Death Has a Son

What if the Grim Reaper had a one night stand? And what if that unplanned encounter produced an unintended consequence nine months later?

That's the premise of this cute and surprisingly poignant student film from Florida State University. Not scary but packed with jokes, we see Death himself attempt to interact in the world of the living as a regular guy, not easy when anyone he touches instantly becomes dead. Reminiscent of the television series "Dead Like Me," but focusing on a man trying to get to know the son he never meant to have--and that man being Death.

Ogle (writer-director) has produced a gem of a demo. Let's hope he goes on to make some great feature films.

Two especially memorable scenes: The mother tells Death that he can skip work for a little while, that "No one's going to miss not getting to die today." The cut to John van Gieson as someone who indeed will miss that is so simple and yet priceless, the supremely funny moment in a film packed with gags. And the closing shot of the ultimate moral of the story might just bring a tear to your eye.