Shawn Philip Nelson
Veteran
AJ, it's cheating when you tip him off like that!
The Butcher and the Fox -- a film by AJ Brooks
- Thread starter AJ Brooks
- Start date
Shawn Philip Nelson
Veteran
No. Because in order to shoot at 300fps, you either have to have giant 10k lights, or shoot outdoors
taylormade
Well-known member
Easily the best looking film of the fest.
Great acting from all three performers. The babysitter was great, too - for other obvious reasons.
Loved the story, loved the Mom coming in at the end with the fox's tale.
Great cuts to the dripping blood and hanged guy's feet, perfect grading and just a fabulous look.
The babysitter bit left me scratching my head. It was nicely put together and the music was terrific, but it didn't seem to move the story along. Was it a nightmare or a flashback?
Would Mom murder her husband for telling a scary story to the kid? Maybe the guy wasn't the Dad. Maybe he was the babysitter? This is where things went a little downhill for me. I was trying to figure things out rather than watching and enjoying the story.
I always find it off-putting when a film veers from reality to fantasy and back again with no reason. The blood on the doorknob was a great effect and spooky as hell, but then we go back to the Mom and are grounded in reality again. She offed the old man with no fantasy involved. Then why did the doorknob bleed? Are we still in Dad's fantasy world? Lack of consistancy here bothered me.
Great film somewhat let down by a confusing middle section.
Still, up there in my top three.
Great acting from all three performers. The babysitter was great, too - for other obvious reasons.
Loved the story, loved the Mom coming in at the end with the fox's tale.
Great cuts to the dripping blood and hanged guy's feet, perfect grading and just a fabulous look.
The babysitter bit left me scratching my head. It was nicely put together and the music was terrific, but it didn't seem to move the story along. Was it a nightmare or a flashback?
Would Mom murder her husband for telling a scary story to the kid? Maybe the guy wasn't the Dad. Maybe he was the babysitter? This is where things went a little downhill for me. I was trying to figure things out rather than watching and enjoying the story.
I always find it off-putting when a film veers from reality to fantasy and back again with no reason. The blood on the doorknob was a great effect and spooky as hell, but then we go back to the Mom and are grounded in reality again. She offed the old man with no fantasy involved. Then why did the doorknob bleed? Are we still in Dad's fantasy world? Lack of consistancy here bothered me.
Great film somewhat let down by a confusing middle section.
Still, up there in my top three.
I should go back and read the comments... but, I think I missed the explanation:
What is going on?
What's the importance of the first story?
Why is the kid the boy looking at his father hanging in a different time?
Why is there a prostitute and drugs?
Who is Mama Fox protecting her kid from? The Prostitute or the Sleeping Dad?
I am lost =[
What is going on?
What's the importance of the first story?
Why is the kid the boy looking at his father hanging in a different time?
Why is there a prostitute and drugs?
Who is Mama Fox protecting her kid from? The Prostitute or the Sleeping Dad?
I am lost =[
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Elton
Veteran
Oh come on, that's what ISO is for! Duh!
Michael Anthony Horrigan
More Cowbell Pictures
My take...
Watched it twice though.
Dad tells the kid a creepy story. The kid goes to sleep, we see him dreaming.
It's the kid dreaming about the old butcher story. Not the Dad.
The babysitter puts ecstasy on Dad's tongue. Dad trips out with the babysitter to the light fantastic.
It's after he wakes up that it gets fuzzy. My take. He is still tripping when MOM, the big Momma Fox, gets home and kills the babysitter.
We see her stomach cut open.
Why does Dad see blood dripping through the door? He's still tripping.
Mom finds the boy/son who woke up from his scary dream. He's hiding in the shower.
She tells him the story about how the big Momma Fox (her) would never let anyone hurt her family.
Why do we see the blood leaking from the closet on to the floor at the end? Because that's where Momma Fox put the babysitter.
Of course, this could all be complete BS.
AJ, you wrote it. People have been asking what's up, chime in.
And don't give us that "It's what you make of it" BS.
LOL!
PS - This film looked amazing. Very well shot.
Matt Harris
Veteran
I get it now, i really do. I watched it a bunch of times and i kept missing that the babysitter put x on his tongue.
That explains a lot!
That explains a lot!
AJ Brooks
Well-known member
The sitter's dialog scene was cut for time, which explains more, but this frame from the dvx version is a hint:
Nope.
"I gotta pay the sitter."
Matt Harris
Veteran
Yes sir, i get it now, and it makes sense. Hey I want to see a 300 fps shot of the pill as it hits his tongue!
taylormade
Well-known member
Seems like he's getting the better part of the deal. Until the end anyway.
Until the end anyway.
Michael Anthony Horrigan
More Cowbell Pictures
LOL! :grin:
AJ Brooks
Well-known member
What is going on? -A dad telling a kid a scary story on Halloween.
What's the importance of the first story? -The kid doesn't want to hear a scary story he wants to hear one mom tells about foxes. Basically, Dad's a jerk and scares the kid. Shows he is not really close to his son at all, nor any interest to be. And sets up the "final story", the ghost story comes after the father at the end... the man who builds a pit will fall into it. Dramatic irony.
Why is the kid the boy looking at his father hanging in a different time? -The boy is imagining the story as the father is telling it. The boy and father play the same roles in the story as the boy imagines it (ala The Fall). This being another hint that the boy is afraid of the father, since he imagines his father's face on the dead hanging prisoner.
Why is there a prostitute and drugs? "I gotta pay the sitter" She is the babysitter. Dad came home early, before mom, and tried to put the boy to sleep so he could go have fun with the sitter before she goes off to Halloween parties for the night (Dressed up as Betty Page). He trips too hard, passes out, he wakes... still tripping, the sitter is gone, he starts seeing and hearing things. The story coming to life. Chains and blood when it's actually the mom coming for him.
Who is Mama Fox protecting her kid from? The Prostitute or the Sleeping Dad? - Mean dad + babysitter = adultery = threat to crazy mom and little fox.
I am lost =[ -Hope that helps!
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Hawk Teflon
Veteran
Ohhhhhhhhhh ... It all comes together now.
thetvirus513
Well-known member
Aj do you have plans on posting the full cut....I got the story right away, and enjoyed that I kinda had to work for it, but I would love to see your final cut!
CallaghanFilms
Veteran
Beyond that, the father's blatant irresponsibility speaks to his potentially greater character flaws...to greater/more direct "dangers" to the son.
Come on, guys...get off the exposition teat.
Not trying to be offensive here, so don't take it that way:
Honestly, that just made it even more confusing, because now there doesn't seem to be a point. I mean I guess there doesn't need to be a point?
From your explanation, it sounds like you wanted to create a case of a boy being afraid of his father, who's a bit of a jerk, but hasn't laid a finger on. And, you want to justify the mother killing the father.
The way you wrote, and executed, this seems like three completely different stories in a short, none of which tie together in a very clear and concise fashion or pay off.
That's my thought, and I'm prolly the odd man out which is usually the case. Haha
The grade is pretty fair. Whoever does your color work is good at cleaning up where it's sometimes "overlit" and under-composed. This entry actually surprised me, because the coverage on Phantoms was pretty great, lots of great moments.
THis one didn't have that same polish. AT least not to me. Grain of salt, though.
Honestly, that just made it even more confusing, because now there doesn't seem to be a point. I mean I guess there doesn't need to be a point?
From your explanation, it sounds like you wanted to create a case of a boy being afraid of his father, who's a bit of a jerk, but hasn't laid a finger on. And, you want to justify the mother killing the father.
The way you wrote, and executed, this seems like three completely different stories in a short, none of which tie together in a very clear and concise fashion or pay off.
That's my thought, and I'm prolly the odd man out which is usually the case. Haha
The grade is pretty fair. Whoever does your color work is good at cleaning up where it's sometimes "overlit" and under-composed. This entry actually surprised me, because the coverage on Phantoms was pretty great, lots of great moments.
THis one didn't have that same polish. AT least not to me. Grain of salt, though.
Honestly man... if we feel like we need exposition it's because there's something not present in the coverage or the writing.
You know what exposition I did get from his behaviors? That the Mama Fox is dumb-as hell for leaving her kid alone with someone she knew was a bad seed, because obviously this wasn't the first time.
I also got that Mama Fox needs to be locked up in a psych ward for killing someone because they cheated and did drugs.
AJ Brooks
Well-known member
Michael Anthony Horrigan
More Cowbell Pictures
I got most of it.
But when this many people don't get it, maybe it needs some fine tuning. It sounds like there was a longer cut and that AJ had to chop it up to make it fit.
That makes sense. I mean really, she's going off to a Halloween party? Ok. If you say so.
Yes, I figured most of it out before AJ's explanation. But not everything. I'm cool with that. I liked it.
Callaghan, when are you going to jump into one of these festivals and show us all how it's done?
Time for this dog to show some bite. :evil:
Michael Anthony Horrigan
More Cowbell Pictures
Agreed. I'm sure it's in the longer cut but it's not all here.