Oh the wonders of torture-porn. This one comes with a nice big dollop of Troma on the side. The Morning After is the story of a woman who wakes up to find herself in a rather awkward situation after a less than fortuitous sexual romp.

To make matters worse, she soon finds that her arm is stuck under a man sporting just a little too much leather.

What is a girl to do? Saw of your arm, of course! What follows is several minutes of hilariously gruesome dismemberment comedy that will give the squeamish reason to close their eyes and the rest of us a few good belly laughs.

Is the story deep and meaningful? Well, I guess it really depends on how you look at it but what I will say is that this is incredibly entertaining and well worth the time it will take to watch it.

Creator’s Description

Emily has just awoken to discover that last nights activities, have – by far – exceeded her usual exploits in sexual depravity. So much so in fact, she’s now going to have to sever her right arm which happens to be firmly wedged under the slumbering behemoth beside her.

Will she escape without disturbing her sleeping captive? Will she discover the true meaning of sacrifice? And will she find a means of tearing off the last remnants of muscle from her splintering arm bone? All is answered in this latest art-house entry, into the splatter / comedy / torture-porn genre.

Details

Cast: Aldiana Sterjova, Ange Galati, Michael Traurig
Vimeo Channel: The Morning After
Website: Snowgum Films

Ratings

Fake blood, fake bone, fake shattered muscle tissue, this is a makeup artists dream and for something so over the top the effects are actually pretty solid. (Style 5)

Pacing 4

Like I said before, this movie falls deeply into the Troma territory. If you are expecting to understand the mayhem you are looking in the wrong place. You would be much better off just sitting back and enjoying the carnage.(Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 4

This is not for the squemish, if you have never been a big fan of dismemberment then you should probably look elsewhere. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.08 out of 5 stars

A man finds himself alone on his birthday, until a mysterious stranger gives him a call and changes his fate forever.

OK, I am being a little melodramatic. This is a much more light-hearted than all of that. The Objective is a story of Evan Hume who is having trouble adjusting to a new town and the adventure he goes on that leads him to find the answer to his problem.

Considering the fact that it is 100% improvised, this is a really fun film to watch. It’s straightforward, well acted and manages to throw you a curve ball or two. For a zero budget experiment, it delivers a significant amount of entertainment.

Creator’s Description

On his 25th birthday, lonely Evan Hume is summoned from his couch by an anonymous benefactor to complete a series of challenges in order to regain something lost in his past.

This short film was improvised and shot in three days in the summer of 2007, without a script, as an exercise/experiment in creating a caper film with only one on screen character and zero violence/language.

Details

Cast: Carleton Torpin
Vimeo Channel: The Objective
Website: Carleton Torpin

Ratings

Style 4

Pacing 4

It’s a pretty standard “quest” story told with enough flair to keep you interested. You’re definitely not going to find too many surprises but you really wouldn’t want to. (Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 3

Watchability 4

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.66 out of 5 stars

It’s a story about what the world looks like after the Zombie Apocalypse, and it’s a story about a boy named Jimbo.

Really it’s a story about growing up.

Sappy enough? Well, in the realm of movies about Zombies this does err on the sentimental side. While it does have the sort of casual violence you expect from the genre, the main plot points revolve around loss, loneliness and how people deal with change.

The production quality is pretty solid, the world looks blasted without being overdone and the violence is pretty darn violent. What I liked most about it though was the subtlety. Without spoiling too much, the final shot of the boy after the climactic event is cinematic gold.

If you like Zombies and having your heart string tugged rather than having your heart strings tugged out by Zombies, this movie is just your speed.

Creator’s Description

A bunch of teenagers in a ghost town, full of death and desolation, where adults have turned into zombies. Among them, stands Jimbo (Brad Ashby), madly in love with Sarah Jane (Mia Wasikowska). This is the second short film (the first being Spider) funded by Qoob. Directed by Spencer Susser, who also co-wrote the script with Australian author/director David Michod, this film has been selected in major festivals across the world (among which Sundance ‘08) and won 4 prizes so far.

Details

Cast: Brad Ashby, Mia Wasikowska
Vimeo Channel: I Love Sarah Jane
Website: QOOB

Ratings

Anytime you blow up a zombie with a flaming arrow you get most of your style points. (Style 5)

Pacing 4

A surprisingly sentimental trip into the Zombieverse, not at all what you might expect out a movie driven by the undead. (Storytelling 4)

Everything from the costumes to the setting is stellar. (Polish 4.5)

Watchability 4

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Phil thinks that he is the reincarnation of Zorro, most of his co-workers don’t. One day a new worker, Jenny, comes into the office and they spark a friendship around the iconic masked swordsman.

This is a sweet and comedic take on the office romance, complete with a fight with the girl’s boyfriend and a neurotic, obsessed but generally well meaning protagonist.

If there was anything at all wrong with this it’s that I wish there was more of it. By squeezing the character concept into a short, they really had to make us know Phil was a little off of his nut right up front. This isn’t really a problem but it did make it a little harder to sympathize with him.

Overall this is a different take on the romantic comedy that adds a good deal of life to a genre that has been beaten to death.

Creator’s Description

Phil comes into work to find another typical day of ridicule. Constant bullying and a rough childhood has made him into the person he is and by using the fantasy of Zorro he escapes from his harsh reality. It isn’t until a new girl starts at his work that he needs to face his fears and use his “special skills” from within his fantasy for a real-life struggle.

Details

Creators: Grant Cooper, Cameron Dixon, Sarah Fulcher
Vimeo Channel: Phil And Jenny
Website: Unhappy Situations

Ratings

Style 3.5

It moves a little too quickly, this one might have done well with another 3 minutes tacked on. (Pacing 3)

Storytelling 4

Polish 4

Watchability 4

A great new take on the romantic comedy genre, it’s a really fun watch. (Novelty 4.5)

Overall Rating: 3.83 out of 5 stars

Coming off of a fight with her boyfriend, a woman finds herself trapped in a bathroom with a puddle of blood and the voice of a woman who is crying out for help.

It’s also a horror film so I’m pretty sure you can guess what happens next.

This is a short, creepy little tale that is not particularly innovative but is very well executed.

Details

Cast: Medi Broekman, Nasrdin Dchar, Déna Massque, Sergec Geworkan
Vimeo Channel: Love Hurts
Website: Shariff Nasr

Ratings

Very, very cool special effects. The blood and the corpses had some serious flair. (Style 4.5)

Pacing 3.5

Storytelling 3

Polish 4

You’ve probably seen this movie a few dozen times before, that being the case this is a pretty good interpretation of the iconic horror movie bathroom scene that is worth watching just for the clever special effects. (Watchability 3.5)

Novelty 3

Overall Rating: 3.58 out of 5 stars

This is a movie about a killer Bra. It comes it at 20 minutes which would normally be a death sentence but let me tell you, if you have ever watched a Troma film you will sit through this entire thing with a smile on your face.

First let me explain that this is a film written and directed by Yakov Levi, who also wrote and directed the Baba Alla series of movies which you honestly need to Google to truly understand.

This film can only be described as “high camp,” which is about the only descriptor you can give when the driving plot element is a bra that has been possessed by the spirit of a woman who the main character kills in an unfortunate shopping accident.

If you don’t like your humor ridiculous or can’t stand the fact that this has a modest amount of nudity (it is about a bra), stay away. In all other cases, this is one of the silliest and most entertaining short films I’ve seen.

One more time: this film contains nudity, viewer discretion is advised.

Details

Cast: Emily Dix, Gergana Zabunova, Miranda Calderon, Nick Smith
Vimeo Channel: The Killer Bra
Website: Yakov Levi

Ratings

B-movie special effect galore, if you squint really hard you might not even see the strings. (Style 4.5)

Pacing 5

Some of the acting is a little over the top, especially the male lead’s first scene. I know all of the acting is supposed to be over the top, but sometimes it’s a little much even for me. (Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 4

A 20 minute movie on the web that was fun to watch the entire way through, I didn’t even think that was possible. (Watchability 5)

Novelty 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

Radical Rifle Icon is the story of an actor turned soldier who keeps getting killed by a ninja assassin and brought back to life by a sadist who likes to eat hamburgers while injecting red dye 24 into corpses.

It touches on issues of identity, death and the toll that war can take on the soul but honestly it’s also really, really campy. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing particularly funny about the script but after watching for a few minutes you can tell that Ramiro Bélanger (the writer/director) had his tongue pressed pretty firmly against their cheek.

Come on, the agency that is in charge of bringing soldiers back to life is called the “Death Rising Department.” I might not be involved with any government branding projects but that sounds a whole heck of a lot like something Umbrella would sponsor to speed up the production of Zombies.

Even the blood effects have that 70s kitsch that you can’t really take seriously, especially when you know the character will be back about 20 seconds later. Did I mention that the main character looks almost exactly like Guile for Street Fighter?

I liked this movie a lot, it combined melodrama with enough subtle camp that you can let some the minor execution problems (the jungle looks nothing like a jungle except for the plastic trees) go. If you know what you are getting into this is a ride that you will be happy to take.

Creator’s Description

Ex-actor turned commando Andy Frazer (Richard Zeman) is one of a few army men that can be brought back to life by the DEATH RISING DEPARTMENT. A reality with which his soul will struggle more and more.

Details

Cast: Richard Zeman
Vimeo Channel: Radical Rifle Icon
Website: Ramiro Belanger

Ratings

Pretty much entirely for the hamburger eating doctor and the 70s style blood effects (Style 4)

It moves a little too slowly for its own good. I know that they were trying to build up the melodrama but without breaks in the tension it occasionally felt like padding. (Pacing 3.5)

Storytelling 4

Polish 3.5

This is really fun to watch, especially when you realize that you shouldn’t be taking it too seriously. (Watchability 4.5)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 3.91 out of 5 stars

We haven’t seen a really good revenge movie since Ai, I was waiting for something great to come along and Wrath is it. It was written and directed by Sam Hendi, the same person who brought us Gone. Unlike Gone which holds its plot elements close to its chest, Wrath goes straight for the jugular.

Hyette Duffy plays a scorned lover who has kidnapped the woman (Tracy Villiers) who she believes seduced her partner and “forced” him to cheat. The action builds steam as it segues from a low-key monologue to full out verbal assault as Hyette tears into her “rival” and we start to see that maybe, just maybe this woman has a few more problems than a cheating spouse.

This film skirts the line between a character sketch and torture porn, and it chooses the right side, side-stepping violence and replacing it with a carefully crafted look at Hyette’s rapid descent into madness.

Once again, Sam leaves us with answered questions but much like in Gone it’s better that way.

Creator’s Description

Lisa remembers the good times she had with her partner but is there a dark side to their relationship…

Details

Cast: Hyette Duffy, Tracy Villiers
Vimeo Channel: Wrath
Website: Sam Hendi

Ratings

Style 3.5

It’s fast paced without being frenzied, a stunningly well made interpretation of the classic “interrogation” scene. (Pacing 4.5)

Storytelling 4.5

Polish 4

Hyette is incredibly good in her role as the scorned lover, it’s a performance worth watching even if there wasn’t any movie around it. (Watchability 5)

It’s the acting and script that brings this film up, the plot elements have been seen a thousand times before but very rarely executed this well. (Novelty 3.5)

Overall Rating: 4.16 out of 5 stars

I like this one for what it never says.

If that isn’t too cryptic then I’m glad you joined me for this review. Gone is a story of a woman who discovers that the same friends who came out to mourn her sister’s suicide might, in fact, be responsible for it. It’s a story about a diary that tells her the dark secrets that her sister hid away until it was too much to bare. More generally, it’s a story about pain that never gives a single hint as to its source.

That’s the thing about this film, you know that most of the cast are really bad people but you don’t know why. No one really does anything particularly upsetting either, but the implication is that each of them had a hand in the sister’s suicide. It’s dark, confusing and leaves you with more questions than answers. It manages to do all of this while remaining coherent, who can really ask for more?

Creator’s Description

A woman explores her sister’s suicide through the entries in her diary and discovers that her friends might not be who she thought they were.

Details

Cast: Rachel Button, Yeukayi Ushe, Emma Barnard, Laura Lloyd, Solomon Israel, Ana Valerio, Amy Gallagher, Abena Bentum, Stephen Adeluku, Leylan Saad, Kate Shaw
Vimeo Channel: Gone
Website: Sam Hendi

Ratings

Style 3.5

It’s good but It’s a little uneven, it’s starts out really slowly, ramps up near the middle and then slows right back down again in the third act. (Pacing 3.5)

It leaves unanswered questions without becoming muddled in its own sense of mystery. Overall it’s a well executed drama. (Storytelling 4)

Polish 4

If you really, really need closure this might not be for you, otherwise it is a great watch coming in at just under 10 minutes. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Dystopias don’t do too well on a low budget. They almost always end up seeming too cheesy to really sell the theme. Oasis might be the exception to prove the rule. The story surrounds one man’s search for the Oasis, a legendary Eden that might restore man to his former glory, the real action though comes in the form of his fight against an opposing band of survivors and what he discovers about war, friendship and humanity.

It’s dirty, gritty and an all around good showing for the genre.

If you want Sci-Fi that doesn’t rely on camp, Oasis Terminal might just be your, er, Oasis.

Creator’s Description

25 years into the future, civilization has been destroyed by nuclear war. Andres, one of the few survivors, searches for a mythical place called The Oasis, the only hope for mankind.

Details

Cast: Andres Sandoval, Ruben Di Pietro, Rey Vazques, Catalina Navas, Julian Caballero
Executive Producers: Veronica Echeverri, Lucrecia Villa
Vimeo Channel: Oasis Terminal
Website: Pacifica Films

Ratings

Really good costumes, nice gunfire effects and an overall sense of oppression missing from a lot of other independent dystopias. (Style 4.5)

For a story driven primarily by action and flash backs it does move pretty slowly. There is probably a minute or two that could be cut out without effecting the strength of the narrative. (Pacing 3.5)

Storytelling 4

Polish 4

Good characterization, good storytelling and top tier execution. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.91 out of 5 stars

This is the story of a failed sexual encounter between two men. While watching it I felt like the writer (Sanjay Sooknanan) wasn’t entirely certain where he wanted to go with narrative. There were issues available to explore, and he touched on several of them – repressed sexuality, shame, the awkwardness of first meetings – he touched on them but by the end I still wasn’t clear what he was trying to say.

The direction and acting were good and while they did play around with chronology they did so in a pretty reasonable way. The biggest failing of this movie is that it’s too dark to be a “slice of life” and the story isn’t deep enough to make good drama.

It is worth watching if you are a fan of the genre, but there isn’t enough here to draw in a wider audience.

Creator’s Description

A sexual encounter raises doubts and questions from both sides involved.

Details

Cast: Baruch Porras, Jean Franco, Elise Garza, Santiago Dunbar
Vimeo Channel: The Meeting
Website: The Pegasus Company

Ratings

Style 2.5

It moves well and they used the chronology jumps well. (Pacing 4)

Storytelling 3

Polish 3

There just isn’t enough here to really draw you in and at almost 12 minutes this one is for genre fans. (Watchability 2.5)

Novelty 2.5

Overall Rating: 2.91 out of 5 stars

Typically I avoid Art House films. Not that I don’t think they are good (some really are) but because I think it’s a genre with such a limited appeal that it’s not worth sifting through the self-indulgence for the sparks of genius.

In Darkness is an Art House film, a visual poem if you will, and I screened it because it is also very, very good. Like many other films in this genre it’s obscenely dark, if you’re looking for hope and renewal you are in the wrong place. This is a film about death, pain and hate. That being the case, it is also quite beautiful, and it manages to express that beauty without entering into that hyper-kinetic music video territory that many films of this kind do.

There is a lot to praise about this film, it’s visually striking, it’s well acted and the set pieces are incredible. The only thing that takes away from it is that In Darkness does fall into the trap of taking itself a bit too seriously in places, while you can follow the story almost the entire way through the final act is muddled and I needed to view it several times before I completely understood what was happening.

In sum, this proves that experimental film work can be done with grace and style without becoming overly pretentious.

Creator’s Description

Love was cruel to him. The world had shunned him. He only found warmth in despair and misery. Yet the gods lurking within the Darkness weave a tale of their own for this victim of love. Rebirth is on the horizon. Life may yet continue under the smiling face of the darkness. Yet it’ll demand a price…

Details

Cast: Benjamin Blais, Hillary Keirstead, Ahsan Mogul
Vimeo Channel: In Darkness
Website: Enity Films

Ratings

Style 5

Pacing 3.5

A great, dark story about “awakening to darkness” but the slightly muddled third act breaks the flow. (Storytelling 3.5)

Everything about this is beautifully shot. (Polish 4.5)

This is an art house film and it feels like one from beginning to end. If you are completely against the genre, you might want to step away from this one. (Watchability 3.5)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I usually have trouble deciding whether to use a “mind-bending” tag because well, I sat through Mulholland Drive and now everything seems pretty normal by comparison. This film got one though because in the realm of “going back in time to save a loved one” films this one has some serious panache.

The premise is pretty simple, a man goes to a parallel dimension to be with the woman he loves. Unlike similar explorations of this concept, instead of hiding away from his double in the new universe and wallowing in angst for about an hour, he decides to cut out the middle man and brutally murder his doppelganger.

As it turns out, this isn’t the first time or the first universe in which our “hero” has come up with this idea so what follows is one of the more bizarre looks at the nature of death and identity that I’ve seen.

Creator’s Description

Sometime in the near future. Three parallel universe, the girlfriend dies in each one, the guys cant take the loss. With an unsecured technology that accidentally made its way to the wide public, They decided to go for a ride to another parallel universe – our universe, in which the girl is still alive…

Details

Cast: Ehoud Eitan, Johanna Thelander
YouTube Channel: Kaus Media Films
Website: Kaus Media

Ratings

I have to respect a world where dimensional transportation devices are left completely unguarded and you have to use a motorcycle helmet as a heads up display. (Style 4.5)

Pacing 4

This pretty quickly devolves into murder porn, which is probably why I like it but does take away from the fact that he’s doing all of this presumably out of love. (Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 3.5

Watchability 4

Dimensional travel really hasn’t been this fun for a while. (Novelty 4)

Overall Rating: 3.91 out of 5 stars

A man who suffers from terrible dreams wakes up to find himself unsure of who he is, what his real purpose is and how to escape. This takes a page from a lot of other secret agent, amnesia, “I kill people but don’t know about it” films like the Bourne series but the difference is that this entire movie would fit into Bourne’s first act.

While I really liked some of the concepts, I spent a lot of time feeling like I’ve seen this movie before. It took so many nods and used so many genre tropes that it ironed out a lot of the qualities that make it unique.

It is a fun movie to watch and the film work is solid but Jacob Ares just feels like it could have been a lot better if more time was taken to put a unique spin on what is becoming a tired premise.

Creator’s Description

Jacob Ares is a man with a sinister past. A past that shines light on a very dark soul.

Details

Cast: Phoenix Romero, Reagan Pfifer, Ja Elam
Openfilm Channel: Jacob Ares
Website: Ralf Bremer

Ratings

Style 3.5

Pacing 4

As a homage to the genre it works well, but as an independent film it feels like they could have done more with the script. (Storytelling 3)

I found myself straining to hear it. Some extra work could have been done to polish up the sound. (Polish 3)

Watchability 3.5

Novelty 2.5

Overall Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

There is a risk you take when you make a film designed to “prove a point,” and that is that your audience will get lost somewhere inside of that point and lose track of the narrative. While Nothing is a cleverly made and well animated short, it loses itself in this trap.

It’s a story of a company that is trying to sell “nothing,” to do this it needs a marketing campaign so it hires Nobody, a designer who puts together a way to sell nothing to the public. After this setup the rest of the film is a play on these two set pieces that is hysterically funny in the beginning but loses its shine by the end.

Visually it’s really fun to watch and in general it stays on the mark, my biggest critique is that about 2:30 in you get it and you start to wish that the writer found a more interesting direction to take the idea. While it does succeed in panning rampant and senseless consumerism, it does so with a mega-phone and a sledgehammer.

If only for the style and creativity of the animation, I suggest giving this one a look.

Creator’s Description

A Company wants to sell »Nothing« on a large scale and hires Nobody, a renowned designer who creates the adequate advertising campaign and turns out to be an expert in the field of digital hypnosis… A sarcastic view on the advertising industry, ingeniously lived cliches and the contemporary brand hype.

Details

Creator: Ralf Bremer
Vimeo Channel: Nothing
Website: Ralf Bremer

Ratings

A great mix of animation and live action brings this world to life. (Style 4)

Pacing 3

It’s an acid tongued look at advertising and brand loyalty that stays on mark in most places. (Storytelling 3)

Polish 3.5

As well done as it is, the overall theme could get a little grating to some, it’s a position piece and as such you will enjoy it a lot more if you share Mr. Bremer’s position. (Watchability 3.5)

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.41 out of 5 stars

Usually I use “low budget” as a justification for bad production values, campy execution or generally forgivable silliness in film-making but movies like Ai prove that even when you are working with a shoestring if you aren’t afraid to obsess a little over the details you can create something spectacular.
Plot-wise it is a pretty standard story, it’s an Asian-themed revenge story with a woman whose parents are killed who then trains under a sensei so that she can get revenge on the people who murdered her family. While it won’t win any awards for originality in script writing, it is one of the most well executed movies of this kind I’ve ever seen on the small screen.

Everything from the costumes to the choreography drips style and it looks like some serious time was put in to squeeze every bit of class out of what they had at their disposal. There were moments I forgot I wasn’t watching a scene from a feature film and that’s probably the best compliment I can give a made-for-the-web video.

If there is any downside at all to this film it’s exactly what I mentioned earlier, for all the time and effort that went into making this beautiful, a little more could have been done with the plot. This, however, is only the most minor of gripes and I cannot recommend this more.

Creator’s Description

A young woman, haunted by the memories of her parents being murdered, discovers the truth about herself and her sensei. Inspired by the great tradition of Japanese cinema, Ai is an exploration of themes that stem from the era of the fearless warriors, the samurai.

Details

Cast: Yoshi Amao, Kuwayama “Bob” Yoshihisa
Youtube Channel: Zaffi Pictures
Website: Raffi Asdourian

Ratings

The visual effects are stunning, the action is well scripted and the overall feel of the setting is extraordinarily well captured. (Style 5)

Pacing 4

While it is a classic revenge story is tightly scripted and well executed. (Storytelling 5)

This is a film quality experience, if it was fleshed out a little more I could imagine seeing a very similar movie in theaters. (Polish 4.5)

Watchability 4

Novelty 3

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

It was hard writing this review because I can’t quite put a finger on why I like this film so much. The animation is stunning and has a kind of visual richness that is missing from many short animations that believe that technical flourishes can make up for good visual storytelling.

The music is also wonderful and it drives the story forward in a way that might have been impossible with dialogue.

While those are reasons for the good review, they aren’t why I like it so much.

When it comes down to it, there is just something sweet about this film. It’s a story of loneliness, friendship and hope told in less than ten minutes and with cartoon sensibilities. It’s like a bedtime story and I love it for the same reasons, it shows how magical and tenuous friendship can be.

It’s a story I wish was told this well more often.

Creator’s Description

Harmony is a young girl living on a cold and desolate Earth, alone and longing for friendship. While trying to tune into a station on her home radio one night, she picks up a melody that leads her to the moon.

Entropy is an emotional and dreamlike short that articulates feelings of loneliness, hope, and love.

Details

Creator: Dane Jacobs, Jeremy Hay
Youtube Channel: Rhubarb Zoo
Website: Entropy

Ratings

Style 4

Pacing 3.5

Fantastic visual storytelling. (Storytelling 4)

This is an absolutely beautiful film, from the animation to the ending theme. (Polish 5)

Watchability 4

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Oh how I love films about neurosis. This movie follows the story of a young woman plagued by her mother’s fears of just about everything. Clad in knee-pads, gloves, a helmet stuffed with sponges and with the sort of manic, rambling line delivery that makes you chuckle even when nothing particularly funny is happening, the main character pulls off her role beautifully.

The writing had some awkward moments and it was a little hard to tell whether they were put in deliberately or not but otherwise this is great look at phobias, obsessions and learning to “get over it.”

Creator’s Description

Plagued by the rules and warnings of her obsessive mother, a young woman leads a life in fear of virtually everything surrounding her.

Details

Creator: Michael Barnett Brettler
Deviant Art Channel: Levin: Maladies of Death
Website: IMDB

Ratings

I love the main character’s costume in this (Style 4)

Pacing 4

The neurosis and visual humor keeps the pace high and your attention on screen. (Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 4

Watchability 4

Novelty 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

ABIMBOWE is a playful look at problems of race and immigration. It’s a simple, evocative story written by Alex Montoya. The plot is driven in such a matter of fact way, from Maria’s “revelation” to the climax that I was left smiling throughout. The only thing that could have been improved is that the first time I saw it, it took me a while to realize that Maria’s mother-in-law was actually blind. There are a few seconds near the middle when Maria is helping her into the chair that it’s implied, but a little more clarity there might have helped make the point stronger.

At just over 3 minutes, this is a clever little film well worth investing some time into and deserving of the 60 film festivals it has been selected for internationally.

Creator’s Description

English subbed version of this awarded short film that playfully addresses issues such as racism and immigration.

Written and directed by Alex Montoya.

Cinematography by Jon D. Domínguez.

Featuring Irene Anula and Aurora Villanueva.

Details

Cast: Irene Anula, Aurora Villanueva
Vimeo Channel: ABIMBOWE
Website: Alex Montoya

Ratings

Style 3

Pacing 4

The only issue was that it was never made clear that the mother-in-law is blind. (Storytelling 3.5)

Polish 4

Watchability 3.5

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.58 out of 5 stars

ARK is a visually breath-taking look at life, disease and society. When I say breath-taking I mean that in every possible way, the detail and depth of the animation can almost make you miss the strength of the storytelling.

That’s what really strikes me though, the storytelling. Without a word of dialogue director Grzegorz Jonkajtys drags you into this world of desperation, disease and madness. Even though there is almost no action until the final act, you can feel the tension as the protagonist circles around his final decision.

In the world of web animations this is a masterpiece. In fact, any world where this would not be considered a masterpiece leaves much to be desired.

Creator’s Description

An unknown virus has destroyed almost the entire human population.

Oblivious to the true nature of the disease, the only remaining survivors escape to the sea. In great ships, they set off in search of uninhabited land. So begins the exodus, led by one man…

Details

Creator: Grzegorz Jonkajtys
Openfilm Channel: ARK
Website: Grzegorz Jonkajtys

Ratings

Remember when I said it was breath-taking? Yea. (Style 5)

Pacing 3.5

This is a cast study in strong visual storytelling. (Storytelling 5)

Polish 5

It’s very, very dark and it only gets darker as it enters the third act. If you are looking for hope and redemption, this is probably not your film. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4.41 out of 5 stars

Illegal is a short film that follows the story of Daniel who is a young diner owner who hires an illegal immigrant, Carlos, to work for him. Carlos repays this service by claiming that Daniel did not pay him and blackmailing him out of his life’s savings.

This premise is the setup for a gritty and tightly scripted revenge drama. While I would have preferred if they had avoided the standard “interrogation scene” that comes at the end of the second act, the most powerful elements of this film comes during the preamble, where we see how easy it is for dreams to be shattered even when your intentions are pure.

Coming in at 22 minutes, this is feature length by Internet standards but it moves well enough to be an easy watch. If you are looking for a revenge film that’s heavy on character development this is more than worth a watch.

Creator’s Description

Daniel and Jessica are a happily married couple on the verge of realizing the American dream – Jessica is pregnant and Daniel finally gets the money to open a small diner. But when they hire Carlos, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, they find that they are targets of blackmail. With their emotions spiraling out of control, is their love strong enough for them to forgive one another and do what’s right?

Details

Cast: Thomas Blankenship, Tyler Kain, Danny Molina, Chet Grissom, David Pevsner, and Luis Beckford
Vimeo Channel: Illegal
Website: Illegal

Ratings

Style 3

Pacing 3.5

What I loved about this movie wasn’t the plot but the execution. The acting and directing are fantastic and while the third act feels a bit rushed, overall the movie has a strongly theatrical feel. (Storytelling 4)

Polish 4.5

The dramatic and action elements of this movie mix well. Be aware that it comes in at 22 minutes so set aside a block of time to really enjoy this. (Watchability 4.5)

It’s a well executed but pretty standard revenge film. (Novelty 3)

Overall Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

This is a story about age, family and lose. A son and his father find their roles suddenly reversed. I thoroughly enjoyed this short film written by Nikos and Constantin Pilavios.

It’s a simple story beautifully told and while it is in Greek it’s subtitled for all of us with only one language under our belts.

Creator’s Description

Father and son are sitting on a bench. Suddenly a sparrow lands across them.

Details

Creators: Nikos Pilavios, Constantin Pilavios
Vimeo Channel: What Is That?
Website: Movie Teller

Ratings

Style 4

Pacing 3.5

For a story that comes in at under 6 minutes they manage to make their point brilliantly. (Storytelling 5)

Polish 4

It’s deliberately slow paced and rather sentimental, if you were looking for something more upbeat then you might want to take a pass on this one. (Watchability 4)

Novelty 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I won’t beat this one to death (ahem). It’s a real scream. Two mobsters talk about life, love and their careers as they make their way to their next assignment. It’s a gritty and strangely funny look at how we might imagine a mob hit would go down.

It’s short, funny and well executed one-act by the people at Sometimes Funny. Like most films of this length, the story and characterization are on the thin side but the climax breaths some much needed life into it. At under 2 minutes there really is no reason you shouldn’t give this one a peek.

Creator’s Description

A pair of gangsters take an eventful stroll in the park.

Details

Cast: Michael Johnson, Steve O’Brien
Vimeo Channel: A Brief Case
Website: Sometimes Funny

Ratings

I have a soft spot for mafioso flicks. (Style 4)

Pacing 3.5

Short, punchy and competent. (Storytelling 3)

Polish 3.5

Watchability 4

Novelty 3.5

Overall Rating: 3.58 out of 5 stars

Hotels have a rich history in the horror genre. By now you would think that people with seedy pasts would know not to hang out in them. Either way, Do Not Disturb tells the story of a serial killer who has decided to take up residence inside of a hotel to hide away from law enforcement who apparently has something against senseless murder.

It’s dark and moody, with a story the quickly takes a turn for the weird about midway through. In all it’s very entertaining film that looks really polished. While it is a little on the long side for a web video, you still almost wish that the director had more time to explore some of the film’s questions. I wanted to know more about the copycat killer and I wanted more time understand the protagonist – even though we spend just about the entire film right next to him, by the end we are still left without strong characterization.

These minor problems aside this is as good an entry into the web based horror genre as you could ask for, and it makes me hope that director Patrick Rea continues to turn out movies of this caliber.

Creator’s Description

A creepy tale about a mysterious man staying in a hotel, who is visited by a unseen entity.

Starring: Allen Loman as Philip

Details

Creator: Michael Stine
Vimeo Channel: Do Not Disturb
Website: Michael Stine

Ratings

The cards are a little on the cheesy side (Style 3.5)

Pacing 4.5

While I always hope for more character development as a slice of life it works beautifully (Storytelling 4)

Polish 4

Watchability 4

Novelty 3

Overall Rating: 3.83 out of 5 stars

This is the most fun you’ll ever have with mail delivery. Not only is the animation extremely well realized but there is a story here that is actually worth watching. The big problem with a lot of animated shorts is that they turn into glorified tech demos, in this case Asterokid and Jon have given us a living, breathing and entertaining look at what mail delivery might look like in space.

Creator’s Description

Galactic Mail is a short film I made in collaboration with my fellow friend Jonathan Vuillemin aka Motraboy. It was produced by The Mill which basically gave us some time to create it. We spent around four months working on it together from storyboards to compositing. Because of the time we had to complete the piece, we went for a different approach than Sigg Jones. On one hand, we had to make things simple and turn it at our advantage. On the other hand, I was keen to experiment a lot of things I had thought about using the 3D media.

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Details

Creators: Asterokid, Jonathan Vuillemin
Vimeo Channel: Galactic Mail
Website: Asterokid

Ratings

Style 4.5

It’s a fun, kinetic concept piece. (Pacing 3.5)

Storytelling 3.5

The animation is crisp, detailed and the musical score drives the action forward. (Polish 4)

Watchability 4

Novelty 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Experimental filmmaking always walks the fine line between being interesting and being unwatchable. Muzorama does a good job of skirting that line.

It was put together by Elsa Brehin, Raphaël Calamote, Mauro Carraro, Maxime Cazaux, Emilien Davaux, Laurent Monneron, and Axel Tillement in 3D Studio Max and it was inspired by French illustrator Muzo.

It’s weird, very weird. If you don’t go in expecting that you aren’t going to like it. There are people eating people, scenes cut within other scenes, cut between decapitated winking heads. There are melting faces and clones, giant women and dozens of other rich, creepy images. It’s all very surreal but unlike other animations of its class, it makes a certain amount of sense.

If you can get your head around the films logic it’s worth giving it a look, even if you can’t, at 3:12 it’s worth watching if only to tell all of your friends how strange it is.

Details

Creators: Elsa Brehin, Raphaël Calamote, Mauro Carraro, Maxime Cazaux, Emilien Davaux, Laurent Monneron, and Axel Tillement
Vimeo Channel: Muzorama
Created In: 3D Studio Max

Ratings

This film is stylish to a fault. (Style 4.5)

There is no clear story arc so it’s hard to really plot pacing. (Pacing 2.5)

Storytelling 2.5

For a project put together in 6 weeks it’s amazingly well done (Polish 3)

Watchability 2

It is, by definition, a very “art house” film and it uses many familiar tropes from the genre. (Novelty 3.5)

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Short form documentary film making is a hard nut to crack. Either you don’t have enough time to make your point, or you make it too long to be palatable on the web. Donald Kilgore’s “Paper Flowers & A Little Patience” is a powerful example of what you get when you do it right.

It’s the story of a homeless man in Houston who makes paper flowers. It takes him about a day to make each and they are made entirely out of napkins. The entire thing is shot as he sings a song about his life, his experiences and living on the street. For only being 2:20 long, the depth of insight you get is impressive. It’s also unexpectedly and refreshingly upbeat considering the subject matter, showing one man who is taking the cards he has been dealt and using them for something positive.

I only wish that it was longer but as it stands it in an amazing snapshot of what had to be an amazing experience for the filmmakers.

For anyone interested in social change this is a must see video.

Details

Creator: Donald Kilgore
Vimeo Channel: Paper Flowers and a Little Patience
Website: Donald Kilgore

Ratings

Great cuts, great framing, nice use of black and white (Style 3.5)

You are never bored listening to this man tell his story (Pacing 4)

Storytelling 4

Great footage but a little mic noise throws it off (Polish 3)

Watchability 4

This is so much different than other “social change” films, it’s beautiful and refreshing. (Novelty 5)

Overall Rating: 3.91 out of 5 stars

Cart is a Jesse Rosten film which at 10:00 is more or less feature length for the Internet. It tells the story of a shopping cart and it’s journey to return a little boy’s sweater.

This is solid storytelling.

Even without a single word of dialogue, you start to feel for the cart. It reminded me a lot of why I liked Wall-E, every bump and shake as it travels across town makes the cart feel less like steel and plastic and more like a living, breathing creature. In a lot of ways the cart feels more real, more sympathetic than the human characters.

The musical score by Peter Lance is also great, while it doesn’t do anything spectacular, it helps the story keep pace and it adds a much needed sense of drama.

Without spoiling too much, I would say my least favorite part of this film was the ending. It’s exactly because the characterization of the cart is so well done that I think the ending falls flat. You want to see the cart rewarded for its hard work (how often do shopping carts travel across town on cloths retrieval missions?) instead what you get is a rather dark, abrupt climax that leaves a lot of questions that you want answered out in the open.

That small criticism aside, this is an utterly fantastic film that is a must see for anyone who likes children stories or has a soft spot in their heart for shopping carts.

Details

Creator: Jesse Rosten
Vimeo Channel: Cart – The Film
Website: Jesse Rosten

Ratings

The Cart animation is seamless and the visual storytelling is utterly engaging. (Style 4)

It feels much shorter than 10 minutes (Pacing 4)

I have personal issues with the ending, but that doesn’t stop this from being an amazingly well done story. (Storytelling 4.5)

Polish 4

Watchability 4

Really unique protagonist in an otherwise familiar story (Novelty 3.5)

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars