Far Out
In 1972, a flamboyant producer’s Hollywood party takes a strange turn when an uninvited guest comes for more than sex and drugs. Consider your mind blown! (from the filmfest-guide)
It was quite a shock to switch from the serious, moving, quiet and gentle narrative shorts program to something like Far Out. Bold, bright, sexy, stoned, funny, stupid, hilarious, bloody and tarantinoesque. I think that says it all. It was so bad it became really great because of it. This was far out, man, so far out! :-) [imdb
There's a Werewolf in my Attic
Sasha and Billie just moved into a great house right next to their favorite coffee shops and thrift stores. They soon realize why the rent is so cheap -- when a malnourished and feisty werewolf is found living in the woodwork. (from the filmfest-guide)
This was another stupid, but very funny short that made me laugh. It deserves extra kudos for the creature! I enjoyed this film.
The Animals All Are Gathering
When a father goes snooping with his camcorder during a family picnic, he captures an awkward and disturbing moment. (from the filmfest-guide)
How I loved the humor of this only 4 minute short film. Just brilliant! One of my favorite shorts this year.
Attackazoids!
When colossal war machines launch a merciless invasion, one woman struggles to survive in a world that isn't what it appears to be. This science-fiction nightmare combines live action, stop-motion animation, and sound design to create a haunting vision of an alien invasion. (from the filmfest-guide)
I enjoyed this film and thought it was very well done. I don't know if the filmmaker intended to hint at the WWII era, but the song reminded me of a nazi-anthem. But maybe I'm reading too much into this. [imdb]
Fantaisie In Bubblewrap
An animation/live-action hybrid in which the audience is offered a glimpse into the lives of a society of vocal bubblewrap. (from the filmfest-guide)
Does a sheet of bubblewrap have the potential to make you cry? You bet it does! This was so sad, so cruel… and so funny, so simple and clever, just fantastic! I loved this 5-minute piece, another of my short favorites this year!
Asclepius Fandango
To quote Voltaire, “doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of whom they know nothing.” This stream-of-conscious cartoon takes comedy writing to new levels, and animation to new lows. (from the filmfest-guide)
This cartoon took about everything to new lows. Phew… hm… to be honest, there wasn’t anything I enjoyed or understood about this short film. I neither got the comedy/humor in it nor any other message it might have tried to bring across. Perhaps it required a certain mindset, relationship or involvement, but I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
Karaoke Show
At the age of 14, Karl Tebbe badly wanted to be able to dance like Michael Jackson — but you either have rhythm in your blood, or you don’t. Now, 22 years later, stop-motion animation has allowed him to finally fulfill his lifelong dream. A mix between sauna and disco. (from the filmfest-guide)
Wow… I never thought I would be thrilled and intrigued about watching a naked man dance and “sing” in front of me and man sleeping on a couch. But Karaoke Show was so fascinating, mesmerizing, unreal, and at the same time so incredibly funny and cool/hot. His performance, his face, the music, this voice… the funny voice reminded me of the adult voices in the Peanuts, and even the sleeping man on the couch amused me. Everything was great. Bravo–what a wonderful film! Were we the only ones who liked it so much? The audience was rather quiet, and I am surprised that this film was accepted to the film festival despite its nudity. I’m very thankful I had the opportunity to watch this film and very curious what Karl Tebbe might create next. Another very favorite short-film this year. [imdb]
The Rambler
A stranger takes to the lonely highway with his guitar and traveling sack. Every rambler’s got a story; this one’s pretty strange. (from the filmfest-guide)
The Rambler was quite a strange trip, which in its peak moment it briefly reached the edge of tastelessness, but dosed very well without becoming a pure gore and vomit fest. This film reminded me a little of the earlier work of David Lynch including Eraserhead or The Grandmother. Not sure if Calvin Reeder was really inspired by Lynch, but I enjoyed it. [imdb]
The History of America
Centuries of campfire stories have spun America’s history into a fanciful tale filled with myths and half-truths. MK12′s History of America is here to set the record straight. Set against the warm sin of Las Vegas and the cold vacuum of space, this is the true story behind the story — one which chronicles the epic struggle between the Astronauts and the Cowboys as they fight for life, liberty, and justice for all. (from the filmfest-guide)
This really was quite a weird film… Cowboys versus Astronauts? Although this idea seems so absurd I really enjoyed the plot for about half the length of the film. It opened with very beautifully designed opening credits [extra kudos for the graphic designer], started in the dawn of cowboy-kind and jumped into the space of astronauts, which reminded me of the jump from prehistoric to present day in Kubrick’s 2001. At least until I realized that both astronauts and cowboys actually share the same space in time.
The film was executed very well, but eventually it started to feel too long and uninteresting, as if somebody too much fell in love with the beauty and technique and lost the focus on the story. If History of America was edited down to perhaps 15 minutes and if the stoned narrator was removed [I thought he was quite unnecessary], then it could have been a really good piece. [imdb]
