Zombie movies are the order of the moment for so many filmmakers working right now, and it’s tough to really find any good zombie entertainment. How do you take a pretty tired concept and turn it in to something interesting or worth investing your time in? Shockingly director and writer Mitch Cohen found a way. Rather than basing his entire short zombie movie on zombies, he instead explores the more humanistic element of the apocalypse, centering on a small group of people trying to survive, and how one seemingly irrelevant young man becomes their savior.
Category Archives: A+ Indie
Kindred (2014)
It’s pretty clear that director K” is ambitious and has aspirations to be so much bigger. Considering the budget and the limitations, “Kindred” is pretty fantastic and garners implications that could hopefully lead to a sequel sometime in the future. I was definitely sucked in to the world Nicholson and writer Josh Bryer unfolded for us and I just wanted to see more and where it was all leading.
Time to Kill (2014)
It’s impressive how some filmmakers can take a one setting short and turn it in to an event filled picture filled with sharp writing and rich characterization. “Time to Kill” is based on one character and one setting and still feels more complete than most films I’ve come across. Christopher T. Wood who penned the film, also gives a top notch performance as a hit man waiting for his target, and might be waiting for his target for as long as his patience and endurance can hold out.
Escape From Garden Grove (2014)
I like how director Mathilde Dratwa’s short tale of coming of age and growing up doesn’t try to be anything but itself. Right until the very end, it’s a cute and very bittersweet tale about accepting adulthood, and the grim realities of being an adult. Sometimes we have to forgive, sometimes we have to forget, and a lot of times running away from problems solves nothing. Martine Moore is adorable as young Sophie, a teenage girl who breaks in to Garden Grove old folks home to break out her grandmother Faye. Faye is a bit eccentric and somewhat odd, but Sophie only feels solace in confiding in her and her alone.
Hangman (2014)
Crew B and Freddie Wright’s short film about a seemingly sentient hangman game is probably one of the more creative short horror films I’ve seen in a while. Normally directors are prone to sticking to the classic devices of a Ouija Board or other oddities, but director Wright sticks to an odd game of Hangman to paint the future. And surely enough it becomes a Pandora’s Box that doles out terrible fates.
The Sacrament (2014)
It’s really tough in this day and age to come up with new insight in to the mindset of the cult. Director Ti West manages to accomplish such a feat during the narrative of “The Sacrament” where he not only explores the facade of the utopian cult that many flock to, but the inherent mind set behind the structure of the cult. “Many people come here out of desperation,” explains character Sam, thus it’s apparent why community Eden Parish is able to thrive and live for so long without being disturbed. Even though many of the leaders of these cults are conmen, on occasion they’re also desperate individuals seeking isolation and a like minded civilization they can rule, or destroy in one fell swoop.
Fallout (2011)
I’m not entirely sure what “Fall Out” was aiming for from minute one. All I know is that director Derek Dubois keeps the audience in the dark, providing a narrative that’s about eighty percent ambiguous. And I was okay with that. If you can’t really offer a larger exploration of the world you’ve built, especially considering when it’s set during the apocalypse, the best thing to do is focus on getting us to know the characters in this situation, and director Dubois accomplishes that in spades.