Telluride Horror Show has been a blast so far, delivering what ended up being a good dose of shorts to kick off the weekend for me, Sickle. Efrit is writing up a review on the sole film we caught yesterday (The Boat) and The Creatures Were Stirring Shorts Block, so be sure to check that out! We have a ton of feature films (in addition to more shorts) on the docket for today, so keep an eye out for more updates on Facebook and reviews later today/tomorrow morning!
We are trying a condensed Horror Short Rating System this year of a single rating (unlike our usual 3-set rating system for feature films) to give readers a brief idea of how good or bad we thought a short was. We don't have extensive criteria for this unlike our other rating system, but just going solely on our subjective guts (if...you know...we had any).
MOMMIE DEAREST SHORTS BLOCK
Monstagram - My favorite of the block, this black humor take on the social media mothers of America paints a violent end for a mom more concerned with her Instagram page than her son in the bathtub. It's a hilarious and brutal commentary on the state of parenting in this social media age. Mostly hilarious. SHORT HORROR RATING: 9/10
Milk - Definitely the creepiest short of the block, Milk also ended on the most cryptic note that went way over our heads. So the message fell a bit short of the most powerful horror vehicle. SHORT HORROR RATING: 6/10
The Day My Mother Became a Monster - A French short that follows a single mother (divorced) and her daughter as their relationship deteriorates with an impending visit from the father and an inopportune wound that is causing a gruesome transformation in the mother. Equal parts drama and body horror, this one has a bit of an excessive length, but is inevitably a bleak but moving perspective on the challenges of single motherhood, particularly in a divorced household. SHORT HORROR RATING: 8/10
Mother of a Sacred Lamb - A dark and tense take on motherhood, loss, and our willingness to accept ignorance as bliss. SHORT HORROR RATING: 7/10
Mama's Boy - It felt essentially like a more intimately set take on Norman Bates (Psycho). So take that for what you will. SHORT HORROR RATING: 4/10
Drum Wave - It is my impression that the cultural context of this short made me miss the reason the story felt cut off early. Or perhaps I wasn't intuitive enough or smart enough to understand that everything I needed was provided. My brain has perhaps decomposed too far at this point...Well, either way, this short had a lot for me up to the point of the abrupt cut-to-black. SHORT HORROR RATING: 5/10
ANIMATED SHORTS BLOCK
Winston - A uniquely executed vision, Winston is primarily a dark tale narrated through the letters of our protagonist as he appears to be suffering from cabin fever...or is he? The art style deserves major kudos for merging well with the story. SHORT HORROR RATING: 8/10
The Death Dad & Son - This short follows Death as a father trying to raise his son to be the next angel of...well...Death. But the son has other aspirations. The wordless story cleverly depicts the unique father/son dynamic with some great macabre laughs. SHORT HORROR RATING: 9/10
Attack of the Potato Clock - Despite some scruffy sound quality at times, this hilarious short about an elementary school potato clock seeking sanctum/revenge for its fellow potatoes from/on the unsuspecting lunch lady is comedic gold. SHORT HORROR RATING: 7/10
Hybrids - A commentary on where our oceans are headed due to our excessive pollution, but using fantastic CG animation and a warped take on evolution to drive the visuals. One of the best of the block. SHORT HORROR RATING: 9/10
Nothing to Declare - This short went down so many paths and twists in such a short amount of time. The animation wasn't flawless in its approach, but the plot and its delivery more than makes up for it. SHORT HORROR RATING: 8/10
Sog - Another dialogue-less story that conveys a stronger message and plot than most works that have plenty of exposition. The moral compass is shuffled with the dark and humorous metaphors throughout, and the ultimate combination with its great animation and texturing style makes Sog one of the best shorts of the weekend. SHORT HORROR RATING: 9/10
SOMETHING WEIRD SHORTS BLOCK
Who's That at the Back of the Bus? - I don't want to ruin this one, so I won't dive too deep into it. It follows a woman by herself on the top level of a double-decker bus when she is introduced to an odd passenger. It's weird, it's freaky, it's violent, and it's hilarious. SHORT HORROR RATING: 9/10
BFF Girls - This heavily satired short about 3 Sailor Moon-esque girls conquering their periods is rife with commentary and heavy-handed, but full of some great humor and black comedy throughout. SHORT HORROR RATING: 7/10
Fetish - A tale that feels like a condensed dark indie comedy, this short plays out effectively as a dramedy...until it isn't. Fantastically done. SHORT HORROR RATING: 8/10
Hair Wolf - Filmed in a blaxploitation style, this oft-nuanced take on African American culture and its invasion and corruption by white Americans has a voice found in its horror humor take, and it works conveying a strong message with laughs. SHORT HORROR RATING: 8/10