Shorts Triple Feature
Hunger (2020)
[11 minutes. Director: Daniel Brown; Written by: Lisa Sorrentino]
My first “Shorts Triple Feature” article included House Call, a horror-comedy from the Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based My Little Rascal Productions. Their latest effort, Hunger, is an altogether different beast. Luca (David A. Velez) receives a faux-old-timey radio in the mail from Chloe (JaQuinley Kerr), his deceased wife. With flickering lights in the living room and bizarre static coming through the radio, director Daniel Brown subtly evokes a Lynchian atmosphere. But Lisa Sorrentino’s script is keyed into the characters’ wants and desires, making this, first and foremost, a melancholy meditation on love and loss. Even when the overt horror elements present themselves in the final moments, there is an obvious sense of acceptance within the catharsis. In thinking of the most common sentiment regarding relationships (“they’re a compromise”), the machinations of Hunger make total sense: we can’t get what we want without sacrifice. Also of note: the ambient score helps set an otherworldly mood that helps us get inside Luca’s headspace, while avoiding the trap of spoiling the surprises with overt stings. Dreamlike and minimalist, Hunger bursts forth with nuance and emotion for 11 compelling minutes.
[Hunger is currently in festival competition across the United States.]
Malacostraca (2018)
[16 minutes. Written and directed by Charles A. Pieper]
Charlie Kaufman is the tortured master of turning surreal, seemingly unworkable premises (Adaptation.; Being John Malkovich) into palatable mainstream entertainments. David Lynch is the idiosyncratic master of turning the seemingly random and disconnected into tales of beguiling mystery and fascination. With Malacostraca, writer-director Charles Pieper finds a gooey and darkly funny intersection between these two not-so-different filmmakers. Chris (the frumpy, Paul Giamatti-esque Charlie Pecararo) is a Kaufmanesque writer trying to recharge his creative battery during a getaway with his wife, Sophie (Amber Marie Bollinger). While Chris bemoans his sick muse, a seemingly banal encounter with a crayfish brings about a flood of inspiration. What follows is a wonderfully bizarre rumination on parental obligation, and what happens when the lines between fantasy and reality start to blur. The lived-in performances and inspired set design, combined with some great creature effects (courtesy of Gabe Bartalos), make Malacostraca a unique, not-easily-shaken experience.
[You can find Charles’ work (including Malacostraca) here]
The Whistler (2018)
[12 minutes. Written and directed by Jennifer Nicole Stang]
Horror can shock us with grotesque visuals or create a sense of unease through moody atmosphere. Sometimes, though, it’s the genre’s ability to prey on our beliefs – from the practical to the fantastic – that imbues stories with a timeless power. (For a great recent example of this, check out The Lodge.) The Whistler falls squarely into that camp. Using the tale of The Pied Piper as a springboard, it tells the story of Lindsey (Karis Cameron), a disaffected teen stuck watching her little sister, Becky (Baya Ipatowicz) over the course of a fateful night. The classical story, one of the first fairy tales many of us learn, is given a more insidious twist here. Writer-director Jennifer Nicole Stang draws clever references to Wes Craven (from naming Becky’s teddy bear “Freddy” to the Krueger-esque character traits of The Whistler), while bringing into sharp focus the shortcomings of abandoning youthful naivete for the responsibilities of adulthood. The Whistler makes a fine case for maintaining our imaginations, but in an interesting paradox, concedes that that may also leave us open to manipulation, so we should always be on guard. A cautionary tale, indeed.
[The Whistler is currently streaming on Shudder.]
The Plot Sickens: Stay awake with Jonny Numb’s review of Doctor Sleep!
Crash Analysis Support Team
Jonny Numb
Jonny Numb (aka Jonathan Weidler) never learned how to swim, but can float just fine. He co-hosts The Last Knock podcast with Billy Crash, and can be found in the social-media sewers of Twitter and Letterboxd @JonnyNumb.
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