ONLY THE BEST SHORT FILMS
Film Of The Week: Mister Hollow
The Facts In The Case Of Mister Hollow by Gudiño & Marcone (08) (Canada) (6m)
This brilliant horror animation was co-directed by Canadian filmmakers Rodrigo Gudiño and Vincent Marcone with the writing credit attached to Gudino. I was reminded of it by the music, which is by Canadian band Johnny Hollow, and perhaps the best short soundtrack ever. It is apparently based upon a real-life photograph from the 1930s, while its title references The Facts In The Case of M. Valdemar, a short story by Egdar Allen Poe.
Sing by Kristof Deak (2016) (Hungary) (25m)
Sing won the Academy Award for Best Short Film in 2017; reaffirming the Academy's commitment to honouring films which centre around a child. Inspired by a true story, Sing (Mindenki) tells the story of Zsófi, who joins a new school with a famous, festival-winning choir. Although Zsófi is allowed to join the choir, she is soon asked by the manipulative singing teacher to mime instead of vocalise the lyrics. But is she the only one whose singing is not up to scratch or is the whole choir a sham?
A Lien by Sam & David Cutler-Kruetz (2023) (USA) (15m)
A Lien is a stressful and brilliantly made film. Knowing nothing about it, I thought perhaps the "alien" was going to be literal but maybe I'm just an idiot and the word is used more in the States. It follows an immigrant going for his right-to-remain interview with his American wife and daughter. For some reason, they are running late for the most important interview of their lives, and the stress only increases from there.
The Spider by Andy Chen (2024) (USA) (9m)
The Spider re-imagines Spiderman in the vain of the classic 1958 horror The Fly (remade by Cronenburg in the 1980s). Simple idea, very nicely done. The story is perhaps a little linear but the filmmaking makes this horror short a cut above the average fan film (which are usually below average).Of course, a fan film is technically illegal but this is closer to The Fly than Spiderman in terms of story anyway.
An Ostrich... by Lachlan Pendragon (2022) (Australia) (11m)
Nominated for the Best Short Animation Oscar in 2023. This animation not so much breaks the fourth wall as frames the whole film within it in a mind-bending Kaufmanesque melange of metaness (it strangely reminds me of Synecdoche, New York). We are told we are watching a fake world from the beginning, but that does not stop us wanting an animated character to break free from his imprisonment.
The Tunnel by Andre Ovredal (2016) (Norway) (15m)
Adapted from the short story The Tunnel Ahead , The Tunnel is a futuristic suspense thriller/horror. A Norwegian family have spent the afternoon at the beach - where they were allowed one hour in the water - and are now returning to their overpopulated city in their self-driving car via one of the tunnels, the only way in and out of the metropolis. However, the tunnels are also used for population control...
Coffee Name by Ed Wiles (2024) (UK) (1m)
Coffee Name explores (through comedy) racial politics and unconscious bias after a misunderstanding between a barista and a patron. It satirises the fear white people have of causing offense, especially the discomfort many feel saying the word "black" in front of black people. This may be unique to British sensibilities, but there seems to be similar anxieties in the US at least.
Cindy's New Boyfriend by Robert Brinkmann (2015) (USA) (23m)
Written by Sean Sellars and directed by Robert Brinkmann, the comic Cindy's New Boyfriend was a finalist in in the 9th competition. Cindy is the ex-girlfriend of Spencer, who persuades his friend Nick that he should use his acting talent to scare off Cindy's new boyfriend. However, things go wrong when Cindy's new boyfriend turns out to be a man not easily scared. Brinkmann is better known as a cinematographer, shooting such films as The Cable Guy.
Variations On A Theme by Peter Collins Campbell (2023) (US) (8m)
A twist on previous films that explore cloning, like the classic short Copy Shop (2001), a young couple is splitting to produce clones of themselves, which allows this nicely-made grounded sci-fi to explore a relationship rather than the usual sense of exceptionalism (from which most humans suffer). It's also reminscent of the super low budget but excellent feature film Coherence (2014) and is very much on trend with its lowkey vibe.
Call Me Mommy by Erickson & Washington (2023) (USA) (13m)
Call Me Mommy is a black comedy about a struggling actress (Erickson) being hired to act out the stages of childhood so a pregnant woman can prepare for motherhood. It reminds me very much a short film - the name of which escapes me - about a man paying actors to give him a childhood experience. There's much to admire in Call Me Mommy, especially the acting. There are some funny moments, though it is perhaps more whimsical than outright funny.
