yusufpiskin

In West Pittston, Pennsylvania, Jack and Janet Smurl claimed that their home was haunted by a demon between 1974 and 1989. The Smurls' allegations received extensive media coverage, and while paranormal investigators looked into the family's supernatural claims, clergy members, psychologists, and scientific skeptics offered more concrete explanations. The events truly became a major incident.

The Smurls' experiences were the subject of a book titled "The Haunted," published in 1986, and a television film of the same name released by 20th Century Fox in 1991.

Of course, both the Smurl family and the film/book are eventually forgotten... I stumbled upon this incident/film by chance while researching Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Although the film is no more than an average TV movie, it has a high rewatch value because it is the only film to tackle these events and does so effectively. At the very least, it doesn't deserve to be lost in the dustbin of cinema history.

A good filmmaker is, at heart, a good storyteller. After all, cinema is nothing but the evolution of our ancestors' storytelling around the fire, adapted to the modern age. In this 15-minute short film, Dear Albion (2016), Jack Taylor Cox proves himself a skilled filmmaker by crafting a compelling story and presenting it to us with remarkable finesse.

Pádraic Delaney and Milo Parker are truly excellent casting choices. In a post-apocalyptic script blended with modern theatrical storytelling, Milo Parker-who previously proved his mettle with a standout performance opposite Ian McKellen-once again delivers a performance that hits all the right notes in this short film.