This is the first of a three-part look at the short films that are playing in Danger After Dark's short film program, Straight for the Kill, a collection of some of the horrific shorts from around the world.


Treevenge
Year: 2008
Director: Jason Eisener
Studio: YerDead Productions
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 15 Mins
Official Website: http://www.treevenge.com/





(Please note, this review is a repost from 12/16/2008)

If you thought “Splatter Disco” was the only Christmas themed horror film that I could come with, this year, I was sadly mistaken. There is another film that has the holiday theme and fits into the Christmas season, very well. The film that I’m talking about is Treevenge. This film could also be called, “Attack of the Killer Christmas Trees”, as that’s what I thought at the end of this short. The film has won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival, New York City Horror Film Fest and Toronto After Dark Film Festival and will be playing at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in January.

“Treevenge” is the latest creation from the guys who came out last year during around the time that “Grindhouse” came out with the notorious grindhouse faux trailer “Hobo With a Shotgun”, which won the SXSW Grindhouse Trailer Cut contest, last year, in conjunction with Quentin Taratino and Robert Rodriquez’s “Grindhouse”. The film is about, the experiences and lives of the Christmas trees. After being chopped down to be sold and shipped from their homes, they aren’t happy being used for display purposes. This Christmas will be definitely be different, as the trees will fight back and try to end civilization and the Chirstmas hoiliday, as we know it.

‘Treevenge” is a holiday filled gorefest that’s so demented you’ll be shocked. The direction of this film has the same grindhouse type feel that made “Hobo with a Shotgun"faux trailer very entertaining and earned cult like status on myspace. I liked how, director Jason Eisener goes for that vibe again, with this project. It help makes this film very odd, from most films that I usually see, especially when you have trees talking with subtitles. I’m not kidding. The pace of the action was good, as Eisener (who’s also the editor) does a good job editing; as the action doesn’t take away the film’s story. He also makes the violence very gory. The gory effects were very good, as there were a couple of very graphic images that were gruesome to watch, as he replicates the violence that was seen in his previous project.

Eisener and Rob Cotterill’s screenplay was good and original. The writers did a great job making the action very shocking. They did that, by making the death horrifying, as it added to the film’s shock level. There were moments that were very gruesome. Their development of the characters was solid. They do a good job developing the time between when the trees get cut in the beginning of the film to Christmas day, where this is not a Christmas to remember. They also did a good job getting the tree’s perspective oddly enough. They did that, by making their dialogue subtitled, which made more than just the typical boring B-movie monster. In that same time, the writers did a good job developing the soon to be victims. They did that to make sure that you are shocked, when the trees attack.

Treevenge will definitely make you think twice, before deciding to put up a tree, this Christmas.

Review Rating: 4 Stars



Side Effect
Year: 2009
Director: Liz Adams
Studio: AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women
Stars: Virginia Newcomb, Suzy Cote, Jonathan Nail
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 13 Mins
Official Website: http://www.sideeffectthemovie.net/






"Side Effect is about an attractive, over achieving student, who takes a job as a babysitter, for a wealthy couple. The couple trusts her with their kids, as they head out for a social gathering. While watching the kids, she begins to work on her schoolwork. Being frustrated with it, she takes a couple of pills to help focus on her schoolwork. Soon the pills take its effect and helps her balance everything that she needs to do, but these pills have a side effect that might end up with deadly consequences.

“Side Effect” is a very effective and shocking short film. Liz Adams’ direction was very good. She does great job looking at the dangers of abusing drugs while creating images that were shocking and downright horrifying. What made this effective was Adams’ ability to create an atmosphere that is very dark and creepy, by setting up the tension in the film’s beginning, so that you’re led in a different direction. She also directs some of the film’s action very well, as it really helped show off the character’s state of mind from the beginning of the film until it’s end, as some of this film reminded me of Darren Aronofsky’s second film “Requiem of a Dream”, which also tackles the same subject. But what makes this character study work was the way that Adams directs her leading lady, Virginia Newcomb, as her performance helps carry this film. She pulls off her role very well, as she shows different sides of her character. This helps her performance become believable and helps the film be a very shocking film.

Adams’ screenplay was also very good. One of the things that make this screenplay good, the fact the film has a constant message about the dangers of pill addiction. This message is present in the film’s story and action, which I hope some of you, who watches this get it, because it’s something that’s not explored enough in cinema. Another thing that makes the screenplay and story very good, the way Adams makes this film a character study instead of a film that focuses on shock value. There is shock value here, but that’s not the main focus of the story. She focuses on the story and the effects that the main character is having with these pills and the dangers that such an addiction poses. It makes the film very dark and makes you interested in the dangers, when you misuse pills just to keep yourself up all night.

Side Effect is a shocking and horrifying short that carries a powerful message regarding the dangers of misusing pills.

Review Rating: Five Stars

Upcoming Screenings for the Straight for the Kill Short Film Program presented by Danger After Dark.

Sunday March 29th, 9:15 PM International House Philadelphia, PA
Sunday April 5th, 4:30 PM International House Philadelphia, PA