Kitchen Sink

The first time I saw this twisted but wonderful little film I was maybe 12 years old. I remember seeing it on television, probably broadcast as a filler after a feature film or something. It made a significant impression on me then and when I watched it again this week, it made an even greater one.

Canadian director, Alison Maclean, has created a wicked little masterpiece with this film. The way some of the shots in this film linger on dangerous moments proves her mastery of suspense. Without giving anything away, Maclean manages to show just enough of certain things to keep them unsettling and creepy.

The film is about obsession and the problems associated with dwelling on some tiny, nagging thing. The protagonist cannot leave well enough alone and so brings the real horror of the film upon herself.

This is definitely one to watch for a great example of how to create suspense.

Hey, it was nothing but an eventfully enjoyable 15 minutes; throughout which I had no idea where this was going. Alison Maclean's Kitchen Sink is the type of horror that makes the short length horror category worth devoting some time to.

I'm never pulling anything out of my kitchen sink again!

A woman is cleaning her kitchen sink. Just when she thinks it is spotless, she notices what appears to be a strand of hair near the drain. As she pulls on it, she realizes it is coming out of the drain...and is very long. She continues to pull for a few minutes, and as it comes out, it thickens, resembling a giant umbilical cord. Soon, a nasty and hairy fetus-like creature pops out. She disposes of the mess (by putting it into a garbage bag and throwing it into the bin!) and goes on with her day. Later, she decides that she doesn't want to throw it away. She finds that she actually might have some use for it...but then things get nasty.

This beautifully shot black and white short from New Zealand is very disturbing. I was cringing through half of it because the effects looked so real. There are only two lead characters, and their performances carry this nicely. Combining the lack of other characters with the set (one empty house) creates an effective feeling of claustrophobia. There is lots of suspense and you really don't know what to expect next. The film is very open to interpretation, but I took it as a commentary on domesticity, loneliness, and the desire for perfection.

You can find this short film on the newly released DVD "Crush," also directed by Alison Maclean.

My Rating: 8/10.

I am the first to criticize an art film for being too, well, arty. This movie has a brilliant, original idea for a short film, and its minute budget doesn't show one bit. I had the pleasure of watching "Kitchen Sink" in one of my video production classes. Some of the films the professor showed us simply put me to sleep, but this one really caught my attention and interest. It's disturbing, but that's its intention. This is creepier than most horror movies, of past or present. Even the effects don't appear low-budget. When the woman was shaving the man and cut him with the razor by accident, I was able to feel his pain. Usually, I think novice filmmakers enjoy using black-and-white, because it looks sophisticated. Sure, a good movie is a good movie with or without color, but you can't deny that the use of color can help. Just see the brilliant use of color in Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange." In the case of this movie, I felt the black-and-white fit the tone. And the great score helped top off the film's creepy aura. So if you feel the same way I do about most art films, check this one out. Trust me, this one's actually entertaining. This is the kind of film that gives inspiration to us aspiring young filmmakers. It shows that it is possible to make an original, imaginative film with two actors, one setting and a very low budget. (8 out of 10)

This is one creepy film. I watched this two years ago sitting in my 7th form English class. I never expected anything like I saw. Filmed in black and white this film tells the story of a woman who just cannot leave something alone and how curiosity really did kill the cat.

Not a film for everyone but it will keep you on your seat squirming away. The lead actress is Theresa Healey, a well known actress in New Zealand and in this film she does a very adequate job of being a little too curious and obsessive and it's consequences if you cross the line in the name of perfectionism.

A very surreal film, I'd give it a 7/10.

A note: most of my English class was disgusted with it. ^_^