My main weakness ever since I acquired the internet in 2000 is fan films. I can’t get enough of them, no matter how good or bad they are. The good thing about them is that if they’re good, they show us that some properties have potential to really shine as great movies. Director Olan Rogers proves that with his fantastic adaptation of “Megaman X.”
Tag Archives: Indie Film
We Are What We Eat (2012)
I appreciate ambition. I love ambition. It’s an admirable quality, especially in the possession of storytellers and filmmakers. Sadly, ambition doesn’t always equate quality, and that’s the problem with “We Are What We Eat.” It’s ambitious, sure, but it’s not exactly the greatest short zombie film I’ve ever seen.
The Old Chair (2012)
It’s fantastic what some filmmakers can do when they’re given only a certain amount of time. I’ve seen short films literally crash and burn under the weight of their time restraint, while some just end without much of an explanation. Director Drew Daywalt however manages to squeeze in a back story, exposition, a full narrative and horrifying scares in a little under five minutes, and god help me, “The Old Chair” works as a horror film.
Red (2012)
There aren’t nearly enough animated independent films out there. And when there are, there aren’t nearly enough willing to experiment with the medium. “Red” is a fantastic short and sweet ditty that takes the Red Riding Hood fairy tale and adds another twist on the lore. Sure, we’ve seen the mythos of Red Riding Hood twisted and turned on its head providing allegories and symbolism for everything under the sun, but “Red” does something different.
I Spyders (2012)
Preparing to go in to festivals soon enough, I was able to get a hold of “I Spyders” through online means and I’m glad that I did. “I Spyders” is quite possibly one of the most skin crawling and yet unabashedly demented short films you’ll see in a while. This is one of the few short films that manages to have a spider wrangler on set, and when they can acquire an actual wrangler, you know the director is at least trying hard to get his point across. That’s called effort, filmmakers. That’s the word for this review. “I Spyders” isn’t so much a horror movie in the traditional sense, but its premise is very much horrific. Especially for anyone who is an avid arachnophobe.
Thirsty (2009)
Deep down I know I shouldn’t have enjoyed “Thirsty” so much and that’s mainly because the premise is so simplistic and absurd that it’s tough to take seriously at all. But that’s the intent behind “Thirsty.” It’s a free for all of absurd comedy and dark fantasy that keeps viewers entertained all the way through. And as a short film it knows when to stop the joke and thankfully the screenwriters know when to quit while they’re ahead. Joe Lynch plays the hopelessly over the top protagonist Joe, a young man on the road during a heat wave who manages to get on the bad side of a gas station attendant when he mouths off to him.
Nailbiter (2013)
When I thought about it, “Nailbiter” was not a movie I expected from the looks of the set photos and general premise a few years ago. Director Patrick Rea has kept his film generally hush hush even from his closest confidants and as such “Nailbiter” has been something of a welcomed treat from the director. One of my favorite indie directors working today, Patrick Rea finally enters the feature length film arena with “Nailbiter,” a tense and spooky film that will grace many screens come Halloween. A perfect holiday film, “Nailbiter” tries to keep its promise of staying a white knuckle horror film all throughout with a premise reliant on survival and characters. Thankfully, “Nailbiter” has a strong character base to it, relying on the charms and personality of its core cast to sell what is a rather tense concept from minute one.