Why So Blu?

Screamfest 2017 – Nineteen Short Film Reviews

The sting of scary cinema via the Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2017 (go to www.screamfestla.com for more details!) taking place October 10^th-19^th at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in LA is about to finish its bloodcurdling run for another year and so are we with our own creepy coverage here at www.whysoblu.com.  But before we bid a frightful farewell I’m signing off with some sinister shorts reviews guaranteed to keep the horror happening.  So below, in appropriately skinny form, are reviews of a whopping nineteen short films – from ass kicking last ladies on earth to tales of undead folks who just don’t want to go it’s all dissected below!

The Plague – A stunning stirring short that dares to put outstanding acting in the forefront, this brief but effective tale of deceased loved ones who simply “don’t want to go” makes me want to see the inevitable future feature work of Uruguay filmmaker Guillermo Carbonell.  (aka I’m now a fan!)

Lunatique – Rife with lush movie mood, style ridden accomplished visuals, a pulse-pounding score and one kick ass female lead, this small piece of a saga about what appears to be the last woman on Earth fighting for survival needs to be turned into a feature – ASAP!

What Metal Girls Are Into – Fun and filled with feisty female characters that extract a little bad guy payback, this one via notable newbie director Laurel Vail finally gives gutsy gals with an axe to grind some equal time.

Marian – Definitely the creepiest of the Screamfest crop, Director Brain Patrick Lim creates a tense short that not only provides dread but also shows the dark evil outcomes of abuse – scares with substance.

Totem – Fantastic and moving animated story of a boy sent out to slay a beast to become a man.  Proving that it doesn’t have to be long to be good, Totem is short and oh so sweet.

Apostles – Nasty little nugget with biblical implications as a headless man tries to collect one final cranium to make his final supper complete.  The controversial nature of this one would force even the tamest alter boy take pause – loved it.

Julkita – A truly disturbing mind fuck of a movie that plays in the area of all things unsettling.  Rape, incest and violence and all in the name of a gal on her period who is also a kick ass super hero.  Color me confused – and captivated.

The Candle – A quick and cute mini-Tales From The Crypt style short with a teen girl blowing out a ‘sacred Mayan deity’ candle and getting her ‘all my dreams come true’ wish – ALL her dreams.

Birthday – A nifty little morality tale as a nasty nurse who mistreats her elder patients and steals everything from their drugs to personal belongings gets some poignant payback – karma is a bitch.

Dead Cool – Welcome to one eerie and surprising dinner party from hell where mayhem and maniacal thoughts are on the menu – Bon Appétit!

Please Love Me Forever – A quirky outing that’s kneecapped by the fact that it’s too long to be a short but too small to be a feature.  But filled with melancholy moments and strong visual style this could actually make a kick ass full-length film.

The Boogeys – This way too ambitious for a short flick sports many familiar cool sci-fi visuals, moody bounty hunters and angry aliens, but frankly feels like a feature that has been trimmed.  And even though a full length version would still probably feel like a ‘been there, done that’ B-movie outing, I would still like to see.

Alfred J. Hemlock – A short with some typical terror tropes and a movie message that’s a little too on the nose, this one is saved by stained teeth titular lead Tristan McKinnon channeling his inner demonic Jack Sparrow.

Bloodyback – While there is absolutely nothing wrong with the George A. Romero approved short Bloodyback complete with zombies running amok during the French & Indian war and features both good kills and some social commentary, this one is simply missing that something special to help elevate a familiar undead outing above the fray – even human flesh sometimes needs salt.

Creeper – A typical stalking a girl home alone scenario is given an extra shot of disturbing in the form of one silent muscle bound stalker who’s truly the epitome of creepy – and not for the reasons you would think.

They Make You Grow A Beard – Bad news is this one can’t sustain the absurd nature of the piece (they make you grow a beard – and you turn into an asshole!) nor knock the viewer’s socks off in the area of creepy sci-fi.  But good news is filmmaker Anthony Kinsella has a real slick signature style that reminds me of early Guy Ritchie – someone get this guy a serious flick STAT!

Redencion – A tale of one man facing his own personal demons is rich in tone, but like the flawed lead character just can’t rise above its simple nature.

The Night Delivery – Guys break into a house that already has a more sinister inhabitant – standard monster movie fare on a short scale.

Run Runner Run – A nasty cinematic snippet that sees a jogger getting shot and trying to make it out of the forest alive.  Not much fun and a tad sadistic – at least its short.

Thanks again for sticking with us in our coverage of the Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2017 – see you next year!