As her life implodes, a woman with a clothing obsession finds herself in a position she’d never imagined and must do what’s needed to survive.
Author Archives: Emilie Black
The Call of Charlie (2016) [Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017]
Charlie is a friend, so Mark and his wife help him out by setting him up with Maureen. As the evening goes along, with uninvited guests Virginia and Jay joining the 4 of them, things take an odd turn.
Written by Guy Benoit, John Simpson, and director Nick Spooner, The Call of Charlie is a horror comedy that works, and works great. It’s funny and uses a creature to the best possible result in terms of comedy and awkwardness. The film has witty dialog and flows really well throughout. The writing is on point and the directing supports it perfectly. The way this is short is build shows a good grasp of comedic timing and how to build a strong story with odd aspects and keep it simple to make it work the best possible.
Tom of Finland (2017)
Touko Laaksonen was an army officer and diligent brother who had a talent for drawing muscular men in various revealing outfits. Known as Tom of Finland, he was once arrested for his drawings before finding popularity and fame in the United States.
Swing Away (2016)
A troubled WPGA player goes home to Greece to try and refocus her life. There she meets a young player who helps her remember why she plays and to pay attention to herself and those around her.
Sick Nurses (2007)
A group of young, sexy nurses seemingly living where they work are haunted and attacked by someone from their past.
In this film that seems to be a Thai take on the Jurei ghost story type, directors Piraphan Laoyont and Thodsapol Siriwiwat take a sub-genre, the vengeful ghost, and go to a point of insanity that is quite enjoyable. The film does not create much in terms of new aspects for the sub-genre, but it has some truly inspired moments, some really creepy sequences, and kills that are original and sometimes insane. The way they use each nurse’s obsession against her works quite well which helps the film feel fresh in its kills. The characters they create here are not particularly original or deep, they are fairly ditzy nurses completely obsessed with themselves and their love interest. The characters are even annoying at times, something that hinders any kind of sympathy that might be needed to truly care about their deaths. However, the way they die is entertaining and this helps a ton with a film of this sub-genre.
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
A man slowly turns into a metal/man hybrid after killing The Metal Fetishist. His life changes at an alarming rate and so does he.
This piece of Japanese weirdness was written and directed by Shin’ya Tsukamoto almost 30 years ago and it still maintains its shock and awe. The film has a fairly simply story at its basis but is constructed and directed in such a way that it’s dizzying and purposefully messes with its viewer’s angle on it. The film is somewhat hard to follow but that’s part of how it works in the end. It is messed up and messes the viewer up. It’s one of those oddities that don’t feel like it was made just for the shock or just to disturb, but it still achieves both with flying colors. The way Shin’ya Tsukamoto tells this story is masterful yet filled with lunacy.
Happy Hunting (2017) [Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017]
A man living with addiction and alcoholism receives a call that sends him on a road trip toward Mexico. Near the border, he stops in a little town where he has to get clean while waiting for a call and ends up stumbling into a very special hunting festival.