Tag Archives: Indie Film

Emilie Black Wraps Up Blood in the Snow 2016

Posted on by

bits2016Blood in the Snow, also known as BITS, ran from November 25th to the 27th in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and showcased as it usually does a wide array of horror and genre related feature films, short films, and documentary.  This year’s crop of films has something from everyone including a documentary on the resurgence of posters as collectibles, a postpartum-tinged thriller, a short about a cannibal runner, etc.

The films were of high quality and most were great fun to watch.  In case you missed any of Cinema Crazed’s coverage, here it is in one nifty spot.

Continue reading →

The Shorts of Blood in the Snow 2016 – Part Three

Posted on by

ingrid-and-the-black-holeIngrid & the Black Hole (Canada) (2016)
A boy and a girl see what they think is a black hole one night and ponder on time travel.  Written and directed by Leah Johnston, this short is sweet without being saccharine and it has a touching way of going through these two kids’ lives and showing how a small thing can affect someone for a very long time.  The cinematography by Christopher Ball looks great and shows the night sky in a beautiful manner as well as the interpersonal relationships of the characters through the years.

Continue reading →

Deer Flower (2016)

Posted on by

deerflowerWhen you consider the cultural context behind “Deer Flower,” director Kangmin Kim’s short animated film is an interesting if horrific look at remedies from the East. Told through what essentially looks like origami, “Deer Flower” is a stark and pretty unusual tale about a family seeking a cure for their son’s ailment. Traveling a long distance and paying a lot of money, they take their son behind a farm, where a reindeer is held down by a machine and has its antler cut.

Continue reading →

The Shorts of Blood in the Snow 2016 – Part Two

Posted on by

a-quiet-momentThe Fight (Canada) (2016)
In this super short film, a couple fights each in their own scene, or perhaps each in their own timeline.  Their fight escalates and a surprise is in store for each of them and the viewer.  This grim short, short for an estimated $50CAD (yes you read that right), is written Clint D’Souza, Neil Tavares and directed by D’Souza.  Stars Asoya Hall and Steve Kasan sell the fight and its emotions well while escalating at a nice pace.  This short is a visceral one for anyone who has ever reach a breaking point with a significant other.

Continue reading →

Los Sures (1984)

Posted on by

lossureFilmed thirty two years ago, Diego Echeverria’s documentary “Los Sures” is a striking and mesmerizing look at living in poverty in Brooklyn New York in 1984. Finally restored and given a long overdue theatrical release in 2016 to a wide release, “Los Sures” is a still very relevant look at impoverished and how those without opportunities are frozen in place in a neighborhood becoming more and more foreign to them. Diego Echeverria offers almost no narration and absolutely no soundtrack, instead painting the film with the sounds and sights of Williamsburg Brooklyn. The neighborhood dominated with a heavy Puerto Rican and Dominican population, Echeverria offers up a brief look in to the lives of four subjects, all of whom have no exit from their environment.

Continue reading →

The Shorts of Blood in the Snow 2016 – Part One

Posted on by

infernoGhost Can (Canada) (2016)
After going on a dark ride with her bad date, a young woman comes home with a surprise.  Written by Jordan Barnes-Crouse and Carolyn Williams and directed by the former, this short is fun, cringe inducing in parts and funny in others.  The acting by leads Ariel Hansen and Tyler Weeks is decent with a few hiccups, but the story and the titular thing that comes out of the titular ghost can are interesting with effects by Carolyn Williams.  The ghost is well done and the rest of the effects of the effects are uneven which does not take away from the ending.

Continue reading →

Holy Hell (2015) [Blood in the Snow 2016]

Posted on by

holy-hellAfter witnessing a troubled family, the Bonners, decimated by a murderous family, the MacFarlanes, Father Bane goes on a rampage punishing those he deems not deserving of forgiveness with his new handgun, The Lord.  As he punishes left and right and protects the only surviving member of the family, he also decides to go after the murderous, incestuous killers. Written and directed by Ryan LaPlante, Holy Hell throws everything possible at the screen, violence, sex, incest, rape, murder, blood, gore, inappropriate jokes, insensitive jokes, bad jokes, and the whole nine in an effort to be shocking or subversive.  This is done with zero good taste and penchant for exaggerated action and ridiculous dialogue.

Continue reading →