echo Tagged Articles at Cinematical

When his sister dies unexpectedly, a man leaves the priesthood to care for his young niece. Sounds like the basis for a family film, but though Princess is (mostly) animated and prominently features a pre-teen girl, it is definitely not for children. Instead, director Anders Morgenthaler presents a bleak and brutally violent vision of redemption, loss and pornography run rampant. At least, that's what it sounds like from all the reviews I've read. Princess debuted at Cannes last year before playing in the Midnight Madness section at Toronto; in November Monica noted that Tartan Films USA had announced a May 2007 release date, which obviously has come and gone. Here's hoping the release has only been delayed; Jette reported that Princess has been programmed for Fantastic Fest in September, so maybe it'll come out in the fall.

In the meantime, Morgenthaler has not been standing idle. His next film, Echo, is a drama about a police officer (Kim Bodnia of Pusher fame) who kidnaps his son after he loses custody. Things go bad when a nightmare brings back bad memories and threaten to drive the cop insane. Sounds like potentially another "child in peril" scenario. Echo has been scheduled for an early July release in Denmark, which means it might get some festival play in the US later this year. Morgenthaler has also just started production on another animated feature, The Apple and the Worm, but this one sounds like it will be suitable for the entire family. To quote the ever-helpful Danish Film Institute: "Torben is a shiny young apple with a dream: making it to the bright lights of the supermarket fruit section. But his dream is shattered one sunny morning when a worm pokes her head out of his perfect skin. Silvia is her name, and she is really very nice." Expect The Apple and the Worm in the fall of 2008.

Since my review of Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny will be arriving on Cinematical shortly, I decided to dedicate this edition of Eat My Shorts to Jack Black and Kyle Gass -- otherwise known as Tenacious D. I guess you can call it a tribute ... but more on that later. Most films are nothing without their music (score, soundtrack, whatever), and that goes triple for a flick like Pick of Destiny. Fans of The "D" will be happy to see the film overflowing with impromptu songs and jam sessions -- all of which are included on the pic's soundtrack, now available in stores and online.

But how important is music to a short film? Well the simple (and obvious) answer is that it's very important. Music sets the tone, exposes a mood and helps move the story along. Try this: Imagine some of your favorite films without music, and see if they still stand out. In my opinion, music is right up there with story, character and acting -- a crucial element in filmmaking. Then there are some flicks that are all about the music (Pick of Destiny, Rocky Horror Picture Show), some of which are adapted from actual musicals like Chicago, Grease and Rent. Others begin as films, at some point find their way to the stage and then arrive back in theaters -- The Producers and Hairspray are two of the more recent examples.

Today we'll be taking a look at a few short films I found online that use music (in different ways) to carry the story. As per usual, I'm always looking for content, so please feel free to send me all links, comments and suggestions to shorts AT cinematical DOT com. This shorts column will be picking up steam in the next few weeks, and I will definitely need your help ... for I am but one man. Let's go watch some shorts ...