Gwilliam (USA) (2015)
This flat out gross short follows a recently released criminal looking to get off. From there it goes in an unexpected direction. Written by Victoria S. Cook, Brian Lonano, and Kevin Lonano and directed by Brian Lonano, this short is odd and aims to either gross out or make the viewer uncomfortable or possibly both. This is the kind of short that you just can’t look away from, you want to but you also want to see how far it will go.
The lead played by William Tokarsky shows a limited range of emotions as a man hardened by life and his time in jail. His performance anchors the film and shows balls in how he takes this part and goes with it. Supporting him is one of the weirdest, ugliest puppets seen in a while. The puppet effects are by Lucas Godfrey with special effects by Blake Myers who together create a gross little guy that will irk most viewers. The whole film depends on this to work. It’s great puppet work, but Jim Henson it ain’t.
The Man Who Caught a Mermaid (Australia) (2016)
A man is obsessed with going fishing in the hopes of catching a mermaid. To say more would be to do this short a disservice. Director Kaitlin Tinker builds a short that feels like a feature. The story it tells is engrossing. The subject, tis man played by Roy Barker, is obsessed with mermaids and possibly a bit crazy. Barker plays him as a normal man who looks bored with life so he has found himself a new passion. This passion shows through the craziness. Without giving too much away (and without credits available online), the special effects team does a great job with a well-designed and executed mermaid. She’s not cutesy, but she looks fantastic. The effects done on her are top class. The Man Who Caught a Mermaid deals with themes of aging, passion, and possible mental illness. It does so while having fantastic effects, a great lead performance, and without dumbing down the situation or overexplaining things.
The Sound of Blue Green and Red (USA) (2016)
A woman wakes up in a motel, watches some tv, sees odd color patterns on the screen with matching sounds. A man shows up looking for his wife. This one is not fully clear and it seems to be the way writer/director Joshua Erkman wants it to be. The short based on a story by Star Rosencrans is fairly interesting and feels like just a vignette in a bigger story. The cast composed of Dasha Nekrasova and Michael Villar does well with the material. The film is simple, yet unclear, it creates more questions than it answers which will not be for everyone.
Pigskin (USA) (2016)
A cheerleader attempting to fit in is battling her inner demons in a scary and gory way. Written by Jake Hammond and Nicola Newton and directed by Hammond, Pigskin gives a teenage girl’s inner demons a visual representation while showing the struggle she is having with her self-image and self-loathing. The message and emotions come through lead Isadora Leiva’s performance loud and clear. Her final scene in the film, the closing scene, is charged with a lot of emotions and it all comes through very well. The film’s themes and feelings are reflected well in its music by Charles Harvey Spears. Also, the opening synthwave song is fitting and sets a good tone before things go darker. Pigskin is an inner demons while coming-of-age film; it shows the struggles many teenage girls go through with strong visuals and good performances.
Brooklyn Horror Film Festival had its first edition from October 14th through October 16th, 2016.