Though depressing and frustratingly bleak, Jay Gammill’s “August” is an accurate portrayal of teen insecurity and a look at how some of us may never be happy with what we are and how we look. August is a boy plagued with low self-esteem and depression based around constant teasing by vicious bullies who torment him about a small imperfection in his jaw line. Though to many they’ll sit wondering why he’s putting so much emphasis on this small unnoticeable feature, Gammill points out how this small perfection means the world to him and decides how he lives his life.
Tag Archives: Short Film
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! (1974) (DVD)
Okay, so I don’t celebrate Easter, and I don’t particularly subscribe to the principles of Schulz’s comic and its strong religious themes, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with “Easter Beagle,” yet another classic Charlie Brown episode involving the gang and, what else, Easter! While Linus creates another sentient figure out of a holiday called the Easter Beagle, anxiously awaiting its gifts and bounty, Marcy and Peppermint Patty try to grasp the concept of coloring eggs while wasting food in the most disturbing of manners. Believe it or not, Marcie can’t figure out that you have to boil eggs before coloring them.
Against the Wind (2007)
We’re all going to get old and die, and some of us may not even see old age. But for those of us who sit up at nights wondering what being elderly will entail and how coming to terms with old age would be like, Dan Masucci confronts the topic quite well with “Against the Wind,” a dramatic short about an old man looking back at his life. “Against the Wind” was especially gripping for me, as Masucci manages to touch on actual fears people in my position have had.
I Fucking Hate You (2008)
Forsman and writers Kerr and Woods manage to not only add an implication of relationship discord, but also allude to many potential themes in the nine minute relationship dramedy that spotlights a recently split couple who are learning to cope without each other. Though they never really explain, it’s clear from the get go that these two have been through so much with one another and the cause of their inevitable split was both bitter and wrenching. Woods is rather superb as the inept Ron who just can’t seem to explain how much he still loves his ex Carol, who has moved on with her life and is in the middle of a much more fulfilling relationship.
Vanished Acres (2006)
There isn’t much you can do with the fantasy genre anymore, especially with the short film format, but lo and behold, director Adam Bolt finds a way by making his fantasy characters much less cutesy padding, but much more incredible symbols of unrequited love, unspoken misery, and demons of the past that simply won’t stay dead. Bolt’s direction is morbid enough to where even the most light hearted moments are filled with dread and spooky plot elements that always keeps “Vanished Acres” on the border of horror.
The Obscure Brother (2007)
You have to appreciate the interesting new twist added on the tale of one of the more famous biblical figures of all time; Di Franco definitely has the right idea with this movie adding an entirely new perspective that not only made the final act of one character understandable, but also added some hint of dimensions behind his motivation in the grand scheme of the final events. The filming is beautiful with some gorgeous landscapes and wonderful set pieces. Di Franco definitely has an eye for breathtaking scenery and gives the film a flair it needs.
Pencil Fighting: The Life and Times of Team Balderdash (2007)
I wanted to really like “Pencil Fighting.” I mean, granted, in the end the concept is interesting, the scenes are humorous, and the direction is tight, but beyond that “Pencil Fighting” left me generally apathetic to the entire story and I just didn’t really know what I thought of it. Then watching it a second time, I realized that I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to. While you have to really appreciate what director and writer Fro Rojas is getting at, often times “Pencil Fighting” left me unsatisfied, especially since there seemed to be so much more that could have been done with the concept and story.