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I’m about 10 shorts into judging for the Bleedingham Horror Film Festival. There are 30 entries for me to review. Several of the entries are student entries, which are really fun. Overall, the films are technically adequate to pretty decent. The acting is generally poor to, again, pretty decent. Story is where most entries fall short. I know it’s hard to develop story with a short, but it can be done.

Additionally, a little originality goes a long way. I see too many filmmakers who just want to make a film and don’t start with a decent story, or even a premise. With that in mind, I’m gonna make some observations. Every year there are recurring set-ups, situations and elements. I’m able to group some of them for you. Here goes:

The masked killer who is going around murdering people (usually women) for no reason.

The bedroom short–I’m in bed minding my own business, and there’s something in the shadowy closet!

The “he killed my cat!” revenge short.

The couple driving into the woods, setting up camp and getting killed (usually by the guy in #1 above) short.

The “Oops, I ran over someone and left. Now I’m going to get revenge killed by a ghost who hates hit-n-runners.”

The found footage flick where they should never have looked at the film.

The brilliantly art/horror film whose intellectual title has nothing to do with the indecipherable story.

Films with “night” in a title that adds nothing to the piece. Midnight, The Long Night, Dead of Night, Beware of Night, Hey, It’ Night!

One-word titles that just sound creepy, but…add nothing to the piece. Hunger, Lurking, Insatiable, Vitals, Death.

The “This is actually a music video, but it’s creepy speed metal so that counts as a horror short, right?” submission.

The overly explained legend that then, shockingly, happens to the person to whom it was explained.

This is a partial list of minor creative crimes and things I see too much. They’re not terrible things or offensive to my sense of filmmaking, but they’re things beginners can work to avoid and make their films better.

Happy filmmaking,

Royce

Link to festival:

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I will be a judge for the Bleedingham Horror Short Film Festival again this year, and it’s pretty great! I watch dozens of films that range from one minute to fifteen minutes long. The films are submitted by filmmakers from beginners to seasoned indie pros. Procedurally, I judge on a 1-10 scale in multiple categories based upon technical aspects (sound, editing, cinematography), story (my specialty) and the all-important “scary factor.”

It’s a joy to work with Michelle, Gary and Langley, who put on a great event at the beloved Pickford Theater here in Bellingham right around Halloween.

So what sort of stuff have I seen, being a judge? Well, I’ve seen funny animation where people get eaten. I’ve seen one-room ghost tales with a someone in a sheet…that actually worked. I saw a bowling alley horror film that incorporated a local legend. Stop-motion, which is always fun. Lots of serial killers, which gets old and, frankly, is often cliche and derivative…but hey, these filmmakers are learning. My advice is usually “learn to tell a good story and try not to start filming until you have one.” That’s what’s most often missing in the pieces I see. But I know how hard it is to make a movie, and so I give a lot of slack when I’m judging works that aren’t perfect. It’s all meant to be fun and encouraging. And it is.

Sooo, I have 21 films to watch already, and I’m off to do that!

I recently pulled the covers up and settled into bed with a spooky movie. And what’s the spookiest of the traditional big three monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman)? It’s werewolves. Claws down. Because they eat you. And there is no fear more primal to us animals than that of being eaten by another animal. It’s why Jaws is horrifying. But you can stay out of the water, and you can’t stay away from people who might become monsters at any moment.

Soooo, I pulled up the new release, Werewolves Within. Looked funny. Could be spooky. It’s night in my dark room. Plus the guy has a throwing axe in his hand. So I’m optimistic.

And I watched it.

Where to begin…(minor spoilers coming)

Opening scene is promising. I like scary. ’nuff said. Then Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub take over the movie, and they are fun. You might know Milana from AT&T commercials. She’s quite humorous and does a great job playing her character as plucky and attractive. Sam is super too. Funny and naturally friendly and cheerful. You gotta wonder if he is nice in real life or just darn good at playing nice. So these two carry the movie for about an hour, buoying the story for as long as they can among a cadre of characters who are so over the top they go past funny and into cliche (not so good).

The whodunnit…or whoisit…plot survives for a while, but the movie ultimately collapses under the weight of its unbelievability–both the overdone supporting characters and the decisions people make. Even in a supernatural setting, characters need to behave in a way that the audience will recognize as human nature. It’s how we connect with them. There is little connection here, and I was soon saying “no way…she wouldn’t do that…I don’t get it…say what?” Sam and Milana soldier on, but they can’t save it in the end. I’m all about story. I need a good story. And we don’t quite there here.

The movie is harmless fun (barring a couple bad stereotypes), so if you want a funny werewolf movie that has one scary scene and doesn’t require you to take it too seriously, go ahead and make some popcorn. Otherwise, I’m going to recommend rewatching American Werewolf in London.

https://www.imdb.com/video/vi1958592281?playlistId=tt0082010&ref_=tt_pr_ov_vi

Good job Sam and Milana, though. Keep scoring those roles.

My thoughts,

Royce