The short film “Legitimate,” directed by an up-and-coming female director name Izzy Lee, is a story that conveys female empowerment. The audience is first introduced to a senator that goes into a strip club. What he gets is a woman in bondage and well you know a seductive strip tease. In the end, the senator gets what he came for, but leaves with something a little less than what he bargained for.  From start to finish Lee creates an atmosphere that leaves the audience drooling and wanting more. Stylistically she hit the nail on the end. Each sequence is set up for the last shot to leave the audience thinking, “Did that just happen?” and once you come to that realization she jerks the audience back into reality. I recommend this short for anyone that loves the horror genre! It has everything that the genre needs in the modern society: it is unique, well written, and well directed/casted.  It does not follow the clichés of horror films and it easily makes it way into the revenge sub genre (which is coming full force).  This is someone that we need to keep an eye out for! 

There are so many great film shorts out there that I think are fantastic!! So it took me awhile to figure out my top three. But when it comes down to creepiness, gore, and all around good fun- these three won!  check them out!!  Granny, Bedfellows, and The Closet! 

What happens when you mess with  Granny?  find out in this gory thrill ride directed by Steven C. Miller (Silent Night)

And you thought that having your girlfriend stand beside your bed was creepy. How about someone in your bed?  Drew Dawalt gives you a reason to be scared to go to sleep again..

In this last one (also directed by Drew Daywalt) He shows why mother knows best.. 

Going to see this movie, I honestly had very low expectations. Just the name “Spring Breakers” had me doubt that this movie would be any good. And can I mention the cast? Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine. It felt like it was going to be a Disney channel exclusive that somehow got onto the big screen.  But I when I say that I was wrong… I was wrong. This movie has so many elements to it that make it a beautiful masterpiece.  Starting from the editing to cinematography to the overall very impressive acting from the whole cast.

Starting out, this is a film from Harmony Korine who is known for his shorts (Kids, Gummo).  In the movie “Spring Breakers” Korine portrays the lives of four college students who are eager to get away from their boring lives and go to spring break in St.Petersburg, Florida.  They find out that they don’t have enough money to go on spring break so they decide to go rob a restaurant to get the money. While they are in St.Petersburg they find out that things are not what they expected, and end up doing things that end up changing their lives forever.

This movie is not about four girls who go on spring break and have fun.  Korine makes the point to have the themes of loss of innocence and the process of finding one’s self.  He uses his camera techniques and editing style to make the audience feel uncomfortable throughout the whole movie.  The acting from Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine is unbelievable.  They took these mature, adult roles by storm and show everyone that they are no longer the “Disney princesses.”  And can I say the transformation of James Franco?  Going from “Oz: The Great and Powerful” to this film is unbelievable.

Overall, Korine shows the true reality of the darker side of  life. He demonstrates that when you go looking for “fun” that you may not get the fun that you are looking for.  Spring break is not “forever.”   


-Cole Long

“Stitches” is a British black-comedy horror film created by the mind of Connor McMahon (Fangoria’s gorezone-”Dead Meat”).  The story takes place in the English country-side where a clown named Stitches (Ross Noble) takes on a kid’s party to earn some money. When the kids make fun of him and call him names the party turns into a big mishap.

Stitches’ comes back from the grave to exact revenge for what the kids did to him. Ross Noble, who is a British comedian, gives a commanding performance as Stitches.  He uses his comedic attributes to bring him alive and make even the goriest parts of the film humorous. “Is everyone HAPPY?”

This film brings back the old school style of horror films, such as “Nightmare on Elm Street,” and shows you that not all horror films has to feel realistic.  The movie is crude, slapstick, and overall entertaining.  Watch out Freddy Krueger there is a new funny man in town.   

-Cole Long

“Would you rather kiss Iris or Would you rather kiss Linda?… is this what the game is about? Kissing? .. No, I got more in store for you,”  The movie “Would You Rather” is your typical horror film but with a surprise ending that leaves you stunned.  Directed by David Guy Levy, it stars Brittany Snow (“Pitch Perfect”, “Prom Night”) and John Heard (“Home Alone”). Snow plays Iris, a young woman who is taking care of her terminally ill sick brother. To try to make ends meet, she finds a guy that is willing to help her out by paying his doctor bills and getting him treatment. Unannounced to her, this aristocrat has sadistic plans. A gathering that is supposed to consist of wine, a three-course meal, and laughter turns into a game to stay alive. “Would You Rather” is a fun, slow thrill ride that leaves you wanting more. Even at some of the “worst” scenes, you are cheering on the contestants and hoping that the “game of life” is on their side.  Levy does a good job building up the suspense, and making you cringe. Up until the mouth-dropping ending, you are breathless. 

-Cole Long 

In this horror anthology, directors from all over the world come together to make 26 shorts for this one film called the “The ABCs of Death”.  The film produce directors such as Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police, Suicide Club), and Xavier Gens (Frontier(s),  Hitman). One thing this movie does an outstanding  job at is capturing the different genres of horror.

Xavier Gens short “XXL”, he captures the typical horror and “gore” factor in which he is known for.  In the short,  he shows a young woman who is on the “bigger” side.  Gens conveys in the beginning that people make fun of this woman for her image. With subtle images of beautiful, thin woman,  Gens shows that this woman will go through drastic measures to fit in with society and have the “perfect image”.

In the short “Pressure” by  Simon Rumley, he shows the not so “in your face” horror that comes with when people are under pressure.  Rumley shows a mother who wants everything for her children. Putting away money for a bike for her little girl’s birthday present,  you get a feeling that this woman really wants to make this one birthday special.  With some turn of events, the money disappears. In the end, Rumley shows this mother doing whatever she could to get that money back.

This movie leaves you with a feeling of dread, did that just happen?, and what did I just watch?.  Since “Creepshow” (1982), an anthology has never been so clear about what emotions that the directors wanted to get out of their audience. From the cinematography, direction,  and well done acting jobs. The producers Ant Timpson and Tim League nailed this one.  

-Cole Long