Change Your Image
shana-hildebrandt
Reviews
The Dark Walk Backward (2014)
Creepy Short that Stayed with Me After Viewing..
The Pasadena International Film Festival was the first fest that I made it out to this year and I saw many surprisingly good shorts and this was one of them. This one was beautifully shot and I felt like it was easy to get pulled in by it..which isn't easy for a short film. What I liked most about this film was it delivered a range of emotions. First, I was in awe of the scenery and then I was in awe of the acting. The actor who plays the father character was surprisingly good. Some of the scenes were very emotional due to the circumstances of the story and they were done very well. The story goes from emotional and sad to creepy and although I didn't cry during the sad moments I did jump during one moment of the film which was executed well. The film did seem to run a little long in some areas but this may have been the filmmaker's intent. Overall, this was well-shot and very creepy short.. and it had themes that stuck with me for a while after I watched it.
Entropy (2014)
A Well Made Short with Deep Meaning and Beautiful to Look at..
I try to attend several film festivals every year and the first one I made it out to this year was the Pasadena International Film Festival where I saw several shorts that were surprisingly good and this was one of them. The seems to take place in Australia or New Zealand..I'm sorry but I didn't see a shooting location in the credits. The first thing about this film is that it is beautifully shot and a lot of thought seems to have been put into the production design of the film. The acting was very strong for a short film and the story drew me in quickly. I am a fan of dark stories and this one seems to have a lot of darkness to it. A troubled young man seems to be trying to make sense of his life but his action are driving him away from the ones he loves. I can't say that I understood everything the film was trying to say. There are bits of dialog here and there that either went over my head or were lost in translation. But this is a visual medium and the images told the story all by themselves. The music was also quite good. So, I'm not sure how many people will get to see this film but I wanted to give credit were it was due..and this was indeed a very enjoyable film.
Amor Só de Mãe (2003)
One of the Best Films about Witchcraft
I saw this short at a film festival years ago and have never forgotten it. I enjoyed it so much that i sought it out on DVD and finally found it, thank you Synapse! This is a short film that makes a real impact on the viewer. It's terrifying and beautiful all the at the same time.. Not in the way an Argento film is beautiful with it's cascade of colors and visuals..this is simply a short film where not one frame has been wasted, and every frame is meant to leave nightmares behind. For anyone who is into horror or extreme cinema, but doesn't delve into the world of short films very often..seek this out and give this a try. It will definitely be the best 20 minutes of horror cinema that many have seen.
All Hallows' Eve (2013)
Far Better Than I Expected
I didn't initially have high hopes for this film..especially after reading the reviews on IMDb and Amazon. Now, after watching the film, I wonder what type of film many were looking for when they bought or rented All Hallow's Eve. The film is low budget and a first feature for the director. Anthologies are usually a good way of creating feature length content on a budget because of the ability to string several shorts together that could have been shot separately over a long period of time. This is obviously what happened here and like all anthologies..it's a mixed bag. There does seem to be a consistency with the shorts and they all work well in context with the wrap-around which is very well done. Like others have said, the 2nd short involving the alien is the least of the bunch, and many people will have a laugh at the filmmaker's expense with that one. But, there is something really great going on with this film that many films with ten-times the budget often lack. Atmosphere. This film has atmosphere and lots of it. There is a very creepy tone through out, and a real sense that anything could happen..even within the confines of an obviously limited budget. Art the Clown is symbol of horror that really worked for me and I didn't easily forget him when the film was over. The film has a take no prisoners attitude in terms of it's violence and that was refreshing to a horror fan like myself. Sometimes horror should be down and dirty, creepy and gory, and the type of film that you would never want your grandma to see. I am going to keep All Hallow's Eve far away from my grandma..but I will be watching it again when I need a horror fix that pulls no punches.