SHORT FILM REVIEW: CANNIBAL FLESH RIOT!

A short film produced for around $6,000, "Cannibal Flesh Riot!" is a visually dynamic and original film that, in general, impressed me. Running for around thirty odd minutes, its cinematography is imaginative, and clearly took a lot of careful consideration. Employing the use of stop motion animation to truly amazing effect during a sequence in the film, it's something Ed Wood could only dream about.

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TORONTO AFTER DARK 2009: NEXT FLOOR

Although Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2009 has come and gone, there's still plenty of room to speculate the many films that had mesmerized us, disappointed us or even shocked us. Having attended the Closing Night Gala, I had a chance to experience a film that I'd never heard of, yet quickly became astonished by. While I had been pining for Grace that entire week (or rather, months) the fact that I enjoyed the preceding short film more still surprises me. Juxtaposing formality and absurdity, "Next Floor" is a rare experience not worth missing.

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SHINSEDAI CINEMA FEST 2009: SUZUKI & CO.

The indie director Kazuo Kono takes up the lead role as a recently laid off worker struggling to find a new job. Kazuo responds to a want ad for a company called Suzuki & Co, which is a small online auction company that sells watches and other little knick-knacks.

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TORONTO AFTER DARK 2009: DANSE MACABRE

Due to technical difficulties during Day 7 at Toronto After Dark Film Festival, "Danse Macabre" was moved to the following day, during the closing gala. I wasn't expecting to see this short, but was glad I had the chance to. Not only was it visually stunning, but the simple concept introduced innovative ideas in the horror genre.

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TORONTO AFTER DARK 2009: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN BLOODY TORTURERS

"Legend of the Seven Bloody Torturers" is about a clerk that has been assigned to a dungeon to evaluate the torturers' effectiveness, but runs into a few problems when his presence becomes known. I really enjoyed this short because it reminded me of Orson Welles’s film The Trial as well as Terry Gilliam’s Brazil - both films notably criticizing the bureaucratic process.

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