The Bootleg Files: Courtin’ an’ a Snortin’

Posted on July 21, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 837: “Courtin’ an’ a Snortin’” (1960 animated short starring The Three Dogeteers).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Long forgotten short film that fell through the proverbial cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Yes, it is coming out on DVD, incredibly.

Researching obscure films can be a challenge, but there is always the reward that comes when hitherto unknown facts are unearthed about a cinematic curiosity. This week, however, we have a film that could qualify as being among the most mysterious productions of all time, as there is nothing that is easily accessible to determine its origins.
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Vultures (2023)

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

Writer and Director Jacob Thompson’s “Vultures” is a short teeming with feature film potential. There isn’t a ton of exposition or extrapolation on the world he’s unfolding, but considering the limited budget, I think we get the point pretty well. Thankfully with a lot of good editing and direction we catch on almost immediately and garner a glimpse in to a pretty terrifying world.

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T.H.O.T? (2022)

Posted on June 22, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

For men dating can be about the finality of it, while with women it can be about the prospects and aspirations of relationships. “T.H.O.T?” isn’t a completely blanket commentary on the sexes as both genders are capable of garnering those mind sets, but director Jayson Johnson ventures in to the ideas of dating, sex, and how every single confrontation can dictate one’s future. Johnson conceives a pretty fascinating relationship drama, first delving in to how main character Kev dictates the way his night might go with prospect Stacy.

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10-33 (2021)

Posted on June 22, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

Director and Writer Alexander Maxim Seltzer’s “10-33” is a powerhouse of a short film. In only ten minutes it packs in a fleshed out narrative, a horrifying plot twist, gut wrenching suspense, and a gut punch of a climax. Altogether it is also a taut commentary about the current climate we live in where gun violence is now not only recurring, but inevitable. Director Maxim Seltzer is a masterful storyteller, building such a wonderful thriller in such a short time.

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SILEO (2022)

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

The search for meaning, and why we exist is a question that plagues most sentient things on the planet. Although we’d probably be better off merely surviving day to day there’s the curse of the conscious being that we have to know why. That’s basically the premise for “SILEO.” Three years in the making, director and animator Demeter Lorant has build a dystopian, cold world where everything and every facet of society is run by machines. The machines have evolved to such a point that even the older models are being rejuvenated bit by bit. When GEFF 325520-BD, a fixer unit robot, decides to halt production, he goes on a quest to figure out why he’s there.

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Savi the Cat (2022) [Tribeca Film Festival]

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Felix Vasquez

Directors Bryan Tucker and Netsanet Tjirongo’s “Savi the Cat” is one of the more unsuspecting short documentaries of the year. It’s a human story, but one that revolves around owning a pet. It’s amazing what adopting a pet can with and to your life. It can change it in ways that we never thought were possible, which is why so many pets are up for adoption. Not many people realize just how much of a task it can be to maintain and keep any kind of domestic animal. With “Savi the Cat,” the pair of owners not only learns about the humongous task that is of owning a cat, but the toll it inevitably takes on their relationship in the long run.

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