IMPOSTER

THE SETUP

Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to On Edge Productions and Writer/Director, Chris Esper for allowing me access to an online screener of his 9 minute Drama short, “Imposter”. Imposter is an experimental drama that deals with the inner struggles for those who suffer from anxiety. A bus ride sees a number of individuals come together to deal with their crippling debilitation. The film stars Tom Mariano, Brendan Meehan, Sheetal Kelkar, and Jamie Braddy.

At just 29 years of age, Chris Esper has already racked up a number of credits. Having worked on shorts for over a decade now, Imposter marks his twenty-fourth short film (and by his own admission one of the most important). Most of DP, Richard King’s camera work looks interesting and he utilizes gentle movements to highlight certain things in the scene. The pleasant piano themed score completes the mood and the acting is solid all around. Whilst I didn’t love all the framing choices and the inconsistency of the practical fx toward the end, Imposter highlights an extremely important supposition that at the end of the day we’re all the same. Don’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. Circumstance is just circumstance. We all love, we all hurt, we all bleed, we all cry, and we lean on each other to get through the hard times. It’s making that choice to put yourself out there despite the fear of failing. I commend Esper for starting to render the foundations of the stigma surrounding anxiety and depression and doing so in such a muted but powerful way. What’s more impressive is Chris’s willingness to put himself out there in spite of his own personal struggles and to bare all in what is one of the most vulnerable of artistic mediums. Imposter is unfiltered and very well made, you can check out the trailer below and be sure to keep an eye out for it soon!

My rating for “Imposter” is 8/10

THE AFTER PARTY

THE SETUP

Firstly, I’d just like to start by thanking Ela Road Films and Writer/Director, Colin Costello for allowing me early access to an online screener of his 17-minute Horror/Mystery short, “The After Party”. The After Party introduces us to Skye, a social media mogul (played by Rachel Amanda Bryant) who’s living it up during just another night out on the town. Before heading home she stops for one last drink, it’s there where she encounters four mysterious women each with a story to tell. The film also stars Hilary Barraford (The Ice Cream Truck), Ashley Platz (Big Legend), Denise Milfort (Repentance), and Veronica Sixtos.

I’ve had Costello’s short sitting in my pile for around a month and finally found the time to give it my undivided attention. The obvious thing of note about The After Party’s presentation has to be Brook Willard’s glorious black and white photography. We simply don’t see enough of it these days, as luck would have it the film’s neo-noir aesthetics just happen to lend themselves perfectly to the form. Everything is nicely framed and the shot choices are simple but effective. The audio track is quite crisp and the mix of eerie sounding strings helps complement the mystery behind the night’s events. The guitar-centric score in the latter half has hints of David Lynch’s cult classic TV show “Twin Peaks” about it, especially with its additional use of ambient reverb. The acting from all involved is of a high standard and the ladies each have their own traits. Costello’s conversation (or more accurately his characters) seems to center around the need for us to be accepted and or adored and the dangers that can be associated with worshipping false idols – something that is certainly an issue in society. Social media can be extremely damaging if you gear your self-worth around your number of likes, followers, shares, and re-tweets. Make what you want of the signs on display in The After Party, broken glass and fading light are just a couple of indicators that should get you invested. My only real criticism is the sudden shift in Skye once she arrives. It’s a little contradictory because she claims not to know who the girls are but then suddenly she’s able to recall where she met them or the details of the interactions she had with them. I suppose one could chalk it up to just her self-obsessed persona and perhaps she truly didn’t realize until she actually stopped to reflect. I’d like to have seen certain pieces of information trigger her a little more, particularly just before she leaves the bar. There’s not a lot of charged emotion regarding her questioning what was really going on.

The After Party is a thoroughly entertaining and polished short film from a promising filmmaker in Costello. The cinematography is impressive, the score has fitting spectral tones, and the performances are all great. I think the writing is as smart as I’ve seen in quite a while and there’s a positive message about surface value versus the important things in life. I think a couple of Skye’s specifics could’ve been altered and perhaps improved upon, but it’s nothing that really takes away from the overall quality of the product. If you get the chance to check this one out I suggest you do! For now, you can watch the teaser trailer below, enjoy!

My rating for “The After Party” is 8/10

A WAY OUT

THE SETUP

Firstly, I’d just like to start by saying thank you to Director, Jason Tostevin (Born Again) for allowing me access to an online screener of his 13-minute Crime/Drama short “A Way Out”, Written by Randall Greenland. A Way Out picks up with a pair of gangsters on a job. An aging Vick (played by Robert Costanzo) is preparing for retirement, but one last cat and mouse game with his protegé Reggie (Adam Hampton) will reveal that each has been keeping a secret from the other.

A Way Out was actually made back in 2015 and it marks Tostevin’s fifth short film in as many years. I’m a sucker for a good crime drama but they’re difficult to do, especially in the short format. Randall’s script is perfectly paced and includes a couple of key elements, in humor and violence, both of which are anchors that can be found in these sorts of gangster films. Both the audio track and foley are crisp and clear (it’s nice to finally hear punches that sound like punches) and the editing is quite sharp. Mike McNeese’s cinematography is simple but effective, framing a lot of two shots and medium close-ups which work well for the duration of Vick and Reggie’s car ride. The duo’s conversation about mattress flipping is an entertaining one and Greenland brings events with his characters to a somewhat surprising head. Costanzo’s been acting since the mid 70’s so it should come as no surprise that his delivery is extremely well-timed, and everything that comes out of his mouth feels authentic. Hampton is a little rawer but still manages to turn in a fairly consistent performance. Stylistically I found some of the natural light that was glaring through the driver’s side door in the car park scene rather distracting. I think the addition of some practical blood spray would have been beneficiary for genre fans too. Reggie’s only issue was that his proposition didn’t make a lot of sense and was always going to be problematic. His boss would’ve no doubt required proof, so how was he going to obtain that?

A Way Out is undoubtedly one of the best Crime/Drama shorts going around. The cinematography is smart, the audio and foley are even, and the edit comes together seamlessly. Both performances are engaging, Greenland’s script is a clever one, and the ending is a blast. Other than a couple of personal preference traits and the somewhat flawed logic behind Reggie’s proposal, A Way Out is as good as they come. This is Tostevin’s best work yet and I hope to see more from these guys in the world of crime.

My rating for “A Way Out” is 8.5/10

CANINE 

THE SETUP

Firstly, I’d just like to say thank you to Hypnosis Pictures and Writer/Director, Sean Richard Budde for allowing me early access to an online screener of his latest 5-minute short “Canine”. Canine is a micro thriller that centers around a man (played by Ira Amyx) who’s desperately trying to locate his missing chocolate labrador. A random jogger (Sloan Davis) happens upon the dog and looks to return it to its rightful owner, only he’s already watching – and waiting.

Canine is an interesting choice for the title given that the film actually has very little to do with dogs. That said, the dog in the film is adorable (haha). The most impressive aspect of Canine, without question, is Eric Liberacki’s sharp cinematography. There are some smooth tracking shots and smart Steadicam movements that include a 180-degree turn mid shot. The audio track is crisp and the bass-driven synth score is energetic, to say the least. I’m not sure why there was such an emphasis on the dog. Was he or she supposed to represent something? Or simply just serve as a means of luring people into a false sense of security? If Earl (the dog owner) had a set agenda, why not pursue that with any of the other passers first? (well maybe not the couple but yeah).

Canine is an entertaining enough and well made short film, though I’m not entirely sure it has a purpose. Keep an eye out for it soon and you can be the judge!

My rating for “Canine” is 6/10