MicroCinema Reviews
An Apology to the Dead
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Gritty drama features a professor who becomes attracted to a student with a sordid private life in An Apology to the Dead. Although initially put off by a dark, grainy look that may have been only partially intentional, I was drawn in by strong performances from the leads. Troy Randall-Kilpatrick, albeit boneheaded in some of his character’s decisions, was well-rounded, and I especially liked Jenelle Mazaris’s shaded turn as the strong-willed but wounded student. Jonathan Victor also gives a shot of kinetic energy in an edgy spin as a brutal pimp.
The Bride Wore Blood
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Iowa directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods have been doing interesting work in their young careers, with The Bride Wore Blood their most accomplished to date. This time out, Beck and Woods go for a more stylized vibe in this neo-spaghetti western outing, with a memorable genre-appropriate score and some unusual touches in character and production design.
The Chemistry of Dating
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Genial comedy, from director Matt Olson, features a lonely collegiate who tries to apply scientific principles to find the perfect mate, finding himself having one adventurous date after another.
Somewhat straightforward in its plotting and production design, The Chemistry of Dating gets an uptick from a strong performance by Brandon Rowray in the lead, a likeable, natural presence.
Aesop’s Diner
Friday, November 02, 2007
“The Family Johnson” was a hip band on a meteoric rise when front man Bugs (Royce Peterson) flamed out in the usual way.
Later, post-rehab, he tries to reconnect with a former bandmate (Wilder Selzer) who is rocketing to stardom of his own accord in Cara Maria O’Shea’s urban fable Aesop’s Diner.
Five
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
“Twilight Zone”-flavored horror-thriller, from New Zealand director Amit Tripuraneni, features five camping friends, and the secrets that are revealed over a long weekend in a remote cabin. Five, Tripuraneni’s follow-up to the admirable, muscular spy thriller Memories of Tomorrow, plumbs a traditional genre, but with a different vibe. Tripuraneni coached naturalistic, almost improvised-seeming performances from his leads, but coupled that with energetic visuals and a crisp pace. The visuals are eye-searing and the editing leaves scenes charged with menace.
Quench
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
After suffering a loss, a young man comes home to the midwest to try and rekindle an old friendship, but quickly learns that the friend he left behind has gravitated towards a new, sinister “family.” Zack Parker’s Quench bills itself as a “modern gothic tragedy,” with perhaps a bit of emphasis on the “gothic” and veined, so to speak, with dark horror undertones. Some explicit sex, and liberal use of blood, startle against the strikingly-shot Indiana landscapes.
Coop’s Night In
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Two guys and two girls share an introspective night in Joe Burke’s comedy-drama Coop’s Night In.
Replay
In the near future, two young girls goof around with a virtual reality game harboring sinister origins in Ramiro Hernandez’s Replay.
Peter’s Price
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Crackling noir short features an up-and-coming exec who gets mugged in the parking garage by a crook who, it turns out, grew up in the same neighborhood. How this dynamic unfolds over a tense span of minutes is the crux of Mitchell Cohen’s effective Peter’s Price.
Knock Knock
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
A comedian with a hot online following is served up a dish of cold reality when an old girlfriend appears in Knock Knock, the latest dramatic short from director Amir Motlagh.
I am a fan of Motlagh’s work, and believe he is one of a group of talented young microcinema directors (S. Tyler Wilson and Matt Meindl among them) whose artistic vision will hopefully eventually be brought to a wider audience, perhaps through the completion of a first feature.
