation about what happened or didn't happen, what was "real" or "not real".

Nicky is an impressive piece of filmmaking. It's put together well by Portalla, well acted by Flott and company, and - most importantly - unique and engaging.  It left me wanting more - it's easy to see this story blown up to feature status with all the questions that remain and the characters that are being established - but it also left me satisfied with what it is. The Darkness Within seemed like a fun diversion, the kind of flick a bunch of talented friends make when they're just seeing what they can do.  Nicky seems like the next step in the evolution of Portalla and company as filmmakers, and I'm willing to guess that anyone who meets Nicky won't soon forget it.

For more information on Nicky and Door Eleven Productions, make sure to head over to their official site or hit the film up on Facebook. And, of course, check out the trailer below.

FMWL Indie Spotlight - Volkodlak

(2011, Dir. by Bjorn Egil Eide.)

Volkodlak, a little vampire opus that's straight outta Norway, might trick you into thinking you've taken a trip in the Way Back Machine and landed in a much simpler time in horror history.  This 25 minute silent film sets out to present a horror story that would have been right at home a hundred years ago, and achieves some success.

While this is certainly a low budget affair, the first thing that leaps from the screen about Volkodlak is a booming musical score that really makes the film feel grand.  It's a tad overbearing at moments - with no dialogue you kind of have to fill the air with something - but when it's at its best the film sounds like it would fit in with Nosferatu (or at the very least a Castlevania video game).  When this music is combined with some classic shots of the moon or the dark countryside, the film hits its highest highs.

On the flip side of the equation, Volkodlak loses some of its antique charm at times.  I particularly struggled to accept the film as it got closer to its actors, because the young cast look more at home in our time than they do in classic horror cinema.  It's a minor beef - it's not like there are any young actors of 1915 around and still young- but it did take me out of the film in a few moments. The costumes and makeup didn't do a lot to hide the actors' modern images in close shots (probably a budget issue, which I get) so the film did lose a little of its edge with me in some scenes.

Aside from minor stylistic concerns, it's the simple plotting and authentic visuals that accomplish most of Volkodlak's goals.  The filmmakers mimic the silent era as well as they can, and wide shots of the characters moving through the castle combine with the exterior and setting shots to really hammer home the feel of a classic vampire tale.  The plot is very basic - one Count, one swordbearing dude, and one girl are the main cogs - but it is exactly the kind of story this kind of film needs.  There's a little bit of violence and a little twist as the plot moves on, but the visuals are really what we're here for and they don't disappoint when they matter.

On another positive note, the production doesn't feel like it's trying too hard to point out its influences or wink at the audience; an area where many filmmakers who want to pay an homage to past films lose their way.  Director/star Bjorn Egil Eide might be guilty of taking his film too seriously at times, but I'd rather have a film that leans too far in that direction than one that turns in to one big joke.

Volkodlak is incredibly raw and might not look just like something from the silent era, but it does more than enough in its better moments to make up for some of my nitpicks.  The film is probably best viewed as an amateur experiment in horror, but I think that fans of silent horror will find some positives in this short tale.

If you'd like to try Volkodlak out for yourself, here are the links to part one and part two of the film on YouTube.  If you like what you see, be sure to head on over to let the fine folks behind Volkodlak know by commenting and/or liking the videos. And, of course, if you're still not sure, hit up the trailer below.

FMWL Indie Spotlight - Simone/Date Night: Two Short Films by Joops Fragale

Romance and desire take macabre turns in the two short films that will feature in our Indie Spotlight this evening, a pair of short tales from director Joops Fragale. 

First up, let's talk about Simone, the first (chronologically, that is) of the two films Mr. Fragale submitted for our approval.  The approximately 17 minute tale follows a young woman - named Simone, obviously - who wakes up in a strange bed with little memory of the previous night and nothing but a glass of vodka to greet her.  Much of what follows is her quest to piece together the events that led to her current predicament, which slowly reveal a romantic encounter with another young woman...and something more.

Jennifer Ward stars as the title character, and does a good job of appearing completely perplexed through most of the film.  A majority of the film follows her as she reacts to her surroundings with no one else around, but the actress never goes over the top or presents herself poorly.  The rest of the film has her interacting with a young woman played by Erin Nicole Cline - an incredibly cute and pretty darn talented young woman who we'll talk about a little more in a couple of paragraphs.

Simone's twist is what really makes or breaks the film, and I'm still slightly on the fence about it.  I kind of expected the film was going in one of two directions as it first hinted that something wasn't quite right, and the one that made more sense definitely won out.  But I feel like my concerns about the twist have more to do with the execution than the idea, and I'm willing to bet that the limitations of the budget made it near impossible to do more with the final few reveals than Fragale and crew accomplished.

On the other hand, Simone is a well crafted little story that bounces between last night and this morning quite well, and the actresses do what they can - including an incredibly revealing scene between the sheets - to keep the viewers eyes on the screen.  The whole package looks great and is edited with an extremely professional flair, and the end result left me wanting to see more from Fragale and crew.

Which leads us to Date Night, a 15 minute short in which Ms. Cline returns as a young woman who just wants to stay home and read a magazine despite her friends' insistence. 

This young woman - listed only as She in the film's credits - has her evening turned upside down rather quickly when she finds a young man sitting on her couch.  He - that's what they call David Fuit's character in the credits too - is a little awkward and might only speak in movie quotes at times, but it appears he's also quite charming.  Things move pretty quickly after they meet - for better and for worse.

This one night, two character tale might not make complete sense at first - there's a fundamental question to the situation that one would think She would ask immediately and repeatedly until she figured out just how this dude showed up on her couch - but once you're along for the characters' ride it's easy not to look back at the mechanisms of the plot.  Like Simone, there's a sexual interlude in this film too, and once again this seems to be the point where halfway-kinda-normal gets turned on its head.  

There's a lot of dark comedy at work in Date Night, which culminates in a final scene that actually had me laughing at how sly the film was.  The twist isn't unpredictable, but the director again handles everything with incredible skill - the editing stands out once more - and the stars do a fantastic job.  Fuit is uncomfortable in the best way as the appearing man, while Cline pours out the innocent charm with ease.  The end result is a short horror tale that's really fun to watch.

Now that I've talked a bunch about these two fun little films from a talented young director, it would probably be a good time for me to point out that you can get more info on both films over at the website for the production company, 386Films.  Heck, you could even watch Simone or watch Date Night over at that site if you wanted to.  And I think you should want to.

FMWL Indie Spotlight - February 2012 Horror Shorts Roundup

I get a lot of requests to promote everything from indie films to dating sites (Seriously? Seriously.) here at FMWL, and one of the things I struggle to mention enough are indie horror short films.  So, I thought it would be a good time to talk about a few short indie horror films that have been thrown my way recently.  Below are my thoughts on five independent horror shorts that have come my way lately, which I think represent an interesting cross section of horror goodness.

House Call
Dir. by Erik L. Wilson.

It's a classic tale of lust gone wrong in House Call, which follows a young woman who commits a criminal act to get away from an apparently failed relationship.  Unfortunately, she doesn't account for her ex's mother - who has some witchy talents. This happens to lead to some surprising events on the night of the young woman's anniversary, including a healthy dose of revenge from beyond the grave.

At about 18 minutes, House Call manages to provide several twists and turns, all filmed professionally and looking great.  The film also boasts some terrific special effects, particularly when bloodshed starts to occur late in the film.  I wasn't as wild about the acting, particularly from Aimee Bello and Michael Shepard Jordan as the soon-to-be-unhappy couple, but the film isn't hurt too badly by their amateur performances.  The lasting images of the film are certainly Janet Gawrys' turn as the mother, which is pretty spooky and effective.

House Call is currently on a festival run, but you can learn more about Wilson's film by hitting up the project's Facebook page, and can view the trailer HERE.

Briefcase
Dir. by Andre Welsh.

Created by, written by, and starring Nate Golon, Briefcase is a brief (haha!) experiment, the 6 minute journey of a man who finds a mysterious briefcase and has his life turned upside down.  The use of the case - whose contents are unseen - will no doubt make plenty of nerds think about Pulp Fiction, but any comparisons to Quentin Tarantino's masterwork probably should end there.

The film takes on the role of a chase picture for most of its length, with Golon's character evading a series of pursuers until the film reaches the end of its story.  The ending is a fun little twist - one that's quite unexpected - complete with a tease of future exploits that ends the film on a different note.

Briefcase is just a little taste of what Golon and company could have up their sleeves, but it's a neat diversion.  And, best of all, you all can watch it on YouTube whenever you like.  You can also follow the production in the standard places, at its Facebook page and Twitter account.

Creak
Dir. by Luther Bhogal-Jones.

There's a healthy helping of things that go bump in the night inside of Creak, a five minute short film by the folks at Sincerely, Psychopath Productions.  The brief tale introduces a couple who hears a noise in the middle of the night, then follows as they go through that wonderful horror film procedure of checking the house for abnormal entities.

Creak offers an incredibly simple perspective - lights turn on, lights turn off, maybe you see something, maybe you don't - before wrapping up under the five minute mark.  This is the kind of horror framing that I absolutely love, because the viewer is on edge every time the characters near a light switch.  What is revealed during the film is less important than the act of creating tension, which the filmmakers do here with flair.

Creak is also available online, so feel free to go check it (and the one lady's cool Minilla t-shirt!) out now.  And hit up that link to Sincerely, Psychopath that I posted above for more info.

Vicki
Dir. by Bill Palmer.

Anything related to John Carpenter or Stephen King is bound to get my attention, so I was most intrigued by the idea behind Bill Palmer's Vicki, a spoof of the Carpenter directed King adaptation Christine.  This version follows a nerd turned cool dude - at least, by '80s standards - played by Adam Conger, who buys a beat up car that seems to have a mind of its own. 

Unlike the original Christine, Vicki is a firmly tongue-in-cheek spoof that takes plenty of shots at the '80s.  The 15 minute film is full of references to horror of that decade through clothing (The Monster Squad and Big Trouble in Little China are represented) and music (You want the oily sax man song from The Lost Boys? YOU'VE GOT IT!), but it doesn't overstay its welcome.  The lighthearted film is effective thanks to the countless jabs at the source material and the over-the-top performances, led by Conger's sleazy turn in the lead.

Vicki is available online, so head over and check out this neon flavored plate of '80s goodness today!

Familiar
Dir. by Richard Powell.

Diabolical monologues are the in thing in Familiar, produced by Zach Green and Fatal Pictures.  This 23 minute terror takes us into the mind of a husband, played by Robert Nolan, whose disgust for his family life and his average wife is vocalized repeatedly by a sinister inner voice.  Nolan is extremely convincing in the role, and the character quickly becomes a captivating vision of a mind gone bad.

Everything is not exactly as it seems as Familiar moves into its final act (it's weird to think that a 23 minute film can have acts, but the director and writers have crafted their brief story incredibly well) and the final revelation is a neat (and gory!) surprise.  The special effects are incredibly impressive, as are the production values throughout the film.  When you put together the high-end production, the fantastic lead performance, and the witty and intelligent script, you might just find yourself incredibly impressed by what Familiar does in such a short amount of time.  I certainly was.

For more on Familiar, make sure to check out Fatal Pictures on Facebook, and check out the teaser for the film here.

FMWL Indie Spotlight - Jenny Ringo and The Monkey's Paw

(2011, Dir. by Chris Regan.)

The Monkey's Paw is one of those stories that just warms a horror lover's heart.  It's become more of an ideal than a story and - despite my vivid memories of reading/discussing the story in a 5th grade English class - I had to look up the fact that it was originally a short story by W.W. Jacobs.  The basic theme behind the story - which warns us that wishes can't always overpower fate - has been molded into plenty of horror tales throughout the years. The adaptation/homage that jumps to the forefront of my mind is a segment from Freddie Francis' 1972 Tales From the Crypt film - but the story has also been spoofed plenty of times by folks like The Simpsons and The Monkees.  To me the story has always been one of the great horror mysteries, because you can go almost anywhere from a "what if you had three wishes but couldn't control the results?" set-up.

So when Chris Regan, a blogger and reader of FMWL, contacted me regarding a comedy-horror short film that he'd just completed - Jenny Ringo and The Monkey's Paw - I noticed the words "The Monkey's Paw" in the title...and I got real curious real quick.  I didn't know who Jenny Ringo was at the time, but I'm darn glad I watched this short and met her.

Jenny Ringo and The Monkey's Paw - a blatantly British production, FYI - seems to have taken a bit of inspiration from the work of Edgar Wright on Shaun of the Dead and Spaced.  The story focuses on two best buds - Jenny and Gavin - who share a flat and try to coexist through Gavin's slothful attitude and Jenny's attempts to grow-up and pay the bills.  When Jenny tries to escape the apartment for a couple of weeks, Gavin is forced to leave the flat, which allows him to come across a magician who possesses a magical monkey's paw.

I think it's safe to say that Gavin is about as bad at coming up with three wishes as anyone in the history of Monkey's Paw tales, but he still manages to do sufficient damage to the lives of himself and his flatmate.  When Jenny returns and finds the results of his actions, she has to take action to make things right.

The first thing that anyone will probably take away from this film is Rosie Duncan's turn as the title character, because she instantly makes Jenny Ringo a heroine that we're ready to love.  She brings fantastic energy to the lead, from her initial pleas that what she's telling us might save our lives to her dominating direction to the lifeless Gavin when things rough.  The character could be taken over the top - and one segment of the film shows us what it would look like if Jenny was too happy-go-lucky - but Duncan manages to keep Jenny realistic and entertaining throughout. It was less than 10 minutes before I was ready for a whole slew of Jenny Ringo adventures.

The rest of the film is at a disadvantage when pitted against such a front-and-center character, but there's still a lot that goes right.  There are no obvious liabilities in the cast, and the film provides a lot of fun moments visually.  A sequence in which Jenny and Gavin search for the magician who gave him the paw - a hammy character who is also pretty endearing in his own way - really gave me the impression that the cast and crew were having a lot of fun making this comedic tale.  And a sequence with the magician and some characters that seem to have walked right out of a Herk Harvey film definitely had me smiling.

Regan's film isn't without flaws.  The film sets Jenny up as a narrator and in-film director - kind of like Wayne in Wayne's World - early on, but I didn't feel they did enough to make this a part of the film in all scenes.  And I was kind of left cold by the finale, partially because I was confused trying to put it back together with the opening of the film, and probably partially because I was selfishly wanting more Jenny Ringo adventures.  (According to Regan, a sequel just might be in the works. My fingers are crossed for it!)

Though its tonal changes gave me brief pause, I found Jenny Ringo and The Monkey's Paw to be a fun example of the comedy that can come from classic horror tales.  Regan has put together a neat little homage to the classic tale, and Duncan has created one heckuva memorable comic heroine.  The resulting 25-minute film is well worth seeing, and I think that anyone who enjoys a tongue-in-cheek comedy should get a kick out of Jenny's brush with fate.

If you want to know more about Jenny Ringo and The Monkey's Paw - and I think you do - be sure to head over to the official site and sign up for the mailing list, which will keep you up to date on all of the film's adventures.  You can also keep track of the film on Facebook, or follow Chris' blog - Writer by Night - to keep up with his views on film and notes on this film's future!

Who knows? God willing, we'll all meet again in Jenny Ringo 2 - The Search for More Monkey.

FMWL Indie Spotlight - Short Film Roundup

There are times when I'm a horrible blogger.  I'm sure you can think of some examples, so please, stop right there.  Today's shame comes as I was looking back at old emails and realized that I had a couple of filmmakers who I accepted work from - and then kind of forgot about.  And worse, when I realized I had a couple of short films I hadn't watched yet - I realized I had a couple MORE short films I hadn't watched yet too.  Bringing the total to four.  Like I said, horrible blogger.

Thus, it's time to get my affairs in order, and I plan to do so machine gun style.  Here's a look at four short films, each from a different perspective and style, that deserve more attention from both you and I.

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Good Morning, Beautiful
(2011, Dir. by Todd Cobery.)
Official Site          Trailer

An everyman husband, left distraught after the death of his unborn child, begins to experience strange phenomena in Good Morning, Beautiful, a surreal and haunting short tale from Minnesota-based filmmaker Todd Cobery.  The man, played wonderfully by David Tufford, is a fascinating character without saying too much - primarily due to Tufford's ability to emote.  Like most people dealing with great loss, Tufford puts on a calm face as the world around him seems to be falling apart.  Or is it what's inside him that's falling apart?

At around twenty minutes, Cobery and company don't have a lot of time to tell their tale, and I must admit their finale left me a little wanting.  But the film more than makes up for any problems with its narrative thanks to the fantastic visuals and wonderful sound design.  Particularly impressive is a sequence in which Tufford's character witnesses a brutal beating in what appears to be the street outside on his television, then wanders outside to see the same thing - a man brutally beating another with a large hammer.  The scene is a rare bit of technical perfection, with eerie (yet seemingly natural) lighting and brutal sound effects leading to a swift, shocking reveal.

Though the finale leaves questions unanswered - and maybe some of them are better left unknown - the lasting impact of Good Morning, Beautiful can't be denied.  It's been a couple of weeks since I finally got around to watching it, but it still holds in my mind quite well.  It's one of the creepiest pieces of human horror in recent memory.

Damn Your Eyes
(2009, Dir. by David Guglielmo.)
Official Site      Watch it online now!

The spaghetti western has seen a bit of a revival since Quentin Tarantino unleashed Kill Bill upon the world, and Damn Your Eyes (which, despite my mind going their every time I hear it, has nothing to do with Young Frankenstein) is a 19 minute feature that is cut from the same cloth as Tarantino's epic revenge tale.  Directed by David Guglielmo, Damn Your Eyes serves as a kind of teaser trailer for what could be a bigger epic tale of murder and revenge.

The story moves quickly through different settings, including a black and white flashback to the setting event that is reminiscent of the one shown in Kill Bill.  Guglielmo doesn't appear to be simply riding the success of Tarantino's homage to Italy's westerns; his vision here certainly shows he's versed in the ways of the Italian West.  The costuming of our hero is one of the biggest indicators of this - Jakob Von Eichel's Sam looks like he walked right out of a Leone or Corbucci flick - and the musical cues are also a well done tribute to these films gone by.

Performances across the board are good, and the cast helps the film feel like a throwback to a time gone by.  And with all these pieces coming together, Damn Your Eyes is a success as both a tribute to past favorites and its own unique tale.  Most importantly, the film left me craving a bit more of the story it started, and I look forward to seeing what Mr. Guglielmo and crew have up their sleeves in the future.

Night of the Punks
(2010, Dir. by Dan Riesser.)
Official Site         Trailer

Writer/Director Dan Riesser, in a bold move, reached out to me to offer Night of the Punks for consideration at FMWL right after he read my post on my disappointment in the Hobo With a Shotgun Trailer Contest.  You might think offering someone a short film that's meant to be a throwback to '80s films right after they've voiced disapproval of those who do the same is a bad move, and generally you'd be right.  But Mr. Riesser must have assumed that his film - unlike the trailers shown in said contest - is a far more competent and worthwhile endeavor than those films were.

If he was thinking that, he's absolutely right - I had a ton of fun watching Night of the Punks play out before me. In it, a garage punk band takes on their first out of town gig, and quickly finds themselves in the middle of a demonic all-you-can-eat buffet.  Luke Edwards - who I recently wanted to smack upside the head whilst watching his child performance in Mother's Boys - takes the lead as the band's guitarist, and he - along with Aubrey Wood as his love interest and Nick Mundy as the goofball drummer - allows Reisser a cast that is more than capable of anchoring the horror comedy.

Like similar '80s horror films, there's not too much depth to Night of the Punks.  But, like the best films of that era, that didn't bother me at all.  Packed with inventive kills, slapstick gore, and goofy gags, Night of the Punks is nothing but fun; representing exactly the kind of charm I'd expect from a horror comedy.  I'm very interested in seeing what happens next for Reisser, because a film like Night of the Punks is right up my alley.

The Elusive Man
(2010, Dir. by Marc Roussel and Mark Sanders.)
Facebook      Trailer

Marc Roussel first came to the attention of FMWL with his fantastic time-bending short film Remote.  While that film provided a bit of gore in the name of terror, The Elusive Man - which was co-directed by his Remote editor Mark Sanders - is a much more light-hearted tale of crime and greed - with a bit uf gore mixed in for good measure.

Remote co-star George Komorowski takes the lead here as a rich businessman who finds himself kidnapped, missing an ear, and being accosted by a group of criminals who are searching for the titular Elusive Man, the remnants of a famous painting by Van Gogh that is, naturally, worth a bit of money.  The colorful crew, along with the businessman's young wife and her gentleman caller, come together quickly - each presenting a different part of the story - which quickly rolls to a satisfying finale.

With its brisk pace and charming wit, The Elusive Man is a simple but effective little treat that kept me smiling throughout.  Komorowski is an extraordinarily natural actor and is incredibly likeable in the role, and the supporting cast - including Remote star Ron Basch, who gives a fun turn as "the doctor" - do a great job of keeping the film moving too.  It's a simple crime and revenge tale with the expected twists, but Roussel, Sanders, and their cast keep it fresh and fun regardless. 

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Thanks again to these fine filmmakers for sending along their work, and I must offer another sincere apology for the delays!  To the rest of you, I urge you to seek out these films as possible, because each of them represent the different kinds of treats that independent filmmakers have to offer us. 

FMWL Indie Spotlight - Crestfallen

(2011, Dir. by Jeremiah Kipp.)

For a few years now, I've known a young man by the name of Russ Penning.  Like, the I know him in real life kind of known.  So when Russ came to me one day and said "Hey, I wrote this script and I'm producing a short film based on it", I was more than a bit surprised.  I'm not saying I expected less of Mr. Penning, but you never really expect people you know to be behind an actual film production, especially if you live in Iowa. Russ, undeterred by the challenges around him, did write that script and did produce that short. Now it, entitled Crestfallen, sits before me. 

Deneen Melody stars in the near 6 minute short, which is directed by Jeremiah Kipp and shot by Dominick Sivilli, who were the driving forces behind another popular indie short, Contact, last year.  Here, the trio take control of Mr. Penning's story, which focuses on a young woman who is contemplating suicide...after cutting her wrist.  Oops.

Ms. Melody is the entire focus of the dialogue free film, and her generally clothes-free performance is certainly a brave one.  She does a fine job of showing emotions without speaking, and it was very easy to pick up on her dilemma through her expressions and eye work.  I'm a sucker for silent cinema, and Ms. Melody's work here didn't disappoint.

Kipp and Sivilli definitely control the film, and their ability to tell the full story without words is also an achievement.  Contact was also a film that was more about what is felt than what is spoken, so it's easy to see why they were a good choice to handle this material.  The lighting and framing, particularly in the bathroom where the here and now events of the film take place, is very effective; giving the dramatic film a unsettling and creepy feel to the viewer.

Crestfallen is certainly not going to be a crowd pleaser with its serious look at depression and suicide, and I have to admit I was a little grateful it didn't run longer than the 6 minutes I saw.  I'm sure there's a story that could be told around the scenes we see here, of course, but these few minutes are all about presenting an intense, bleak vision that will keep the viewer thinking about the value of life.

Going back to where I began, I have to say - from the most unbiased perspective that I can - that I'm awfully proud of Russ for making Crestfallen happen.  It takes a ton of guts to go forth and make a vision come true, but he never wavered as he worked toward seeing his film through.  It's rare that I can really say that a film has achieved what it set out to do, but it's obvious to me that he knew what kind of talents he needed to tell his story and found the perfect cast and crew to bring it to life.  As a friend, I'm ecstatic to see that the film came together.

As a lover of cinema, I'm even happier to say that Crestfallen is an impressive dramatic work.  Melody, Kipp, Sivilli, and the rest of the cast and crew have done a great job here, and I look forward to seeing where Crestfallen goes from here. 

If you'd like to watch the film's journey too - and eventually, watch the film itself - keep an eye on Crestfallen's Facebook page for further updates!

FMWL Indie Spotlight - Remote

(2008, Dir. by Marc Roussel.)

Most teenagers spend a majority of their time pondering the mysteries of the world.  They're young, they don't know what's coming. (HINT: Prepare for PAIN!)  These mysteries often take the shape of the opposite sex, or of vehicles, or of jobs, or of other practical things.  The Mike, however, had a certain particular mystery that kept his mind on edge for years.  That mystery was, of course, the ending of Terminator 2.

You all know what I mean.  John Connor assists the T-800 in destroying itself, so the future won't happen.  Problem is, John Connor sent his own father from the future to the past of The Terminator to impregnate his mother, which means that stopping the future would stop his birth in the past and that by stopping his birth in the past he would stop himself from being able to send his father to the past to stop the future.  That all blew my mind.  Some say time isn't linear, and that that fact explains this, but my brain is linear-ish.  And thus, these things kept me up nights.

Remote, a twenty-minute terror flick from writer/director Marc Roussel, taps into that interconnected area of my brain perfectly.  On a night in early 2008, a man (Ron Basch) who's stuck in a snow storm with the cable out comes across a strange TV channel which appears to be his apartment.  But this version of his apartment has a '70s flair and a young blonde (Sarah Silverthorne) in her pajamas in it.  Now, us guys have all had that fantasy, but this is not his imagination.  It's the same night, 30 years earlier.  Oh, and she sees him too.  And, since the volume's turned up, they can chat too.

Pleasantries are exchanged and, at first, this rift in the continuum of space and time seems pretty cool.  But the trouble is that the man learns, via our beloved internet, that the woman was the victim of an unsolved homicide...on this very night 30 years earlier.  The game is set.

What follows after the brief set-up is a series of twists and turns that kept me sucked in perfectly.  Though the past/future dynamic of each twist certainly had my head spinning the same way Terminator 2's finale did, I was very grateful for that.  From a horror standpoint, Remote features an excellent amount of tension and gore for its brief runtime.  The performers do a good job of selling the mystery of the film, and a couple of reveals are very effective surprises. 

Roussel's script certainly raises some questions, but the tone is relatively light and cancels out any attempts my brain made to be too logical. All the pieces might not come together as the story wraps up, but that just made Remote more appealing to me.  I spent a lot of time thinking about this one once it was over, and spent all of that time smiling.

Unfortunately, most of the things I thought about can't be shared without letting the cat out of the bag, so I'll simply warn you all to look out.  Marc Roussel's Remote is out there and it's an infections little piece of horror. 

For more information, head over to Red Sneakers Media for more information on Remote and Roussel's other films.  

FMWL Indie Spotlight - Enter The Dark

(2010, Dir. by Todd Miro.)

Preying on the found footage/horror-at-home subgenre that's gained popularity since Todd Miro's debut short, Enter the Dark, is a wicked slice of simple fear.  Miro, who worked as editor and producer on FMWL favorite The Commune, put together his first short from the comfort of his own home, but his 17 minute tale feels like more than the late night adventures of the average fellow with a handheld camera.  (To be fair, Miro's film uses two cameras.)

The story of Enter the Dark focuses on two friends, Rob and Charles, played by Rob Sandusky and Charles Yoakum.  Rob is the token skeptic, and his voice - which is creepily similar to comedian John Michael Higgins' voice - helps us understand from the beginning that he's not buying Charles' alleged haunting.  Their journey offers some of the things you'd see on an episode of Ghost Hunters, but also throws in some unique touches to create scares with children's books and stuffed animals.

It's impossible to dive into a 17 minute story without giving away the ending, so I'm slightly limited in regard to what I can say about the story as a whole.  But I can assure you that I didn't see the twist coming, despite a couple of hints that I picked up on a second viewing.  Miro's story works like a good horror tale should, suckering us in with one hand while it's preparing to pop up and scare us with the other.  There's a command here that can't be taught, and Miro shows a natural gift for creating tension.

Enter the Dark might not pass for The Twilight Zone - the final reveal is more aggressive than it is poetic - but it's a fine way to wrap up Miro's tale in a quick manner, and it leaves the film open to discussion as the credits roll.  The time and effort Miro and has crew put into the film pays off, because the simple story sucks in the viewer and keeps us hungry for more.

For more information on Enter the Dark, check out the film's website or check the film out at Indieflix!

Indie Spotlight - The Short Films of Bleedfest, December 2010

A couple of weeks ago I shared a press release for the Bleedfest Film Festival, headed by Lis Fies of The Commune.  Though proximity keeps me away from great events like this, I'm terribly excited to give some publicity to the fine female filmmakers (and their male colleagues) who were featured at this month's event.  Thanks to The Fantastic Ms. Fies, let's take a look at some of the short films that were featured at this month's Bleedfest!

Stalked (Written/Directed by Matthew Irving; Produced by & Starring Cindy Baer; Cinematography by Jenny Ramirez.)

First up is an unfinished cut of Stalked, a neat little tale of a woman who finds she's being followed by a man in a pig mask.  Baer stars as the damsel in distress on the streets of New York City, and is directed by her husband, Irving, who also wrote the script.  Stalked succeeds in creating unease as Baer slips into paranoia, and the use of NYC settings adds to the drama.  There's a neat bit of realism at work as the shots lead up to an incredibly pleasing finale.

Though the film the film is still a work in progress, there's a lot to like about this little tale of terror.  I look forward to seeing a final product of the work of Irving, Baer, and Ramirez. For more info, check out the Facebook Page for Stalked, and/or Baer's Free Dream Pictures.

Morbid Curiosity (Directed by & Starring Cindy Baer, Written by Matthew Irving.)

Also from Ms. Baer is Morbid Curiosity, a dark comedy take on the thoughts we have and what would happen if they had power behind them.  Baer stars as a young woman who's being interviewed about her power to mentally alter the fates of others, and her tale is told through a series of effective snapshots of her past and the tragic events that have transpired around her.  As the film escalates through its five-and a half minute runtime, the dark side of her mind provides some sick laughs and builds to a surprising finale.  The end result is a fun little tale that brought a twisted smile to my face.

For more info on Morbid Curiosity, check it out through the Free Dream site here.

Dead Boyfriends (Directed by Xstine Cook.)

From the "strange, but alluring" files comes Dead Boyfriends by Xstine Cook, a whimsical musical tale featuring many puppet murders and one terribly catchy song.  Starring Cook and her co-writer Mooky Cornish, Dead Boyfriends is an inventive and visibly enjoyable tale of a temptress whose circus employee beaus each meet grisly fates.  Resembling some kind of sick Saturday morning cartoon, Dead Boyfriends is an incredibly visceral experience that left me impressed...and humming its sadistic tune, too.

For more info on Dead Boyfriends, check it out at IMDB.

Mockingbird (Directed by Marichelle Daywalt.)

For no good reason, I've always found those one-way baby monitor walkie-talkie things kind of creepy.  My fears are now justified, as Marichelle Daywalt takes advantage of the device and the blind security they give parents in Mockingbird, an under two minute short written and produced by her husband Drew Daywalt.  It's near impossible to discuss such a short film without giving away too many details, so I'll just send you toward the short as it appears on YouTube.  I hope you'll agree with me when I say that it's an effective small dose of terror that should give any young parent chills.

11:11 (Directed by Sophia Segal.)

A music video that reminds us of some of the psychedelic cinema of years gone by, Sophia Segal's 11:11 is a visual trip.  This is definitely the most mind-bending of these shorts, as Segal employs rich colors and elaborate costumes to create a memorable dream world.  I'm not quite sure the story behind the video is too rich, but I found the music video's style unique and gripping and would imagine that this one will stick in my memory, if only in the "WTF?" files.

For more on Segal's film, including the 11:11 video itself, head on over to her site.

Bad Girls (Written/Directed/Produced by & Starring Jen & Sylvia Soska)

I've championed the Soskas for a while (including yesterday's release of their American Mary teaser!), and Bad Girls is another fine example of the brutality they're willing to offer viewers.  Bad Girls follows the twins as they assist their grandmother in setting up video chat for the first time, then relays the violent events that follow this technological advance.  As was the case with their first feature, Dead Hooker in a Trunk, the sisters offer splatter with a smile.  This didn't grip me like Dead Hooker did, if only because there's not as much time to build a connection with the characters (one of that film's strong points), but the Soska's vision of revenge is still pretty darn effective.

For more info on Bad Girls and the Soskas, head on over and check the film out at the Twisted Twins Productions site.

Horror of Our Love (Dir. by Dave Reda.)

Awarded a "Partnership Award" as the only primarily male creation at Bleedfest, Dave Reda's Horror of Our Love is a fantastic spoof of the slashers we've come to love over the past generation.  In this short, a Jason-esque killer tries to show his affection to a terrified woman, and does so using the only tools he has - his killing skills.  Set to a well-written and also funny song that spells out the film's ideas, Horror of Our Love works partially because of the horror fan's love of slashers and primarily because its vision of the relationship between stalker and stalkee is executed (no pun intended) in such a charming fashion.  A reference to an '80s teen movie classic got a big belly laugh from me, and the whole thing left a big, horror fan grin on my face.

For more info on Horror of Our Love and other works from Reda, check out his production company, Elftwin Films.

To all the fine filmmakers, woman or man, who were featured at Bleedfest, I offer heartfelt admiration.  Though their works are each different in scope and execution, each of these shorts feels like a unique achievement by people who love what they're doing.  That has to mean something in this day and age, and I hope to see more from them and filmmakers like them in the future!