Top 3

I always try and post something negative, unless I loved it.
I also try and post something positive, even if it's tough.
We were all beginners once. Well, most of us. Some never enter but like to preach.

It's when the comments border on insulting, that's when a line has been crossed. No need for that here.
Honesty is definitely required though. Only way to get better.
 
First off apologies I don't have time to review all the films, but I did watch them all. If anyone would like a blunt but honest review hit me up over PM and if I have time I'll get to it.

Top 3:

1. The Butcher and The Fox.

Loved this. This was expertly done at all levels. No question to me this was the most complete short of the fest. It felt like I was watching a short at a paid festival event. When looking at the writing in a short film, I look for a story told primarily by images and when there is dialogue it's a real skill to dramatise it. This had all of that, the dialogue had us leaning in the whole time, it pulls the audience in from the opening and keeps us involved till the end. Not only that but the dialogue was displaced so they never talked directly about what was really going on under the surface. A short with no on the nose dialogue is a rare treat. So many things that this film nailed. It was also structured well, just giving us the right amount of info at each stage. Normally a short has either one of the other, great writing or great technicals, but not here, the technicals are great too. On top it was by far the most cinematic entry, using those well shot images in a way which only film can do to create a unique and unified vision/mood through editing and sound. It really is an impressive little package. I think your best work yet and IMO this is quite a leap over your other entries.

EDIT : I read others had comments on the dream sequence, but I quite like that it was a bit obtuse, either guilt, or foreboding. It's fine if it's all based in the subconscious mind and doesn't effect the overall spine of the story (which was simple to understand SPOLIER : mother killing the husband to protect her child). I also like the irony that the man is terrified by the same story he read to his son. He tries to scare his kid for his own amusement and ends up petrified himself.

Great shot selection, DP work was pro quality, and it's a really crisp edit. Not often my huge ego doesn't have anything negative to say ;-), but I just don't. Fantastic work.

2. Clear Space

Ok I know found footage is becoming overused, but if it's done well then it still has a creepy impact. If PA3 has proved anything it's that people still like a good reality scare. If it's also done with a complete story, then it's even more enjoyable. This was the only film in the festival to get my heart up in my chest for a few moments. That's not easy to do. So big kudos for that. I'll be honest and say the boatshed didn't get me, but this did. A nice unexpected ending too!

The acting is what lifted this above most in here. It actually felt very real, and it's probably the most key component to getting a found footage piece to work effectively. If you can I'd revisit the falling dust/sparks as that was just before the main thrust of the short and was in danger of pulling me out for a second because it didn't look too realistic. BUT I did sink back into the mood pretty quickly after that.

I would not normally rate found footage short too high, but when it's done well it's a fun ride (anyone seen 'The Tunnel?' - if not you'd love it Matt, you can watch it for free online). So Clear Space gets my creepy vote.

3. Unit 244

This was close, there were a lot of films I contemplated giving 3rd to, so in the end I based it on which would I watch again and it was between this and Transit. I went for this simply because the ending was great. To be fair that's what many shorts lack, I'm not just talking in this fest, but in general it's hard to give us an ending we don't see coming in 6 mins.

Sure this had more than a few technical issues and maybe dragged at the start - but overall it was one I remembered fondly and one of the few I'd rewatch. It had a creepy moment in the garage, and the end made me laugh but in a kinda twisted way. If I complied a list of shorts from this fest to show other people it would defo be on it.

Transit - just a special mention for this as it was very well made and had me glued 90% of it's runtime. A claustrophobic scene of increasing tension that builds and makes us feel progressively uncomfortable. The only reason it didn't quite take 3rd was the reverse of the above short. The ending was a just repeat of the previous scene (SPOILER : so we see a scene where someone gets into the car and the reveal is it's an alien who takes over a human body until until that wares down and they need a new body. Great so far... But the final scene is another person getting into the car and seemingly revealing what we already just got told. Just my opinion but I think it would work if you hadn't seen what happened to the first victim. We see him get in, have the awkward conversation, 'I need a new body'... get driven off road, WTF is going on, doors lock. cut to black. Then in the final scene, the new victim gets into the car with a guy with the cough, but then reveal he's the previous passenger).

So for me it was a shame as this cranked the tension quite well, had good acting and atmosphere, and I thought it was a real contender all the way up till the end. It scored very highly anyway.

There were a lot more I thought were fun. Shame Elton's was not in competition as that may have squeaked into my top 3 too.
 
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Michael Anthony Horrigan said:
I always try and post something negative, unless I loved it.
I also try and post something positive, even if it's tough.
We were all beginners once. Well, most of us. Some never enter but like to preach.

It's when the comments border on insulting, that's when a line has been crossed. No need for that here.
Honesty is definitely required though. Only way to get better.
Click to expand...

I love to preach and am too chicken to enter.
Can I get an amen brother MAH? :2vrolijk_08:
 
Darkline said:
First off apologies I don't have time to review all the films, but I did watch them all. If anyone would like a blunt but honest review hit me up over PM and if I have time I'll get to it.

Top 3:

1. The Butcher and The Fox.

Loved this. This was expertly done at all levels. No question to me this was the most complete short of the fest. It felt like I was watching a short at a paid festival event. When looking at the writing in a short film, I look for a story told primarily by images and when there is dialogue it's a real skill to dramatise it. This had all of that, the dialogue had us leaning in the whole time, it pulls the audience in from the opening and keeps us involved till the end. Not only that but the dialogue was displaced so they never talked directly about what was really going on under the surface. A short with no on the nose dialogue is a rare treat. So many things that this film nailed. It was also structured well, just giving us the right amount of info at each stage. Normally a short has either one of the other, great writing or great technicals, but not here, the technicals are great too. On top it was by far the most cinematic entry, using those well shot images in a way which only film can do to create a unique and unified vision/mood through editing and sound. It really is an impressive little package. I think your best work yet and IMO this is quite a leap over your other entries.

EDIT : I read others had comments on the dream sequence, but I quite like that it was a bit obtuse, either guilt, or foreboding. It's fine if it's all based in the subconscious mind and doesn't effect the overall spine of the story (which was simple to understand SPOLIER : mother killing the husband to protect her child). I also like the irony that the man is terrified by the same story he read to his son. He tries to scare his kid for his own amusement and ends up petrified himself.

Great shot selection, DP work was pro quality, and it's a really crisp edit. Not often my huge ego doesn't have anything negative to say ;-), but I just don't. Fantastic work.

2. Clear Space

Ok I know found footage is becoming overused, but if it's done well then it still has a creepy impact. If PA3 has proved anything it's that people still like a good reality scare. If it's also done with a complete story, then it's even more enjoyable. This was the only film in the festival to get my heart up in my chest for a few moments. That's not easy to do. So big kudos for that. I'll be honest and say the boatshed didn't get me, but this did. A nice unexpected ending too!

The acting is what lifted this above most in here. It actually felt very real, and it's probably the most key component to getting a found footage piece to work effectively. If you can I'd revisit the falling dust/sparks as that was just before the main thrust of the short and was in danger of pulling me out for a second because it didn't look too realistic. BUT I did sink back into the mood pretty quickly after that.

I would not normally rate found footage short too high, but when it's done well it's a fun ride (anyone seen 'The Tunnel?' - if not you'd love it Matt, you can watch it for free online). So Clear Space gets my creepy vote.

3. Unit 244

This was close, there were a lot of films I contemplated giving 3rd to, so in the end I based it on which would I watch again and it was between this and Transit. I went for this simply because the ending was great. To be fair that's what many shorts lack, I'm not just talking in this fest, but in general it's hard to give us an ending we don't see coming in 6 mins.

Sure this had more than a few technical issues and maybe dragged at the start - but overall it was one I remembered fondly and one of the few I'd rewatch. It had a creepy moment in the garage, and the end made me laugh but in a kinda twisted way. If I complied a list of shorts from this fest to show other people it would defo be on it.

Transit - just a special mention for this as it was very well made and had me glued 90% of it's runtime. A claustrophobic scene of increasing tension that builds and makes us feel progressively uncomfortable. The only reason it didn't quite take 3rd was the reverse of the above short. The ending was a just repeat of the previous scene (SPOILER : so we see a scene where someone gets into the car and the reveal is it's an alien who takes over a human body until until that wares down and they need a new body. Great so far... But the final scene is another person getting into the car and seemingly revealing what we already just got told. Just my opinion but I think it would work if you hadn't seen what happened to the first victim. We see him get in, have the awkward conversation, 'I need a new body'... get driven off road, WTF is going on, doors lock. cut to black. Then in the final scene, the new victim gets into the car with a guy with the cough, but then reveal he's the previous passenger).

So for me it was a shame as this cranked the tension quite well, had good acting and atmosphere, and I thought it was a real contender all the way up till the end. It scored very highly anyway.

There were a lot more I thought were fun. Shame Elton's was not in competition as that may have squeaked into my top 3 too.
Click to expand...



Wow. Now that's a top 3! Killer post. Makes total sense... You're making me change my mind!!!
 
JaceBrownlow said:
1. Grid Down by Shawn Nelson
2. The Butcher and the Fox by AJ Brooks
3. Somnia by Christian Halberg

Not to say the others werent good, they all had their own charm. But these three I felt were the strongest in over all story, production value and acting
Click to expand...

Solid.

I think Grid Down could be a TV show without question.
 
Chris_Keaton said:
I don't know. This was kind of a disappointing fest for me. It doesn't seem that most people embraced the challenge. There were no real pisstakes, but I just felt underwhelmed on the whole. The last real horror themed fest kicked this one's arse on the whole. Kicked the arse hole? Maybe I'm the only person who feels that way. :(

Hey, who told Edgen and Tim they could give brutally honest reviews? Aren't we supposed to play nice. ;)
Click to expand...


I tried twice to make a scary film for this. Creepy, weird... Got those. Didn't get 'scary'.
WAY more challenging for me than I anticipated. I have to take my hat off to anyone who went for it. It's really difficult getting under peoples skin.
 
Creepy would have got my vote. More so than scary in some ways. Depending on how you define the two. Creepy gets under your skin and last longs after the film finishes. Scary can be more of a rollercoaster ride of jumps and chases, etc. Always prefer creepy, so you should have entered it :)

Anthony Todaro said:
Wow. Now that's a top 3! Killer post. Makes total sense... You're making me change my mind!!!
Click to expand...

LOL, don't open up that old chesnut.
 
Todaro's short was good, I tried to push him to enter it but he ultimately did not like his own film.

Darkline, thanks for the review man, I'm glad you dug it, high praise! Thanks for the acting compliment too,
it was a lot of fun to just be completely natural in front of the camera. My signed DVD of The Boatshed will be shipped overnight
to you so you can watch it over and over. :)
 
Matt Harris said:
Todaro's short was good, I tried to push him to enter it but he ultimately did not like his own film.

Darkline, thanks for the review man, I'm glad you dug it, high praise! Thanks for the acting compliment too,
it was a lot of fun to just be completely natural in front of the camera. My signed DVD of The Boatshed will be shipped overnight
to you so you can watch it over and over. :)
Click to expand...

LMAO - Only blu-ray please, I need to see every pixel.
 
Yeah, I thought Todaro's film would've fit in fine. Scary is hard to do. It's like comedy, very subjective and what may work for one person won't work for another.

Here is my top 3 that I wasn't involved with:

1. Transit
Sorry, but the Swede's know horror. Maybe that's why I get a lot of inquiries from Sweden. ;) But honestly I can see this as an opener or trailer to a feature.
2. Somnia
Denmark is close enough to Sweden for some of its horror funk to rub off, right?
3. The Butcher and The Fox
A.J. is consistently one of my favorites. Just imagine what he could do with one of my scripts. :)


Difficulty aside Halloween is one of my favorite fests because every film it enjoyable in one way or another. Now the next drama fest, ugh that's a tough one. ;)
 
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Matt Harris said:
Todaro's short was good, I tried to push him to enter it but he ultimately did not like his own film.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliment. You too Chris.

The reason I didn't enter the fest is because I didn't find the film to be scary. I actually was happy with 99% of it.
The look was great. The sound was decent and I loved what the editors did with the cut. Also a very hard working group of people busted their ass making it.

So, just want to make sure it's known, for me, it was about entering a film that would be a contender for a win. I was less interested in entering, just to enter or enter simply for feedback. The film will see the light of day in the form of a small fest run and get it's due. Here's a peak since I can't stop yapping about the damn thing....

FTS.jpg
 
I always give my top 3 choices a pm. My third place was a tie. First and second picks of mine good luck to you both.
 
Anthony Todaro said:
Thanks for the compliment. You too Chris.

The reason I didn't enter the fest is because I didn't find the film to be scary. I actually was happy with 99% of it.
The look was great. The sound was decent and I loved what the editors did with the cut. Also a very hard working group of people busted their ass making it.

So, just want to make sure it's known, for me, it was about entering a film that would be a contender for a win. I was less interested in entering, just to enter or enter simply for feedback. The film will see the light of day in the form of a small fest run and get it's due. Here's a peak since I can't stop yapping about the damn thing....
Click to expand...

You should post it so we can see it.
 
Instead of posting on each individual forum I will just post all my reviews in one comment.

Unite 24
Good twist ending and I liked the consistent color pallet you used. The digital blood is a little too obvious and the acting is a little flat, also maybe the sound was a little too noisy. Over all a nice miniature horror film. 7/10

Abhorrence
Nice lighting, and interesting ending. I felt the creepy face in the beginning was unneeded, kind of felt like it was thrown in because you had a creepy face and wanted to use it somewhere. Otherwise nice dolly shot in the beginning. Overall a good silly horror poop thriller :p 7/10

Somnia
Very nice cinematography and sound, also you picked some really interesting locations (tunnel) and it helped the overall feel of the film. The acting was great as was the writing. Also it was genuinely pretty creepy! What a good horror movie should be. :D 8/10

000689.mov
I felt the beginning up until he is doing a youtube video with his guitar could have been cut, an just jump to his vloging. I like the overall idea of the found footage trope, but for some reason it didn’t work for me. Maybe it only works if the film was like a Hollywood film where the budget was big, but seeing that this isn’t one it just feels like another youtube video. Either way nice little creepy film 6/10

Turning point
Good acting! I liked the simple yet pretty camera work. And I liked the fact it was an entirely different kind of scary of the other films instead of horror. Even though it doesn’t fit in with the others, it still deserves a 7/10

Halloween Sucks
I think the blade being put into the reeses‘s could have been cut down a lot more. Kind of seemed to drag and take me away from the overall story. The story was a little too weak to draw me in anyway, and a little unrealistic. I feel if someone were to bight into a candy they would at some point bight down on an inch long razor crammed in it before swallowing. I also wasn’t a fan of the child’s voice. Sounded like an adult who was pretending to be a child. Find a real child next time. But overall good effort 6/10

Truth/Dare
Very nice imagery. However the acting/ dialog seemed awkward to me. As if the actors were incredibly uncomfortable when delivering the lines. And some of the audio seemed off a bit. Also I felt the “scare” came a little too late. I liked the overall effort, but to me it just seemed half-baked and unenthusiastic. 6/10

Murdock’s Secret
Loved the camerawork/color grading in the flashback scenes. Acting kind of brought it down a bit, I think you also could have developed the story a bit more. I think it was too short. Otherwise the cinematography brought the rating up a bit 7/10

The Traveler
I liked the overall feeling of the whole thing, reminded me of a twilight zone episode mixed with Beetlejuice with the quirky music too. Love the gunshot through the glasses shot! In fact you have a butt load of neat effects in this one acting was also good. I think the only critique is the camera you used seemed a little too video like. I couldn’t tell what frame rate you were using either. But still give this a solid 8/10!

Grid Down
Fantastic! Great acting for every character, as well as well written. The overall premise is very intriguing; you nailed the post apocalyptic feeling. I have very little to dislike about this one other than the footage felt a little flat for using an Epic. But other than that I think this is probably the best in the fest 9/10

Stow Lake
Felt kind of clichéd at times, not super scary when it clearly tries to be. I liked the idea but I felt it could have been executed a little better 6/10

The 7[SUP]th[/SUP] Mile
It started a little dull, but once the father came around it really got a lot better. The acting may have been a little flat on the kid’s part. But it wasn’t bad enough to ruin the movie. I think you had some good effort all around. 7/10

Transit
Great acting! Great writing! I loved the story in this one too. Felt very cinematic and over all creepy! I don’t have a lot of negative things to say about other than I think it could have been longer. Credits lasted way too long. Otherwise a 8/10

Obsession
Felt it was way too short. I liked the psychological thriller aspect to it, but I felt it could have been developed a bit better. Also a technical detail, when his alternate self appears behind him, I would have looked at lot better if you filmed him out of focus because he is standing in an area that is out of focus when he isn’t. and it just looked a little awkward having both selves in focus but other elements out. Otherwise good effort 6/10

Behind the Door
I liked the cinematography and the story. But I feel it could have been developed a little longer, it was so quick and I wanted to find out more about what was actually behind the door. I really liked the lighting however on the house, very consistent. Also good acting on her part 7/10

Overcome
The narration was flipping fantastic! The overall feeling of the film was very cinematic (Think I would have used a few more dolly shots). Some spiffy effects and also you had some really nice music for this one! the only thing I would have changed would be maybe a few dolly shots, and some neat color grading (something fantasy-ish like gold) Overall I really liked it a lot. A solid 9/10!

Clear Space
Fantastic acting. It felt very natural. I think this is a very good example of hand-held footage type horror. That’s very hard to do but I think you nailed it. 8/10

The Butcher and the Fox
Loved the acting, loved the lighting/cinematography. Everything seemed incredibly professional. The story had a classical feeling to it. I thin if any this was the most polished and well put together. Absolutely fantastic 9/10

The Lost
The opening shots with the driving dragged on way too long. You should have at least put credits during the sequence. I wanted to like it but it just dragged too much and it was way too dark. However I could tell that there was some good effort put into this so a 6/10 to you

Bad Pumpkin
I liked the 'not taking it self too seriously' element too the horror. But it felt kind of forced with the humor. Like “oh look something funny! Laugh!”. Also the tripping over the pumpkin sequence in the beginning was a little awkward with the warped footage. However this did feature some really nice acting from both the guy and the gal. 6/10

Symbiosis
Hehe, nice tentacles. Looked a little flat but still believable. I also liked the overall story as well as the acting. It really felt like a real horror film. I also liked the green color grading. However some of the audio was kind of screwy, specially the scene on top of the parking garage. Overall a fun horror short 7/10
 
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