SPECIAL PREVIEW: Save Her (short film)

Those who know me, know that I don't endorse just any film. That's why you should pay close attention here. You don't want to miss out.

Chicago-based creative talent, Nem Perez, has released a teaser trailer and website for his upcoming short film Save Her. There has been a lot of talk about this film during it's production, and I have been eagerly awaiting it's release.

Here's what Perez has to say about his film (from interview on RubyHornet.com):

"To put it shortly: The story is about a girl trapped in her nightmare who's saved by her lover who emerges from his dream to rescue her.

The film has many other themes surrounding it as well, especially those concerning dream vs reality (and which state is worth living in most). None of the characters have names except for the main female role Maryam (played by Megan Lewis). Maryams side of the story takes place in her nightmare while the boys side (played by Alex Duarte) takes place in his dreamland. The main antagonist of the story is played by Monica Anelle, she lives in the boys dream and she is the woman he's been dreaming about since he was younger. I don't want to give away too much else since the project is still in development but that's the main synopsis."

From what I've been seeing and hearing about Save Her, it has the feel of films by Lars Von Trier, Tarsem Singh, and early Darren Aronofsky. Personally, I love films like this. When filmmakers get abstract with their craft, it unlocks their full artistic ability. It gives them the chance to dig deep and really go all out artistically. This film has so much potential for being a visual treat with thrills, chills, and making the viewer think. The imagery, colors, use of gritty black and white and overall concept all have me at the edge of my seat to see this film.

Save Her is one fever dream I can't wait to experience.

website with trailer (trailer contains a little bit of nudity): Click Here

Treevenge (short film)

From the madmen that brought us Hobo With A Shotgun, comes this 2008 short film Treevenge. You read that right. The idea behind this is brilliant. There is a lot more to pine trees than we thought.

They are sick and tired of us cutting them down, dragging them from their families and natural habitats and humiliating them with decorations until they die and are thrown out. So they decide to finally rise up and exact their revenge in this 15 minute, blood-soaked beauty.

Just like with Hobo, they really pull out all the stops. Just when you think "no...there's no way they would take it that far...they can't" they do. It's outrageous in all the best ways.

I couldn't help but laugh throughout almost every minute of the carnage. It is out of this world, you won't really believe what you're seeing at first, but just suspend your disbelief and soak it all in. Any real horror fan would love this. I think I've finally found a filmmaker who is just as batshit crazy as I am.

As a special treat the director himself, Jason Eisener, gave me permission to include a link to Treevenge for all to enjoy. Remember, it's not for the faint of heart:

TREEVENGE

Shock or not? Shock

Film: 5/5
Shock: 5/5

Jason Eisener is the first director to receive a double 5 rating on 2 films. They are well deserved. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us in the future!

Street Trash

Street Trash blew my mind. I mean, I knew going into it that it was going to be nuts, but...wow. I'm not even sure what to say.

There are a couple of stories going on here. The first is that a liquor store owner finds a box of booze buried in his basement walls. A drink called Viper. He starts selling it at $1 a bottle to the local homeless population. It ends up having some really insane results. Those who drink it almost instantly start to melt. But this isn't your average human melting. Amongst the blood and guts is a bright, vibrant palate of blues, yellows, reds and greens. It's strangely artistic.

The other story focuses on a group of homeless that built a little settlement amongst a junkyard, and their insane leader who is a Vietnam War vet who's mind was lost long ago.

It doesn't take too long before this movie dives into the insanity and never looks back. I found myself often with my hands on my head in awe filled confusion of who the hell wrote this stuff. It was fun as hell to experience.

This one is for those who like horror, but also love the weird. You have to be into the weird in order to enjoy this film. If you are, watching Street Trash will be a gleefully twisted good time.

Shock or not? Shock

Film: 3/5
Shock: 5/5

American Psycho

It's not very every day we see a film adapted from a novel that is based in the horror genre. Thankfully, one of the most controversial books, of the same title, in recent history was translated into the beautiful film that is American Psycho. We start out by being plunged head first into the life of Patrick Bateman. A man who is already well on his way into insanity. Constantly striving for perfection, he only has one thing that is his release...brutally murdering people.

During the day he wears a mask of sanity, pretending to be normal, but that mask begins to slip. His sinister urges are becoming harder and harder to control and as we follow him into this drug and blood fueled darkness, we become less and less sure of where reality ends and his insanity begins.

Personally, I think this film is quite brilliant. It's really different, funny, sick and freaky as shit. Nothing like a naked lunatic covered in blood chasing you through an apartment building laughing and revving a chainsaw. It gets downright insane, and I very much enjoyed that.

Surprisingly enough, there isn't very much gore in this film, but that makes sense. It's not about the gore, it's about the acts and the man behind them. One of the parts that I love the most about this is one aspect that really sets it apart. It gets to the point where he recognizes that things have gotten way out of control, even for a serial killer, and tries to confess to the killings. But no one will believe him. He wants to get caught, but everyone thinks it's just a joke. It's such a beautiful twist that each time I watch it I can't help but get goosebumps during his closing monologue. The idea of straight up telling someone how you want to kill them, in detail, to their face and having them just ignore it. Its unlike anything I've seen.

This film is a perfect addition to a horror fan's collection. It's not the most shocking thing I've seen, but it is shocking nonetheless.

Shock or not? Shock

Film: 4/5
Shock: 3/5