Allen Anders – Live at the Comedy Castle – circa 1987 (2018) [Final Girls Berlin Film Festival]

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Felix Vasquez

“A Real Scream” Shorts Block

Laura Moss’s “Allen Anders…” is a beautifully bizarre bit of experimental horror that I kind of loved when all was said and done. Mimicking an actual worn out VHS tape, we’re subjected to a 1987 stand up routine of a young comedian named Allen Anders performing at the Comedy Castle. Anders looks worn, exhausted and covered in sweat while an agreeable audience looks on. While Allen is never exactly hysterical it never really matters as the audience responds to just about everything he says with nods and laughs. When he’s done with his skit, he’s called up on stage once again to repeat the very same routine.

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Friendsgiving (2018) [Final Girls Berlin Film Festival]

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Felix Vasquez

“Midnight Movies” Shorts Block

I wasn’t completely won over by Samantha Kolesnick and writer Sean Richard Buddle’s short horror comedy, I’ll admit. It’s probably because the premise has been done to death, and I mean I’ve seen this premise done so many times on film that there’s really nowhere to go with this idea.

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Call Girl (2014) [Final Girls Berlin Film Festival]

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Felix Vasquez

“Midnight Movies” Shorts Block

Director Jill Gevargizian’s short “Call Girl” watches like a short interlude you’d probably see in a digital horror anthology similar to “V/H/S/.” And I mean that as a compliment. As a short but sweet little horror tale writer Eric Havens’ script has all the classic tropes of the genre. There’s the vile enemy, the victim, the set up, the twist, and the juicy comeuppance.

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Knock Knock (2018) [Final Girls Berlin Film Festival]

Posted on February 3, 2019 by Felix Vasquez

“Social Horror” Shorts Block

Kennikki Jones-Jones’s short horror drama is a film with a premise that rang a bit too close to home for yours truly. Growing up in the Bronx, there are certain kind of boundaries and rules people are expected to follow. Often times children can be heard in the distance crying or being disciplined by their parents and it’s kind of a mutual agreement among many to ignore it unless it gets all too severe. And even then, people tend to turn a blind eye.

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42 Counts (2018) [Final Girls Berlin Film Festival]

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Felix Vasquez

“Obsessions” Shorts Block

With the accessibility and affordability of modern technology, it’s become all too easy to spy on people. With a simple click of a button it only takes basic know how to sneak up on a stranger and watch their every move. Director Jill Sixx Gevarzigian sets her horror short on an all too common occurrence. It’s a heinous, intrusive, and perverse crime that’s equivalent to rape or molestation.

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Real Artists (2017) [Final Girls Berlin Film Festival]

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Felix Vasquez

“Obsessions” Shorts Block

Director Cameo Wood, and co-writer Ken Liu’s “Real Artists” is a slick bit of satire that folks annoyed by the dominance of certain Hollywood studios might love. In fact, “Real Artists” is a great movie regardless, as it explores the idea of actual art, and what separates actual art from homogenized products for the masses. After her edit of a big studio’s animated movie goes viral, artist Sophia Baker is called in for an interview with a very popular and dominant animation studio.

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