Hola, amigos. Welcome back to the World of Death!

First up this month we have Attention, directed by Nora Unkel and written by Omri Kadim. Attention starts with a warning that ignoring bad things makes them go away. Worst advice ever. This method of problem-solving doesn’t actually solve anything. But anyone who got the shit kicked out of them on the bus in high school knows ignoring your problems does not always result in them magically disappearing. Attention ends with a not-so-surprising statistic about exorcisms being on the rise in Indiana. I buy it.

Second, we have Bakulu, written and directed by Danny Takacs. Our first two films this month share a minimalist approach to storytelling that they not only pull off, but will hopefully inspire throngs of future filmmakers with. Get the idea out of your head that you need gallons of fake blood and exotic locations; concept and execution are more important than production value and set design, in this writer’s opinion. Except in the case of…

This month’s third and final film is Night of the Witch, written and directed by Jesse James Hennessy. This dude’s name alone should inform you as to what kind of wild ride you’re in for. Night of the Witch kind of reminds me of a Grant Morrison comic book and doesn’t pause on any one plot device or concept long enough to get boring. There’s a lot here to like, but then again there’s just a lot here in general. Every frame is filled with action and choices. It’s conceptually and aesthetically dense in a way that only works in its favor. I am very interested in seeing how Mr. James Hennessy would handle long-form storytelling. There’s also a fun drinking game to be played here; take a shot every time someone calls someone else a “bitch”. Seriously it’s worse than the “Scary Terry” episode of Rick and Morty…

Hope everyone enjoys Cinco de Mayo. Don’t forget Mother’s Day on the 9th, and we’ll see everyone back here in June for another World of Death!

Rock over London, Rock on Chicago,

Pat O.