Junkyard Demento

10-33

Less Horror film and more like real life. This may send chills into some and sadly, may not drawn much emotion from others, who, at this point have been desensitized by the active shooter massacre that pop up everything month in this country. The performance by Alison Louder really sells the emotion and fear of what her character is encountering.

ORION - FIRST BORN

Coolest thing I've seen all month. Hellraiser, Dune, NIN music videos, and Neill Blomkamp short films all come to mind while watching Ash Thorp's highly impressive proof-of-concept ORION - FIRST BORN. The stylized visual flood is enough to knock you over. To say this is a repeat viewing experience is an understatement.

SMILEY FACE

Not much plot here, but the weird looking monster eating people, creates enough for fans of gore and terror to enjoy. The design of the creature along with the pacing helps build tension and suspense throughout.

SURVIVERS

These are the type of shorts films I love. Restricted to a certain degree due to budget and production capabilities, the filmmaker taps into their imagination to really come up with something fun, entertaining, and well-made. The familiar but tense situation of being in a apocalyptic scenario gets amped up really fast by the mystery surrounding the characters and by the choices they make. If you don't like subtitles, too bad, b/c SURVIVERS is worth watching a couple of times.

SOLAR BLADER

Not since the obscure 80s cult classic, SOLARBABIES have we gotten Sci-Fi rollerblading goodness, like we get in Nic Collins' bizarrely wild animated short. Not really sure what the hell is happening, but don't really care because I'm enjoying the madness!

THE DRUID'S HAND

An interesting dark, supernatural mystery that keeps the viewer guessing as to who the real monster of this story really is. Filmmaker Mitch Oliver does a great job establishing an unsettling mood while also incorporating different themes such as religion, family, and violence. The creature feature effects really standout as well, helping lifting the overall production quality.

THE END OF THE SQUIRREL

Seems like every week there's a short film being released with zombies or about the end of the world. Trying to find an interesting or entertaining angle with that sub-genre is tough. Michael Christensen's "The End of the Squirrel" isn't game-changing or unique, but it's fun as we are introduce to a brother and sister coming to terms with their dark situation. If you like music in your horror fare, than this is for you.

Mr. Pete & the Iron Horse

I love coming across dark themed animation, ala something out of MTV's Liquid TV in the 90s. This wild piece of wild genre from Kilian Vilim and YK Animation Studio has great character design, rich settings, and intense action to really get the viewer invested.

THE OLDEST VIEW - BENEATH THE EARTH

The evolution of Kane Parsons aka Kane Pixels continues to impress me. He's a teenage filmmaker that really made the creepy pasta element of The Backrooms his own, so much so, that he got an A24 deal out of it. Now, Kane continues to explores new boundaries this time playing moving from found footage and exploring the popularity of explore vlogging, that takes the viewer to some mysterious steps that head deep into the Earth. Who made them and where exactly they lead to, well, that's the hook and uneasy dread that the viewer has to go along with.

CATCH YOUR BREATH

Bloody Mary, Candyman, Beetlejuice... summoning a monster by invoking a name or phrase is a tried and true urban legend requisite. Matt Sears places his own spin with 'The Lady Beneath' as two boys risk coming face to face with this ghoulish fiend. The combination of visual and practical special effects works really well for the Lady monster.

SKIN & BONE

Is there something dark & supernatural happening here? Or is it plain ol’ human tragedy bringing trouble to our characters? That’s up for you to interpret, but husband and wife team, Amanda Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski, really showcase their acting talents in this deliciously dark thriller from Eli Powers. Ending left me with a smile, which not many short films do, so kudos for the different direction this ended at. 

OTHERKIN 

Not only did Georgina Campbell star in the surprise horror hit last year, BARBARIAN, but she’s been making a name for herself in the genre, which includes having starred in horror shorts. Her appeal and talent, along with strong production values and a well shot movie, help filmmaker  Dawson Taylor create a wonderful film/proof-of-concept. Personally, this works better as an entry of an anthology series/film, but pretty sure some production will option it to make into a film. Let’s see where the horror furry sub-genre takes us. 

YOUR HOUSEPLANTS ARE SCREAMING

An absurd and outrageously bizarre romp into the world of talking meat plants... I think. One man show  Benjamin Roberds creates an almost hallucinogenic watching his take on the torture house plants experience, but heavy on the flesh and lite on the leaves. This type of fare falls somewhere between horror, comedy, and experimental, so if that sounds appetizing to you, sit down and watch! 

THE TRUNK

The premise is similar to the CREEPSHOW segment of “The Crate” as a nasty evil being confined to a chained-up chest. The production value and makeup work found in Junkyard favorite Travis Laidlaw ‘s The Trunk, can, honestly, be an addition to Shudder’s new version of Creepshow as that anthology format works perfectly for this type of horror story. 

DING... YOU’RE DEAD

How well do you know your microwave? Can trust it from not trying to kill you? If you’re not sure, before you go inspect it, check out this funny horror comedy. Aside from the 1979 title, Microwave Massacre, I’m actually surprised no one else has tried to make a cheesy B-movie with the kitchen appliance as the villain. Chances are high that filmmaker Jay Salahi has a feature length version of this idea, so keep an eye out for it on Tubi or another streamer. 

WORLD SUICIDE 

If you told me this is what the near future looks like, I’d believe you, considering how humanity is currently doing. While we haven’t yet reached Post Apocalyptic levels, what our species is doing to each other, let alone nature and our planet, can only lead to end results like this take by filmmaker Andy Lefton. The clock is ticking...

HIDARI

Stop-Motion + Action + Samurai... if you love any or all of these things, you will lose your mind watching Masashi Kawamura ‘s stunning film that oozes creativity in evert shot. An hour long version of this story would be something I’d very much like to see a streamer do as the genre audience will eat it up! 

SWEPT UNDER 

The symbolic horror of history done in an interesting manner. This is what filmmaker Ethan Soo is able to accomplish in this outside the box story where terror and death seeps into our world in the unexpected form of a rug. Some will enjoy the film just for the horror aspect, while others will really grasp the dark side of history weaved into the characters and structure. Either way, this is a satisfying view. 

PLAYGROUND 

Coolest thing I’ve seen all week! Don’t spotlight proof-of-concept trailers much, but the imagery and talent on display in PLAYGROUND is next level. I really hope Rodrigo Goulão de Sousa gets the funding to complete his full length vision but this animation here is wild and highly impressive. The barrage of monsters and fantastical worlds in this sample size, immediately leaves you wanting more. There has to be a streamer or production company that picks this up, right? 

IGNORE IT 

In recent years you’ve seen some sort of variation of this story, with a creepy demon/monster terrorizing a family. IGNORE IT isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel or do something radical, it just delivers a solid horror short film. The acting is a step above the level you find in many short films, and the special effects/make-up work for the monster does the trick!