ShortFilm Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Watch This: Before 'The Box' There Was ... 'Black Button'
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Shorts », Trailers and Clips »
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It's always hard to believe it when filmmakers say they had never seen or heard of another, similar film when they made theirs. Such is the case with Black Button, a 7-minute short from some aspiring Australians made for a mere $200 featuring a well dressed man who offers a person $10,000,000 if he'll simply press a button, killing someone else in the process.
Dark Heart Productions, the makers of Black Button, claim to have no knowledge of Richard Matheson's Button, Button, the Twilight Zone episode that inspired The Box, and in this particular case I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Their short has a very different ending and moral core than either incarnation of Matheson's story; and unlike The Box, at only a handful of minutes, Black Button doesn't have nearly enough time to spread itself too thin.
Watch the short film over at SciFi Squad, then let us know which one you liked better: Black Button or The Box?
Watch This: Choose Your Own Adventure Short Films
Filed under: Shorts », Fandom », Trailers and Clips »
It was only a matter of time before this sort of thing popped up on YouTube, and I'm kinda diggin' it. First we have a short called The Time Machine, which lets you choose which path Chad, Matt and Rob take -- so long as they make it to their 12 o'clock meeting without dying. Yes, you actually have to pay attention and make decisions while watching this short (I know, bonkers!), but it's kinda fun and the leads are dopey and likable. Check it out below.
Next up we have a short created by SpecBox that looks to be part of a larger series as they've launched with Episode One: Baby, It's Been A Long Day. Here, this dude's girlfriend is pissed off at her man for loving his computer more than her, and so she steals the thing. Once he arrives home, the viewer then has a few options as to which course he takes next ... though I will say they could've been a bit more creative here since it appears there's really no way to change the outcome of the story. Check it out below.
Do you like the whole Choose Your Own Adventure short film, or is it too bothersome?
Next up we have a short created by SpecBox that looks to be part of a larger series as they've launched with Episode One: Baby, It's Been A Long Day. Here, this dude's girlfriend is pissed off at her man for loving his computer more than her, and so she steals the thing. Once he arrives home, the viewer then has a few options as to which course he takes next ... though I will say they could've been a bit more creative here since it appears there's really no way to change the outcome of the story. Check it out below.
Do you like the whole Choose Your Own Adventure short film, or is it too bothersome?
Burger Massacre 2: The King Strikes Back
Filed under: Comedy », Horror », Shorts »
Two of the more entertaining indie horror flicks I've seen recently are Ryan Schifrin's Abominable and Adam Green's Hatchet. And after meeting both knuckleheads at Austin's Fantastic Fest, I can safely state that these guys are horror nerds on par with the guys who run Fangoria, Bloody-Disgusting and Weinberg's Own Brain. These guys know the body count from Friday 3, the DP on Elm Street 4, and what the hell actually happened at the end of Halloween 5. So when I saw that these two gorehounds had collaborated on a short film called King in the Box, I just knew I had to check it out.The story is about one particular junk food mascot who earns the unholy wrath of a second drive-thru deity -- and the result is pretty darn amusing. The short is a comedy, to be sure, although I have a sneaky suspicion that the terror-fans might get a nice goofy kick out of the thing as well. And while the mini-movie does get a little gory towards the end, it's nothing that wouldn't clean up with a medium Coke and a super-sized fries.
(Unfortunately it looks like Mr. Green's official website was unable to withstand all the traffic, so I'll offer you an alternate link ... at YouTube, of course.)
And, of course, Happy Halloween.
DVD Review: The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film Festival
Filed under: Gay & Lesbian », DVD Reviews »
It took me a few days to work my way through The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film Festival DVD after I received a review copy. I don't like watching a number of short films one after another; I prefer to view one or two at a time, then taking a break to let them soak in and reflect on what I saw. Too many films at once can make your brain glaze over, whether they are shorts or features; ask anyone who's ever submerged themselves full-force into a film festival.
"Ultimate" seems rather strong to describe the content of the DVD. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from an ultimate DVD of lesbian films. Apart from a screening at aGLIFF last year, my exposure to lesbian-themed short films has been fairly limited, but I enjoyed the shorts on this DVD. The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film Festival runs the gamut from comedy to drama to fantasy, with only one film explicitly addressing sex.
I liked the fact that nearly all the films treated lesbians and women in general with dignity and respect. Blow presents a funny and touching look at Australian teenage girls who don't seem to much like the boys, but who are quite realistic young women. Tina Paulina: Living on Hope Street is a short documentary about a one-eyed gay homeless woman whom the filmmaker happens to meet on a street corner. Many filmmakers might consider the woman a prime subject for slyly mocking comedy, but Michelle Boyaner and Barbara Green portray her as a multi-dimensional human being ... in under 10 minutes, yet. Dani & Alice provides a glimpse into the end of an abusive relationship, but offers some understanding of both parties involved.
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