Director Jacob Thompson’s “Gunslingers” is a great modern ode to the classic movie western that explores the universal idea of the gunslinger. Although it might be a badge of honor to be considered the best gunslinger in the west, there will always be someone coming around challenging you. And that is a curse to bear that will end with someone buried underground.
Tag Archives: Short Film
The Bootleg Files: Hot Dogs for Gauguin
BOOTLEG FILES 864: “Hot Dogs for Gauguin” (1972 student film short by Martin Brest starring Danny DeVito).
LAST SEEN: On the OK.ru website.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: An obscure film that fell through the cinematic cracks.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.
At the risk of being cruel, it needs to be acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of student films represent a victory of enthusiasm over talent. But that’s not to say the genre lacks gems – Denis Sanders’ “A Time Out of War” (1954) won the Academy Award, while George Lucas’ career has its roots in his 1967 “Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB.” Martin Brest is also credited with hatching one of the best student films of all time, the 1972 “Hot Dogs for Gauguin,” which he made while at New York University – that film wound up on the National Film Registry, one of the very few student films to earn such an honor.
Continue reading
BOB (2022)
Inspired by a true story, Drew Bierut’s romance comedy is one of the most charming tales of fate and random scenarios I’ve seen in a long time. Although the movie posits itself as this bizarre concept, it amounts to a surprisingly funny, engaging and warm romance comedy that explores how sometimes we can end up meeting our perfect person in the most unlikely places. Everything about “Bob” is so well conducted from the direction, top notch performances, and ace comic timing, I just loved it.
Ada (2019)
Now Available for Rent or Purchase.
Released in time for International Women’s Month, Steven Kammerer’s “Ada” is a wonderful and beautifully acted tale of one of the world’s unsung heroes. Kammerer uses his short format to tell the tale of Ada Lovelace, a well beyond her time genius who envisioned the plans for the first ever computer program in the 1840’s. Her notes were later discovered by Alan Turing used as inspiration for the very first computer.
Ghosted (2023)
The main reason to watch “Ghosted” is for Keith Black who is about as funny and uncomfortable as can be for a movie about a man making a desperate plea for a girl after a seemingly good date. Director and star Black creates a small budget but funny and relatable short that finds Keith’s character sitting in a car one day checking in on a date he’d had the previous night. Not willing to really take the hint, he leaves her message after message, all of which are composed of awkward responses, and verbal fumbles that I found entertaining.
Exposure (2023)
At the moment I’m not too sure if Kris Cummins’s “Exposure” is an ARG, the start of a series, or a proof of concept, but what it is is one hell of a scary horror film. A lot of the best horror is rooted in reality and “Exposure” is one of the most realistic modern horror tales ever conceived. The idea that someone is using a digital baby monitor to terrorize or torment kids is something that happens far too often and director Cummins takes full advantage of that.
Lost in the Sky (2023) [Cinequest 2024]
Director Simon Öster and his team really do deliver an accomplishment of cinema, it’s a short film about the power of companionship and the classic tale of a species ending war that might not have resulted in the best outcome when all is said and done. “Lost in the Sky” revolves around a scavenger robot who has spent what we can only assume is an enormous amount of time in the aimlessness of space looking for humanity of any kind.