BLURRED VISION

THE SETUP

Firstly, I’d like to say thanks to Writer/Director, Michael Giannantonio for allowing me access to an online screener of his 7 minute Horror short, “Blurred Vision”. I was fortunate enough that Michael contacted me about watching and reviewing this one. He’s been making short films for over a decade and although I hadn’t seen any of his work, I was looking forward to Blurred Vision (that doesn’t sound right, does it?…. you know what I mean haha). “ZCD” (played by J. Lyle), a copycat killer obsessed by the infamous “KM Butcher”, is amidst slowly torturing his latest victim (Bridget Guillory) when a Detective (Boualem Hassaine) arrives to question him on the whereabouts of a missing girl. All is not as it seems for ZCD inside this room of pain.

THE GOOD

The production value and well executed technical aspects go a long way in making Blurred Vision as good as it is. Right off the bat, I noticed how loud and clear the audio was and the soundtrack was subtle but effective. There sounds like a lot of industrial clatter in the mix, pipework or the grating of similar materials, it works very well with the bleak nature of the story. The film opens with some clever focus shots of the different implements on and around ZCD’s table. There’s some frenetic fast cuts early on to help complement the film’s tone. The handful of wide shots look good and the inclusion of a POV shot (point of view), as the torture reaches its climax, was something unique from Giannantonio. He also uses practical blood and gore effects, as well as adding a couple of cringe-worthy prosthetic gags (which I won’t spoil for you).

THE BAD

The only technical issue I had was with some of the lighting. There was sufficient lighting that showcased the great practical effects work, but on the other hand, something was lost in the suspense and drama of the situation because the scene was lit in a distracting manner. White light was hastily being deflected through a fan, on the floor in the room. I understand the ceiling lights probably weren’t adequate but a different method may have worked better. My only other point is surrounding the resolution of the film. Some blood can be seen on ZCD’s shirt, yet the detective either doesn’t notice, or doesn’t think anything of it. With the way the film’s final moments play out, the only conclusion we get, other than the initial reveal, is seeing ZCD make a final decision. One might ask what actually happened to the cop?

The subject manner of Michael Giannantonio’s, Blurred Vision, reminded me of another short film I reviewed a while back called “The Harvest”. The audio, score and diverse camera work are all of a high standard and the specifics in the writing are neatly uncovered. The stand out feature here is the practical blood and gore effects, which is what we all want to see in a Horror flick. I think the lighting could have been better displayed and the ending slightly extended, so as to better itself with proper closure. I’ve had the privilege of watching and reviewing some really great Horror short’s, add Blurred Vision to that list. Be sure to keep a look out for this one in the near future.

My rating for “Blurred Vision” is 8.5/10