The Nightmares Film Festival has continued to grow in size and popularity over the four years since its inception. World of Death and I have been proud to be partners with festival organizers Jason Tostevin and Chris Hamel because of their uncanny ability to create an environment that is rich in independent networking coupled with introducing fans to some of the craziest and weirdest horror to hit the screen.

Hopefully, through these 40+ mini-reviews, you dear readers are introduced to some tremendous new horror content being released throughout the next year.

FEATURES

DANIEL ISN’T REAL (director Adam Egypt Mortimer)
My favorite film of the festival! Spectrevision has time and time again blown away genre audiences with the uniqueness of their catalog. And if last year’s Mandy displays any of the potential for serious mainstream success, I’d say Daniel Isn’t Real has taken them one step closer to achieving that goal. Luke’s childhood is rocky at best thanks to his mother’s mental illness. After witnessing a particularly violent argument between his parents, five-year-old Luke wanders out of the house, down a busy city street, and happens upon the aftermath of a bloody crime scene. There he meets another boy, Daniel. The two develop a camaraderie akin to twin brothers and it isn’t until Luke’s mom does not acknowledge Daniel that we realize he is a figment of Luke’s imagination. After a terrible mishap resulting from the coercion of Daniel, Luke banishes his imaginary friend to a dollhouse where he is locked up until Luke inadvertently releases him as an adult. And now the shit will really hit the fan. The casting is superb. Patrick Schwarzenegger as the menacing yet suave Daniel effortlessly steps out from any shadow he may have been in thanks to his father’s illustrious career. It was such a pleasant surprise seeing Mary Stuart Masterson as Luke’s mother. Someone whom I’m accustomed to seeing in movies my mother cries to took a serious step toward the macabre here and her portrayal of a woman afflicted by a broken mind is horrifying and award-worthy. The visuals were great. The script was taut and intelligent without being pretentious – a problem I see all too often at indie film festivals. The special FX were awesome. Damn, I loved this movie! For some time now I’ve struggled when asked what my favorite recent horror films are. Daniel Isn’t Real has given me a go-to answer and I thank the gents at Spectrevision for that.

GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR
I’d been pretty excited to see this film for a number of reasons. It premiered at SXSW, which to many cinephiles is the festival designating the standard in quality independent cinema for the upcoming year. The movie was shot in my neck of the woods, Chicago. A number of my very good friends and “film family” worked on it. Lastly, haunted houses have always been one of my most favorite horror subgenres. I’m also happy to see Dark Sky Films, which resides near Chicago is actively producing genre content. To me, all of those descriptors scream “Tony’s favorite movie of the year!” Sadly, I was frustratedly disappointed. To be clear, the setting is pretty cool; a creepy old house on the south side of Chicago that used to be a brothel where at least one person died… chalk that up to another win! 1981’s The Nesting has always been a haunted house fave of mine and I desperately hoped for an updated version here. But where the movie could have been moody, atmospheric, and eerie, the brightness of the lighting and the light-hearted nature of the scenes left me absorbing a comical ride instead of a fright-filled one. And though star C.M. Punk is, in my opinion, trying to channel his inner Bruce Campbell to a degree, it doesn’t have the same effect as the latter’s performances. To be fair, I’ve always gravitated more to scary horror versus comedic horror so my opinion is unfairly weighted here regarding the thematic elements of the film. But I just don’t see this movie bringing anything new to the genre and when the indie scene is meant to be the proving ground for edginess, it missed the mark. Had the movie relied more heavily on horror elements like director Travis Stevens’ previous attempt as producer, We Are Still Here I know I would have enjoyed the film a lot more on a personal level.

PUPPET KILLER (director Lisa Ovies)
• Best Overall Feature
“Always check the back seat you dumb fucks!” This statement got the most laughs from me of all the films I watched. Picture a Sesame Street-style puppet delivering this line in his high-pitched voice seconds before slicing a Soska sister’s throat. Classic. I’m going to start my critique of this feature by saying that it almost needs a warning beforehand as I went into it thinking it was to be taken as a serious horror film. Before you trolls jump down my throat, just because it’s called Puppet Killer doesn’t mean it’s necessarily set up to be a farce, look at Child’s Play after all. But 20 minutes in I was dumbfounded. A 50-year-old man (Aleks Paunovic) is playing Jamie, a 17-year-old boy dealing with some childhood trauma. I’ve seen casting hiccups in the past, but this was a slap in the face. Upon seeing the director’s Q & A from the festival (courtesy of The Blonde in Front) I discovered that this was an intentional move, meant to play off the fact that Laurie Strode’s friends were 30 playing teenagers in Halloween. Cool, joke understood… now. But this joke plays off as more of a distraction than amusement. That said, going into my second viewing with that in mind, the movie became much more enjoyable. Jamie takes his friends, which include buds Lee and Curtis (get it?) up to his parents’ vacation home to celebrate Christmas. Upon entering, Jamie explains that his childhood puppet killed his stepmom here. Jamie and his girlfriend find the puppet in the basement and for the next 60 minutes we’re subjected to some laughs, really great special FX, and World of Deather/Blumhouse babe Gigi Saul Guerrero. The dialogue and lighting could have used polishing, but if you’re sitting down with a bunch of horror-loving friends to watch this, I believe you’ll have a fun ride ahead. Lastly, I want to comment on how much I enjoyed the nod to the Soskas’ earlier work with the dead body in the trunk of their car when we’re introduced to them here.

29 NEEDLES (director Scott Philip Goergens)
• Best of Fest
29 Needles screened as part of the Late Night Mind Fuck section of the festival and for good reason. The film follows Francis Bacon, a middle-aged man who must inflict pain upon himself and others to silence his inner demons, but also feed his insatiable sexual appetite. The downward spiral of perverse sex and pain spins out of control culminating in a sad and brutal climax. I will say that there is definitely an audience out there for this movie and they will love being immersed in the “unique” sexual subculture presented here. But this movie is not for most people, myself included. I appreciate the boundaries the film stretches as well as the lengths to which the cast and crew went to bring this story to life. As director Goergens states, “My work is meant to challenge and push the boundaries of what is conventionally comfortable and ‘normal’.” I’d say he hit it out of the park in that regard, but heed my warning folks, this movie is very difficult to watch. You sickos are intrigued aren’t you? Well, you can check out the trailer on YouTube so give it a watch and seek out this film if it tickles your fancy.

SCARE PACKAGE (directors Emily Hagins, Chris McInroy, Noah Segan, Courtney & Hillary Andujar, Anthony Cousins, Baron Vaughn and Aaron B. Koontz)
Here’s another indie anthology film for those of you who enjoy your horror in short form. The cool thing in this instance is how the movies are all essentially tied together; a video store. Seeing those racks stacked tall with rows upon rows of home video goodness grabbed at my nostalgic heartstrings and the overall themes of the short stories felt very 80s, which is great. The poster for Scare Package, courtesy of famed indie horror poster designer Marc Shoenbach is also the best poster I’ve seen come from the genre in the past few years. A delightful nod to House and other 80s gems, it perfectly sets viewers up for the ride they’re about to take. Scare Package is 100% meta horror comedy so it never takes itself seriously… and that results in quite a fun ride. My two favorite shorts were One Time In The Woods, directed by World of Death alum Chris McInroy, and The Night He Came Back Again! Part IV: The Final Kill, directed by Anthony Cousins. Hysterical, well-shot, lots of great FX work, both of these shorts played well upon the horror comedy theme. A special shout out goes to the writing from McInroy’s short. The “wolfman” transformation stuff was gooey and gross, but the guy’s dialogue as he slowly melted was the crowning achievement in this story. I know Scare Package has been making the festival rounds this fall so I recommend you see it in a theater full of eager fans if you get the chance.

SLAUGHTERHOUSE SLUMBER PARTY (director Dustin Wayde Mills)
Director Dustin Mills has been on the independent scene for almost a decade since his first feature, The Puppet Monster Massacre was released. His films ride the line of “no budget” and with titles like Zombie A-Hole and Trashtastic audience members should have a clear idea of what’s in store for them. What I appreciate about Dustin’s catalog is his and his team’s unflinching desire to stick to their guns and make the movies they want to make. If you are a fan of Troma, Full Moon, and USA Up All Night then I recommend checking this flick out. A group of girls are having a drinking party in an old house when one of them uses the Necronomicon to turn herself into a demon and evil, death, and mayhem ensues. The CGI is fun, the title song is hysterical, and with moments like the demon peeing on a girl’s face until her skin melts down to the bone fans of horror shlock will feel right at home.

VFW (director Joe Begos)
My second favorite film from the festival (behind Daniel isn’t Real). Lizard (Sierra McCormick) steals a bunch of drugs from drug lord Boz (Travis Hammer) after he kills her sister. Lizard is chased into a nearby VFW run by Stephen Lang who is hanging with his fellow vets William Sadler, Fred Williamson, Martin Kove, George Wendt, and David Patrick Kelly who’s playing a Korean War vet 20 years older than he really is (bravo to the makeup department!) The geriatric vets must face off against a horde of hopped-up fiends to protect their post and their lives. Fans of Assault on Precinct 13 will eat this film up. Us horror fans are no strangers to the rehashing of popular themes time and time again, but utilizing this concept in a VFW hall with a bunch of celebrities in their 60s is genius. And these guys kick ass. The predominant element to this film is the writing. Each character sounds real when they converse with one another. Granted, the film consists of its fair share of moments where you horror fans will catch yourselves saying, “Really?!” the dialogue impressed the hell outta me. I wanted to see these characters reprised in another story. There’s also plenty of violent bloodiness for the gorehounds in the audience. I found some of the action sequences suffering from what I attribute to the common low budget affliction of a lack of coverage, but this minor issue hardly soiled what was otherwise a brilliantly entertaining effort in indie filmmaking. Begos has been on the indie scene for some time now. His previous work showcases his potential to create quality stories ripe with solid horror elements and VFW is no different. Judging by the direction displayed in VFW and The Mind’s Eye I believe Joe Begos is an indie filmmaker we will see taking major strides over the coming years. See this movie when you can!

SHORT FILMS

ABI (director Timothy Troy)
Some techies have designed a supercomputer that has a mind of its own and must’ve seen The Terminator one too many times. In the end, though, is it really A.I. at fault here or pure insanity? Good locations and production design support some well-built sequences in this short sci-fi horror film.

THE AUTOMATON (director Alex Reeves)
Late 1800s South Dakota is the setting for this melancholy tale of loss, hope, and theft. A widow travels to see where her late husband had been working and discovers that he was building what is essentially a rudimentary robot. It can have simple conversations and deduce basic reasoning. Astonished, the woman finds comfort spending time with the automaton until nosy neighbors feel she’s better-suited rotting in an insane asylum. Narrow-minded thinking is the true horror here. This short is far from horror, but firmly grasps well-written drama and high-end production value to be deemed a quality watch in my eyes.

BOO (director Rakefet Abergel)
• Best Writing in a Short
I’ve known of Rakefet for a little over a year now and enjoyed speaking with her at last year’s festival. World of Death featured her last short, Jax in Love and I am hoping she will consider including Boo as well as it proudly boasts her team’s continued growth in quality production value and writing. Rakefet plays our lead character who is picked up from an AA meeting by her boyfriend. She is proud of her seven years of sobriety but something has triggered a relapse. The result is nothing short of fantastic. I really enjoyed this short film. Though I could see the twist coming, the writing was stellar, the acting was dramatic when necessary and the comedy executed perfectly, and bravo to the special FX team. I absolutely loved the creature work at the end! I look forward to seeing what Rakefet creates next.

BUFFALO & TROUT (director Ali Presley Paras)
Two girls like to get high on PCP and commit crimes against other criminals. Cool enough idea that follows suit to the One Bad Night (see review below) short film theme being more crime horror than traditional horror, but possesses plenty of the blood, violence, and crazy shit horror fans want to see to make it a worthy addition to NFF’s slate.

CASSANDRA (director Dave Tolchinsky)
A female police officer stops at the secluded house of a retired child psychologist that is apparently in the path of a serial killer. You see, the killer leaves a sketch of the location of his/her next murder at the site of each current victim and someone has recognized the psychologist’s house. Upon her arrival, the officer is given a possible connection between the murders and a previous patient of the doctor, a young girl named Cassandra whom the doctor believed was being abused, but was placing the blame on a supernatural being. Timing doesn’t seem to work out for the officer and doctor as the being in question makes an appearance to add another victim to its streak. Great special FX work and a wonderfully crisp look to the whole film. The story was really intriguing and unique, but left me questioning some of the motives behind the entity as well as the connections between everyone involved.

CHANGELING (director Faye Jackson)
Unexplainable animal transformations begin occurring in the vicinity of a newborn and the baby’s mother must bear witness to these bizarre events as they continue to gain in scope until a final rebirth threatens her very existence. My fiancée and I both had a hard time understanding this short film, but I was really into the practical FX work during the transformation sequences. Absolutely wacky, but beautifully orchestrated. Lots of horror fans will get behind this film given the chance to check it out.

COMPETITIVE MOURNING MUSIC VIDEO (director Kevin Beauchamp)
A serial killer dispatches of people in various ways, my favorite being the broken bottle in the neck, which he proceeds to pour blood from… and drink. This blood’s for you dude! Lots of blood and violence here gorehounds, I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of it. This music video by the band Asian She had some great horror elements in it, but the type of music does not go with the visuals at all in my opinion. But if that juxtaposition is intended to be awkward, bravo!

DEMONS (director Ariana Divalentino)
As a coed’s relationship deteriorates through college so do her panties. Yep, that’s not a typo. Corrosive menstrual blood is the focal point to this short film. Maybe her boyfriend should have treated her better? Had he put her feelings before his own perhaps she would have avoided allowing him to stick his willy into the hornet’s nest. Lastly, I just have to ask, who the fuck drinks Campari at a college party?!

DIDDIE WA DIDDIE (director Joshua Erkman)
A guy is ATVing through the desert and stumbles upon a creature of some sort. He lugs this beast home, throws it on the floor, and invites his ex over to take a gander at it. Much to the befuddled gawkers’ wonder, the creature morphs into the girl’s dead father. Then he explodes all over them… and the guy tries reconciling with his ex. Weird doesn’t even begin to describe this short film, which I clearly did not understand. But that’s not a bad thing! I dug the feel of it as well as the gooey FX work. Just wish I knew what the hell was going on.

FETUS NATION (director Drew Dammron)
“We love fetuses, we love fetuses de-durp de-durp, de-durp…”
I’m guessing this short is a message to pro-lifers from those with a contrasting viewpoint. I tend to prefer my horror less politically motivated, but can completely get behind a filmmaker’s attempts to spawn fear and discomfort from the strength of viewers’ beliefs. The old school look to this short and the performances of its cast aided in the farcical nature of it and I’m sure the audience in the theater ate the movie up. Not really my cup of tea, but the title is super catchy.

FIVE COURSE MEAL (director James Cadden)
A couple enters a holding cell of their own free will and is subsequently fed meal after meal until one devours the other… and then themselves! Crazy little short film with cool bodysuits and the right amount of grossness for all you fans of the yuck out there. I didn’t catch the reasoning behind why the couple volunteered for this bizarre experiment nor did I understand why they felt the need to keep eating ad nauseum, but the final seconds of this short made me smile quite a bit. If you enjoyed the Mr. Creosote scene from Monty Python and the Meaning of Life get ready for a fun ride!

FORGIVE ME (director Alyssa Standen)
A young woman dealing with some severe trauma and PTSD finds resolution in the initial moments of the afterlife. Director Standen informed me that this was a student film and I must say that it is quite the feat in that regard. The production value is solid and the subject matter is edgy and emotionally jarring. Well constructed story albeit some questions remain unanswered regarding some of the woman’s visions. Be on the lookout for this one in World of Death soon folks!

FUSED (director Patrick Rea)
I’m beginning to believe Patrick Rea is the midwestern horror short film king as he releases at least one a year and has over a dozen to his name. That said, Fused is easily my favorite of the lot! Where a number of his previous efforts are more comedic horror – and are quite successful at that – Fused is pretty damn scary. Sarah Mcguire plays Sarah, a woman dealing with a rare skin disorder that seems to stem from being the surviving twin of a Vanishing Twin Syndrome duo. unfortunately for Sarah, her unborn sister Beth resides within Sarah and has a thing for murder. The juxtaposition between the two personalities Mcguire plays is wonderful and the tension is taut throughout. Elements of Stephen King’s The Dark Half are definitely present here, but the film doesn’t even come close to suffering from this minor comparison. The biggest question I have now is what happens to Sarah and Beth next?

GASLIGHT (director Louisa Weichmann)
• Best Thriller Short
What I really liked about this short film was its direction, its atmosphere, and its professional look. A woman gets off her shift and is waiting for a bus to arrive when a car pulls up with a somewhat good-looking gent offering her a lift. Our heroine is no dummy and the mysterious wannabe Uber driver isn’t too thrilled with her dismissal. What follows is equal parts John Carpenter’s Vampires and something you’d see from Peter Jackson mid-career. I enjoyed this short because it fits nicely into the style of horror I gravitate toward and executed those elements quite well.

HALF-COCKED (director Aaron Barrocas)
Awesome to see some World of Death filmmakers involved on this film including Rakefet Abergel and Matt Stuerz. Pat Healy is great as always. He, along with Vanessa Benavente are two doctors with a Herbert West immortality remedy who dig up a fresh body and decide to reanimate the poor guy for their own devious reasons. Science takes a back seat to politics in a fun twist here. Sits on the comedic side of the genre, but is a funny concept with lots of jokes that hit on point.

HERMAN (director Eric Bodge)
Evan, a young boy digs up a crabman action figure on the beach who seems to tell him things, including its need to get into some molten hot lava… Uhhh? Over the course of the next couple of days Herman the crab figurine has a negative influence on Evan’s older sister while also finding a way to hitchhike his way toward the fire-riddled northern parts of California. Mid trip the credits begin to roll and I found myself assuming this short must be a part of a larger story because I had a number of unanswered questions. I’d like to know the reasoning behind Herman’s nefarious influences and the motivation for his need for a lava bath! Plot aside, there was some really great ominous music throughout the film and Yates Warren did a wonderful job as the young Evan.

THE HOUSESITTERS (director Whitney St. Ours)
Whitney and her costar David Lanson are some of the best performances from the 40+ films I watched. This unlucky couple is housesitting for David’s boss and are welcomed by a neighbor who apparently was also the renovator of the house. The stranger forces himself inside and takes a rather aggressive approach regarding the visiting couple’s means of tidying up the place, which ends in the bloody good violence all us horror nuts yearn for.

IMAGINE A WORLD (director Joanna Tsanis)
• Best Short Director
Persistence is key to any sale, even if it means you’ve got to have your face peeled off first. What say you? That’s right folks. A brother and sister duo are “convinced” to boost their home internet package by the most persistent salesman I’ve ever seen. Causes us to question the lengths we would go to satisfy our internet addictions. Think West World meets the Mormons with some cool special FX and solid writing. Worthy of the award it received and well worth a watch!

INFLATIO (director Bryon Evans)
• Best Comedy Short
Inflatio begins much like any other torture style horror film with a guy waking up bound and gagged in a condemned building. A huge intimidating looking dude lumbers around refusing to answer the victim’s cries for help all the while cooking up quite the feast of beans and various other disgusting looking ingredients. The climax of this short film presents a great twist and is nothing short of hysterical, completely worthy of the award it received.

THE ITCH (director Connor McIntyre)
Ahhhh, nothing like a good old-fashioned body horror dealing with a bad case of acarophobia (fear of itching). Our doomed lead begins to develop an itch, which becomes embellished to the nth degree thanks to an overactive imagination and the resulting remedies include everything from hydrocortisone cream to a circular saw, the latter taking matters a tad beyond extreme. What I love about The Itch is how it showcases the destruction of not only the afflicted’s life, but her loved ones as well. Yes, folks, mental illness can be quite frightening and this short is most definitely a testament to that.

LET ME PLAY (director Andrew Bell)
• Best Recurring Nightmare
Incredibly eerie atmosphere. I really dug this short. A young girl and her slightly older brother spend some time at their devoutly religious grandmother’s house. After being unjustly punished and sent to her room, the girl is visited by the nefarious ghost of who we come to learn is her uncle, who must have died at a young age. And his schemes are anything but family-friendly. The ghost kid (Douglas Wann) and little girl’s (Juliet Luchsinger) performances were amazing and the writing in this short was super crisp. I felt so bad for this little girl and I’m not typically one to relate “real” feelings to characters in horror films. Also, want to give props to the gaffer’s lighting and Gergana Mellin for portraying the grandma.

LOOK TWICE (director Kyle Wilson)
• Best Ohio Film
One of my favorites from the fest! A night watchman in a junkyard tries to waste time doing mindless tasks until something catches his eye on the security cameras. Did he see something? Heeding his more experienced coworker’s advice, the watchman takes a second look… only to discover there IS something lurking in the shadows… and it’s coming for him! Such a cool short film. The creatures were absolutely great (though they did the Japanese horror twitching moments to the extreme in my opinion), Darren Lee Campbell had a wonderful performance as the night watchman, the setting was atmospheric, and the tension was thick. Check this out!

MALACOSTRACA (director Charles Pieper)
I’d consider it an odd coincidence to see two short films involving crustaceans at NFF, but after having frequented NFF the previous two years I know their slate is chock full of the weirdest of the weird… and they’re damn proud of it! In this visually appealing film, a man contends with a distaste for shellfish… yes, seriously. I can imagine this hatred stems from witnessing his wife getting raped and impregnated by a crawfish while they relax at the beach one day. I don’t think he realizes the connection at first as he seems to be handling her pregnancy quite well… until she gives birth that is. Upon seeing the newborn aberration, the man does his best to be a father, but ultimately can’t cut it. Okay, my fiancée and I were going through this film wondering what the F was going on, but the last minute had us laughing hysterically. And I have to say, I thought the baby creature was cute as hell and the ending made me sad; I was a sucker for those innocent little eyes. Fans of the Basket Case series and Brain Damage will want to check this old school puppetry out!

MANNEQUINS (director David Malcolm)
Easily my favorite aspect of this short was the music by Dystraction. The score plays into the 80s themes ripe throughout this film with a tinge of modern retro new wave flare. As far as the story goes, in what would be a rather cliche tale, the use of such unconventional “actors” really helps sell this short as something of artistic beauty. The opening sequence when the characters are driving is edited in a manner that gives the setup action despite having zero literal action and gives us horror nuts an immediate nod to The Evil Dead. It’s a cool take on the tried and true horror theme of coeds troubled in a secluded location and definitely worth checking out if you see it on a festival schedule in your area.

MELODY (director Sarah Brill)
Melody is a young girl with a horrible scar on her face. One night her and her sick father are attacked by a group of young punks who have broken into their house intent on trashing the place. Melody decides to get back at the punks by following them into the woods where they’re hiding out and setting their tent on fire. Pretty brutal version of payback if you ask me, but that’s what you get for being an asshole, guys! As the credits roll you’ll find yourself wondering if Melody’s path of vengeance is complete or if this is only the beginning to a new slasher in the making.

MOMMA DON’T GO (director Rafael De Leon, Jr.)
A pair of burglars terrorize a girl and have mortally wounded her mother. The girl begs for her mother to come back to life and what do you know, her prayers are answered! Not so lucky for the burglars though as momma is a monster and she is pissed! Fun short film with some good makeup FX work.

ONE BAD NIGHT (director Alec Gibbons)
Sandra Mhlongo as the lead is phenomenal. Sinister and stoic she commands each scene with her unflinching glare. I wouldn’t f&%k with her for any amount of money. One Bad Night is definitely more of a western thriller than horror, but the grittiness alone allows it to sit amongst NFF’s other more traditional horror fare. If you’re a fan of films like No Country For Old Men you will want to seek this short film out.

THE ORCHESTRA (director Curtis Matzke)
A woodwind player shows up for practice to an empty rehearsal hall and is tormented by a ghostly conductor and his orchestra. Well shot and appropriately eerie this proof of concept promotes the potential for a feature length creeper so be on the lookout!

PLAYTIME’S OVER (director Tony Reames)
Wow. This is fantastic. Literally. Beautifully recreated sequences from most of the iconic horror films of the last 60 years and the way they weave from one to the other is poetic. Horror fans’ eyes will spot tons of other nods (the babysitter has an S-Mart name tag on her shirt.) It’s funny how similar this babysitter/child dynamic initially felt to last year’s NFF alum, Skeletons in the Closet, yet went down an entirely different path. I loved how the little girl systematically sets up the babysitter Home Alone style. In some scenes I wish the score played better especially given that in some cases it was impeccably well done, but this minor criticism couldn’t cast a shadow over what was easily one of my favorites of the fest! Bravo to this team.

POSSESSIONS (director Zeke Farrow)
A guy decides to sell all of his possessions for $1 each to his friends in LA and one of them takes home a piece of the Berlin Wall that happens to be haunted by an old Nazi woman hellbent on causing havoc. I was entertained by this weird short because I enjoyed the characters and their reactions to the fucked up shit that is going on. This is not a traditional horror film folks and if you can keep that in mind as you watch it, I think you’ll enjoy it too.

TAGGED (director Patrick Mason)
A short but sweet one. Coming in at around two minutes, Tagged plays upon the recent theme of internet horror akin to Momo and Slenderman. A dude’s got his phone camera out and the app randomly tags something in the shadows of the adjacent room. Upon further investigation, this dude discovers a new friend who is creepy as F&%k! I’ve seen other films with similar elements, but I’ll tell you, the creeper at the end of this short is well worth the viewing and helps set Tagged apart from the rest of the pack. It just went live so you can check it out HERE!

THE TATTOOIST (director Michael Wong)
As Richard Propes of the Independent Critic states, “The Tattooist is a cinematic mindfuck” and I can certainly relate. Lots of awesome imagery here. The cinematography and lighting were wonderful. Some of the sequences are weird as f$%k. Inventive filmmakers such as Michael Wong show me that I really need to step up my visual storytelling game to compete with today’s indie maestros. I will say I had to watch this short twice and still can’t totally discern what is going on here aside from the fever dream type of visual barrage, but think this is a rabbit hole you’ll wanna head down just for the imagery and cutting alone.

TICK (director Ashlea Wessel)
• Best Horror Short
A woman and girl are alerted that people are coming for them and the younger of the two is quickly hidden under the bed. She watches as the woman (her mother?) is taken by the unknown intruders and proceeds to flee into the wintery woods where she takes refuge in a tent lined with black garbage bags. After a pretty sick dream montage with some amazingly trippy visuals, the girl is pulled abruptly from the tent, begins burning in the sunlight, and is restrained and packed in a van. The little girl’s abductors are using her blood to help themselves, which is apparently a commodity in this post-apocalyptic world, but don’t get a chance to take full advantage of their plunder when the child breaks free and seeks vengeance! Some cool imagery in here. Question though; is a Tick a vampire? This is the second short I watched with creatures having vampiric characteristics, but they couldn’t have been vampires. For one, the girl in this short has a reflection. But like the other short, Gaslight, the creatures in both are susceptible to damage courtesy of lights, not just sunlight. Since seeing Wessel’s earlier effort, Ink I have been a fan of hers. Some of the context of Tick was lost in my two viewings of it, but there’s still plenty there for me to be a fan of. I can only imagine the visuals we’d get if someone gave Wessel a music video to direct.

TOGETHER (director Ryan Oksenberg)
A woman who runs a hazmat cleanup crew and is dealing with issues of her own brings on a new hire that takes the job to a whole new gory level. I’ve always thought this occupation would make for a great horror story and was not disappointed in this instance. All I can say is watching a man slurp brain matter and head guts off the back of a couch like a Hoover is something every horror fan should see and you can quote me on that.

TOOTHACHE (director Stacey Palmer)
From the reactions this film received by viewers those who have fears dealing with their teeth – and insects for that matter – should avoid this film at all costs. Short and sweet, Toothache hits on all the right levels of discomfort to please us horror fans and damn the sound of a fork scraping against a tooth is unnerving!

TRAPPED (director Billy Chizmar)
Based on a story by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. It feels similar to Gerald’s Game in that a girl gets stuck in a bear trap in the middle of the woods. What initially appears to be an unhappy accident quickly turns sinister as we discover the whole scenario was a trap set up by a jealous lover. I appreciate that the filmmakers trusted in the story to provide the horror since most of the film takes place during the daytime and accompanied by the sheer viciousness of the bear trap FX work, I think they accomplished that. I have to say the score was pretty distracting since it is mostly comprised of noises instead of music so it continued to divert my attention thinking that someone or something was entering the scene making that noise.

TRUST ME (director Nate Ruegger)
A short film based on the tale of the goatman, a shapeshifting entity that roams the woods and happens upon an unlucky couple vacationing for a few days away from the hustle and bustle of city life. I am blown away by the recent popularity of doppelgänger stories in cinema and though this short doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the mix, I gotta say it was easily one of the creepiest shorts of the festival. The imagery of the creature – or whatever it is – underneath the picnic blanket and the following tormenting forms it takes on throughout the movie are eerie as hell. Very effective horror film here ladies and gentlemen.

VR FOOD (director Alex Malcolm Mills)
I literally have no idea what this short film was about. Please don’t take offense Mr. Mills as some art is just too cerebral for my liking. Two techs are experimenting with virtual reality, trying to create VR edibles (I think), but the visions/dreams seen during the tests drive them to insanity and murder (I think)! Love the colorful look of this film, but really wish it made more sense to me.

THE VICIOUS (directors Trevor Dillon & Ian Hock)
I’m a fan of taking a cliched horror plot and giving it a unique twist, which is no different here. I’m also a big fan of Brea Grant so I went into this film excited for her performance and was not disappointed. Brea, her beau, and their daughter get lost while on a road trip and find themselves at the farmhouse of a welcoming albeit slightly weird family willing to provide shelter for the weary travelers. During dinner tension flies and this film’s fun twist rears its ugly head. What’s really cool about the twist is how it is accented visually when the film switches from black and white to color. Definitely a fun short film to check out if you get the chance!

WASHED (director Michael Bartolomeo)
A couple’s dirty laundry piles up until the guy finally heads out to find a laundromat willing to take on the task of cleaning up such a big mess. What better than a laundromat run by the devil… or the Grim Reaper (no distinctive difference here). Fans of Peter Gabriel’s stop-motion animation videos of the 80s will feel right at home here. The last couple minutes of this short were an absolute blast. Spotted my old friend Alan Rowe Kelly in the credits too!

WATER HORSE (director Sean Temple and Sarah Wisner)
A secluded family encounters a dreadful presence emerging from the water near their house. The title work was really great and is something that isn’t often mentioned when discussing a film… except maybe Carpenter’s The Thing. I loved the look of this short, it had a very strong Irish horror look to it; dismal and gray. So the family sees an old rowboat that washes ashore and then the husband is killed by a guy in their house and his body dragged outside. The dropping body FX was awesome, but beyond this point in the film I got lost story-wise. Is the killer a ghost? If so, who is he and why is he fucking up this family’s day? The final minute is comprised of a series of shots fever dream style causing me to assume the whole family was killed, but I don’t really know how or if this was the case. Lots to like here stylistically, but difficult for my IQ level to understand. Call me stupid if you like, but at least I don’t leave my 2-year-old alone next to a lake. That’s begging for an accident mom. Watch the short and you’ll see what I mean.

WE DIE ALONE (director Marc Cartwright)
• Best Actor Short Baker Chase Powell
One of the more serious shorts in the mix. I’ve known of Baker’s work for some time now being friends of the Slasher Studio team and think he really showed his chops in this role. Bravo for the well-deserved award Baker! The film starts with rich vibes of Maniac and other brooding serial killer stories, but ends with a delightful twist. Highly recommended.

WE FOLLOW YOU (director Brandon Espy)
A famous social media starlet is bombarded with a zombie-like barrage of fandom after the government shuts down all social media. I find this to be an interesting topic for a horror film and the way Espy creates symbolism here with themes akin to Romero’s The Crazies was a beautiful meld. I can’t say I’ve ever been so addicted to another person’s life that I’d go to these extremes, but there are certainly a shit ton of people out there who may! Reality stars beware!!!!