Day 3 of THS has come and gone and I am reflecting on two awesome showings: For The Sake of Vicious and Black and Blue Comedy Shorts.
For The Sake of Vicious
As someone vaguely familiar with slasher movies and revenge plots in terms of horror, I was curious to see how this film played out. A high-strung nurse, a harrowed, broken father, and a sleazy business owner are all connected in a story about anger and revenge.
Five years after the trial of his daughter’s rape case, the father is dead-set on making the man he is sure committed this heinous crime, pay. The suspect is a wealthy property-owner with two little girls of his own- hardly a rapist in his own eyes. The father tracks down the nurse who aided his daughter that night and involves her in his plot to keep the suspect alive while he interrogates and beats him.
The somewhat forgettable cast and plot is heavily overshadowed by the violence porn that permeates nearly every single scene. During the film’s runtime, we get to see kneecaps busted, eyes gouged, guns being shot, and multiple stab wounds from the noisiest knife sound effects whichever side of the Mississippi. Some of the injuries inflicted were impressively creative. The hate expressed and the violent acts committed by each of the characters results in a relentless story that has payoff by the end. The resolution may not be what you want or what you expected, but slasher and crime fans will enjoy For The Sake of Vicious.
Good movie? It was not my favorite, but I can appreciate a bunch of violence if need be.
Scary movie? This film is horror in the sense that it is horrific. No angry spirits or serial slashers here.
Horror Rating System
Horror Qualifier: 5/10
Horror Quality: 5/10
Film Quality: 6/10
Black and Blue Comedy Shorts Block
Gorgar
Two pals chat and crack jokes over some food while watching Gorgar, a presidential candidate creature intent on eliminating sandwiches the world over. Suddenly, the monster teleports into their living room. Will they choose Gorgar, or sandwiches?
No Thank You
This was one of my favorites! It has an honesty that I, a wine-loving and soft-blanket-enjoying girl can appreciate. The end of the world is nigh and two female roommates squabble about staying in and appreciating the creature comforts of their own apartment, or making it work in the apocalyptic world outside, contact solution and tampon availability or not. The banter and bitching is hilarious and relatable as I’m sure most everyone knows someone similar to either of the characters.
There’s A Ghost In The House
Can ghosts talk? Can they even hear? A couple argue about what the dearly departed can do as a ghost watches them awkwardly from the living room. This was another one of my favorites! Something about the stereotypical “white sheet” ghost is endearing and amusing.
Oh Deer
A man attempts to put a buck out if it’s misery as his son looks on. After hitting it with his car, the father decides the humane thing to do is to end the deer’s pain and scrambles for anything to end the animal’s life. Oh Deer wasn’t the greatest in terms of production or believability, but it was entertaining nonetheless.
Karaoke Night
This short was incredibly vulgar but for some may just be the comic relief needed after three days of horror movies. A singer at a karaoke bar is heckled by a pervy man after she finishes her performance. An erotic beast gives the man what’s coming to him and the bar is able to reap the benefits. This neon horror was just plain weird but had a few moments for some laughs.
Peter the Penguin
The premise of Peter the Penguin was a stretch even if you accept the short’s rules within its own universe. A woman’s new boyfriend is about to meet her daughter and brings her a new gift: a small lion plush sure to win the heart of any youngster. The woman chides her boyfriend and states her daughter has been heavily interested in penguins lately, and the lion is much too small for her liking regardless. They walk into an emergency medical situation where the daughter’s penguin doll has been gravely injured, and there’s only one sacrifice that can be made to save Peter.
Hospital Dumpster Divers
The creature horror in Hospital Dumpster Divers is imaginative but almost completely unbelievable. The set design was great (they must have visited a landfill for all the refuse) but that’s about where it ended for me. Nearly, everything about Hospital Dumpster Divers was just gross, although there was a pretty crazy moment that redeemed a lot of it for me.
Sonrisas (Smiles)
Possibly my favorite, this short was comical and relevant. This story is about a very normal, Spanish-speaking couple. The girlfriend invites the boyfriend to meet her parents for the first time but unbeknownst to the boyfriend, they are unlike any humans he’s ever seen. The emoji-faced family appear supportive albeit silent, but we learn that authenticity and living your most honest self is the most important aspect of being in a relationship.
You Wouldn’t Understand
This one felt a little too niche in the time paradox/simulation genre, but the incredulity and mystery makes this short very engaging and believable in it’s own universe. The simple two-person cast is talented in that they make you feel as though you’re about to witness a lot of chaos that is about to ensue. I enjoyed this short!
Little Willie
A child star grows up to resent his typecast. Little Willie, a children’s doll who causes his owner to go on a killing spree strikes again at a convention. This short definitely seems like it took huge inspiration from the “Chucky” franchise of days gone by. I could appreciate it for what it was, but this one may have been my least favorite of the shorts block.
Day 3 down and one more to go to wrap up the festival. Curious to see what they have for us tomorrow!