Indie film directors Frederik de Wilde (Joy Palace), Katarzyna Gondek (Deer Boy), and Wim Reygaert (Neverlanding: A Bad Thriller) share with us "an exclusive FilmDoo compilation" of gripping and eclectic tales featuring a boy with antlers, a grieving hoarder, strange meats, a Michael Jackson impersonator, and a vampire.
The atmosphere; it's all about the atmosphere with these shorts. Each story develops its own unique and striking atmosphere that produces a persistent sensation of strangulation; just enough to alter one's breathing, but not enough to be killed. So simple, yet so captivating, I actually found myself holding my breath on occasion, not necessarily because they were tense, but because they were so gripping - prismatically unnerving, each tale gets under your skin in its own unique way.
Using two-fisted visceral imagery, these shorts truly feel alive. Indeed, the quotidian nature of the stories is so suasive as to convince the mind that it could be entirely possible for these fantastic events to actually be happening somewhere out in the world.
A high production value lends itself to the excellent and distinctive story-telling. The characters are intensely hued. That is to say that, while somewhat fixed into their relatively one-dimensional roles, the characters are quite expressive and compelling within their somewhat limited domains. It's sharp and pointed, guiding the viewer right along the intended train of thought with eloquence and fervor.
Anyway, give this a go! Tons of talent that unfortunately mostly hasn't made its way to the big leagues yet. However, Directed by Robert Downey Jr. (Ironman), Deer Boy was actually taken and used by Jim Mickle and Beth Schwartz to create a Netflix series called "Sweet Tooth."
Below are brief Plot Summaries:
Deer Boy:
"A hunter's son is born with antlers, a reflection of how every many kills the thing he loves."
Joy Palace:
After her daughter dies, Vivianne neglects and isolates herself in her home for 20 years, filling the void with mammoth mounds of odds and ends.
Karkas:
"A nasty short with lots of meat."
Neverlanding: A Bad Thriller:
"A reclusive Michael Jackson impersonator dedicates his entire life to making his act absolutely perfect."
Lilith:
A vampire's desperation for blood invites new friends, new foes, and new lows.
