Hello ladies and gentlemen, your pal Muldoon here with this week's lovely selection of kickass movies created by fellow AICN readers. First and foremost, last week you might've noticed this column missing. After over two years of never missing a weekend it finally happened - Muldoon dropped the ball. I was up in Dallas on a fun little shoot for a passion project of my own, just nabbing plates downtown to composite later. Long story short, in my magical fluster of shooting I lost two borrowed GoPros/mounts somewhere off Elm/Commerce/Main St. and spent the day on fun mission to replace them. In my flurry of frustration and dropping a grand/losing all the footage I'd gathered that day - I genuinely had my mind elsewhere, so SATURDAY SHORTS and a few other obligations fell to the wayside. Fortunately in the week since I've gotten a handful of films submitted that I genuinely think are amazing, ones I'll gladly share with you fine folks - the folks who check in every weekend to watch fun shorts with your buddy Muldoon. So without futher ado, let's get this cinematic party bus rolling. Let's watch some shorts!
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:
TIMEHOLES
TRT: 2:00
First up is a fun time travel film that smacks you in the face with TERMINATOR time travel love. It's short, sweet, and should make you chuckle. Thanks to director Ben Mallaby for sending it my way! "In the year 2015 time travel has been invented, and like all new technologies it is abused by everyone. Directed by Ben Mallaby. Starring Paul F Taylor, Jessica Fostekew and Rebecca Shorrocks with help from Berry Cinema and Subspectrum. Vimeo Staff pick, official selection at the London Short Film Festival."
Timeholes from Ben Mallaby on Vimeo.
CHILD EATER:
TRT: 14:03
Oh hell yes. Children in danger from monsters in the closet? I'm there, and holy hell is this a tightly written/shot/cut/executed 14 minutes of tension. Icelandic filmmaker Erlingur Thoroddsen absolutely knows what he's doing - this thing will fuel nightmares. "In short, the film is about a babysitter and a kid who won’t go to sleep because he says something’s in his closet." I'm clearly a fan, so it's exciting to hear Thoroddsen and company are currently hard at work on a feature version of the film. In fact, if you really dig what you see, then hit up their Kickstarter page. (Trust me, I don't typically feel right throwing out Crowd Sourcing links like candy, but this project seems to be coming from a good place). If anything, be sure to hit up the film's official website to keep tabs on its progress!
CHILD EATER from Erlingur Óttar Thoroddsen on Vimeo.
WALTER DON'T DANCE
TRT: 15:25
Up next is a noir sent in from Chris Levitus. Hot damn, what a twisted flick. "A woman, two killers, and a dog are entangled in a shake down that goes awry." It's an insanely well shot film that's got freaking Rider Strong as a creepy-ass thug. Across the board, the three leads (and the pup) feel real - in an unreal scenario. Kudos to you, Chris and company. Keep them coming!
Walter Don't Dance from chris levitus on Vimeo.
LOW HANGING FRUIT
TRT: 8:07
Let's switch gears with our next short, an animated comedy that runs a little on the dirty side. It's not a polished gem of smooth animation, but a raw, real smack in the face that's reminiscent of early BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD, something that you'd sneak into your living room to watch in the middle of the night while your parents are sleeping. Jake Reed's created some rather interesting characters with unique problems. I'd like to see more.
LOVE HITCH by YOUNG CIRCLES (Official Music Video)
TRT: 7:51
And here we are with the last short of the day, a music video from SATURDAY SHORTS alum Adam Badlotto (our resident experimental filmmaker). As you would expect, it's a rather trippy ride - what I think is a wonderful representation of what it must be like to experience music if you were deaf. In other words, the visuals jammed into this eight minute video feel like a visual journey through sound. I like that. I'm a fan, Badlotto - and I've seen my share of painful experimental films, you sir seem to consistently deliver the goods. "LOVE HITCH is a psychedelic journey that visualizes the cognitive process of forgetting a lost love; an experience that represents the chemical reactions in our brains. Inspired by the groundbreaking visual effects of films like '2001: A Space Odyssey', 'The Fountain' and 'Tree Of Life' and the works of video artists like William Kentridge, Chris Cunningham and Danny Perez, 'Love Hitch' was created over a year long process. It combines abstract footage shot from all over the United States as well as over 7,000 individual stop motion images that were animated on a flat bed scanner. None of the images seen in the film are computer-generated."
Love Hitch by Young Circles OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO from Adam Badlotto on Vimeo.
I hope you folks found a treasure within this week's selection. I really dig each and every one, in a unique way. I'll see you guys and gals next week where I'll be writing from the craziness that is Las Vegas. (It's becoming a ritual, every time I wrap a show - I have this need to go lose money.) I'll see you all later, but be sure to hit up past SATURDAY SHORTS columns if you're in the mood for more free movies:
SATURDAY SHORTS 2012
SATURDAY SHORTS 2013
The Misinventions of Milo Weatherby; Lifted; The Rinsing; Ashes; M is For Maltese (1/25/14)
Rivotanana; End Of Dates; First Date; The Last Girl (2/1/14)
Cockatoo; Hematiet; SLR; Sheridan; A Horny Ghost Named Buster (2/8/14)
Poppetje; In Vain; The World Is Burning; The Central Park Snowman Project; Mission (2/22/14)
La Boca De Leon; Bedbug; Wax; Skin; Something (3/1/14)
Luna; Logan Must Make Star Wars; Rocco; No Strings Attached; Blessing In Disguise (3/8/14)
Plastic Love; Audrey Moon River; The Afrobats; The Flying Lesson; Strike (3/15/14)
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?
BY THE WAY: If you've had a short featured here, that means that I personally am a fan of your work, so feel free to shoot me any kind of news on new projects/films/whatever. I can't say I'll be able to help or in what capacity, but I'm interested in your work and am always down to see more! (Keep making cool stuff, everyone!)
- Mike McCutchen
"Muldoon"
Mike@aintitcool.com
