Mantis (2005)

mantis_still001The whole perception of society, marriage, and spousal abuse is put under the microscope, as director Foster-Algoo examines the whole picture of man and woman and how many times men can be victims too. Director Brendon Foster-Algoo first sets up the film as Adam is with his children in a stand off, and he’s depicted as a somewhat possessive husband. But throughout the course of the film, we not only learn that abuse is not just a woman’s cross to bear, but he also challenges our thoughts on the sexes, and how we instantly perceive the man as the violent aggressor, and the woman as the submissive persona. The funny thing is many of you won’t realize that you’ve made a snap judgment, and that’s what Foster-Algoo aspires and succeeds with.

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The Girl Who Could Run 600 Miles Per Hour! (2006)

You have to appreciate the inherent ambition behind a film like “The Girl…,” because director Thimijan doesn’t just give us a story about a girl who can in reality run 600 miles per hour. Instead his film is about monotony and the confines the work life, and how this extraordinary ability allows her to pursue feats that she normally couldn’t once we get to know her. And it’s quite a whimsical story with a sweet message about life, and your goals. Thimijan aims for a more “Punch Drunk Love” vibe with a story of a man whose work a day life is mostly unfulfilling in spite of his best efforts to fit in and change his normal routine. All of that comes into a different perspective when he meets the girl who can run 600 miles per hour.

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Now You See Me, Now You Don't (Most látszom, most nem látszom) (2005)

nysmFilmmaker Szász poses three riddles to the viewer in only thirty minutes including what’s wrong with this scene? And then there are three more posed to us, but three that will basically give away what this has to offer. Almost in the manner of Shyamalan, Szász starts the film on a soft note and then builds for a rather surprising albeit predictable climax that worked in the end, and that’s due to the rather excellent performances throughout the short film. Szász’s film is a solid utterly wrenching supernatural drama that tests not only the audience, but the perceptions of our views into grief, and isolation after grief.

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Batman's Gonna Get Shot in the Face (2006)

bbbbCo-director Longstreth once told me that Batman is pretty preposterous because he just doesn’t see how a man in a suit can scare criminals and provide protection. Because while his suit protects him from bullets, if a criminal wanted to shoot him in the face, he’d be down for the count within an instant. Longstreth just isn’t that fond of Batman, and neither am I, and one of his newest films pretty much sums up what he feels about the character. “Batman’s Gonna Get Shot in the Face” is a spoofing of the character Batman, a brutally overrated superhero. Now, Longstreth and Jacob Drake are big fans of the comics as I am, and the character of Batman is thrashed back and forth in one of the funniest online cartoons I’ve ever seen.

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Zombie Island (2005)

ziDirector Bill Whirity’s “Zombie Island” is set in a reality, where a local town attracts tourists by inviting young hunting aficionados to a small little island off their coast. This particular tourist attraction happens to be an island filled with zombies. Three young guys looking for a good time beg to go on the island, and do so by a boater who hands them firearms and handheld weapons. At first, the tourist attraction seems more like a tourist trap, but as the zombies start popping up, the game no longer becomes fun.

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The Wanderer (2006)

wandererWe here are all basically a site for film, but our love for horror films is so evident and vocal, that we’re mostly sent horror films to review from directors—we didn’t plan it, but we’re happy for that fact. And nine times out of ten, the directors that send us their horror films are immensely talented. The talent behind “The Wanderer” is evident by the opening scenes of a young girl walking along the road, with the grainy direction never breaking from her.

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The Depression of Detective Downs (2005)

detectivedownsDepression is no laughing matter. It can make you feel sick, ruin your day, put a big stall in your daily activities and worst of all ruin your train of thought. For Detective Downs, his worst enemy is not the kidnapper who just took a small child, or a job that is paying him very little, but a huge amount of depression that’s ruining how he thinks on the case. This is the most important case of his career, and this depression is ruining his chances in solving it.

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