As was expected, the films were a mixed bag, but fortunately each of the shorts had elements that made them worthwhile. The flicks ranged from your basic DV-shot zombie cheapy to full fledged productions with professional lighting, special effects, sound design, and soundtrack.
I’m pleased to report that our very own Paul McCann(ibal) delivered one of the most impressive entries of the competition: a short entitled “Help Wanted.” Paul’s film tells the story of Graham, a young job seeker who travels into the underbelly of an industrial tenement apartment for a decidedly shady job interview.
Other notable shorts in the DIY program included Robbie Purden’s “Gutty Diabo” and Mario De Giglio-Bellemare’s “Uncanny.”
“Gutty Diabo” is a film about a mysterious small town stranger and the two young brothers who seek out his origins. This may not sound like much, but Purden’s eleven-minute short manages to pack in the most realistic and graphic self dismemberment I’ve ever seen, an opening line so funny I’m still laughing about it, and some Halely-Joel Osmet quality child acting (I see spontaneously combusted people!).
Sunday evening saw the first ever public screening of Raw Meat director Gary Sherman’s first feature film in almost twenty years: 39: A Film by Carroll McKane. I’m happy to report that the man who gave us Dead and Buried is back, and his new movie is an intelligent and disturbing film that deserves to be sitting next to the likes of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Check out my review here for more.
Monday also provided the opportunity for Cinema Sewer’s Robin Bougie and myself to spend a couple of hours chatting with Gary Sherman about coming out of retirement, his new movie, and how he might be directing a remake of his seminal film Deathline/Raw Meat. Expect that interview in the coming weeks.
Tuesday promises to be an interesting day as we’ll be seeing the ten years in the making, stop motion film Blood Tea and Red String, the Thai survival horror flick Scared, and the American “Frankenstein in Colorado” movie, Subject Two.
Only one more week to go…