Hello ladies and gentlemen, your pal Muldoon here with this week's selection of interesting films from across the globe. Whatever your plans are for the day, hopefully they include checking out a few of the indie films below. We've got dark comedy, gore galore, mirrors from hell, and unique takes on your standard love story. I feel like this is the most "not your typical version of this familiar tale" kind of week I've had in a while, as my expectations going into each of these was somehow thrown to the wayside. I can't help but get a thrill out of the types of films that hit my inbox for SATURDAY SHORTS. There's a constant flow of wildly imaginative visions sent in from strangers across the land... Even the films I don't screen still have something in common with the shorts I consider are amazing, the idea that someone took a risk, made a goal, and accomplished it. Full transparency here: the bulk of my emails are either pushy requests from PR companies pimping projects I wouldn't buy a ticket to myself, folks asking to post their Kickstarter campaigns, and random spam - so each time I see "Saturday Shorts" in the subject line I get excited. I have no clue what I'm clicking on or if it will be right for me. (Clearly I hope each and every film sent my way is nothing short of amazing, but you never really know.) I just hope a few readers out there who think "I've got this idea for a film, but I don't know if I should pursue it" decide "Screw it, let's do this!" Jump in. Make a plan and execute it to the best of your abilities. Don't be the guy/gal who watches a movie and thinks "Psh, I had that idea years before... My version would've been better, because of XYZ..." Making movies is far more exciting than making excuses. At any rate, I've gone off the rails again... Let's check out some interesting shorts, eh?
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:
STEVE
TRT: 3:02
To kick this week off in a morbid way, let's see what's new from director Djay Brawner and Writer/Lead Actor Mike Postalakis. "A man and woman investigate a friend's apartment, looking for answers to his disappearance." Leave your expectations at the door for this one... This one's short, sweet, and filled with absurd humor. If you like what you see, then check out the Anthem Films Vimeo Page or Mike Postalakis's Vimeo to see more!
STEVE from mike postalakis on Vimeo.
THE GOOD SURVIVOR
TRT: 10:30
Writer/Director Tito Guillen has our next film, a tale of zombies and proving ones self. "The Good Survivor is a human story about survival in an inhuman world. Set during a Canadian zombie apocalypse, the film focuses on Dylan, a young man with cerebral palsy, not built for these times. Dylan tries to show he's not a burden to Steve, his travel companion. When Steve is left unable to protect Dylan or himself, it is up to Dylan to prove that he can be the good survivor." I think the film has found that one angle I've not yet seen when it comes to the zombie genre. Check out the film's website for more info on cast, crew, and more!
FIELD OF SCREAMS (concept trailer)
TRT: 3:03
Next up is a concept trailer from Joe La Scola and Chris Bahr that's got me wanting to see more. "In Willow’s Grove, baseball is a way of life. After a bad call during a local championship game, a group of rabid parents corner “Stumpy” the umpire. They get more than they bargained for when the encounter ends in murder. After almost a decade in a psychiatric hospital, Stumpy returns for revenge on the home team. Grab your peanuts and crackerjack because this bloodbath is going into extra innings!" I'd buy a ticket to see this. It feels absolutely authentic. Hopefully Scola and Bahr see this thing through! Be sure to check out the film's Facebook Page to get more info on the project!
FIELD OF SCREAMS trailer from Spectrum Video on Vimeo.
MIRRORED
TRT: 9:21
In the mood for demons and reflective surfaces? Cool, because Ryan Shovey has you covered. You might remember Shovey's zombie film ZEIK'S BAD DAY from a while back. "When a slacker gets a new mirror installed in his bathroom, he's thrust into a hellish journey with horrific results, which ends up pulling him away from his video games." Hungry for more demonic goodness? Then check out Shovey's Creepy Cool Pictures page!
JACK EDWARDS - "FALLING IN LOVE"
TRT: 4:30
To wrap us out we have a narrative music video from Nik Morris. "In a derelict building, a barefoot young man locates a fabled electronic chair that will let him delete all memory of his ex-girlfriend." The story is worked around the music of Jack Edwards and stars Robbie Swale and Courtnay Thompson, with choreography by Kate Ross. Nik is currently working on his first feature screenplay, so hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of his work in the near future. In the mean time, check out his website to see what he's up to!
Bam! That's it for this week ladies and gents. I'll catch you all here a week from now with another handful of interesting films sent in by the filmmakers themselves. Have a great week. Go do something awesome, but in the mean time - feel free to check out past articles below:
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)
Harbinger; Hyperthermia; The Chickening; Head (1/30/16)
Erebus; Boldly Gone; Cupcakes; City In Crisis; Vandalaze "Great Big Things" (2/6/16)
Blurry; American Virgin; Azarkant; The Homing Bird; Sex, Lies, And Terminators (2/13/16)
Connected; Terry And Brenda; Fuck Buddies; Audrey; BigHead Walking Dead Parody (2/20/16)
Absence; The Adept; MAT ZO - "Sinful;" Dreamco; Hoot (3/12/16)
Pop Music; Tumble Dry Low; Rooms; Promise; Darth Maul: Apprentice (3/19/16)
Status Update; Kafka's Little Fable; Ghoster; I Got Your Nose; Creature Feature (4/2/16)
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
