Hello ladies and gentlemen, your pal Muldoon here with this week's selection of interesting films created and submitted by fellow AICN readers. While I think I've written that line a few hundred times now, and am fully aware of the format here on SATURDAY SHORTS, the thing that never seems to get old is the randomness of what each week brings. If variety is the spice of life, then we're really cooking here with an assortment of shorts that rarely have much in common with eachother. That's the way I like it, a mixture of quality films and unique finds that push the boundaries of filmmaking. This week is no different in that sense, with a range of shorts that go from "touching" to "visual candy" to "what exactly am I watching, because I can't really look away right now..." Whatever your thoughts, I just hope you have a good time checking out shorts that I think are fun. That's the only reason SATURDAY SHORTS exists, to just enjoy seeing what artists across the globe can do with a camera and their passion. As always, I'm curious to hear your thoughts about the lineup in the Talkback below, and provided there's a high chance the directors might be hiding in the audience... feel free to ask a question, give some praise, add a critique - just don't be an asshole. I know AICN Talkbacks are infamous for personal attacks from a marginal percentage of the readers out there, but I'm always curious to see what you folks think of the films I'm able to share with you are. I've got a feeling the filmmakers out there appreciate them as well, even the criticism. So let's get this show on the road - let's watch some fun films.
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:
EREBUS
TRT: 7:06
Director Steve Petersen has our first film of the week, a wildly energetic short that's fun from beginning to end. You might remember Peterson's FLASHBACK as featured here back in 2012, well this time he's back and he's brought Yoshi Sudarso, Walter Koenig, and Lindsey McKeon to the party. This is a slice of a feature Peterson has in the works, one that I hope to see! "An ancient legend comes face to face with the modern world – and his own destiny. He is called EREBUS. For years, he has lived secretly beneath the surface of the earth, ruling a tribe that makes their home in the underworld. Now, EREBUS is forced to confront the world above – and he discovers a powerful secret coursing through his veins. In this alien land, EREBUS also faces a cunning villain who wants to control his power, even if it means EREBUS has to die." For more info on the film and to see what else Peterson has up his sleeves, check out the Big Machine site!
EREBUS from Steve Petersen on Vimeo.
BOLDLY GONE
TRT: 12:48
Next up is an incredible film from Writer-Director Mark Buchanan. The film's played numerous film fests and just became available online a few days ago in sync with the 50th anniversary of the first soft landing on the moon by LUNA-9. The film features incredible acting from Gil Gerard, Sean Biggerstaff, and Dimitri Leonidas. "Two brothers come together to launch their dad's ashes into space." Mark's a damn fine director, so if you want to know more about the man, check out his Twitter Page, website, or Vimeo Page!
Boldly Gone from xFilm on Vimeo.
CUPCAKES
TRT: 4:10
Light and fluffy! Holy hell is here a short that goes in directions you might not see coming. Greg Stees is back, with Rachel Laforest as one nut of a cupcake enthusiast. Be sure to swing by Greg's website if you feel like checking out what else he's up to! It's just fun.
CITY IN CRISIS - CITY SHARK CONTiNUES (Ep. 6)
TRT: 5:01
Bam! I screened the first episode of this webseries back in August and the creatives behind it, Ellery VanDooyeweert and Kevin Pavlovic (along with their team of great artists!) are back for a second season. It's a fun love letter to Batman that doesn't take itself too serious at all. I'm glad to see they've expanded the story into a second season. The full run of the show is roughly 30 minutes long, so if you like Episode 6 - head over to the film's Youtube Playlist and have a binge of a time watching all ten.
VANDALAZE - "GREAT BIG THINGS"
TRT: 4:01
To wrap us out, let's check out a music video from Corey You and Vandalaze. It's a nostalgic trip back to the 80's. It's bizarre as hell - right up my alley. Check out more from Vandalaze at the band's Facebook Page!
That's it for this week's lineup, folks. I'll catch you all next week with another handful of interesting shorts submitted by the films' creators. In the mean time, if you've got a cool idea for a short - write it, prep it, shoot it, and send it in! Feel more than free to click on any of the links below to see past articles!
SATURDAY SHORTS 2012
SATURDAY SHORTS 2013
SATURDAY SHORTS 2014
SATURDAY SHORTS 2015
Hank & Honey: A Holiday Horror; Black Christmas; Grammy; Pick Ups (1/2/16)
Lilitu; Auld Lang Syne; Chronoshred; Ash Vs. Lobo Vs. The DC Undead (1/9/16)
Believe; The Dragon's Blade; Native Immigration; The Problem With Friends (1/23/16)
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
