Short Films

Many excellent Short Films have been made in the last 20 years, and at least 50 times that number of absolute junk—poorly constructed, meaningless gibberish put on film or tape that dilute the art form.  I'll try and help, by pulling some of the gems out of the ever growing pile of sand.  These are the films really worth seeing.  It's not about "important"; it's about "good." 

This page will just list the films and brief descriptions, to let you stay spoiler free.  But then I will add a link to a more in-depth critique of each film that will be filled with spoilers.  Read these only after watching the films, or you will deprive yourself of some excellent experiences.

 

9mm of Love (2000) - 10 min

Director (and Star Trek: Voyager's Tom Paris) Robert Duncan McNeill was given everything a new filmmaker could have dreamed of. Paramount let him use their back lot. He had all those Star Trek/Paramount makeup artists and crew hanging about that he could trick into helping out. And he had a Star Trek colleague to fill in a smaller role. He also had a funny, dark, story. He took his huge advantages, and made a hugely entertaining 10 minute film. The film has desperate Michael calling Cue, the hit-man, to take care of a girl who's dumped him. Saying any more will ruin the film, so I suggest you just find it. It used to be available on SciFi.com (in the Exposure section) but now you'll just have to search for it.

Apartment 206 (2004) - 29 min

After a traffic accident, Sandra and Conrad wake in an unknown, rundown apartment.  The only exit leads to a dark void.  The only items of interest are a pair of old, B&W televisions.  You see, the two died, and now they can decide what their next step will be.  But neither is prepared or willing to take a step.  Instead, they use the TVs to spy on, and influence, the world they left behind.  Apartment 206 is a thoughtful short that relies heavily on character.  When was the last time you saw a character-driven short film?

Bobby Loves Mangos (1998) - 21 min

Perhaps the most talked about modern short due to director Stuart Acher's quest to get it screened for Roger Ebert (which he finally managed by having it play on the TV of a restaurant), Bobby Loves Mangos deserves its hype.  It's the story of a grammar school principal who finds a tape; it is a recording of a man who claims to be from the future, and was the only survivor of a horrible bus accident that is about to happen.  A brilliantly manipulative work, its time on the festival circuit is waning, but it can be viewed on atomfilms.com.

The Call of Cthulhu (2005) - 47 min

The movie that H.P. Lovecraft fans have been waiting for, The Call of Cthulhu is a flawless translation of the gothic writer's most popular story. Filmmakers have had problems with Lovecraft in the past, but it wasn't their fault.  His dark vision is not something that works well in bright colors with realistic sound.  The stories are nightmares.  Sean Branney and Andrew Leman use the medium of German Impressionistic silent film to place us squarely in the 1920s, and more importantly, in the middle of Lovecraft's insane world.

A Can of Paint (2004) - 25 min

A man finds a ship from a lost race.  Inside is an interesting artifact, a can of paint.  The problem is that what those strange being considered paint is very different from the human conception, and that difference can kill.  Based on an A.E. van Vogt story, A Can of Paint brings the feeling of the golden age of science fiction literature to the screen.  (Full Review)

Cashback (2005) - 20 min

Ben Willis works the nightshift at a twenty-four hour supermarket. Each employee finds a way to make the time pass. Ben's approach is to stop time, and then draw all of the women, naked.  Nominated for the 2005 Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short.  (Full Review)

D (2005) - 55 min

Where to begin with this odd, light Noir?  Well, there's D, a bizarre individual who can tell if someone is lying.  He also is strangely happy, which makes him creepy.  Then there is Anjo, a beautiful insurance agent who pushes the new Friendship policy, where you can name any friend as beneficiary and suicide is covered.  It's no surprise that there have been deaths.  Is Anjo a killer?  What about her loan shark?  How about her many admirers?  And who is D anyway?  This is a convoluted mystery tale with the right amount of wry humor.

Foley Street (2002) - 8 min

As original a work as you are likely to see, Foley Street is proof that films need to be in lengths other than 90 minutes.  Writers/producers/directors Tim Clayton and Rob Crowther play with sound, giving us a foley artist in a faux 1950s detective-like office searching for just the right noises.  While primarily a zany comedy piece, Foley Street also gave me real insight into foley work.  The filmmakers made the short-short, The End at the same time; it is probably the best film under 2 minutes that's been made and almost as good as its longer brother.

The Greatest Story of All Time (2005) - 23 min

Have you ever asked yourself, "What is the greatest story of all time?"  Have you thought, "I bet it would involve a quest from God"?  Of course you have.  But have you also considered it might deal with a talking van, the Electric Amish, giant Japanese Robots, cheerleaders, secret atheist agents, and violations of zoning code #205-02?  (I've always hated code #205-02.)  You haven't?  Luckily, Robert LaPoint and Nicholas Heim have, and put it on film.

Hope (2002) - 20 min

Ron Brinkmann succeeds in this 20 minute short where so many have failed in features, making a Noir film that is not a parody.  Better still, he integrates Christian mythos and fantasy into the gritty streets of the genre and gives us an entertaining and thoughtful piece. When a child disappears, Anne approaches the mysterious, street-wise Roth for his aid in finding her.  The search leads to the truly darkest part of town and to the realization that the fate of much more than an individual is at stake.  Or maybe, it's the individual that matters when all sides are corrupt.  Wry humor, apocalyptic battles, and a touch of philosophy - what more do you want in a film?

Husk (2004) - 26 min

I wonder if cornfields are quite so disquieting to farmers.  As a city boy, I always found something wrong about them.  Well, director Brett Simmons certainly knows how to play with that feeling of unease.  Husk is all the things Children of the Corn should have been, but wasn't. The plot is simple enough.  Four rather unpleasant friends are stranded when their car breaks down for no reason.  With a farmhouse just a cornfield away, help shouldn't be too difficult to find, now should it?  That's about it for the story.  When it was over, I couldn't say what caused the problems.  I'm willing to leave it as "an evil force."  What Husk does so effectively that most of horror fails to do is be scary.  When two of the characters enter a room in the farmhouse and see...nope, that would be telling.  Let's just say that here is a movie that set out to be frightening, and is.  No deep themes.  Just terror. I have heard that Simmons intends to make this into a feature.  I'm uncertain how I feel about that.  It could be interesting to see where the dark forces of the Cornfield lead us.  On the other hand, Husk does what it needs to in 26 minutes, so what more is there to do?

I am Stamos (2004) - 18 min

A comedic trip into the world of the character actor, I am Stamos is a lot of fun.  Andy Shrub, played by character actor Robert Peters, is sick of always playing the sidekick, wearing the goofy hat and uttering the silly lines.  He wants to be a leading man and that means looking like one.  At his birthday party, he wishes to look like a leading man, to look like John Stamos.  Naturally, success and fame follow.  There is one problem—what will John Stamos think?  This is a professional looking short, with first class acting, camera work, and FX.  And it is funny.  John Stamos pokes fun at himself (the part he's trying to get would be...interesting), we see the truth about producers (all good producers carry a gun), and there is even a nod to Aliens.

I’ll See You In My Dreams (2003) - 24 min

I've never connected Portugal and zombies before.  Foolish of me.  The last few years have seen the big screen filled with zombie pictures in the Romero mold, yet none have really succeeded.  Either they failed on their own or they copied Romero so closely that there was no point to the film.  I'll See You In My Dreams gets it right.  The zombies feel real, the world feels horrible, and the people are people, in all their wretched glory.  Miguel Ángel Vivas's creates a dark future where zombies are everywhere and humans try to get by.  There is plenty of violence, a bit of humor and sex, and lots of cruelty.  And subtitles aren't that much of a problem in a zombie pic.

Inside (2002) - 8 min

Inside was made as a show-piece for the skills of writer Eric Gewirtz and writer/director Trever Sands, and it does an excellent job of it.  The script reveals Gewirtz's quirky humor and dramatic flare.  The dialog tells a lot in a few words, which is exactly what it should do.  Sands is able to highlight his own finesse in a scene where a room full of people talk over each other, yet everything is clear.  As Sands and Gewirtz point out, Inside feels like a lost episode of The Twilight Zone, but while only a few of those have stood up to time, Inside feels both fresh and familiar.  Sure, the twist is predictable, but also satisfying.  It is an 8 minute story told in 8 minutes (which is a pleasure to see after so many 8 minute stories that are told in 90 minutes plus).  Jeremy Sisto plays the lead, an insane man with too many friends, with restrained elegance.  It is my favorite Sisto performance.

Killing Kevin (2004) - 16 min

Here is a film that says what all true film lovers know—that Kevin Costner is destroying the art form.  Director Jeanne Kopeck and writer George Olson give the world what it needs, a support group for people whose lives have been destroyed by Costner.  The members include a screenwriter, a dialect coach, an actor, and a native American, all of whom have valid beefs against the star.  That is what makes the film so funny; these aren't insane characters who hate Costner for no reason.  Their complaints are hard to dismiss.  The climax is a winner, but the best moments are left for the dialect coach (with his comments on Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) and the screenwriter (whose agent told him that after Waterworld and The Postman, "the post-apocalyptic vision isn't commercial anymore").  How true.

Mutual Love Life (1999) - 11 min

Why is there insurance for your home, your car, and your health, but not the most important thing in life?  Why is there no insurance for love?  Producer/director/actor Robert Peters takes care of that problem in Mutual Love Life, the Slamadance audience award winning short.  Peters is an insurance salesman with an exciting product to sell, and where better to sell it than in a romantic restaurant.  Matt McCoy (known for the Police Academy sequels) is a man in love, who just might need that insurance. Peters, a character actor in features, is becoming a star in the world of independent short films, and is on my list of best modern shorts both for  Mutual Love Life and for I am Stamos.

Never eveN "Nie Solo Sein" (2003) - 10 min

Never eveN portrays a world that runs in reverse, except for one poor man, who wakes to find himself living his life in the opposite direction of everyone else.  Can he survive?  Can he even get a drink?  Jan Schomburg's funny and romantic short tells us.  In German with subtitles.  (Full Critique)

The Plight of Clownana (2003) - 16 min

Ishamel is the Clownana, a dancing half-clown, half-banana store mascot. Life is great until the nearby porn store gets its own mascot and Ishamel is left wondering what his life is all about.  But this is no deep treatise on life; this is a film filled with visual humor and a voice-over stuffed with absurd sincerity.  And there is a not-to-be-missed dance-off.  (Full Review)

Repossessed (2002) - 8 min

A wonderfully unsettling piece of horror.  Repossessed tells the "standard" ghost story in just 8 minutes.  What really makes this work is Juliet Landau, who plays a woman looking at a house that just came on the market. Director John Coven knows how to frame a scene so that I can't forget it.  (Full Critique)

Roadside Attractions (2004) - 16 min

Neither Roadside Attractions nor C.J. Roy's short science fiction drama Human, are my pick for best recent short.  Why do I start off a positive review with that statement?  Because, watching them, studying the camera work, angles, pacing, acting, and scene-framing makes me believe that Roy is the most talented of the undiscovered directors (perhaps tied with Inside's Trever Sands).  We'll be seeing his name on big budget features in a few years, and I look forward to that.  Until then, Roadside Attractions is excellent, with the best final minute of any short film I've seen.  (Full Critique)

The Silvergleam Whistle (2003) - 25 min

Think of a campfire horror tale.  A really, really good one.  The type you heard as a child, huddled closely with others on a cool October night.  The kind that frightened you in all the ways that are good to be frightened.  Now, put it on 35mm, with beautiful cinematography, and a score by Richard Band, and you have The Silvergleam Whistle.  (Full Review)

Stunt C*cks (2003) - 8 min

This is just funny.  Really, really funny.  Kirk Pynchon & James Leary (Clem on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) star as Bill and Earl, two kind hearted young men who have taken their severe sexual dysfunction and used it to turn the adult film industry into a business filled with family, friendship, and love. Through their job as “stunt cocks”, the two are able to heal the porn community of its emotional wounds.  I'm not sure if I'd call it a spoof, but it certainly does something to the adult film industry, and made me laugh while doing it.  Lou Diamond Phillips and porn legend Ron Jeremy makes this a film you'll want to re-watch.  It is available at www.stuntcocks-themovie.com.

Teenage Bikini Vampire (2003) - 7 min

Have you ever thought, "Hey, why don't they make more '60s-type beach movies, with vampires?"  No?  Well, apparently director Devi Snively did.  This isn't Tolstoy.  You should have a pretty good idea of what you're in for from the title.  There's a lonely teen vampire, her disapproving, but loving parents, and a surfer dude.  Will the young vampiress overcome the surfer's fear of the undead?  Will sunblock 2000 work?  Will there be a dance number?  Hey, it's a beach picture, what do you think?

Timmy's Wish (2002) - 10 min

So many filmmakers claim to have made a twisted and depraved work, so few actually have.  Director Patrick Cannon is one of the few.  Little Timmy, played with innocent glee by Days of Our Lives' Darian Weiss, prays to Jesus to get rid of his parents who have been cruelly feeding him less-than-tasty meals, and Jesus answers.  In all his glory, Jesus appears and slaughters the parents.  Why?  Well, because Timmy asked him to.  Now it's up to Jesus and Timmy to deal with the aftermath.  If you carry your Bible wherever you go, then this one may not be for you.  But for the rest of us, it's a scream.

Turn (2005) - 11 min

What if you came to an intersection where the traffic was so dense you couldn't turn...ever?  This simple and original idea is the basis of Turn, a surreal comedy about traffic, survival, and love.  Cold and ambitious Christine tries to take a short cut to work by driving through an alley and finds herself stuck behind Leo's unmoving car.  He's given up even trying to turn into the never ending traffic.  When they also find they can't back up, and hours turns to days, the two must find a way to live. This is an impressive short film that does everything right: excellent acting, production values, and directing by Michael Lucas.  This is smart, witty cinema.