There’s nothing better than an inventive animated film that makes the most out of simple elements. Director and Writer Shane Dioneda’s animated short “Space Race” isn’t just a great, inspired space adventure, but it really feels like something that would have come out of the age when ATOM Films was a presence on the web (with a dash of Aardman for good measure). I mean that as the utmost compliment.
Tag Archives: Short Film
I XXXX My Sex Doll (2022) [CINEJOY 2023]
Since the rise of the demand for Sex dolls has increased, it’s been debated on whether or not they contribute to the decrease on sexual crimes committed by men. Whether or not they do, Director Fay Beck’s “I XXXX My Sex Doll” is a stark message that what ever the circumstances may be, a violent person will always be a violent person.
Depart (2021) [CINEJOY 2023]
COVID-19 has affected a lot about how we live our lives, and how we’ve responded to trauma. Director-Writer Mathilde Suissa’s “Depart” is very effective and carries with it an immense weight, as it ends on a note about the conditions upon which “Depart” was filmed. A subtitle reads in the end that the movie was filmed remotely during COVID-19, allowing pretty much everything we see in “Depart” to have a larger resonance for us.
Let Me Go (The Right Way) (2023)
“Let Me Go (The Right Way)” takes Destry Allyn Spielberg, Hopper Penn, and Owen King (a who’s who of Hollywood Heavyweights’ progeny) and teams them to deliver what can easily be described as a psychological thriller with big feature aspirations. Spielberg and writer King play on the concept of the Mandela Effect (with a dash of “Memento” and Phillip K. Dick), and use it to spin a tale that is a lot about collective memory, and what can feel like going insane when we’re stricken with mental illness.
Wolfman (2023) [CINEJOY 2023]
Apparently Director-Writer Kevin James Barry’s “Wolfman” is a mock trailer/short film for what is a project currently in development. If that is a fact, I will eagerly be waiting for the feature length film with baited breath. “Wolfman” has shades of “V for Vendetta,” “Machete” and “Escape from New York,” and judging by what is presented, we’re in for a balls to the wall bit of neo-grindhouse action cinema that will blow the walls off.
The End (2023) [CINEJOY 2023]
Well if “The End” doesn’t look like material for a hilarious animated feature, I don’t know what does. “The End” is a hilarious and fun short animated film in the vein of “Looney Tunes” and “Shrek” in which the classic fairy tale is re-invented and de-constructed in to a short that’s teeming with potential for something much bigger. “The End” feels like a proof of concept for a feature length version, but if it isn’t, it works wonderfully as a clever and unique re-imagining of the classic fairy tale.
Stalled (2022) [CINEJOY 2023]
I was really interested in watching Eric Rich’s “Stalled” during Slamdance 2023 but sadly didn’t have the chance. I’m glad I was able to catch up with it now, as it’s such a darkly demented and funny short film. “Stalled” watches like an episode of an anthology series where audiences will be glad they’re not the main character.