[Updates from The Writer's Desk]

Oct 1^st – Smiling Woman

Michelle von Eschen: The concept creeped me out far more than its execution. Unnaturally moving ghosts/demons/monsters scare me, but that’s about all this short offered. The thumbnail for the video gives away too much.

Rated: 1/5 for me as well.

Oct 2^nd – Still Life

JB: Now, I’d seen this one before and it’s one of my favourite short horror films, and shows a tired driver making an unwise pit stop in a town perpetuated solely by mannequins. I think it’s genuinely unsettling and has a bleak yet dreamlike atmosphere that really works for me. And that gut-punch, kick-you-when-you’re-down-and-stomp-on-your-genitals ending? Hell yeah.

Four blood splotches out of five.

Rated: 4/5

MvE: I loved this one because it surprised me. I had one idea, but it turned out to be another. Sound effects were great as was the uncanny feeling.

Rated: 3.75/5 for low film quality. I don’t know if it’s older or just a lower budget or the effect was intentional, but I feel like the presentation could have been improved.

Oct 3^rd – The Maiden

JB: This is a great-looking film, but its lack of answers irritated the piss out of me. The set-up is nothing new but is still interesting – spooky house, threatening events, creepy figure – and the atmosphere was eerie. However, I felt like the climax gave the illusion of structure and sense rather than offering an actual rounded finale or any sort of explanation.

I’ve not got much to say about this one, because the ending fell flat for me. That’s why it gets two surgically removed optic nerves of a possible five.

Rated: 2/5

MvE: Gorgeously shot short with some great, though brief moments that did make me uncomfortable, however too much information was given that should have meant something to the viewer, but didn’t due to lack of time/explanation. I’d love to see a longer version of this idea where both the backstory and the beautiful, crumbling house are further explored.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 4^th – Precut Girl

JB: Oh. My. God. This was a killer short movie.

A depressed woman discovers a rather unique element of her physiology, which leads to copious amounts of bloodshed and ghastly imagery – and there’s a LOT to unpack.

The cinematography is… well, it’s pretty much exquisite. I thought it was a Korean movie at first, such were its parallels with some of the most stylish Korean cinema I’ve seen, but it’s a French piece that sits very comfortably in the New French Extremity movement.

Don’t go in expecting anything but heavy, philosophical grimness, but if that’s something you can appreciate then you might be in for a nasty treat.

This one gets four out of five severed toes, plus half the knuckle of the fifth one.

Rated: 4.5/5

MvE: This short perfectly investigates and attempts to elaborate on what it means to lust for something, our selfish use of others to reach that which we seek, and, really, commitment, whether it’s to ourselves or another, or a goal. Stunning and smart cinematography. Dark subject matter.

Rated: 4/5 because I want more, but 5/5 because it was unapologetically bleak as fuck and I love it for that.

Oct 5^th – The World Over

JB: A couple discovers an unexpected doorway in their home and explores. Despite slightly stilted acting, there were some fine ideas in this tale and a decent storyline for the most part.

Both of us were a bit frustrated by the climax, but then discussed the possibility of an alternative interpretation that would flip our entire view of the movie on its head. In the end, we agreed that it felt more like a film with some cool ideas that didn’t quite live up to their potential.

Still, there are worse ways to spend 17 minutes than watching this intriguing little story.

Three gutted carcasses out of five.

Rated: 3/5

MvE: Decent budget for cameras and effects and though I had to do a lot of reading into the ending to personally enjoy it more, it’s a unique watch that keeps your attention.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 6^th – Death Metal

JB: Light on death metal, but heavy on both metal and death – if you know the difference, you know the difference – this one made me very happy. It plays out like an uber-gruesome cross between Tenacious D’s Pick of Destiny and Peter Jackson’s schlockfest Bad Taste.

It doesn’t take itself seriously, and instead fills the screen with hit-and-miss-but-always-entertaining gags and oodles of splatterific gore. Silly, unwholesome fun.

Four scythe-wielding psychos out of five.

Rated: 4/5

MvE: This one made me laugh and cringe with its loads of over-the-top gore. Fans of Deathgasm will appreciate. Equal parts funny and gross.

Rated: 4/5 (I swear I’m not copying you, Jonathan.)

Oct 7^th – The Mannequin

JB: Yawn.

I know mannequins and dolls can be creepy, but they’re also cliché. If you aren’t going to do anything different with them – especially when you’re on a list of movies that already contains a far superior mannequin movie – then you’re going to get nothing from me aside from a blown raspberry if you’re British and a razz if you’re American.

I repeat: yawn.

One and a half prolapsed corpse butts out of five.

Rated: 1.5/5

MvE: Jonathan, I think we say raspberry as well…

This short made me laugh, but I don’t know if it was for the right reasons. Awkward acting. I had more questions than answers after it was over, and then a day later I think I maybe figured it out, though I’m still confused. Feels like two friends found a mannequin and a camera and decided to make a short without putting much time or energy into concept or execution.

Cool mannequin though.

Rated: 1/5