I have to admit something, I think I may have ADD. When I was a kid, I could barely fall asleep at bedtime and this has carried over into adulthood, leading to my aversion to long running times with movies. I honestly cannot stand it when a filmmaker is telling a fantastic story but spreads it out over 180 minutes. It’s this personality quirk that led me to discover the wonderful world of film shorts. There is something about a 3, 5, or even 10 minute film that, when done right, can turn out to be better than any of the films out in the theaters. The Mile High Horror Film Festival accepts submissions from all over the world and selects some of the very best that are available out there. Out of the 60 plus shorts shown this year, the following 12 below are my top rated picks from all 8 programs shown. And, just for your viewing pleasure, I have scoured the internet to find the links to the full short film (some only have trailers available). Enjoy!
Warning: Most are NSFW.
12. Girl
Deep in the dark woods, a girl in a cage is being held captive by a man with a knife. Yet who is the more dangerous one? 8 min run time, directed by Charles Quinn Frutos
11. Peepers
A couple fears they are being watched and find it impossible to eat their soup. Who is peeping into their window? 7 min run time, directed by Ken Lam
10. Bunny Boy
When a young child walks home from school, he encounters a strange-looking man in a full bunny costume laying in his backyard. The man is not moving and, instead of fleeing, the boy becomes intrigued and begins a silent conversation. I will never look at the Easter Bunny the same way again. 5 min run time, directed by Brandon Laganke
9. Wawd Ahp
The only way to describe this short is to take the description directly out of the festival’s program: A man raps into a mirror, cuts his head off, has sex with it, and creates a movie. One of the strangest shorts I have ever seen. 3 min run time, directed by Josh Chertoff & Steve Girard
8. 2 Careful Owners
A sequel to last year’s horrific One Careful Owner, this story delves further into the death of Chris Lee’s wife Barbara and the conspiracy which lands Chris at the mercy of the criminal underworld. A fantastic sequel to the first, the storyline borders more gritty terror than torture horror…although I did become uneasy and may now have a fear of hammers. Currently there is no link to this video; however, watch the first short down below. 15 min run time, directed by Mike Tack
Can’t embed this one – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvJiJrs5qb8
7. Luna
A young girl witnesses the murder of her family by a mysterious killer. Now, she must try and survive before the killer finds her. An homage to the always entertaining werewolf genre, Luna incorporates suspense along with it’s brilliant storytelling. 12 min run time, directed by Antonio Perez
6. Waterborne
When a local ranger in a small country town finds an unidentified algae overwhelming the town’s water supply, he knows something is not right. But, it’s not until the sun goes down that he discovers the true extent of the danger. Count me in when kangaroos turn into flesh eating zombies! 8 mins, directed by Marisa Brown
5. Prospect
A coming of age story dealing with a teenage girl on a toxic alien planet. She and her father hunt for precious materials aimed at striking it rich. When her father is attacked by a roving bandit, the daughter must take control. One of the best sci-fi shorts I have seen in quite some time (the cinematography is amazing). 14 min run time, directed by Christopher Caldwell & Zeek Earl
4. (M)
Question: What is a maniac? Answer: watch this short and you will know a maniac.
3. Dog Food
When Declan, a butcher, loses his dog and best friend Ralphie, his life starts to unravel. A demented PETA advertisement…and it works. Amanda Seyfried is brilliant in this gem. (Trailer included) 18 min run time, directed by Brian Crano
http://dogfoodfilm.com/trailer
2. Good Samaritan
When a man videotapes a fatal assault where bystanders watch and don’t intervene, he finds himself haunted by the guilt of his own inaction, and by something far more insidious. The cinematic shots gave me serious goosebumps…then the story really, really frightened me. Now waiting (impatiently) on the full length movie and enjoy an amazing cinematic scare! 12 min run time, directed by Jeffrey Reddick
1. One Please
Mommy and Daddy love you very much…very, very much. Mr. Michael Berryman adds to this sinister story about what it’s like being a parent just trying to get their kid an ice cold treat. 7 min run time, directed by Jesse Burks
Recent Comments