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Indie Movie Insight: The Lost Tree

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Review by WOD reviewer Joey Horist

An interesting tale of loss and regret, the independent film “The Lost Tree” tells the story of grief stricken Noah (Thomas Ian Nicholas) who retreats to a desolate cabin after the untimely loss of his wife Emma (Clare Kramer) to live out the last vacation that the pair never got to take. Although he is alone, it appears Emma (or something else) is there with him in spirit, quite literally. What was supposed to be a moment’s reprieve quickly descends into chaos of nightmarish proportions. Shadowy spirits begin to spy on Noah at all hours of the night and birds and insects begin to go at him like Sunday brunch. Despite numerous warnings from his assistant Jenna (Lacey Chabert) and his father, John (Michael Madsen) to leave the cabin immediately, Noah is convinced that the spirit of Emma is trying to contact him; and a lone tree growing on a barren patch of sand might hold the answers he is looking for.

The scenes themselves were very well filmed and I commend Brian A. Metcalf for the extra bit of flavor that his directorial style added to the movie. From the claustrophobic confines of the cabin stairway to the wide-open exterior, you don’t just witness what is happening to Noah, you experience it with him. If you’re not having a panic attack while Noah runs for his life in that tiny staircase, you’re experiencing depression as the wide open exterior landscape serves as a reminder to just how lonely the protagonist is. Thomas Ian Nicholas delivers an excellent performance as the leading man and goes out of his way to make sure that each of his stunts were one hundred percent believable. I would have rather seen a lesser known actor portray Noah’s father, as it was hard to imagine the pair as a father son duo. Nonetheless, Michael Madsen made the role his own and delivered a solid performance. Also, Lacey Chabert’s good-natured character is the perfect antithesis to Noah’s repugnant personality. It really goes to show how opposites attract. The story, while simple and straightforward at first, slightly begins to crumble towards the end, but you’ll have no time to worry about one or two minor plot holes once the scares kick in. The shadowy spirit voyeuristically terrorizing Noah is downright disturbing. You just never know when or where it is going to pop up.

All in all, is The Lost Tree perfect? Maybe not, but there is no such thing as a perfect film, or if there is I have yet to see one. Although it had its silly moments and a slightly confusing third act, I am proud to say that I got the chance to see some very talented actors step outside of their perceived comfort zones and really showcase their dynamic ranges in ways probably never seen before in other films. If you’re looking for some good old-fashioned scares for your post Halloween season and just want to kick back and have a good time, The Lost Tree is the movie for you. You’d have to be out of your tree to miss it.

Indie

“Bite Size Short: Her House of Horrors” Announce Short Grant Program!

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Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.

The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.

The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:

“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.

“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.

“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.

“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”

Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.

WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.

To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.

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