SXSW 2020 Review: BASIC

Basic is a very, very, very short film about a dumb lil’ ho doing lil’ ho things. It’s a darkish comedy exploring the insecure lil’ ho in all of us.

SXSW 2020 Review: DADDIO

Daddio is a comedy based on real death events. A year after the passing of their beloved wife and mother, a dad and daughter grapple with life after loss. Daddio is a love story between a father and daughter after the unimaginable has happened.

Short Film Spotlight: BREATHE (2019)

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT, where I highlight some of the best short films out there.  This week, I take a look at the powerfully dramatic short film... BREATHE.

I recently discovered this brilliant and emotional short film after listening to the writer and director, Devon Stewart, talk about it on an episode of a podcast I listen to called Collider Live. He spoke about this being his directorial debut, and if I hadn’t known that, I never would have guessed it. Breathe is a stunning piece of filmmaking, on every level. Devon Stewart proved that he is made for this, as his eye for composition and his ability to pull emotion from the audience is blatantly evident here.

Short Film Spotlight: PORCELAIN STARE

Horror is, by far, one of my favorite genres of film, and anytime I’m looking for a short film to review, it’s usually either Sci-Fi or Horror.  So, when I was asked to give this one a watch, I was definitely intrigued.  From the poster alone, I knew I had to check it out.  And I’m glad I did.

Short Film Spotlight: HAPPINESS

Welcome to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT. This week we review "the story of a rodent's unrelenting quest for happiness and fulfillment," according to the director: HAPPINESS.

Short Film Spotlight: MOTHER'S DAY

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we highlight some of the best short films out there. This week we take a look at Mother's Day, a documentary directed by Elizabeth Lo, exploring how children are affected by the incarceration of their parents in the state of California.

Short Film Spotlight: BATMAN VS. THE TERMINATOR

Welcome to a new installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT! This week, we conclude our short series on superhero fan films with one final production, this time an animated one from 2014...BATMAN VS. THE TERMINATOR!

Short Film Spotlight: THE DEATH AND RETURN OF SUPERMAN

Welcome to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT. This week, we continue our look at superhero fan films with a more unorthodox, lo-fi, and irreverent pick...THE DEATH AND RETURN OF SUPERMAN, written by and starring Max Landis.

Short Film Spotlight: STARR: A POWER GIRL FAN FILM

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT. This week, we're taking a look at another superhero fan film, this time centering around the superheroine, Power Girl. So, without further ado, I present to you...STARR: A POWER GIRL FAN FILM!

Short Film Spotlight: SPAWN: THE RECALL

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT. Today we're continuing a short series on superhero fan-films. This time, we're taking a look at the short film...SPAWN: THE RECALL.

Short Film Spotlight: WEBCAM

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we'll be reviewing a provocative and insightful film called WEBCAM. It was directed by Branden Kramer and edited by Lorraine Paul. This film explores the dangers of putting too much of our lives online.

Short Film Spotlight: BATMAN: CITY OF SCARS

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT. This week, we begin a short series taking a look at specifically superhero themed fan films. Each week for the next five weeks, we'll be reviewing a different film, taking a look at what works, what doesn't, and what other filmmakers can learn. To kick off this series, we're looking at the acclaimed short fan film by Bat in the Sun Productions...BATMAN: CITY OF SCARS!

Short Film Spotlight: THIS IS JOHN

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT. This week, we take a look at an award winning short from 2003...THIS IS JOHN!

Short Film Spotlight: THE LAST VIRGIN IN LA

Welcome to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT. This week Robert reviews the short film THE LAST VIRIGN IN LA.

Comedy can, and often does, go to some sensitive places. Usually this is done for the cheapest of reasons, but sometimes there's method to the madness; a filmmaker wants to comment on some topic or other and uses comedy to make his point.

Short Film Spotlight: DEAD RIGHT

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we highlight some of the best short films out there.  This week, we take a look at the very first film of popular director Edgar Wright…DEAD RIGHT!

Short Film Spotlight: SILENT LOVE

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we highlight some of the best short films out there. I googled short films about love for ideas on what I should do my review on. A film called SILENT LOVE popped up and I immediately fell in love with it.

Short Film Spotlight: DOODLEBUG

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we highlight some of the best short films out there.  This week, we take a look at one of acclaimed director Christopher Nolan’s first projects…DOODLEBUG!

Short Film Spotlight: THE BREAKS

Welcome to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we highlight some of the best short films out there. This week, we take a look at the hilarious film...THE BREAKS. 

Short Film Spotlight: XX

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we highlight some of the best short films out there.  This week, we take a look at this year's amazing short film horror anthology...XX.

Four female creative figures in the horror genre joined forces this year to create a fascinating anthology of horror short films. Premiering at Sundance in January, XX is so named due to each of its four short films clocking in at or around twenty minutes in length. Each of the four short films are very different, encapsulating different niches of the horror genre. Critical reactions to XX have been mixed. However, I found it to be some truly engaging, creative horror that I absolutely loved.

Short Film Spotlight: DOES LOVE LAST FOREVER?

Welcome to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we dive into the world of, you guessed it, short films, good or bad, and give you our thoughts. Today we look at a hearing test disguised as a short film: DOES LOVE LAST FOREVER?

Howdy fellow film freaks, Robert here. "A simple love story told over the course of four decades, or a creative film designed to test your hearing ability? You decide." This is the way the short film Does Love Last Forever? was pitched when I found it on shortoftheweek.com. Not knowing if that was a legitimate ambiguity or some web monkey's attempt at witty sarcasm, I gave it a go. It turns out that the film is a little of both, though it leans heavily toward the latter at the end.