Director-Writer Jaina Cipriano’s dark drama is a wonderful master class not only in character study but in acting across the board. Cipriano really brings the best out of her small cast, all of whom help to enhance what is a very mesmerizing experience in explorations in trauma, hive minds, and the power of suggestion.
Tag Archives: Short Film
The ABC’s of Book Banning (2023)
Can now be Streamed on Paramount Plus.
Director Sheila Nevins’ Oscar nominated short is an Important film and one that provides a scathing indictment of the American Education system and our head on collision with fascism and anti-intellectualism across the board. With the rise of smaller special interest groups, the idea of book banning has become a niche topic for aspiring politicians seeking power, thus creating a maelstrom of controversy. Rather than comment on the entire absurdity herself, director Nevins hands the platform over to a group of prepubescent children.
POV (2023)
Currently Screening in Various Festivals.
I believe it was Veruca Salt who said, and I paraphrase: I want a feature film version of “POV.” I want one, I don’t care how, but I want it now. “POV” is probably one of the very first horror based vigilante movies I’ve ever seen and it’s teeming with so much potential to build on this world and expand it in to something dark, twisted, and just downright bad ass. From director Brian K. Rosenthal (of “Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness”), “POV” is such a great film that has a pretty excellent concept behind it.
Rhyme or Die (2021)
I love Max R. Lincoln’s whole twist on the idea of people waking up in an abandoned warehouse and being tormented by a cruel game master. While “Rhyme or Die” sounds silly it actually manages to end as a very entertaining, gory and twisted short that uses the whole device of music as a test, rather than morality. Ironically the whole challenge of rhyming is used as a means of testing the morality of the players as we’re never sure what kind of weird games these people will play on one another to survive.
Dicks That I Like (2022) [Slamdance 2024]
The Slamdance Film Festival runs Digitally and In-Person from January 19th to January 28th.
“Dicks That I Like” from Johanna Gustin is a great documentary about taking back the power and re-claiming the whole phallic symbol once and for all. Embracing the phallic object fro the men that made their lives miserable, a group of women are able to find a sense of catharsis and take back some sense of control.
My Son Went Quiet (2023) [Slamdance 2024]
The Slamdance Film Festival runs Digitally and In-Person from January 19th to January 28th.
Director Ian Bawa’s short film is a very sad and gut wrenching drama about grief and how we deal with a major loss in our lives. Bawa’s film is a half documentary half fictional tale through the eyes of an East Asian man who just lost his wife. After her sad unfortunate death, he and his son struggle to cope, but he falls silent. The pair go through various doctors who rule him “sick in the head” despite feeling immense loss from his mother.
Complications (2023) [Slamdance 2024]
The Slamdance Film Festival runs Digitally and In-Person from January 19th to January 28th.
Director Ivan Aase’s “Complications” is a movie that’s begging to be turned in to a feature. I’d love to see more movies about the lives of sex workers and director Aase takes down this uneasy avenue in to an interesting tale about loneliness and companionship. Anna Laagegard is great as dominatrix Lotte, a young gorgeous woman who dominates middle aged Arne every week over a web camera.