Hello ladies and gentlemen, Muldoon here with this week's picks of badass shorts. In case you're new to this whole shebang, each one of the shorts below was created and submitted by a fellow AICN reader, so it's absolutely plausible that they'll be in the audience (or in this case the TalkBacks). So if you see something you really like and have a question, just ask it. This week is packed with what I consider to be pure fun, a brief dip into some interesting worlds that you've not seen before. I've actively tried to keep our total run time more on the shorter side (so you can go out and watch PACIFIC RIM!) I kid, but seriously - that movie's cool - as are all the films below. If you dig animation and horror as much as I do, I'm confident you'll have some fun here. If those genres don't do it for you, check back next week! Anyways, let's check out some cool stuff.
Go grab yourself some popcorn, lock your kids in a closet, kill the lights, relax and check out this little weekly film fest we've got ourselves here:
MACHETE GET READY
TRT: 1:01
(Animation)
To kick things off, childhood style, we have an interesting fan film/intro/love letter to Robert Rodriguez's Machete character. It's not so much a short, but when Hugo Marmugi and the gang at A Day Job Etc. sent this in, I knew I had to share it in whatever capacity I could. It's a uniquely "grindhoused" treated intro to a made up cartoon series in the vein of GI JOE or KARATE KOMMANDOS. Instead of the saturated colors/dust/grain/film damage, we get an old VHS style to help lock in the video's fake authenticity. A Day Job Etc. is clearly up to some badass things and has an incredible amount of talent. I want this cartoon to happen.
EN PASSANT
TRT: 15:09
(Animation)
Yes, yes, and yes. This thing's so right and in so many ways. Chris Burton of ICEBOX Studios sent this my way and boy am I glad he did. It's a "crime-based adult musical" that was created over the span of two years without money, but with a ton of love from over 40 artists all around the world. I absolutely am a fan of when people set their minds to something and force it into fruition. Two years, no money, and no excuses - my kind of filmmaking. "Home for Leilah is the fortress lair of her crime lord father; her family the mobsters who terrorise a world from which she is protected. But when she gets a taste of the outside, she realises the real darkness lies not on lawless streets, but deep within herself."
SIGUR ROS - "EG ANDA"
TRT: 6:15
(Experimental / Music Video)
Okay, this isn't animation in the same sense as the two above (in fact it's more of an elequent combination of layered footage), but it's a lovely and haunting piece of experimental cinema from Saturday Shorts alum Adam Badlotto. I have never considered myself as someone who seeks out experimental films (the "experiment" is typically a roll of the dice between pretentious visual noise or something truly inspiring.) Inspiring is exactly what this is. Adam, keep sending me your stuff man, I dig it.
Sigur Rós - Ég Anda from Adam Badlotto on Vimeo.
FADE TO BLACK
TRT: 4:37
(Horror)
Again, cool imagery wins this week and Michael Kuciak's FADE TO BLACK falls directly in line with that. The last bit of the short really stood out to me and reminds me of CREEP SHOW for some reason (strong saturated colors possibly). At any rate, it's a short, sweet, little bit of freaky that'll have you looking over your shoulder the next time you're on your way to your car. Kuciak mentioned this is a prologue to a feature he's hoping to do. Best of luck!
SHOCKER
TRT: 6:48
(Horror / Dark Thriller)
And to wrap us up for this week we have a cool flick from Fergal Costello, a dark and beautifully shot film on the budget of $75.00. I'm not inferring a film's budget is ever indicative of quality, just think it's pretty cool you can make something like this with so little, again - where lack of money isn't an excuse of why you can't make cool things. Enough preaching from me, check out Costello's SHOCKER and see what you think. I dig it.
Shocker-Fergal Costello Short Film from Fergal Costello on Vimeo.
So there we have it ladies and gents, a handful of fun films from AICN filmmakers. I hope you had some fun. Even if you just liked one of the films I got to show you today, I can live with that. I'm spoiled in the sense that I get to see all of these cool pieces from all over the world and that I get to share them with folks who might not have heard of them. At any rate, I have a REALLY cool treat for you all next week, a SATURDAY SHORTS first that I think you might get a kick out of. Feel free to peruse the SATURDAY SHORTS library below. Whatever you're in the mood for, there's a link for you:
Supernatural Goodness (6/30/12)
SciFi Explosions With Aliens (7/14/12)
Dark Comedy Extravaganza (9/8/12)
Goofy Comedy Laughsplosion (10/6/12)
Genre Basket of Awesome (12/1/12)
Horror-ish Creepfest (12/22/12)
Assorted Bits of Genre (2/16/13)
Laughter in Film Form (3/9/13)
The Sphere; Montauk; Meth; Anamnesis (3/30/13)
Stan Lee Parkour; Mediating Kidnapper; Red; Bullet Head; Shadow (4/6/13)
Carrot & Stick; Queen of Hearts; Paintwork; Trophy Wife; BFC: Big F*ckin Chicken (4/13/13)
Victorian Undead; The Glitch; Saw Misgivings; Dave Vs. Death (4/20/13)
Gratitude; Boo!; Game of Dim(Wits); How I Met Your Father (4/27/13)
Allure; Titans of Newark; The Knightswoon; The Magic Box (5/4/13)
Don't Move; Experimental; Blackout; Birthday Boys (5/11/13)
Abe; Judge Minty; Robto; The Bubble (5/18/13)
Unsaid; Time; Spare The Bullets Not His Life; The Forge; The Mortician (5/25/13)
Ice Cream; Giraffic Park; The Spell Book; Pop; Chris' Wire (6/1/13)
The Tea Party; Dawn; The Earth Rejects Him; Hangin; Faces: Why Do We Have Them? (6/8/13)
Dead-Funny; Dead Reel; Buckles; So Dark; Secret Identity (6/15/13)
A Killer Surprise; Hitchcock Assembled; The Arsehole Gene; Kill Him; Only in Dreams (6/29/13)
Mirage; Laundry Night; Kiss; Mathilda (7/6/13)
If you have a short and think it belongs here or are on the fence about whether to send it in, please do send it in - I'd love to see what you've put together. I've already seen hundreds of fresh new filmmakers' shorts and like any good addict, I need more!
Shoot me an email at "Mike@aintitcool.com"
In the subject line include:
“SHORTS” + “Your film’s name” + “The film’s genre”
Then, in the body of the email, please include a synopsis of the film and any contact information you might think I need or would want published. The more info you send my way, the more info there is to put with your short.
Please don’t feel the need to submit multiple times.
Remember, the filmmakers might still be in the audience, so feel free to share your thoughts in Talkbacks below. (JUST DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE). I picked them, so you know I think highly of all of these, but how about you fine folks? How'd you like 'em?
- Mike McCutchen
"Muldoon"
Mike@aintitcool.com
