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[Fantastic Fest Review] ‘Starfish’ Plays Like an Eclectic Mixtape of Cosmic Horror

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Exploration of grief through horror is nothing new, but Starfish may mark the first time it’s explored by way of a Lovecraftian Armageddon. For Aubrey (Virginia Gardner), the loss of her best friend Grace (Christina Masterson) leaves her so devastated and broken that she barely functions on autopilot and eventually breaks into Grace’s apartment to retain closeness to her lost friend. But she wakes up one morning to the world frozen over, invaded by strange creatures, and most of humanity gone. Aubrey must navigate the terrifying new world with only the clues and mixtapes Grace left behind for her.

Writer/director/executive producer Al White, who also composed the film’s score, crafts Aubrey’s journey through the stages of grief and guilt exactly like the mixtapes she finds throughout the film. Meaning it varies in style, tempo, and genre, but is always grounded in Aubrey’s melancholy. Grace’s apartment and pets provide Aubrey an anchor, but the monoliths that have popped up in town that opened the doors to otherworldly beasts means that Aubrey’s mind often ventures into strange places too. Sometimes it’s just popping into a new landscape, other times it’s slipping into dreamlike animated sequences. And sometimes it also means popping into a reality that’s so meta it takes the viewer out of the film altogether. It’s all driven by music, a visual storytelling set to White’s score and indie soundtrack. Not everything works.

Similar to the homemade mixtape, the transitions between songs and scenes are often jarring and abrupt, making it confusing at times to follow Aubrey’s story. It smooths out for the most part, but the introductory scenes to the narrative setup feel haphazard due to the editing. As for the horror, it’s there but often just lurking out of reach. White takes cues from the Silent Hill video games, in that the monsters on screen are representative of the guilt bearing down on the main character.

This is a personal tale of grief for White, mirroring Aubrey’s story from pieces of his own life, but his musical background means that this narrative is much more aurally focused and not always very coherent. For those looking for something much more abstract, and cosmic horror tends to lend itself well to the abstract, Starfish offers a fresh perspective. But it can take awhile to get anywhere, and those looking for straightforward horror will likely find themselves frustrated. Gardner delivers a great portrayal of a woman too consumed with grief and guilt, keeping us invested in getting to the root of it, even when we never really learn much about her connection to Grace. That’s okay though, because it’s not ever really about Grace.

There’s a lot to like about Starfish; the stunning snowy landscapes, the haunting score steeped in forlornness, and the metaphor of cosmic horror as grief. But the choppy editing, the overly arthouse way it presents some of the themes, and underdeveloped aspects of the story in favor of the aural experience is ostracizing. Starfish is less story and more of an exorcism of personal loss by way of a cinematic musical mixtape. It’s cool in concept, but doesn’t always work.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

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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