A look at the brilliant short Echo Torch, what is Science Fantasy, and how this film treads between many genres so beautifully! 

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I had the honor of Judging the San Jose 48 Hour Film Project again this year. I love the energy these teams being to creating films over the course of a weekend, and while the films tended towards the weak in the days when folks were submitting them en masse to Cinequest (2004 or so), the quality now rivals a lot of what we see in festival short programs. This year, we got a set of films that were phenomenal, and I'm going to be writing a few of them up. 

The winner of Best Film was Stonewood. It's one of those films that is genre, but in a way that you only slowly wake up to. It's a horror film. Or maybe a science fiction film. Or perhaps a party film. Or maybe it's a drama. From the first first frame, there's a disquieting sense of off-ness about it, something is strange, even in the rather simple party that's going on. When I watched it for the 5 time, I started to note the way the camera lingers, maybe only an inch off of center, producing shots that are weighted to one side or another. That is such a simple trick, and one that gives the film a heft. 

And then there's Dana Morgan. 

The winner of Best Actress, she drives this film by going from being Mrs. Dalloway to Jamie Leigh Curtis in Halloween in the blink of an eye. It's amazing how she portrays her fear, terror, and perhaps her revoltion of being trapped. You'll understand when you watch what I mean. She powers this film into the meat, and her performance is genre excellence!

There are inherent dangers in 48 Hour films. Sometimes, to fit in the required elements, there's a crowbarring that happens. Some filmmakers make this work for them (mostly in the comedies), and if I have to look up what the elements are afterwards because they were so seamlessly integrated, that's a great sign, and that's what happened here. There's the length, for one thing. Short by both necessity and rule, these films sometimes have to rush through material to make it happen. Luckily, here the turn happens quickly, hitting hard, though leaving less time for impact. It barely matters because what we get is a combination of precise editing, intelligent shooting, great acting, a smart script, and just a good, simple, genre storytelling. The perfect 48 Film Project project!

Derniere Nuit - Emmanuel Roudaut
Dark comedy. I like it, and thus, it's obvious I would love a black-as-sackcloth film like Derniere Nuit. It's your basic partying-goes-wrong film, and it's so well done that it made me forget that there are a lot of other films in this specification. Added to that is the race against the clock element, as the movers are on their way. The way the event that goes wrong actually manages to go wrong is shocking in both suddenness and the reaction being so measured. The following scenes are dark, funny, and played for both serious drama and comedy. It's a fun short, and one where the actors have to walk a line between believably creepy and over-the-top. These guys manage it brilliantly. Maybe it goes a minute or two too long for the material, you'll hardly notice because everything in it is fantastic. 

The Hunt - Miranda Schrade
Simplicity. It's a good thing. In all reality, it is a positive concept to pare a thing down to the bare-bones and work with only the skeleton. Short films often work in that mode, and in The Hunt, we find a competent little picture of a young woman on a sort of scavenger hunt. It's nicely done, if a bit simple, and the story is clear, but it's also a bit messy, as if the story being told is something more than the story we're seeing. Still, it makes good use of less than three minutes. 

Nothing Without God - Keenan J. Robinson
This story is an absolute mess. I could barely follow it, I was lost, I was confused, I g​ot angry. And I also didn't care. This is an excellent example of what 1990s' film movements like Dogme95 have brought to the mainstream of cinema. The way it was shot, and the way the actors played within the frame and their characters, really made this feel like something special. There's a lot here that speaks of the future of underground, or at least regional, cinema. Films like this HAVE an audience out there, and while I'm not always in that audience, I can appreciate that this film will inspire some, and infuriate others. Me? I certainly thought that this was a film that gave me hope in a new voice for cinema. You can learn more at http://www.inspirationallifefilms.com/

Strings - 
Italian Science Fiction. Yeah, in the past, it's been rough. Some of the worst SciFi movies of all-time were made, or at least re-dubbed, in Roma, and it still burns having seen so many of them on Creature Features when I was a kid. Strings is far from those days. In fact, it's one of the more thoughtful and masterfully done science fiction films in decades. The idea is a classic: a mysterious orb gives the user the power to transfer between Earths. David, our hero, knows he shouldn't be tampering with the forces he's playing with, and yet, he has to. The script is incredibly well written, with the acting being some of the finest you're likely to find in SF today. This is a phenomenal film, one that you should actively seek out because it will reward multiple viewings!

Prairie Dog - 
Horror and I have issues. Smart horror films - I love 'em. Prairie Dog  plays out more like a small town family drama with elements of horror than as a horror film, but hold out for a  smart movie, incredibly well-made, exactly the kind of film you might find in a multiplex. It's well-acted, though never over-the-top in that respect, and it's clean. I found the movement a bit thatched, as it would move well, and build strongly towards what I found to be a satisfying, yet somewhat clouded ending. I really enjoyed it and hope this one goes far! You can find more at https://www.facebook.com/PrairieDogMovie

Apple Lane is a fun horror flick that plays out in the fashion of some of those classic 1980s VHS horror films. Director Mike Laflower was kind enough to answer some of our questions!

Apple Lane's a horror film that is incredibly intelligent. What horror flicks made an impression on you?
Well as a young 9 year old, I would watch scary movies that my older brother and his wife would rent. The one that stuck the most and gave me nightmare for years to come was the 1980's cult horror flick, "Dolls They Walk They Talk and They Kill!"
A couple others that made me love horror was, Return of the Living Dead, Evil Dead and House, ding dong you're dead!:) All of these are just a few that made me love all things horror!

The music in Apple Lane certainly helps to establish the tone and mood. As a director, how to you go about working figuring out the proper tonal concepts for score and soundtrack?
The music that I chose was kinda limited since I didn't have a budget to buy music for the film. So I searched all over the net looking for just the right background music that I felt would fit perfectly! I would watch the clip and match up the right music that I felt gave me chills or that certain feeling that puts you in the position of the characters in that moment of terror or suspense. Took hours and hours to make it just right to my liking! Since I was also the video editor, I did it in the comfort of my own home!

What's your philosophy on the use of sex and violence in horror? Do you have a conscious idea of how much is too much?
I think that sexual concept is almost a must in all horror films. Whether it's just showing a little skin, or sexual gesture, it goes hand in hand. Don't get me wrong, I don't think they should be rated triple xxx or anything, but is relevant to the genre. I believe using sex in horror films is attractive to most horror film junkies to keep them excited and on the edge of their seat!

Tell us a bit about your team? Do you have a regular cast and crew? What do you look for first in your actors?
I didn't really have a crew, I had a few friends and even a couple of the actors that would help me out in set. When I started this project I dive head first right into it. I came up with the idea when I worked in Mayfield, Ky. I drove past an old abandoned lane (Apple Lane) that spiked me out and interested me. Finally I drove down it to look around and it just made the hair stand up on my neck. After about 3 years passed, I decided to write a story about, fiction obviously, then write three acts and gave it to a friend to write the screenplay. After months of preproduction, we finally came up with enough money to start filming! I put a Craigslist ad up and found the perfect 16 actors to fill the parts. Some came from Nashville, Bowling Green, northern Indiana and even local Louvillians in Louisville, Ky.
All the actors fit right in with my vision perfectly!