So far this year the shorts that have played prior to the features have been universally awesome, so needless to say I was super-hyped for this year’s iteration of the Shorts After Dark program. Every year Peter Kuplowsky brings us an amazing eclectic mix of international shorts covering the gamut of genre films from fantasy and horror to sci-fi and exploitation, and this year was better than ever. Below you can see a quick roundup of the various films by both Alice and I.
Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise (2011) – Kelly Sears | USA | 7 mins
Review by Josh
This extremely creepy found-footage piece had me chilled to the core. Really impressive animation aesthetic mixed with stock photos from a yearbook created an otherworldly mix of nostalgia and horror. The film has an amazing sense of pacing and movement which makes it feel like it is almost alive and breathing. The soundtrack is just as effective and really got under my skin. Despite the seven-minute run time I was disappointed to see it end as it’s a really interesting mystery of something gone awry in the past.
Check it out here.
Good Morning, Beautiful (2011) – Todd Cobery | USA | 20 mins
Review by Josh
Good Morning, Beautiful is absolutely stunning. It explores the struggle and eventual psychological breakdown of a man dealing with the death of his newborn daughter. The opening moments make elegant use of time-lapse and slow motion for extremely effective narrative purpose, showing the disconnect between the man and the outside world. Reality becomes a bizarre and scary place as he searches for reason within the insanity of life.
The film sits within a tone of uncomfortable tension with moments of horror and humour alike that fit well with the story. While the dramatic elements of the short are clear and poignant, the horror elements tend to take away from what is an essentially visual masterpiece. Abstracted characters and still frames give way to snap cuts, shaky cam and disfigured faces. The initial engagement, which the short excels at, is lost in these now stock horror tropes. It’s understandable considering the difficulty of the subject matter, but I can’t help but feel the short would have been more effective if it remained silent or attempted a more cohesive aesthetic in the later half. Either way it’s still a mesmerizing short and definitely worth tracking down.
You can see the trailer here and find more information here.
Protopartículas (2009) – Chema Garcia Ibarra | Spain | 7 mins
Review by Josh
Protopartículas is simple and to the point, and yet remains interesting and bizarre. This Spanish short about a man stuck in a spacesuit is surreal sci-fi experience with perfect pacing and a minimalistic aesthetic.
You can see a trailer for it here.
Dirty Silverware (2011) – Steve Daniels | USA | 16m mins
Review by Alice
Dirty Sliverware is about that one piece in every drawer that is mismatched–well, that’s where it starts. The story follows a boy who had a bad encounter with dirty silverware which leaves him disfigured, and we watch him-as an adult-go back and seek retribution. It is a really nice short, stylistically dark but overlaid with a whimsical narrator that reminds us of Winnie the Pooh.
Check out the trailer here.
Nursery Crimes (2010) – Laura Whyte | UK | 4 mins
Review by Alice
Little Bo Peep has slaughtered her sheep and doesn’t know where to hide them. A dark poem incorporating the characters from nursery rhymes in Little Bo Peep’s sick crimes, done with a stop frame-animation style and hand made puppets. Short but cute, and at the same time silly and haunting.
Check out the trailer here.
Rosa (2011) – Jesus Orellana | Spain | 9 mins
Review by Josh
Rosa is an extremely impressive sci-fi/action CGI short by Spanish artist Jesus Orellana. It features amazingly detailed scene design and fast-paced fight choreography. Though there are clear influences from Ghost in The Shell 2 the short still manages to hold its own and create an interesting world that is easy to get wrapped up in. The production value is on the level of a full studio, so the fact that it’s all the work of one person makes it that much more impressive. Rosa has a DVD release schedule for 2012 and is currently doing an international festival run.
You can check out more info here and see the trailer here.
The Dungeon Master (2011) – Rider Strong and Shiloh Strong | USA | 13 mins
Review by Alice
Two guys are at a party with friends reminiscing over some beers about the good ol’ days and then they start chatting about Dungeons & Dragons. One says ‘oh I have a guy, a Dungeon Master’ so they get some friends together for a game. We can tell from his suitcase of manuals and his heavy cloak that the DM means business. Let the games ensue!
Trailer here.
Brutal Relax (2010) – Adrian Cardona, David Muñoz and Rafa Dengrá | Spain | 15 mins
Review by Josh
This Spanish short has possibly the greatest gore effects I’ve ever seen. It’s set up to be about a sunny day at the beach interrupted by sea monsters, but it’s really just an excuse to kill monsters in every possible way. From ripping them limb from limb to beating them to death with the corpse of a dead child, Brutal Relax goes all the way in nonsensical gore and green blood. It’s a hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable short.
You can see the short in its glorious entirety here.
Martha’s Birthday (2011) – Nicholas Gurewitch | USA | 4 mins
Review by Alice
Hey, remember when you were a kid at a birthday party that had a piñata? Well in this short one kid just dominates that pinata and things go horribly wrong…
That’s it for the Shorts After Dark program. Check back later for our coverage of REDLINE and Dead Heads.
