There are those short films that you go in to, and when they’re done, you wish they could have been so much longer. Lucy Bridger’s drama about a young girl name Mia (Sapphire Paine) who learns to live with a new foster family is subtle, sweet, touching, and actually quite excellent. I would have to see director Bridger adapt this in to a full length film someday very soon.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
Reign of the Supermen (2019) [Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital]
One of most controversial and divisive story arcs of the nineties is brought to the small screen in an epic fashion, and DC and Warner manage to adapt the final half of the “Death of Superman” storyline for a broader audience. While nineties kids will love to see the whole mystery of the Four Supermen once again, DC works within the limitations of the characters they’re allowed to use, and re-imagines most of the storyline of the Reign of the Supermen, right down the primary antagonist working behind the scenes.
023_Greta_S (2018) [Slamdance Film Festival 2019]
Director Annika Birgel short thriller asks: How far are you (or anyone) willing to go to get the job of your dreams? Set during a casting call, young Greta is called in to the office of a director and his assistant. Being subjected to various questions for the sake of getting to know her and connect her to his character on his film, his vague questions about her life turns in to very invasive and emotionally upsetting probes about her love life, and her family.
Wet Pavilion (2018) [Slamdance Film Festival 2019]
People tend to take for granted how much love can be turned on and off, and how quickly relationships can end. “Wet Pavilion” is an unusual but interesting short drama about a young man sitting in the back of his brother’s car. While he, his brother, and his brother’s girlfriend slide through a car wash, he watches their relationship disintegrate before his eyes.
Tungrus (2018) [Slamdance Film Festival 2019]
Documentary Shorts Block
“Tungrus” is a short documentary that you’ll likely never see anywhere else. It’s a documentary about family, about living in confined spaces, and yes, it explores the idea that the possible to answer to a problem is eating the family pet. No seriously. “Tungrus” centers on the large Bharde Family, in Mumbai that lives in a cramped apartment with one another and their pets. After the father brings home a baby chick, the chick manages to survive and grow in to a large rooster.
Narrative Shorts Block 3 [Slamdance Film Festival 2019]
Blast Beat (2018)
“Blast Beat” doesn’t have much of a premise; it’s merely a slice of life for a black metal band. When a guitarist (Alexandre Dostie) auditions for a black metal band, he has a hard time convincing the lead singer that he can play with and for the band. When she (Corinne Cardinal) decides to try out his vocal abilities, he doesn’t quite seem to be up for the task. “Blast Beat” does have a few funny beats in its four minute run time, including the unusual ability of singers to be able to switch from beautiful opera to loud booming howls for their audience. Pascal Plante’s short is a fascinating and comical look at a skill many underestimate.
Slip Road (2018)
“Department of Anarchy” Short Block
A lot of “Slip Road” is left to the viewer to interpret and for a short form film, and I don’t mind saying that it can be a bit of a task. “Slip Road” is beautifully filmed, along with some striking visuals, I just would have loved a tad more information so we can come to a conclusion and appreciate the overall journey without spending most of the run time trying to put the pieces together.