Hello everyone. It’s been a long, long time since I have done one of these posts, but I’m glad to back covering short films. I would love to put together a petition of everyone who loves movies demanding that theaters play more short features. Think of going to the movies, but instead of seeing all those commercials. You get to see one or two really good short film. Hell if Pixar can add one to their features. I don’t see why other studios can’t. Here is just a few I saw.
Mallas, MA
Cast: Timothy J Cox, Maria Natpov
Writers: Sean Meehan, Daniel Gerube, Todd Mahoney
Director: Sean Meehan.
Two con artists(Cox and Natpov) pose as paranormal research experts to cheat believers out of their money. While visiting one of their client’s home they come across a young girl in a basement who does not speak. They decide to use her as the proof of ghosts in the area.
This was a very entertaining short, but the ending was for me a little less satisfying. I wanted to see one of their previous con jobs before this one. It would help me understand a little bit more of those characters and what they did. However in a seven minute film, it’s going to be too hard to show all that. Timothy J Cox, and Maria Natpov do have good chemistry together and if this were just a bit longer they would have had time to explore their characters in more detail. The role of the so called ghost girl is played by twin actresses Uatchet Jin Juch and Nekhebet Jin Juch. It would have been way more creepy to have both of them in it at the same time. Ghost Twins are usually more scary in movies, right. Plus, just like our two con artists. I wanted to know more about that character’s back story, bust wasn’t. Director Sean Meehan and cinematographer Rick Macomber do have a good look to the film especially of scenes in the basement. Those were pretty creepy.
Watch Mallas, MA
Simple Mind
Cast: Timothy J Cox, Kristi McCarson
Writer and Director: Phil Newsom
No, this is not about the 80’s rock group who did the theme for The Breakfast Club. This is a story about a boy named Bob (Timothy J Cox) talking about a girl he loves named Samantha(Kristi McCarson) to his therapist. Now Bob has had a few problems in the past with bullies and other people making fun of him. So much ,it kind of turned him off to humanity in the process. In order to show Samantha and the rest of the world that he is not a looser. He begins killing, and what better place is there to start. Then with a girl you supposedly really love , right.
Within the very first few seconds of meeting this Bob guy. You know their is something off about him. Even if he wasn’t a psycho. This girl that he likes, should still get a restraining order against him. The twist at the end is nice and it did surprise me, but I have a feeling that it won’t surprise many of you. Director Phil Newsom does a good job at keeping the surprise to the very end, but regardless of the reveal. The guy is still a psycho.
Watch Simple Mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuT2a1_0cVQ
Total Performance.
Cast: Tory Berner, Steven Conroy
Writer and Director: Sean Meehan
If you have ever had problems breaking up with someone or had to fire your best friend from a job. You can hire the folks at this establishment, and they will be the punching bag for you in a way. Cori Sweeney(Tory Berner) is an actress whose clients hire her and others to fight with them. She tells this information to a guy she recently met named Tim Madsen(Steven Conroy) who asks if she is able to turn it off after fighting all day.
The premise of this is very interesting and I could see a whole feature dedicated to it. It brings up questions on why people would rather txt or post something on social media rather then just talk to that person face to face. The actors are all very good with a very strong performance from Berner in the lead role.
Watch Total Performance
Call Girl
Cast: Laurence R Harvey, Tristan Risk
Writer: Eric Havens
Director: Jill VI Gevargizian
A guy(Laurence R. Harvey) hires an escort(Tristan Risk) over to his place to record their time together online. However, he has something much more disturbing in mind of a good time.
This was a very good example of a ten minute short done right. It had characters you knew, but it didn’t have to go into too much depth with them either. Having it all be shot from just one camera was a pretty effective deal. Director Jill VI Gervargizian does a good job with setting up your expectations and then playing with them. I have seen Tristan Risk before in movies like American Mary and House of Manson and she as always is amazing. I have never seen Laurence R Harvey in anything. I knew he was the star of The Human Centipede 2, and 3. But from what I read about those movies, I don’t think my stomach could take it . I may haft to give those movies a chance now after watching him in this.
Watch Call Girl
I’m going to leave you now with a video by Girls Generation. The ladies who were in the main photo for this post. I had this song stuck in my head for a week after hearing this.
The Vern's Video Vortex. 
It would certainly be an enjoyable experience to view a couple of shorts before a feature film. I don’t know if it would be profitable for the Theaters, they probably make almost as much money from the commercials as they do from ticket sales these days. There used to be a theater in a town near me that did all those great nostalgic aspects but it had eventually closed down.
UGHHHH. Yeah Commercials are OK but do they need to be that long and all the damn time
Great post mate. You make a really good point, why have all the ads and bullshit before the movie when you could play a short or two? That would be awesome! But yeah of course its all money money money =/ I agree though that there needs to be short movies in cinemas, apart from the recent Adelaide Film Fest I have never seen a collection of shorts ever listed at any cinema
Same here Jordan, It’s always a shorts festival or I watch em online. Maybe shorts can just be longer commercials and just sell shit during their films
Some great films here, think I’ve just been sent Simple Mind to review so I’ll look forward to that! 🙂
Sweet I look forward to reading your thought on that one and other films you review