This is the third post in my complete coverage of SXSW’s ‘Midnight Shorts Competition’ which includes a slate of 13 short films from genres of horror, comedy, thriller and what have you. My first post was a focus on some comedic-centric shorts (“Flick,” “Flex” and “Puss”) and that can be found here. My second round-up focused on some of the atmospheric shorts (“The Moogai,” “Significant Other,” and “The Thing That Ate The Birds”) and that post can be found here.
For this round-up of shorts films from the ‘Midnight Shorts Competition’ section, I have another collection of shorts with comedy in them, where three are comedy heavy and one of the shorts is a musical, as well. The reviews included in this post are “A Puff Before Dying,” “Reklaw,” “Run That Shit!” and “Stuffed.”
‘A Puff Before Dying’
“A Puff Before Dying.” Photo: Ava Benjamin Shorr.
Ah, when I laugh as soon as the logos show up, I know I’m in for something special. Knowing that “A Puff Before Dying” is a story about a trio of female marionette puppets who have a wild night out driving and smoking marijuana, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when it said this short film is presented by the National Road Safety Foundation.
For what could be a commissioned short, the creativity shines here with the show created by the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre. Directed and written by Michael Reich and Mike Pinkney, the satire shines through as a warning not to drive while high. It’s a responsible fable, for sure, that is so good I hope it gets shown in schools. I know if I were in high school and saw this I would just love it.
I mean, I love it now. From the trio of girls—bad influence Bethany, peer-pressured Denise, and driver Angela—to especially the lecture that Angela receives from her father who’s also a cop. “I’ve seen what drugged up driving can do,” he monologues as he’s interrupted by Angela blow-drying her marionette hair. Also, the way marionettes move will never not be funny to me.
The humour is so on-point and the horror elements of it in terms of the tragedy is brilliant. Visually, too, it looks great. It’s satirical and fun, and if in its satire it’s supposed to convince us that it’s actually a public service announcement, then it really convinces. But if it really is a commissioned PSA, then every PSA writer…take notes from this short. You may not have always have marionettes on hand, but you should, because what this team is able to create here is a whole lot of fun.
‘Reklaw’
Lance Henriksen (“Aliens,” “The Terminator,” “Millennium”) as Lott, compassionate leader of the team of altruistic vigilantes, trying desperately to stop two murderers from killing each other. Photo: Robert Nachman.
This short follows a group of altruistic vigilantes who help good people get out of bad situations by trying to keep them out of prison. One such crime scene clean-up is interrupted and the vigilante’s convictions are tested.
One of my most favourite things about this shirt is just how they intercept these calls. As the woman they’re helping, Melissa (Tasha Guevara), calls 9-1-1 and is instead greeted by a voice telling her “if you want to report a murder or a body, please Press 1” as if she called some infomercial. Then, the vigilantes show up in funny glasses. Watching them work is interesting, and it’s especially funny how they clean up the body and they fit him into a tiny sarcophagus.
I liked a lot of the dark comedy here and the script is solid; I’d love to see these characters in a feature-length version of them because there seems to be so much history and character dynamics that you can unpack. Writer/Director Polaris Banks’ greatest choice for “Reklaw” is perhaps casting Lance Henriksen as the lead vigilante called Lott. It’s a small performance but it’s great watching him try to the maintain the control of the situation. They have moral discussions of what they should do about someone, and that’s sharp in its dialogue. The layers these characters have in 12 minutes seem ripe for feature length analysis.
‘Run That Shit!’
Shaun May on a chamber pot in “Run That Shit!” Photo: courtesy of SXSW Film Festival.
A Satanic cult led by a pawn shop owner lures aspiring rapper Rolly (Jerome Beazer) to steal an enchanted chamber part from his estranged friend and now successful rapper ‘Big Tobacco’ (Shaun May).
Written and directed by Tristan Kim, I imagine this short to be divisive as it has quite the obsession with fart and poop jokes. The dialogue itself is amusing but you’ll be able to know if it’s for you if you laugh at least once when Rolly gets farted on twice by two different people within a 60-second span. I chuckled, so I think I passed the test for liking it.
You’ll also have to like your fair share of poop jokes because they’re going to steal a chamber pot, which Big Tobacco keeps in his living room and uses to shit in, partially the reason, I’m sure, for the title “Run That Shit!”
Surely, there are some gross aspects about this short that will be off-putting to many, and just something to tolerate for those who enjoyed this one. The short is also completely out there so a bit of it is an acquired taste as it really shows why this insanity is in the ‘Midnight Shorts Competition.’
The world building around this and the poop is admittedly amusing and I had some fun with it, but I can totally see why some might not enjoy it because it does seem entirely pointless with its magical poop and endless fart jokes. If you can live with that and live with its weirdness, you’ll find at least a bit of enjoyment here.
‘Stuffed’
Araminta surrounds herself with her taxidermy but they’re not enough, she’s after something a little more ‘human’. Photo: courtesy SXSW Film Festival.
“Stuffed,” which received ‘Special Jury Recognition for Bold Vision’ at this year’s SXSW festival in the ‘Midnight Shorts Competition,’ is more than deserving of the honour. It’s a story about a lonely taxidermist, Araminta (Alison Fitzjohn) who loves her creatures, but she yearns to stuff a human.
Placing an advertisement online, she gets replies calling her crazy, but she gets one reply from a male volunteer who is terrified of aging (played by Anthony Young; which is kind-of ironic, no?). He can be immortalized forever, but things become complicated when they start to develop feelings for each other.
The premise alone for this oddball romance is great, but I’ve entirely buried the lede: It’s also a musical with very memorable music and lyrics written by co-writer Joss Holden-Rea (the film is also co-written and directed by Theo Rhys). Suffice to say, when our actress was telling us she wanted to stuff people and she was getting hateful replies, everyone was singing those delightful things.
It’s a fun short about a very dark subject, but it has a sweetness about it as the pair of people sing about finding love but trying to resist it, because all she wants is to stuff a person… and all he wants is to be stuffed. Well, he just doesn’t want to age, but close enough. The style of song all has an intense “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” vibe here. I think that fits so well because the pair here totally have the same sense that one’s going to die at any moment.
Their duets as they resist love is great, and her lyrics are my favourite when she says, “Don’t forget, he’s just flesh and leather, your project.” It’s all a lot to unpack but it’s very fun to watch as it borders on delightful but depressing in its naturally lit cinematography, which really does capture the mood quite well. Besides the music, too, the sets are great with all of her taxidermized friends. The most surprising thing about this short is that this guy isn’t her first victim.
