- Published on
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in the United States of America (USA, USA, USA!) all the way back in the year 2017, audiences in attendance of the ever popular South By Southwest Film Festival were thrilled with the exclusive theatrical premiere of Life.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa from a story by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the SciFi/Thriller starred Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ryan Reynolds, Olga Dykhovichnaya, Ariyon Bakare, Jesus Del Orden, Allen McLean, Leila Grace, Mari Gvelesiani, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Life tells the story of the six-member crew of the International Space Station that is on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected."
To the film's credit, Life received a 2018 Saturn Awards nomination in the category of 'Best Science Fiction Film,' an honor that was ultimately bestowed on Blade Runner 2049 instead. Still, Life had the somewhat dubious distinction of being recognized with a nomination by the St. Louis Film Critics Association in the category of 'Worst Film Of The Year.'
Ouch. That's gotta leave a mark.
-- EZ
On this day in the United States of America (USA, USA, USA!) all the way back in the year 2017, audiences in attendance of the ever popular South By Southwest Film Festival were thrilled with the exclusive theatrical premiere of Life.
Directed by Daniel Espinosa from a story by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the SciFi/Thriller starred Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ryan Reynolds, Olga Dykhovichnaya, Ariyon Bakare, Jesus Del Orden, Allen McLean, Leila Grace, Mari Gvelesiani, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Life tells the story of the six-member crew of the International Space Station that is on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected."
To the film's credit, Life received a 2018 Saturn Awards nomination in the category of 'Best Science Fiction Film,' an honor that was ultimately bestowed on Blade Runner 2049 instead. Still, Life had the somewhat dubious distinction of being recognized with a nomination by the St. Louis Film Critics Association in the category of 'Worst Film Of The Year.'
Ouch. That's gotta leave a mark.
-- EZ
- Published on
So many movies ... so little time ...
According to record, it was on this day in the United States of America (USA, USA, USA!) in the year 1992 that home audiences first 'saw double' with the broadcast television premiere of Duplicates.
Written by the team of Sandor Stern and Andrew Neiderman, Stern would go on to direct the SciFi/Thriller telefilm. Among its storied cast were such names as Gregory Harrison, Kim Greist, Cicely Tyson, Lane Smith, William Lucking, Scott Hoxby, Kevin McCarthy, John DeLay, Matt Williams, Timi Prulhiere, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"When a woman sees her brother who was supposed to have with died along with her son, she naturally becomes suspicious. When he claims to be someone else, she isn't convinced. After tracing the home of the 'brother', she and her husband stumble upon a top secret project. They get too close to the truth and are therefore intercepted..."
Interestingly enough, it looks like the movie in its entirety is up for your viewing pleasure on YouTube.com. I'm posting it below should anyone be interested ...
-- EZ
According to record, it was on this day in the United States of America (USA, USA, USA!) in the year 1992 that home audiences first 'saw double' with the broadcast television premiere of Duplicates.
Written by the team of Sandor Stern and Andrew Neiderman, Stern would go on to direct the SciFi/Thriller telefilm. Among its storied cast were such names as Gregory Harrison, Kim Greist, Cicely Tyson, Lane Smith, William Lucking, Scott Hoxby, Kevin McCarthy, John DeLay, Matt Williams, Timi Prulhiere, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"When a woman sees her brother who was supposed to have with died along with her son, she naturally becomes suspicious. When he claims to be someone else, she isn't convinced. After tracing the home of the 'brother', she and her husband stumble upon a top secret project. They get too close to the truth and are therefore intercepted..."
Interestingly enough, it looks like the movie in its entirety is up for your viewing pleasure on YouTube.com. I'm posting it below should anyone be interested ...
-- EZ
- Published on
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day all the way back in the year 1994 in the United States of America (USA, USA, USA!), Time Chasers enjoyed its very first theatrical debut.
Written and directed by David Giancola, the cast included such names of Matthew Burch, Bonnie Pritchard, Peter Harrington, George Woodard, Michael J. Valentine, Jim Rohn, Ted Pendleton, Becky Fenton, Jack McGinnis, Martin Guigui, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Nick creates a time machine out of an airplane and a Commodore-64, and shows it to his friends by taking them 50 years into the future. Nick sells the technology to Gen-Corp, a high-tech firm run by J.K. Robertson, whose office is in the mezzanine of a shopping mall. Robertson, however, turns out to be Evil, and uses the time machine to plunder the future. With the lives of himself and his friends at stake, Nick needs to use his time machine to travel a week back in time and convince himself not to give the demo to Robertson."
-- EZ
On this day all the way back in the year 1994 in the United States of America (USA, USA, USA!), Time Chasers enjoyed its very first theatrical debut.
Written and directed by David Giancola, the cast included such names of Matthew Burch, Bonnie Pritchard, Peter Harrington, George Woodard, Michael J. Valentine, Jim Rohn, Ted Pendleton, Becky Fenton, Jack McGinnis, Martin Guigui, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Nick creates a time machine out of an airplane and a Commodore-64, and shows it to his friends by taking them 50 years into the future. Nick sells the technology to Gen-Corp, a high-tech firm run by J.K. Robertson, whose office is in the mezzanine of a shopping mall. Robertson, however, turns out to be Evil, and uses the time machine to plunder the future. With the lives of himself and his friends at stake, Nick needs to use his time machine to travel a week back in time and convince himself not to give the demo to Robertson."
-- EZ
- Published on
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“When an unsuspecting Jasmin Flores is dumped by her boyfriend, and dismissed by her parents, she gets a job selling cigarettes in the streets of New York City. Unbeknownst to Jasmin, the cigarettes cause madness, chaos, and murders in Manhattan. Once the murders begin to pile up, Jasmin has to claim her innocence while solving the riddle of the laced cigarettes.”
The biggest magic trick to understanding storytelling is knowing just how much story one has to tell.
It goes without saying that films are wildly different lengths. For example, in the 1980’s there was a major Hollywood producer who insisted that each and every one of his productions clock in at, roughly, 90-minutes of running time. This wasn’t because he felt that was necessarily the perfect narrative length but rather it gave theater owners and cinema chains the exact amount of wiggle room they needed to maximize the number of screenings in the average business day. Still, this push helped studios eventually streamline their efforts to the point wherein directors, producers, and screenwriters were shucking only those tales that used ‘just enough story’ to fill that available window of opportunity; and I think audiences benefitted greatly from growing used to such parameters.
In the 1990’s, however, the industry as a whole started reached well beyond the originally endorsed 90-minutes. Stories grew a bit more lavish – certainly casts could be fleshed out with more faces, and piling on more actors and actresses typically meant that the scripts had to be expanded as well – and long gone were the days wherein the storytellers and their theatrical outlets worked in sync to achieve maximum profitability. Naturally, this helped fuel increases in ticket prices along with concessions; and – for better or for worse – this pretty much sums up where we are today. Studios and independent filmmakers are, largely, free to work off of whatever running length they desire, allowing for each new adventure to take as long as those in charge want it to be.
This is where, structurally, The Cigarette (2024) suffers.
As a stand-alone Horror-laced Thriller with some comic undertones, it never quite feels like one cohesive story. Its first half is quite cleverly buoyed by a low-key performance of actress Jasmin Flores – playing herself, essentially: out-of-work and just emerging from a bad relationship, she needs not only a place to stay but also a means to make a living. Her parents have rented out her room; and her long-time gal pal can only spare putting her up for a week, and even that offer is under the condition that she gets a job. Lo and behold, Jasmin encounters a curious stranger at a back table in a darkened bar, and he offers her the chance to make a small fortune quickly if she’s willing to do nothing more than face-to-face marketing efforts to push his exclusive line of cigarettes. Having nowhere else to turn, she agrees.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“When an unsuspecting Jasmin Flores is dumped by her boyfriend, and dismissed by her parents, she gets a job selling cigarettes in the streets of New York City. Unbeknownst to Jasmin, the cigarettes cause madness, chaos, and murders in Manhattan. Once the murders begin to pile up, Jasmin has to claim her innocence while solving the riddle of the laced cigarettes.”
The biggest magic trick to understanding storytelling is knowing just how much story one has to tell.
It goes without saying that films are wildly different lengths. For example, in the 1980’s there was a major Hollywood producer who insisted that each and every one of his productions clock in at, roughly, 90-minutes of running time. This wasn’t because he felt that was necessarily the perfect narrative length but rather it gave theater owners and cinema chains the exact amount of wiggle room they needed to maximize the number of screenings in the average business day. Still, this push helped studios eventually streamline their efforts to the point wherein directors, producers, and screenwriters were shucking only those tales that used ‘just enough story’ to fill that available window of opportunity; and I think audiences benefitted greatly from growing used to such parameters.
In the 1990’s, however, the industry as a whole started reached well beyond the originally endorsed 90-minutes. Stories grew a bit more lavish – certainly casts could be fleshed out with more faces, and piling on more actors and actresses typically meant that the scripts had to be expanded as well – and long gone were the days wherein the storytellers and their theatrical outlets worked in sync to achieve maximum profitability. Naturally, this helped fuel increases in ticket prices along with concessions; and – for better or for worse – this pretty much sums up where we are today. Studios and independent filmmakers are, largely, free to work off of whatever running length they desire, allowing for each new adventure to take as long as those in charge want it to be.
This is where, structurally, The Cigarette (2024) suffers.
As a stand-alone Horror-laced Thriller with some comic undertones, it never quite feels like one cohesive story. Its first half is quite cleverly buoyed by a low-key performance of actress Jasmin Flores – playing herself, essentially: out-of-work and just emerging from a bad relationship, she needs not only a place to stay but also a means to make a living. Her parents have rented out her room; and her long-time gal pal can only spare putting her up for a week, and even that offer is under the condition that she gets a job. Lo and behold, Jasmin encounters a curious stranger at a back table in a darkened bar, and he offers her the chance to make a small fortune quickly if she’s willing to do nothing more than face-to-face marketing efforts to push his exclusive line of cigarettes. Having nowhere else to turn, she agrees.
What Jasmin doesn’t know is that these experimental cigarettes actually unlock the user’s latent homicidal tendencies. Not long after taking a few drags, the smoker is suddenly overwhelmed with urges that he or she cannot control, provoking a nasty killing frenzy that results in a growing pile of bodies across New York City. Of course, it doesn’t take long for the policy to suspect Jasmin of being either complicit or even orchestrating these murderous events; and this puts our young heroine in the position of trying to track down the mystery man who involved her in such carnage in the first place or risk getting locked up for life as a drug dealer.
As I hinted above, though, The Cigarette’s second half discards all of its comic potential in favor of things going decidedly darker. (There are a few jokes interspersed here and there, but given the change of tone they’re not nearly as funny as the first half was.) Jasmin eventually stumbles across the name of the private enterprise that put her in this predicament, and the folks behind Nicotine Ninja are all-too-happy to have her held against her will in their urban/suburban headquarters. The lady spends a good portion of the final reels trying to escape what really looks more like the average American homestead – filling in for some advanced medical facility – and it grows tiresome very quickly.
This gets to what I suggested above: the real trick to any successful project is knowing exactly how much story to tell. In this regard, The Cigarette feels instead like two separate ideas that were mashed together into a single production. Whether it was deliberately planned as such or evolved in the shooting process, the project – from indie semi-regular Zachary Snygg – never quite benefits from the same energy once it spirals into the somewhat madhouse development, and I’ll venture to guess that most audiences lose patience with it as a result.
As its star, Flores isn’t half-bad. At times, she reminded me of a younger Marisa Tomei; and had she brought that same manic potential to even her smaller scenes then this one might’ve been a tad more memorable. Sadly, the story strolls when it should’ve run and runs when it should’ve strolled; and she doesn’t quite have the chops – nor the material – to make the latter half work in the way I believe was intended.
The Cigarette (2024) was produced by Purgatory Blues LLC. Based on a search of Google.com, the flick shows presently available for streaming via a variety of online platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be, mostly, excellent: there’s a bit of post-production blood-splatter trickery that doesn’t always work … but (as they say) it is what it is. As for special features? As this one is a feature only at this juncture, there were no special features to consider.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
Cursory reminder: this is an independent production, folks, so going in knowing full well that it was a low-budget guerrilla effort will help in forgiving some of the minor blemishes here and there. That said, I still thought The Cigarette occasionally had some interesting cinematography and a loose kinda/sorta Twilight Zone conceit – magical cigarettes causing mental distress – that kept me involved. Its second half loses steam quickly when it tries to turn into a heady, psychological thriller; and that just never quite works given the production’s obvious constraints. Had more money been available to give it a bigger, bolder look, then the outcome may’ve been different. Flores hits some good beats, and that helps when the material strays.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that writer/director Zachary Snygg provided me with complimentary streaming access to The Cigarette (2024) for the expressed purpose of completing this review. His contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
As I hinted above, though, The Cigarette’s second half discards all of its comic potential in favor of things going decidedly darker. (There are a few jokes interspersed here and there, but given the change of tone they’re not nearly as funny as the first half was.) Jasmin eventually stumbles across the name of the private enterprise that put her in this predicament, and the folks behind Nicotine Ninja are all-too-happy to have her held against her will in their urban/suburban headquarters. The lady spends a good portion of the final reels trying to escape what really looks more like the average American homestead – filling in for some advanced medical facility – and it grows tiresome very quickly.
This gets to what I suggested above: the real trick to any successful project is knowing exactly how much story to tell. In this regard, The Cigarette feels instead like two separate ideas that were mashed together into a single production. Whether it was deliberately planned as such or evolved in the shooting process, the project – from indie semi-regular Zachary Snygg – never quite benefits from the same energy once it spirals into the somewhat madhouse development, and I’ll venture to guess that most audiences lose patience with it as a result.
As its star, Flores isn’t half-bad. At times, she reminded me of a younger Marisa Tomei; and had she brought that same manic potential to even her smaller scenes then this one might’ve been a tad more memorable. Sadly, the story strolls when it should’ve run and runs when it should’ve strolled; and she doesn’t quite have the chops – nor the material – to make the latter half work in the way I believe was intended.
The Cigarette (2024) was produced by Purgatory Blues LLC. Based on a search of Google.com, the flick shows presently available for streaming via a variety of online platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be, mostly, excellent: there’s a bit of post-production blood-splatter trickery that doesn’t always work … but (as they say) it is what it is. As for special features? As this one is a feature only at this juncture, there were no special features to consider.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
Cursory reminder: this is an independent production, folks, so going in knowing full well that it was a low-budget guerrilla effort will help in forgiving some of the minor blemishes here and there. That said, I still thought The Cigarette occasionally had some interesting cinematography and a loose kinda/sorta Twilight Zone conceit – magical cigarettes causing mental distress – that kept me involved. Its second half loses steam quickly when it tries to turn into a heady, psychological thriller; and that just never quite works given the production’s obvious constraints. Had more money been available to give it a bigger, bolder look, then the outcome may’ve been different. Flores hits some good beats, and that helps when the material strays.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that writer/director Zachary Snygg provided me with complimentary streaming access to The Cigarette (2024) for the expressed purpose of completing this review. His contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
Word has reached the World Wide Web today regarding the passing of Belgian actress Émilie Dequenne.
Alas, hers is certainly not a name well known across genre fandom. Though I recognized it from somewhere, I couldn't exactly remember it. Heading over to the reliable IMDB.com, I did a bit of research and realized that it was from a werewolf-style period flick -- Brotherhood Of The Wolf -- from all the way back in 2001. (Going entirely from memory here, I think I found the flick middling, at beast, though interesting in a few spots.) By scrolling through her resume, I see a great deal of conventional stuff -- mysteries, thrillers, and dramas mostly -- but there's also a 2024 citation (I'd never heard of) titled Survive. I might have to do a bit of research on that one as it definitely looks to be among the realm of the Fantastic.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Ms. Dequenne.
May she rest in peace.
-- EZ
Alas, hers is certainly not a name well known across genre fandom. Though I recognized it from somewhere, I couldn't exactly remember it. Heading over to the reliable IMDB.com, I did a bit of research and realized that it was from a werewolf-style period flick -- Brotherhood Of The Wolf -- from all the way back in 2001. (Going entirely from memory here, I think I found the flick middling, at beast, though interesting in a few spots.) By scrolling through her resume, I see a great deal of conventional stuff -- mysteries, thrillers, and dramas mostly -- but there's also a 2024 citation (I'd never heard of) titled Survive. I might have to do a bit of research on that one as it definitely looks to be among the realm of the Fantastic.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Ms. Dequenne.
May she rest in peace.
-- EZ
- Published on
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in Italy all the way back in the year 1966, The Murder Clinic first opened its door for business ... well, theatrical business, that is.
IMDB.com has this one classified as a Giallo Horror with a bit of the usual Mystery thrown in for good measure. The directors were Elio Scardamaglia (1920-2001) and Lionell De Felice (1916-1989). The script shows credited to Ernesto Gastaldi and Luciano Martino who apparently adapted it from their original novel. Curiously, IMDB.com also indicates that some additional dialogue was provided to the project by Albert G. Miller and R. Wayland Williams.
As for the screen talent?
Among those giving it the ol' Thespian try were such names as William Berger, Françoise Prévost, Mary Young, Barbara Wilson, Philippe Hersent, Harriet Medin, Germano Longo, Massimo Righi, Delfi Mauro, Anna Maria Polani, and others.
Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"People are found murdered at an isolated mental hospital and a hooded figure is seen stalking the halls. The dean of the hospital cannot afford a police investigation due to his shady past n his ongoing experiments. While the dean is busy experimenting skin grafting on animals, his wife gets concerned when a beautiful guest arrives and her arrival threatens to jeopardize everything."
-- EZ
On this day in Italy all the way back in the year 1966, The Murder Clinic first opened its door for business ... well, theatrical business, that is.
IMDB.com has this one classified as a Giallo Horror with a bit of the usual Mystery thrown in for good measure. The directors were Elio Scardamaglia (1920-2001) and Lionell De Felice (1916-1989). The script shows credited to Ernesto Gastaldi and Luciano Martino who apparently adapted it from their original novel. Curiously, IMDB.com also indicates that some additional dialogue was provided to the project by Albert G. Miller and R. Wayland Williams.
As for the screen talent?
Among those giving it the ol' Thespian try were such names as William Berger, Françoise Prévost, Mary Young, Barbara Wilson, Philippe Hersent, Harriet Medin, Germano Longo, Massimo Righi, Delfi Mauro, Anna Maria Polani, and others.
Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"People are found murdered at an isolated mental hospital and a hooded figure is seen stalking the halls. The dean of the hospital cannot afford a police investigation due to his shady past n his ongoing experiments. While the dean is busy experimenting skin grafting on animals, his wife gets concerned when a beautiful guest arrives and her arrival threatens to jeopardize everything."
-- EZ
- Published on
Here’s the thing, folks …
I’ve always said that in the case of a film like Dune – both the 1984 David Lynch adaptation and even the two-part 2021 & 2024 Denis Villeneuve stuff – it’s a difficult undertaking to dissect the story if one is entirely unfamiliar with the source material. Even more specifically, I’ve warned readers that discussing Dune and its rather intricate examination of galactic politics, cultural prophecy, and the human condition is best left to those who’ve both read the books and maybe even explored them academically. Simply put, there’s a lot of substance in there. Rather than wander into the fray, risk all credibility by offering a benign observation, and come off instead looking like a rube, I actively choose to leave it to the experts. I might have something to say. I may share reactions in dribs and drabs. But I leave the truly deep stuff to those who think deeply.
Now – like it or not – the same could be said about watching Troma.
This is not to suggest in any way that something like, say, Eating Miss Campbell (2022) is predicated on the idea that there’s this secret oligarchy moving in the shadows to both maintain power and influence while also subverting mankind’s deepest, darkest desires for their own profit. (It could happen, and it kinda/sorta does.) Nor is this to propose that writer/director Liam Regan’s curious tale of peer pressure and carnivorous duplicity is meant to serve as some commentary on the inherent dangers of hero worship or chronophilia infatuation. (That could happen, too, and, yeah, that kinda/sorta does, but no so obviously as the first thing.) My point is that Troma – like Dune – is a theatrical mentality grounded in “disrupting media” that’s best left to those who’ve watched it, enjoyed it, understand it, and embraced it for what it is.
For the record, that hasn’t always been me. While I’ve had the good fortune of exploring Troma sporadically over the years – back in the days of the home video explosion and only recently when older titles are rewarded with new restorations – I’ll attest to smelling a few stinkers along the way. However, I’ve learned through wisdom to set aside my preconceptions to just ‘ride it out.’ In the end, I honestly think I’ve grown as a viewer to appreciate what founder and producer Lloyd Kaufman and his merry band of cinematic extortionists are trying to accomplish: to deliver something that only they can and would even try.
There’s bravado in that. And machismo. And a healthy dash of nihilism.
In that regard, Eating Miss Campbell delivers. But like most of Troma’s entries – and Frank Herbert’s aforementioned space saga – it ain’t going to be for everyone.
I’ve always said that in the case of a film like Dune – both the 1984 David Lynch adaptation and even the two-part 2021 & 2024 Denis Villeneuve stuff – it’s a difficult undertaking to dissect the story if one is entirely unfamiliar with the source material. Even more specifically, I’ve warned readers that discussing Dune and its rather intricate examination of galactic politics, cultural prophecy, and the human condition is best left to those who’ve both read the books and maybe even explored them academically. Simply put, there’s a lot of substance in there. Rather than wander into the fray, risk all credibility by offering a benign observation, and come off instead looking like a rube, I actively choose to leave it to the experts. I might have something to say. I may share reactions in dribs and drabs. But I leave the truly deep stuff to those who think deeply.
Now – like it or not – the same could be said about watching Troma.
This is not to suggest in any way that something like, say, Eating Miss Campbell (2022) is predicated on the idea that there’s this secret oligarchy moving in the shadows to both maintain power and influence while also subverting mankind’s deepest, darkest desires for their own profit. (It could happen, and it kinda/sorta does.) Nor is this to propose that writer/director Liam Regan’s curious tale of peer pressure and carnivorous duplicity is meant to serve as some commentary on the inherent dangers of hero worship or chronophilia infatuation. (That could happen, too, and, yeah, that kinda/sorta does, but no so obviously as the first thing.) My point is that Troma – like Dune – is a theatrical mentality grounded in “disrupting media” that’s best left to those who’ve watched it, enjoyed it, understand it, and embraced it for what it is.
For the record, that hasn’t always been me. While I’ve had the good fortune of exploring Troma sporadically over the years – back in the days of the home video explosion and only recently when older titles are rewarded with new restorations – I’ll attest to smelling a few stinkers along the way. However, I’ve learned through wisdom to set aside my preconceptions to just ‘ride it out.’ In the end, I honestly think I’ve grown as a viewer to appreciate what founder and producer Lloyd Kaufman and his merry band of cinematic extortionists are trying to accomplish: to deliver something that only they can and would even try.
There’s bravado in that. And machismo. And a healthy dash of nihilism.
In that regard, Eating Miss Campbell delivers. But like most of Troma’s entries – and Frank Herbert’s aforementioned space saga – it ain’t going to be for everyone.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A vegan-goth high school student falls in love with her new English teacher and develops a problematic taste for human flesh.”
Sometimes, I hate having to admit that there’s far more to a feature film than I could logically cover in a single column. Going into my fifth decade at casually scribbling my thoughts on what I watch, I’ve learned that even though brevity works whenever it’s tried it also doesn’t grant one the amount of wiggle room that might be needed to mention everything that comes to mind. It’s often been said that ‘the best films make us think,’ and the older one gets one realizes that there’s a lot up there stored in the gray matter which might pop up from the most curious visuals.
However, Eating Miss Campbell is the kind of experience that probably for most works better when the brain is turned off. It’s this zany, antics-fueled Horror/Comedy that might get overlooked by those who glare down their noses at those of us who find such unabashed schlock delightful (rather than truly subversive). The point is that such a story is meant to skewer everything – every idea, every social concept, every norm, every moral, every convention, etc. – and you’re not supposed to take any of it seriously. This isn’t some after school docudrama: it’s entertainment for entertainment’s sake. That’s my two cents, and I’m sticking with it.
Beth Conner (played by the winning Lyndsey Craine) is just one more of those hot goth teens who has embraced the Dark Side of life in pursuit of greater things. But – in screenwriter Regan’s script – she’s also a stereotype – a Horror trope, if you will – that generally only exists in reels as opposed to real life. Made-up to look like a fetishized version of Wednesday Addams, she’s meant to be somewhat fawned over by men and women alike; but never forget she’s a sugary concoction that’s sweet on the outside and lethal on the inside.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A vegan-goth high school student falls in love with her new English teacher and develops a problematic taste for human flesh.”
Sometimes, I hate having to admit that there’s far more to a feature film than I could logically cover in a single column. Going into my fifth decade at casually scribbling my thoughts on what I watch, I’ve learned that even though brevity works whenever it’s tried it also doesn’t grant one the amount of wiggle room that might be needed to mention everything that comes to mind. It’s often been said that ‘the best films make us think,’ and the older one gets one realizes that there’s a lot up there stored in the gray matter which might pop up from the most curious visuals.
However, Eating Miss Campbell is the kind of experience that probably for most works better when the brain is turned off. It’s this zany, antics-fueled Horror/Comedy that might get overlooked by those who glare down their noses at those of us who find such unabashed schlock delightful (rather than truly subversive). The point is that such a story is meant to skewer everything – every idea, every social concept, every norm, every moral, every convention, etc. – and you’re not supposed to take any of it seriously. This isn’t some after school docudrama: it’s entertainment for entertainment’s sake. That’s my two cents, and I’m sticking with it.
Beth Conner (played by the winning Lyndsey Craine) is just one more of those hot goth teens who has embraced the Dark Side of life in pursuit of greater things. But – in screenwriter Regan’s script – she’s also a stereotype – a Horror trope, if you will – that generally only exists in reels as opposed to real life. Made-up to look like a fetishized version of Wednesday Addams, she’s meant to be somewhat fawned over by men and women alike; but never forget she’s a sugary concoction that’s sweet on the outside and lethal on the inside.
You see, dear Beth harbors an uncharacteristic hunger for human flesh. The narrative combination of a closeted cannibal and a Hollywood caricature underscores that We The People aren’t so much meant to take her seriously so much as we are to join her in this journey of discovery through what will undoubtedly be her last year at Henenlotter High (Google ‘Henenlotter,’ and you’ll be better informed). Her impending demise is as much owed to the script as it is to her central desire to ‘graduate’ from Horror films – as the aforementioned trope that she is – to Romantic Comedies. This is the kind of wit that proves all involved are working on a different level. Try to keep up.
(As Steve Winwood sang: “Roll with it, baby.”)
As is the case with tropes and trollops of her type, Beth’s world is in disarray, which is precisely why as a character she’s wanting to escape. Her mother died when she was young, and she’s been raised affectionately by daddy Mark (James Hamer-Morton) and his irrepressibly happy squeeze Frankie (Charlie Bond), a pair who can’t seem to keep their hands, lips, and tongues off of one another, especially in public. Hoping to resolve the school’s morality crisis, Tusk Everbone (Justin A. Martell) has contracted Mr. Sawyer (Vito Trigo) to both keep morale high and the body count low – it is a high school, after all, and school shootings do happen – to facilitate their very own school-sponsored massacre (or not). Beth sees winning this competition as her only way out of all of this madness; and, yes, that includes even eventually escaping the clutches of the oppressive social class instituted by Henenlotter High’s resident mean girls: Clarissa (Emily Haigh), Melissa (Michaela Longden), and Sabrina (Sierra Summers).
See what I mean? There’s a lot to digest in here!
Naturally, Beth’s hormones are in high gear – she is a teenager, after all, and that is the pigeon hole. So when the new English teacher Miss Campbell (Lala Barlow) both takes a shine to the young lady and shares in her desire to eat (human) meat, it’s a match made in cinema heaven; and the two embark on a relationship that’s inappropriate in many more ways than one.
As I warned you right up front, this is the territory that Troma has made its bailiwick from the beginning. By satirizing not only the status quo but also threading commentary on the wider entertainment community through the canvas, the company has built a brand recognizable to fans who aren’t afraid to go where no man, woman, child, infant, insect, or Toxic Avenger has gone before. Yes, it can border on being offensive, and they wouldn’t have it any other way! Eating Miss Campbell is loaded with pot shots at every conceivable topic it even remotely nears, so much so that perhaps the ambition gets in the way of a good joke once, twice, or thrice. Still, I’ll always applaud storytelling that goes too far rather than celebrate stewards unwilling to go far enough.
Craine is an inspired lead. She both looks the part and 'gets' what her job here is. She leads the viewers into every dark corner of her character’s descent into mayhem whether she's the cause of it or not. Trigo – as the central antagonist for a good deal of the action – is a bit obscure: he’s commercially evil in just the right way, but he’s still a bit of a distraction for the true revelations surrounding Beth’s past and present. He gets reduced to little more than a weird plot device; and yet it’s still a weird movie. Kudos to Barlow for making the most of her somewhat formulaic evil queen with a thirst for blood; and even more kudos actress Annabella Rich for both her comic portrayal of the dimwitted school secretary and also letting it all hang out in her character’s denouement.
(As Steve Winwood sang: “Roll with it, baby.”)
As is the case with tropes and trollops of her type, Beth’s world is in disarray, which is precisely why as a character she’s wanting to escape. Her mother died when she was young, and she’s been raised affectionately by daddy Mark (James Hamer-Morton) and his irrepressibly happy squeeze Frankie (Charlie Bond), a pair who can’t seem to keep their hands, lips, and tongues off of one another, especially in public. Hoping to resolve the school’s morality crisis, Tusk Everbone (Justin A. Martell) has contracted Mr. Sawyer (Vito Trigo) to both keep morale high and the body count low – it is a high school, after all, and school shootings do happen – to facilitate their very own school-sponsored massacre (or not). Beth sees winning this competition as her only way out of all of this madness; and, yes, that includes even eventually escaping the clutches of the oppressive social class instituted by Henenlotter High’s resident mean girls: Clarissa (Emily Haigh), Melissa (Michaela Longden), and Sabrina (Sierra Summers).
See what I mean? There’s a lot to digest in here!
Naturally, Beth’s hormones are in high gear – she is a teenager, after all, and that is the pigeon hole. So when the new English teacher Miss Campbell (Lala Barlow) both takes a shine to the young lady and shares in her desire to eat (human) meat, it’s a match made in cinema heaven; and the two embark on a relationship that’s inappropriate in many more ways than one.
As I warned you right up front, this is the territory that Troma has made its bailiwick from the beginning. By satirizing not only the status quo but also threading commentary on the wider entertainment community through the canvas, the company has built a brand recognizable to fans who aren’t afraid to go where no man, woman, child, infant, insect, or Toxic Avenger has gone before. Yes, it can border on being offensive, and they wouldn’t have it any other way! Eating Miss Campbell is loaded with pot shots at every conceivable topic it even remotely nears, so much so that perhaps the ambition gets in the way of a good joke once, twice, or thrice. Still, I’ll always applaud storytelling that goes too far rather than celebrate stewards unwilling to go far enough.
Craine is an inspired lead. She both looks the part and 'gets' what her job here is. She leads the viewers into every dark corner of her character’s descent into mayhem whether she's the cause of it or not. Trigo – as the central antagonist for a good deal of the action – is a bit obscure: he’s commercially evil in just the right way, but he’s still a bit of a distraction for the true revelations surrounding Beth’s past and present. He gets reduced to little more than a weird plot device; and yet it’s still a weird movie. Kudos to Barlow for making the most of her somewhat formulaic evil queen with a thirst for blood; and even more kudos actress Annabella Rich for both her comic portrayal of the dimwitted school secretary and also letting it all hang out in her character’s denouement.
And yet … there’s still more worth talking about with Eating!
Believe it or not, there’s vastly more to its examination of peer pressure, its postulation of date rape, its analysis of sexual dynamics in a school setting, etc., etc., etc. Regan and his talented cast and crew cast a wide net in their attempt to satirize anything and everything in much the same way as did the Zucker comedies of old (1980’s Airplane, 1984’s Top Secret, and 1988’s The Naked Gun). Maybe a case could be made that some of it was a bit too broad – there are some Heathers (1988) allusions that may not resonate as well as they could have – but, ultimately, I think boils down ‘to each his own.’
Eating Miss Campbell (2022) was produced by Refuse Films, Troma Entertainment, and Dereks Dont Run Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at MVD Entertainment Group. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional from start-to-finish: as a fan of practical effects, there’s a fair amount of blood splatter in here, and it works swimmingly as well. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Holy mother of dragons, you’re about to be overcome as the disc boasts an incredible assortment of behind-the-scenes, interviews, deleted scenes, outtakes, and more … there’s really more than a thinking person could ever want, so fans will most definitely be pleased.
Strongly Recommended … but, again, this won’t be for everyone.
As a Comedy, Eating Miss Campbell (2022) properly skewers Horror culture so much so that I don’t think it’ll ever quite recover. As a Horror, it’s a film that truly isn’t all that scary, nor is it authentically intended to be. But the unmistakable fact is that – in classic Troma fashion – the story pulls no punches in ignoring the boundaries of – ahem – good taste in favor of crafting a world that exists both in Fantasy and still close enough to our very own to be taken a legitimate … well, with comic intent, that is. None of you reading this are planning a school shooting, are you? Or sleeping with your teacher? Or – gasp – eating human flesh?
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at MVD Entertainment Group provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Eating Miss Campbell (2022) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Believe it or not, there’s vastly more to its examination of peer pressure, its postulation of date rape, its analysis of sexual dynamics in a school setting, etc., etc., etc. Regan and his talented cast and crew cast a wide net in their attempt to satirize anything and everything in much the same way as did the Zucker comedies of old (1980’s Airplane, 1984’s Top Secret, and 1988’s The Naked Gun). Maybe a case could be made that some of it was a bit too broad – there are some Heathers (1988) allusions that may not resonate as well as they could have – but, ultimately, I think boils down ‘to each his own.’
Eating Miss Campbell (2022) was produced by Refuse Films, Troma Entertainment, and Dereks Dont Run Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at MVD Entertainment Group. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional from start-to-finish: as a fan of practical effects, there’s a fair amount of blood splatter in here, and it works swimmingly as well. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Holy mother of dragons, you’re about to be overcome as the disc boasts an incredible assortment of behind-the-scenes, interviews, deleted scenes, outtakes, and more … there’s really more than a thinking person could ever want, so fans will most definitely be pleased.
Strongly Recommended … but, again, this won’t be for everyone.
As a Comedy, Eating Miss Campbell (2022) properly skewers Horror culture so much so that I don’t think it’ll ever quite recover. As a Horror, it’s a film that truly isn’t all that scary, nor is it authentically intended to be. But the unmistakable fact is that – in classic Troma fashion – the story pulls no punches in ignoring the boundaries of – ahem – good taste in favor of crafting a world that exists both in Fantasy and still close enough to our very own to be taken a legitimate … well, with comic intent, that is. None of you reading this are planning a school shooting, are you? Or sleeping with your teacher? Or – gasp – eating human flesh?
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at MVD Entertainment Group provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Eating Miss Campbell (2022) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
Life is chaos.
Over the years, the finest stories committed to stage and screen have explored the resulting chaos of an infinite number of divergent characters, all possessing their own unique reasons for being. We’re a culture that revels in telling stories, so much so that there are literally hundreds if not thousands of outlets – big and small – that afford an untold number of storytellers the chance to weave their own respective tapestries. Of course, this isn’t to say that every story out there deserves to be told; but it does respect the reality that opportunity knocks … and knocks loudly and often. I’ll always encourage those who rise to the occasion, even when I might disagree with what it is they ultimately had to say.
2024’s Pesadilla shows written and directed by Dylan Anglin, a name I’ve never heard of but IMDB.com shows attached to an astonishing 13 different projects – most of them shorts – over (roughly) six years. That’s an aggressive output for any mythmaker. Aboard this most current adventure, Anglin has hired such screen talent as Anthony Garcia, Mike Davis, Gavin Cade Hulberg, Diya Taylor, Augustine Driscoll, and others. All of the cast and crew congealed around an occasionally dark tale of Fate, circumstance, and – somehow – Horror involving a gang of would-be criminals planning their next big heist on a nearby family overrun with grief. It’s a very human story – with a bit of the extraordinary thrown in for good measure – that takes some time to tell.
Suffice it to say, there’s a lot going on in Pesadilla – maybe too much, I’d argue – and I’m not convinced this was everyone’s best effort. As the talent seeks their reward for a job well done, so do viewers deserve some redeeming token for wading through the event … and I’m coming up a bit short, if you know what I mean.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“After a house robbery fail, a group of thieves decide to try again in a house with a grieving family, but something sinister lurks in the darkness.”
Over the years, the finest stories committed to stage and screen have explored the resulting chaos of an infinite number of divergent characters, all possessing their own unique reasons for being. We’re a culture that revels in telling stories, so much so that there are literally hundreds if not thousands of outlets – big and small – that afford an untold number of storytellers the chance to weave their own respective tapestries. Of course, this isn’t to say that every story out there deserves to be told; but it does respect the reality that opportunity knocks … and knocks loudly and often. I’ll always encourage those who rise to the occasion, even when I might disagree with what it is they ultimately had to say.
2024’s Pesadilla shows written and directed by Dylan Anglin, a name I’ve never heard of but IMDB.com shows attached to an astonishing 13 different projects – most of them shorts – over (roughly) six years. That’s an aggressive output for any mythmaker. Aboard this most current adventure, Anglin has hired such screen talent as Anthony Garcia, Mike Davis, Gavin Cade Hulberg, Diya Taylor, Augustine Driscoll, and others. All of the cast and crew congealed around an occasionally dark tale of Fate, circumstance, and – somehow – Horror involving a gang of would-be criminals planning their next big heist on a nearby family overrun with grief. It’s a very human story – with a bit of the extraordinary thrown in for good measure – that takes some time to tell.
Suffice it to say, there’s a lot going on in Pesadilla – maybe too much, I’d argue – and I’m not convinced this was everyone’s best effort. As the talent seeks their reward for a job well done, so do viewers deserve some redeeming token for wading through the event … and I’m coming up a bit short, if you know what I mean.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“After a house robbery fail, a group of thieves decide to try again in a house with a grieving family, but something sinister lurks in the darkness.”
First off, let me say this: on SciFiHistory.Net, I’ve always been one of the biggest supporters of independent film. Far more than most who watch, think, and write about flicks, I’ve always remained dedicated to some of these second features. And why not? They’re ‘in the can,’ and like anything else out there under the sun they deserve to be seen, thought over, and written about. That’s just how I’ve always rolled … and like always will.
Second off, let me say this: there really is plenty I could talk about when it comes to dissecting Pesadilla.
There’s a whole corral of characters – some who get a great amount of screen time while others feel truncated – and, frankly, several of them are quite interesting. Gramps (played by Mike Garcia) is probably one of the easiest to consider, mostly because he’s about as close to a villain as one might find in here; and – despite what we all may realize – the bad guys always make for great written copy. Squeeze (Niki Kapadia) offers perhaps the best narrative surprise of any of these characters; but it happens so late in the picture (in my estimation) and is far too brief for it to have the impact it truly could, would, and should have. Anthony Hartman (Anthony Garcia) gives a fabulous performance of a guy suffering under the weight of his own inconsolable grief, and yet he surprisingly gives Pesadilla about as much of a center as it ever has. There’s more – one of the burglars descent into madness mirrors a good deal of what indie films explored in the 1980’s and 1990’s – but rather than go on let’s just agree that the substance is there if one wanted to analyze those fragments.
Still, my job as one who investigates how well a story gets told has me pushing past many of those particulars because, inevitably, Pesadilla collapses under its own forces, some of which are technical. Camerawork is a bit too routine in spots, and the pacing could’ve benefitted from snipping various sequences judiciously if not eliminating several entirely. It has several subplots that – for lack of a better assessment – don’t quite support the whole but feel attached more to individuals; and I can’t help but wonder why one character needed more exploration when others were equally unimportant to the finale. The film even occasionally suffers from a somewhat ham-handed score by Álvaro Rodríguez Cabezas unnecessarily draws more attention to itself than it would or even should have. While often the sound mix is off – the music is way too loud – there are other times wherein the intensity of the tune doesn’t match what’s happening on screen; and this, too, distracts the feature from developing any authentic rhythm.
One of the essential problems with being a true auteur – essentially serving as both a screenwriter and director at the same time – is that there’s vastly more risk associated with minor errors getting blown out-of-proportion when not being reined in at some point in the filmmaking process. In other words, writers grow attached to their written words being spoken by the characters they’ve created; a seasoned director – in contrast – might better detect when a certain scene, a specific sequence, or even a delivered line doesn’t quite maximize the potential or may even hijack the desired effectiveness entirely. There’s nothing wrong with wearing two hats, but – especially when it comes to the indie scene – I’ve seen it fail a project more than I’ve seen it beneficial. This is not an insult: it’s just a statement of reality as I see it.
Second off, let me say this: there really is plenty I could talk about when it comes to dissecting Pesadilla.
There’s a whole corral of characters – some who get a great amount of screen time while others feel truncated – and, frankly, several of them are quite interesting. Gramps (played by Mike Garcia) is probably one of the easiest to consider, mostly because he’s about as close to a villain as one might find in here; and – despite what we all may realize – the bad guys always make for great written copy. Squeeze (Niki Kapadia) offers perhaps the best narrative surprise of any of these characters; but it happens so late in the picture (in my estimation) and is far too brief for it to have the impact it truly could, would, and should have. Anthony Hartman (Anthony Garcia) gives a fabulous performance of a guy suffering under the weight of his own inconsolable grief, and yet he surprisingly gives Pesadilla about as much of a center as it ever has. There’s more – one of the burglars descent into madness mirrors a good deal of what indie films explored in the 1980’s and 1990’s – but rather than go on let’s just agree that the substance is there if one wanted to analyze those fragments.
Still, my job as one who investigates how well a story gets told has me pushing past many of those particulars because, inevitably, Pesadilla collapses under its own forces, some of which are technical. Camerawork is a bit too routine in spots, and the pacing could’ve benefitted from snipping various sequences judiciously if not eliminating several entirely. It has several subplots that – for lack of a better assessment – don’t quite support the whole but feel attached more to individuals; and I can’t help but wonder why one character needed more exploration when others were equally unimportant to the finale. The film even occasionally suffers from a somewhat ham-handed score by Álvaro Rodríguez Cabezas unnecessarily draws more attention to itself than it would or even should have. While often the sound mix is off – the music is way too loud – there are other times wherein the intensity of the tune doesn’t match what’s happening on screen; and this, too, distracts the feature from developing any authentic rhythm.
One of the essential problems with being a true auteur – essentially serving as both a screenwriter and director at the same time – is that there’s vastly more risk associated with minor errors getting blown out-of-proportion when not being reined in at some point in the filmmaking process. In other words, writers grow attached to their written words being spoken by the characters they’ve created; a seasoned director – in contrast – might better detect when a certain scene, a specific sequence, or even a delivered line doesn’t quite maximize the potential or may even hijack the desired effectiveness entirely. There’s nothing wrong with wearing two hats, but – especially when it comes to the indie scene – I’ve seen it fail a project more than I’ve seen it beneficial. This is not an insult: it’s just a statement of reality as I see it.
Now, where I think this phenomenon comes into play with Pesadilla is that Anglin’s shackled his drama – frankly, there’s no little Horror in this that what remains feels inserted more as a cash grab than it does any authenticity – with a lot of characters.
The old rule of “the more folks you hire, the more they have to say” comes very quickly into play; and the nearly 120-minute experience never quite gathers any significant tractions because it’s always changing gears. This isn’t to say that the bigger parts aren’t interesting; a few are and they’re very good, but the narrative grows tiresome when the viewer realizes every big part is also going to be getting his or her own big scenes. A bit of restraint was needed here – it’s sorely lacking, even in what would otherwise be a solid speaking part in a different film – but none arrives. Instead, there’s bloat – and, worse, a slow-moving bloat – which constipates any true development.
Furthermore, gone are the days when a casual happening can simply be inserted into the indie thriller, chiller, or drama to propel a story forward. In today’s marketplace, there’s an increased demand for everything to make sense – in spite of life’s alleged meaninglessness – and that isn’t always the case here.
This point is difficult to make without spoiling some of Pesadilla’s closest kept secrets, so let me try as best as possible to point out that Horror – in its purest state – works most efficiently when there are only enough rules to make the terror understandable. While no one denies the element of unpredictability elevates the experience, the audience should never have to strive to know why X is happening, what Y is a suitable outcome, and what all of this means for Z. Pesadilla – synonymous with ‘nightmare’ – envisions a central creature whose origins are ambiguous, at best. It’s perhaps the manifestation of one character’s subconscious, or it might be the collective indicator of the ensemble’s darkest fears and desires taking shape, or it could even be something else entirely. Absent any legitimate explanation, it’s a monster with no purpose other than to be a monster, and that’s just not how the best monster movies work.
Again, let me offer some modest clarification: Pesadilla doesn’t fail for a lack of ambition. I’d argue the exact opposite. I think it fails because Anglin was too ambitious. Too many tangents keep pulling the idea in different directions, and I grew tired with the posturing and re-posturing and re-re-posturing. Perhaps another voice in the writing and/or directing process might’ve helped give the entire film a greater sense of purpose. What evolves feels more like a series of one-act plays strung together for convenience’s sake, leaving the best stuff hamstrung by the weaker pieces that could’ve been excised entirely, leaving a cohesive whole that made for a better watch.
When life is chaos and film is just one attempt to both capture and interpret that turmoil, Pesadilla feels both malnourishes and curiously overfed. It doesn’t end with any legitimacy but instead just ends, leaving more questions than answers. While that may’ve been its intent, I still needed it to make sense, and this one didn’t.
The old rule of “the more folks you hire, the more they have to say” comes very quickly into play; and the nearly 120-minute experience never quite gathers any significant tractions because it’s always changing gears. This isn’t to say that the bigger parts aren’t interesting; a few are and they’re very good, but the narrative grows tiresome when the viewer realizes every big part is also going to be getting his or her own big scenes. A bit of restraint was needed here – it’s sorely lacking, even in what would otherwise be a solid speaking part in a different film – but none arrives. Instead, there’s bloat – and, worse, a slow-moving bloat – which constipates any true development.
Furthermore, gone are the days when a casual happening can simply be inserted into the indie thriller, chiller, or drama to propel a story forward. In today’s marketplace, there’s an increased demand for everything to make sense – in spite of life’s alleged meaninglessness – and that isn’t always the case here.
This point is difficult to make without spoiling some of Pesadilla’s closest kept secrets, so let me try as best as possible to point out that Horror – in its purest state – works most efficiently when there are only enough rules to make the terror understandable. While no one denies the element of unpredictability elevates the experience, the audience should never have to strive to know why X is happening, what Y is a suitable outcome, and what all of this means for Z. Pesadilla – synonymous with ‘nightmare’ – envisions a central creature whose origins are ambiguous, at best. It’s perhaps the manifestation of one character’s subconscious, or it might be the collective indicator of the ensemble’s darkest fears and desires taking shape, or it could even be something else entirely. Absent any legitimate explanation, it’s a monster with no purpose other than to be a monster, and that’s just not how the best monster movies work.
Again, let me offer some modest clarification: Pesadilla doesn’t fail for a lack of ambition. I’d argue the exact opposite. I think it fails because Anglin was too ambitious. Too many tangents keep pulling the idea in different directions, and I grew tired with the posturing and re-posturing and re-re-posturing. Perhaps another voice in the writing and/or directing process might’ve helped give the entire film a greater sense of purpose. What evolves feels more like a series of one-act plays strung together for convenience’s sake, leaving the best stuff hamstrung by the weaker pieces that could’ve been excised entirely, leaving a cohesive whole that made for a better watch.
When life is chaos and film is just one attempt to both capture and interpret that turmoil, Pesadilla feels both malnourishes and curiously overfed. It doesn’t end with any legitimacy but instead just ends, leaving more questions than answers. While that may’ve been its intent, I still needed it to make sense, and this one didn’t.
Pesadilla (2024) was produced by SmokeyDog Entertainment and Production Pictures. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been handled by the folks at Bayview Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to, mostly, be of good quality: there are a few scenes with some questionable cinematography – slightly off-center framing and whatnot – that I believe were intended to convey a message, but I’m not bright enough to know that for certain. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Argh. Not a single one. Not necessarily a miss as I’m not sure much could’ve been added.
Alas … this one is Hard To Recommend, folks.
There’s an awful lot to unpack with a film like Pesadilla (2024), and – in most cases – that’s not a bad thing. But the more one has to unpack, then the more fulfilling the journey needs to be once the destination is reached, and that’s just not the case here. The project is filled with characters – some vastly more interesting than others – and instead of the dark yarn that gets told here I would rather have spent time with one, two, or three of them, gotten to know them better, and then saw where it all ended up. While the production’s constant hint that something horrific was afoot, this one was far too conventional for me ever to accept it as a Horror film. In fact, the Horror felt tacked on – and not in a good way – making the closing scenes more confusing than anything else.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Allied Vaughn provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Pesadilla (2024) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Alas … this one is Hard To Recommend, folks.
There’s an awful lot to unpack with a film like Pesadilla (2024), and – in most cases – that’s not a bad thing. But the more one has to unpack, then the more fulfilling the journey needs to be once the destination is reached, and that’s just not the case here. The project is filled with characters – some vastly more interesting than others – and instead of the dark yarn that gets told here I would rather have spent time with one, two, or three of them, gotten to know them better, and then saw where it all ended up. While the production’s constant hint that something horrific was afoot, this one was far too conventional for me ever to accept it as a Horror film. In fact, the Horror felt tacked on – and not in a good way – making the closing scenes more confusing than anything else.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Allied Vaughn provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Pesadilla (2024) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
So many films ... so little time ...
On this day all the way back in the year 2019 across the pond in the United Kingdom, a little Horror anthology film under the name of I Am An Addict enjoyed its first release to the masses.
Again for those of you who weren't paying attention: this is an anthology style film, and that means it has a full list of writers, directors, and actors, probably too many to mention in this small space. But as is my custom, I'm happy to provide the release plot synopsis that's been posted by the fine folks at IMDB.com:
"An anachronistic public access TV channel plays host to a self-help guru with one goal- to scare viewers out of whatever addiction may be plaguing them. Eight international directors take on these stories, presenting horrifying shorts focused on the darkest and most surreal side of addiction."
For those of you who like this sort of thing, I'm also posting the trailer available at YouTube.com below.
-- EZ
On this day all the way back in the year 2019 across the pond in the United Kingdom, a little Horror anthology film under the name of I Am An Addict enjoyed its first release to the masses.
Again for those of you who weren't paying attention: this is an anthology style film, and that means it has a full list of writers, directors, and actors, probably too many to mention in this small space. But as is my custom, I'm happy to provide the release plot synopsis that's been posted by the fine folks at IMDB.com:
"An anachronistic public access TV channel plays host to a self-help guru with one goal- to scare viewers out of whatever addiction may be plaguing them. Eight international directors take on these stories, presenting horrifying shorts focused on the darkest and most surreal side of addiction."
For those of you who like this sort of thing, I'm also posting the trailer available at YouTube.com below.
-- EZ
- Published on
for immediate release
THE PHILIP K. DICK SCIENCE FICTION FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 12th ANNUAL LINEUP IN MANHATTAN AND BROOKLYN
event will hold live and virtual screenings,
panels, writing competitions, and interactive games
in partnership with dystopia media,
'the unseen realm' presents films from
past festivals ahead of streaming distribution
(NEW YORK) March 11, 2025 — The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival returns for its 12th season with a lineup of screenings, panels, screenplay and graphic novel completions, and interactive games. The event will be held from April 4-6 at locations across Manhattan and Brooklyn, with virtual screenings from April 2-14. Passes are available at https://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com.
This year’s schedule takes a step beyond typical gatherings. “Our goal is to create an immersive experience,” said founder and director Daniel Abella. “Audiences crave more than just good movies, and we have provided an opportunity for them to participate and engage.” Attendees can take part in interactive games, such as ‘The Search for VALIS: Philip K. Dick’s Divine Transmissions,’ which offers clues through movies, texts, and enigmatic puzzles. With a social media tie-in, further levels are accessed by joining the creator’s Facebook group. Abella further explained, “Philip K. Dick brought forth mystical worldscentered on humanity’s relationship with technology. He taught us to embrace our full capacity, and this festival represents that vision.”
The festival will feature ‘The Unseen Realm,’ a presentation of films screened at past events. “Many shorts from previous years deserve more attention,” said Abella. “We are committed to helping them reach more people since many are no longer on the festival circuit.” The festival partnered with Dystopia Media and will secure distribution and streaming rights. A live virtual introduction will be held on April 2 at 7pm, with all films available online from April 3-14.
This year’s schedule takes a step beyond typical gatherings. “Our goal is to create an immersive experience,” said founder and director Daniel Abella. “Audiences crave more than just good movies, and we have provided an opportunity for them to participate and engage.” Attendees can take part in interactive games, such as ‘The Search for VALIS: Philip K. Dick’s Divine Transmissions,’ which offers clues through movies, texts, and enigmatic puzzles. With a social media tie-in, further levels are accessed by joining the creator’s Facebook group. Abella further explained, “Philip K. Dick brought forth mystical worldscentered on humanity’s relationship with technology. He taught us to embrace our full capacity, and this festival represents that vision.”
The festival will feature ‘The Unseen Realm,’ a presentation of films screened at past events. “Many shorts from previous years deserve more attention,” said Abella. “We are committed to helping them reach more people since many are no longer on the festival circuit.” The festival partnered with Dystopia Media and will secure distribution and streaming rights. A live virtual introduction will be held on April 2 at 7pm, with all films available online from April 3-14.
Friday, April 4, 2025
Producers Club Theaters
358 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036
Visionary and Experimental Sci-Fi
2:45pm- 4pm
Apollo 11 Dream, 2023
Director Alain Thibault
Canada, 18 min
Inspired by the unconventional form and pacing of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the dreamlike and unconventional storytelling of Lynch and Japanese Noh theater, Apollo 11 Dream is asking the question: did the astronauts return to earth, or did they remain on the moon.
The Dance of the Nain Rouge, 2023
Director Eric Millikin
United States, 3min
The Dance of the Nain Rouge” is an experimental decolonial Detroit demonology deepfake dream dance documentary, based on the legend of the Nain Rouge (“Red Dwarf") of Detroit.
Absorber of the Supreme Sun, 2024
Director Claus Arthur Breda-Gulbrandsen
Norway, 9 min
Absorber of the Supreme Sun is a visceral film that deals with the ebb and flow of time, space, emotions, biology, and physics. The film is an experimental film with music that attempts to convey certain non-verbal notions about the hidden structures in human behavior, memory, evolution, and our search for a higher meaning in a world in turmoil.
Intruders, 2024
Director Jan Locus
Belgium, 10 min
In an elongated pan, mountain landscapes and misty images of animals are presented in an ethereal, ghostly way. Locus uses found footage black and white photographs of UFO observations from the 1950s and 60s.
Telepathic Letters/HP Lovecraft and Fernando Pesso, 2024
Director Edgar Pêra
Portugal. 70 min
Howard Philips Lovecraft and Fernando Pessoa were among the most influential writers of the first half of the XX century. Pessoa and Lovecraft did not know each other despite having lived at the same time, but there is a huge complementarity between their lives and works. Telepathic Letters is a film, whose images were created exclusively through Animal Intelligence, in which a dialogue is established between his letters and essays, poems and fictions, an imaginary correspondence between the two authors, made exclusively from their texts, forming a new universe of artistic and literary possibilities, merging the Sensationism of Pessoa with the Weird Realism of Lovecraft.
Japanese Sci-Fi
4pm-5:15pm
Who Said Death Is Beautiful?, 2023
Director Ryo Nakajima
Japan, 70 minutes
In a zombie-infested Japan, Rika, an infected intern, cares for genius Rei and sister Yuna. Yuna turns into a zombie; Rika and Rei flee. Rika suggests escaping abroad with Takashiba for hope; Rei wants to return home. At Rei's, they face a transformed Yuna's confession. Amid despair, is hope alive?
International Sci-Fi Shorts
5:15pm-7:15pm
Shift
Director Gulnaz Galimullina
Russian Federation, 23 min
In search of confidence, the protagonist goes to the Master to buy a sample of a bold movie character. As it turned out, this is "the most popular product" and there are few characters left. In addition, there is a "side effect" - the acquisition of unpredictable traits, getting into an unexpected series of events. Despite this, the Guest agrees.
Bug, 2024
Director Filip Momirovski
North Macedonia, 10 min
An unemployed cellist turned software tester, tries out a smart speaker that generates music based on the listener's feelings. Things take a turn when the speaker blares ominous sounds in the middle of the night.
Do Bangladroids Dream Of Electric Tagore?, 2024
Director Aleem Hossain
United States, 3 min
In the year 2065, a Bangladeshi-American documentary explores what the Bangladroids recall of their homeland.
The Fourth, 2022
Director Johnny Kirk
United States, 10 min
Eager to celebrate the 4th of July, a group of young black and Latino friends experience a police encounter that shatters the meaning of the holiday.
Portti, 2024
Director Tuomas Järvenpää
Finland, 10 min
A satirical sci-fi short film about the encounter between a frustrated man and an advanced artificial intelligence. The AI offers the man a new alternative. A tale of human curiosity, greed, and the coldness of artificial intelligence.
The Shaver Mystery, 2024
Director Dean Bertram
United States, 14 min
Was sci-fi writer Richard Shaver really abducted and tormented by a malevolent underground race of hideous humanoids, known as the “Dero”? Regardless, his “true” stories – known collectively as “The Shaver Mystery” and sometimes ghost written by editor Raymond A. Palmer.
Deepheist, 2024
Director Glen Vivaris
United States, 10 min
Four activists race to steal the program of the first A.G.I. CEO.
Ovo, 2023
Director Stiv Spasojevic
France, 6min
This is the story of a meeting between an astonishing robot from outer space and an adorable little bird just hatched from its egg.
Factory Drop, 2024
Director Petja Pulkrabek
Germany, 15 min
In a bleak future in the year 2118, a gigantic skyscraper called the Factory rises above the ruins of the old world. In the dark lower floors, forced laborers toil tirelessly to produce diamonds. Emotions and contact are strictly forbidden.
Sci-Fi and Supernatural Shorts
7:15pm-9:30pm
Chthonic (Teaser), 2025
Director Tremayne LaMont
United States, 5 min
Hearing chatter and gossip. Hearing light whispers leaving sensual lips. They are doing this, they are doing that. They say this happened at night. They say that happened on this fateful day. All these rumors and old wives' tales. That's what they say. Whispers coming from the underground. Riding the wind saying something that might be profound.
Verflechtung, 2024
Directors Philip Hofmänner, Simon Jonas Pflanzer
Switzerland, 18 min
In the near future, Susana's fiancé Marco decides to have a chip implanted in his brain.Marco, who suffers from severe depression and has professional problems as a result, sees this new technology as his only chance, not to lose touch. Susana, who originally drew his attention to the chip, soon begins to have doubts.
Bad Seed, 2024
Director Karan Sridharan
India, 6 minutes
A man meets his maker and doesn't like what he sees.
Interference, 2024
Director Lila Woodbridge
United States, 25 min
The story of one teenage boy’s struggle with paranoia and identity amidst the start of the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s.
Stephan’s Computer Parts, 2024
Director Ari Aleksander Miller Miller
United States, 11 min
A lonely owner of a computer store seeks to physically connect to the internet via self surgeries. Along the way he meets a writer, who becomes witness to his ultimate project.
Jirba, 2024
Director Sebastian Gonzalez
United States, 16 min
Based on the short story "Piper in The Woods" By Philip K. Dick, Dr. Henry Harris, is an alienated industrial therapist who works for an interstellar water bottle company. Harris is sent to investigate a strange phenomena happening at one of the company's filtration facilities on the moon of Jirba
Monster, 2024
Director 乔 乔治
China, 10 min
A zombie plagues Beijing.
The Last Zombie, 2022
Director Adam J. Vaughn
United States, 10 min
At the conclusion of a zombie apocalypse, a lone zombie wanders the planet, isolated and threatened by every human in sight. When Nova, the last zombie, comes across a little girl who knows no fear, the two form an unlikely - and tragically short lived - friendship.
Demons, 2023
Director Adesh Prasad
India, 15 min
A man shares a newly found 'cure' to help his friend get rid of what haunts him. The haunting does stop, but at a gruesome cost.
Second Harvest, 2023
Directors Victoria Gayer, Naythan Smith
United States. 5 min.
A grieving widow attempts to renegotiate a corporate contract that sets the terms of her husband’s burial.
Rodent, 2024
Director Joe Fereday
United Kingdom, 8 min
A rat transports us through the last vestiges of humanity as it forages for food for its family. Confronted by a formidable threat, we discover the true magnitude of recent global events.
Feature Presentation:
9:30pm-11pm
The Last Night in the Life of Death, 2024 — NY Premiere
Director Isaiah Brody
United States, 79 min
Every night, Death comes to take care of people who move on from here to forever. But this night - tonight - something has changed, and Death is confronted with the possibility that there is no longer any use for his kind. Through seven encounters, Death begins to understand his true fate.
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Village East Cinema by Angelika
181-189 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
International Sci-Fi Shorts
5pm-7:30pm
Concrete, 2024
Director Eli Vidis Newman
United States, 15 min
In an alternate version of 20th century America, all citizens are subject to government-issued neurological implants which they are told prevent their heads from exploding. Starring Ed Harris, Henry Fulton Winship, Sophia Ali, and Frankie Quinones.
Rebecca, 2024 — U.S. Premiere
Director Gerard Corporon
France, 18 min
After visiting the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, a couple who witnessed something that deeply upset them search for an explanation for what they experienced.
A Time of Mice and Hubris, 2024 — U.S. Premiere
Director Olivier Xavier
Canada, 19 min
Montreal, 1888. The demonstration run of a time machine allows Stephanie, a young girl with a gift for science, to take her revenge upon the misogynistic and phallocratic world of a university. ATIME OF MICE AND HUBRIS is Quebec's first steampunk film.
De Profvndis, 2024
Director Nina McNeely
United States, 4 min
Directed by acclaimed choreographer Nina McNeely, featuring CLI Conservatory, “De Profvndis” captures the essence of iconic religious artworks, with dancers embodying the spirit of ascension, the vibrancy of life, the solemnity of death, the passion of love, the purity of innocence, and the sanctity of ritual.
Chappell Roan - Casual, 2023
Director Hadley Hillel
United States, 6 min
In a sleepy seaside town, Chappell Roan falls in love with a mysterious Siren but soon realizes that the creature is more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.
First Sight, 2024 — NY Premiere
Director Andrew McGee
United Kingdom, 19 min
Luna's dating life takes a dark turn in this gripping story about love, loss, and augmented reality. The future is in sight. Starring Ellise Chappell Poldark and Young Wallander, and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd.
Bloom, 2024
Directors Rachel Morgan, Paul Del Gesso
United States, 15 min
Struggling to make it as a model in New York City, Flora Piper gets an unexpected offer from a fashion photographer to care-take his plant-filled studio. This mysterious and mystical opportunity may change her life forever. Starring Grainger Hines and Emily Bennett.
Reclaimer, 2025
Director Daniel Corey
United States, 3 min
"Reclaimer" is a short film by Daniel Corey that tells the story of a man who uses his supernatural powers to heal a broken city.
Lillo, 2023
Director Andrea Figueroa
Mexico, 8min
After the death of his father, a little boy has to do the cornfield harvest on his own, overcoming his loss with the help of his imagination.
Feature Presentation
7:30pm-10pm
Memories of the Future, 2024 — World Premiere
Director Vanessa Ly
United States, 116 min
In a near future, a genius scientist recounts how he created the first androids, exact replicas of deceased children. In a very distant future, a small community of children-androids lives on a remote island. The arrival of a female teenager, the only human, changes the pace of their life. Two androids embark on their last journey to find the Truth. Starring William Fichtner and Aurora Quattrocchi.
Panel Discussions
Is the US Government Doing DNA Analysis on UFO Abductees?
12pm-1pm
Join filmmaker Liz Guaraccino and a panel of leading thinkers as they explore this possibility.
The Future of Film Distribution
1pm-2pm
Learn how to navigate the distribution maze in today’s changing climate Panelists to be announced.
Sunday, April 6, 2025
Stuart Cinema & Cafe
79 West St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
International Sci-Fi Shorts
2pm-4pm
Universe 25, 2023
Director David Tappan
United States, 20 min
A mysterious entity. A bizarre psychological experiment. Imprisoned in “The Room,” a woman can’t know anyone longer than 30 days. It’s difficult to say what’s worse: knowing that anyone she cares about will disappear, or that they might be replaced by someone worse. With no hope of escape, she must confront the absurdity of her new existence.
Woke Up in an Ashtray, 2024
Director Justine Gasquet
France, 4 minutes
In a world where the boundaries between humans and machines have been abolished, now that death has been overcome and eternity is in sight, is there a soul left alive?
Paint, 2024
Director Mora Carew
United States , 16 min
A brilliant but disturbed artist struggles to connect with his audience.
Hidden Agendas: Lineage Industries Ties to the U.S. Government, 2025
Director Liz Guarracino
United States, 20 min
Lineage Industries, the leading ancestral research lab in the world, was created by the U.S. Government to find a single being.
Fiddler’s Green, 2024
Directors Harrison Heller, Tommy Kraft
United States, 15 min
At a rest stop bar in the middle of nowhere, a mysterious proprietor helps a guilt-ridden man reckon with his choices.
Discorporate, 2024
Director Dane Williams
United States, 20 min
In a near-future rife with misinformation, Petra uploads her consciousness, believing in a greener existence, only to uncover a dark truth about the process.
Creature, 2024
Director Georg Koszulinski
United States, 12 min
In a future world ravaged by war and ecological collapse, an extraterrestrial entity appears in the form of a glacier.
Greed, 2024
Director Mike Hay
United Kingdom, 6 min
A lone battle-scarred woman navigates the streets of a city in the future, where the populace is enslaved by the tyrannical GovCorp. As she moves further into the heart of darkness, Vita is determined to break the cycle of greed and repression.
Documentary Presentation
4pm-6pm
Sex Robot Madness, 2025 — U.S. Premiere
Director Jimmy Mehiel
United States, 94 min
As Big Tech shifts its focus from the attention economy to the emerging “intimacy economy,” the question arises: Are we ready for customizable lovebots designed to push our most primal buttons? Sex Robot Madness is a fast-paced, unapologetic dive into human-machine intimacy, where the line between connection and commodification blurs.
Feature Presentation
6pm-8pm
The Protos Experiment, 2024 — East Coast Premiere
Directors Brian Avenet-Bradley, Laurence Avenet-Bradley
United States, 88 min
Kyra and John wake in a strange prison… They’re not alone. They discover they are chained and are utterly vulnerable in the presence of nightmarish, prowling figures controlled by unseen captors.
Virtual Presentation
Films will be available online to attendees from April 3-14
International Sci-Fi Shorts
Portti, 2024
Director Tuomas Järvenpää
Finland, 10 min
A satirical sci-fi short film about the encounter between a frustrated man and an advanced artificial intelligence. The AI offers the man a new alternative. A tale of human curiosity, greed, and the coldness of artificial intelligence
The Fourth, 2022
Director Johnny Kirk
United States, 10 min
Eager to celebrate the 4th of July, a group of young black and Latino friends experience a police encounter that shatters the meaning of the holiday.
Absorber of the Supreme Sun, 2024
Director Claus Arthur Breda-Gulbrandsen
Norway, 9 min
Absorber of the Supreme Sun is a visceral film that deals with the ebb and flow of time, space, emotions, biology, and physics.
Deepheist, 2024
Director Glen Vivaris
United States, 10 min
Four activists race to steal the program of the first A.G.I. CEO.
Ovo, 2023
Director Stiv Spasojevic
in Best Animation
France, 6min
This is the story of a meeting between an astonishing robot from outer space and an adorable little bird just hatched from its egg.
Bug, 2024
Director Filip Momirovski
North Macedonia , 10 min
An unemployed cellist turned software tester, tries out a smart speaker that generates music based on the listener's feelings. Things take a turn when the speaker blares ominous sounds in the middle of the night
Factory Drop, 2024
Director Petja Pulkrabek
Germany, 15 min
In a bleak future in the year 2118, a gigantic skyscraper called the Factory rises above the ruins of the old world. In the dark lower floors, forced laborers toil tirelessly to produce diamonds. Emotions and contact are strictly forbidden.
Paint, 2024
Director Mora Carew
United States, 16 min
A brilliant but disturbed artist struggles to connect with his audience.
Sci-Fi and Supernatural Shorts
Apollo 11 Dream, 2023
Director Alain Thibault
Canada, 18 min
Inspired by the unconventional form and pacing of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the dreamlike and unconventional storytelling of Lynch and Japanese Noh theater, Apollo 11 Dream is asking the question: did the astronauts return to earth, or did they remain on the moon.
The Shaver Mystery, 2024
Director Dean Bertram
United States, 14 min
Was sci-fi writer Richard Shaver really abducted and tormented by a malevolent underground race of hideous humanoids, known as the “Dero”? Regardless, his “true” stories – known collectively as “The Shaver Mystery” and sometimes ghost written by editor Raymond A. Palmer.
Monster, 2024
Director 乔 乔治
China, 10 min
A zombie apocalypse plagues Beijing.
Shift, 2021
Director Gulnaz Galimullina
Russian Federation, 23 min
In search of confidence, the protagonist goes to the Master to buy a sample of a bold movie character. As it turned out, this is "the most popular product" and there are few characters were left. In addition, there is a "side effect" - the acquisition of unpredictable traits, getting into an unexpected series of events. Despite this, the Guest agrees.
Demons, 2023
Director Adesh Prasad
India, 15 min
A man shares a newly found 'cure' to help his friend get rid of what haunts him. The haunting does stop, but at a gruesome cost.
The Last Zombie, 2022
Director Adam J. Vaughn
United States, 10 min
At the conclusion of a zombie apocalypse, a lone zombie wanders the planet, isolated and threatened by every human in sight. When Nova, the last zombie, comes across a little girl who knows no fear, the two form an unlikely - and tragically short lived – friendship.
The Unseen Realm
Films will be available online to attendees from April 3-14
Pa Pa, 2020
Director Douglas Petrie
United States, 14 min
A lonely mechanic builds a mechanical boy, and becomes an unlikely Father to his own creation. Starring Clancy Brown.
The Art of Human Salvage, 2015
Director Dempsey Tillman
United States, 10 min
A young boy must be saved from execution by his last hope. Starring Edward James Olmos.
HENRi, 2012
Directed by Eli Sasich
US, 12 minutes
A derelict spaceship becomes self-aware as the starship crashes into a black hole. Starring Keir Dullea and Margot Kidder.
Skinjob, 2017
Director Steve Simons
United Kingdom, 15 min
A group of slave Androids steal a space shuttle and journey back to earth to find their maker.
I Am What You Imagine, 2023
Directed by Matt Modine
US, 6 min
Matthew Modine’s new short film, I AM WHAT YOU IMAGINE, is a sensual exploration of the unexplainable. Featuring the voice talents of Ruby Modine and long-time Kubrick collaborator Leon Vitali (in his final performance), the short uses sound, music, and expressionistic imagery to take viewers on a journey of the heart and mind.
Screenplay and Graphic Novel Competitions
Best Sci-Fi Screenplays
The Boy Who Found Infinity
Writer Richard Fenwick
UK
Osiris
Writer Jay Strong
United States
Blue Shades (One Hour Pilot)
Writer Alejandro Vilpa
United States
Othermor
Writer Justin Solaiman
United States
Final Timefall
Writer Ivanhoe Flighter
Serbia
Welcome to the Occupied States
Writer Sarah Cawdron
United States
Best Supernatural Screenplays
The Pit
Writers Duncan B. Putney, Greg Chopoorian
United States
If November Ends
Writer Michael Yurinko
United States
Clawed Predator
Writer Peter Michael Kershaw
United States
The Bog
Writer Jan Buttram
United States
Self-Inflicting Tortured Souls
Writer Ryan Matthew Andrews
Canada
Outgrowth
Writer Katrina Salicrup
United States
Best Sci-Fi Prototyping, World Building and Future-Casting Screenplay
Buddy/Joe
Writer Cameron Young
United States
Digital Support Group #75,000B
Writer Linda Pallotta
United States
The Cube
Writer Mitch Yapko
United States
Bradbaori
Writer Joshua Ashish Dawson
United States
Best Sci-Fi/Horror Graphic Novel, Manga, Comic
The Panharmonion Chronicles
Writer Henry Chebaane
United Kingdom
Halloween Girl Book Two: Dead Reckoning
Writer Richard T. Wilson
United States
The Bullet
Writer Dario Antepara
United States
Festival Passes:
Passes to live and virtual screenings are available at https://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com. Note the schedule is subject to change.
Contact:
For interview requests and press accreditation, contact Jonathan Carsten at PressReleased1@gmail.com.
About The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival:
"The core of my writing is not art but truth." - Philip K. Dick
The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, which launched in 2012 as New York City's first and only festival of its kind, honors the enduring legacy of novelist Philip K. Dick. His enormously effective works composed of fictional universes, virtual realities, dystopian worlds, and human mutation served as a significant observation into the current state of society. Organized by individuals and filmmakers who understand the difficulties and challenges of presenting unique narratives in a corporate environment, the festival embraces original concepts and alternative approaches to storytelling. Since 2013, the festival has held additional gatherings in France, Germany, Poland, Rotterdam, and Los Angeles. The event was named one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker Magazine in 2022.
Connect with The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival:
Website: https://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePhilipKDickFilmFestival
X: https://x.com/philipkdickfest
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipkdickfest
Producers Club Theaters
358 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036
Visionary and Experimental Sci-Fi
2:45pm- 4pm
Apollo 11 Dream, 2023
Director Alain Thibault
Canada, 18 min
Inspired by the unconventional form and pacing of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the dreamlike and unconventional storytelling of Lynch and Japanese Noh theater, Apollo 11 Dream is asking the question: did the astronauts return to earth, or did they remain on the moon.
The Dance of the Nain Rouge, 2023
Director Eric Millikin
United States, 3min
The Dance of the Nain Rouge” is an experimental decolonial Detroit demonology deepfake dream dance documentary, based on the legend of the Nain Rouge (“Red Dwarf") of Detroit.
Absorber of the Supreme Sun, 2024
Director Claus Arthur Breda-Gulbrandsen
Norway, 9 min
Absorber of the Supreme Sun is a visceral film that deals with the ebb and flow of time, space, emotions, biology, and physics. The film is an experimental film with music that attempts to convey certain non-verbal notions about the hidden structures in human behavior, memory, evolution, and our search for a higher meaning in a world in turmoil.
Intruders, 2024
Director Jan Locus
Belgium, 10 min
In an elongated pan, mountain landscapes and misty images of animals are presented in an ethereal, ghostly way. Locus uses found footage black and white photographs of UFO observations from the 1950s and 60s.
Telepathic Letters/HP Lovecraft and Fernando Pesso, 2024
Director Edgar Pêra
Portugal. 70 min
Howard Philips Lovecraft and Fernando Pessoa were among the most influential writers of the first half of the XX century. Pessoa and Lovecraft did not know each other despite having lived at the same time, but there is a huge complementarity between their lives and works. Telepathic Letters is a film, whose images were created exclusively through Animal Intelligence, in which a dialogue is established between his letters and essays, poems and fictions, an imaginary correspondence between the two authors, made exclusively from their texts, forming a new universe of artistic and literary possibilities, merging the Sensationism of Pessoa with the Weird Realism of Lovecraft.
Japanese Sci-Fi
4pm-5:15pm
Who Said Death Is Beautiful?, 2023
Director Ryo Nakajima
Japan, 70 minutes
In a zombie-infested Japan, Rika, an infected intern, cares for genius Rei and sister Yuna. Yuna turns into a zombie; Rika and Rei flee. Rika suggests escaping abroad with Takashiba for hope; Rei wants to return home. At Rei's, they face a transformed Yuna's confession. Amid despair, is hope alive?
International Sci-Fi Shorts
5:15pm-7:15pm
Shift
Director Gulnaz Galimullina
Russian Federation, 23 min
In search of confidence, the protagonist goes to the Master to buy a sample of a bold movie character. As it turned out, this is "the most popular product" and there are few characters left. In addition, there is a "side effect" - the acquisition of unpredictable traits, getting into an unexpected series of events. Despite this, the Guest agrees.
Bug, 2024
Director Filip Momirovski
North Macedonia, 10 min
An unemployed cellist turned software tester, tries out a smart speaker that generates music based on the listener's feelings. Things take a turn when the speaker blares ominous sounds in the middle of the night.
Do Bangladroids Dream Of Electric Tagore?, 2024
Director Aleem Hossain
United States, 3 min
In the year 2065, a Bangladeshi-American documentary explores what the Bangladroids recall of their homeland.
The Fourth, 2022
Director Johnny Kirk
United States, 10 min
Eager to celebrate the 4th of July, a group of young black and Latino friends experience a police encounter that shatters the meaning of the holiday.
Portti, 2024
Director Tuomas Järvenpää
Finland, 10 min
A satirical sci-fi short film about the encounter between a frustrated man and an advanced artificial intelligence. The AI offers the man a new alternative. A tale of human curiosity, greed, and the coldness of artificial intelligence.
The Shaver Mystery, 2024
Director Dean Bertram
United States, 14 min
Was sci-fi writer Richard Shaver really abducted and tormented by a malevolent underground race of hideous humanoids, known as the “Dero”? Regardless, his “true” stories – known collectively as “The Shaver Mystery” and sometimes ghost written by editor Raymond A. Palmer.
Deepheist, 2024
Director Glen Vivaris
United States, 10 min
Four activists race to steal the program of the first A.G.I. CEO.
Ovo, 2023
Director Stiv Spasojevic
France, 6min
This is the story of a meeting between an astonishing robot from outer space and an adorable little bird just hatched from its egg.
Factory Drop, 2024
Director Petja Pulkrabek
Germany, 15 min
In a bleak future in the year 2118, a gigantic skyscraper called the Factory rises above the ruins of the old world. In the dark lower floors, forced laborers toil tirelessly to produce diamonds. Emotions and contact are strictly forbidden.
Sci-Fi and Supernatural Shorts
7:15pm-9:30pm
Chthonic (Teaser), 2025
Director Tremayne LaMont
United States, 5 min
Hearing chatter and gossip. Hearing light whispers leaving sensual lips. They are doing this, they are doing that. They say this happened at night. They say that happened on this fateful day. All these rumors and old wives' tales. That's what they say. Whispers coming from the underground. Riding the wind saying something that might be profound.
Verflechtung, 2024
Directors Philip Hofmänner, Simon Jonas Pflanzer
Switzerland, 18 min
In the near future, Susana's fiancé Marco decides to have a chip implanted in his brain.Marco, who suffers from severe depression and has professional problems as a result, sees this new technology as his only chance, not to lose touch. Susana, who originally drew his attention to the chip, soon begins to have doubts.
Bad Seed, 2024
Director Karan Sridharan
India, 6 minutes
A man meets his maker and doesn't like what he sees.
Interference, 2024
Director Lila Woodbridge
United States, 25 min
The story of one teenage boy’s struggle with paranoia and identity amidst the start of the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s.
Stephan’s Computer Parts, 2024
Director Ari Aleksander Miller Miller
United States, 11 min
A lonely owner of a computer store seeks to physically connect to the internet via self surgeries. Along the way he meets a writer, who becomes witness to his ultimate project.
Jirba, 2024
Director Sebastian Gonzalez
United States, 16 min
Based on the short story "Piper in The Woods" By Philip K. Dick, Dr. Henry Harris, is an alienated industrial therapist who works for an interstellar water bottle company. Harris is sent to investigate a strange phenomena happening at one of the company's filtration facilities on the moon of Jirba
Monster, 2024
Director 乔 乔治
China, 10 min
A zombie plagues Beijing.
The Last Zombie, 2022
Director Adam J. Vaughn
United States, 10 min
At the conclusion of a zombie apocalypse, a lone zombie wanders the planet, isolated and threatened by every human in sight. When Nova, the last zombie, comes across a little girl who knows no fear, the two form an unlikely - and tragically short lived - friendship.
Demons, 2023
Director Adesh Prasad
India, 15 min
A man shares a newly found 'cure' to help his friend get rid of what haunts him. The haunting does stop, but at a gruesome cost.
Second Harvest, 2023
Directors Victoria Gayer, Naythan Smith
United States. 5 min.
A grieving widow attempts to renegotiate a corporate contract that sets the terms of her husband’s burial.
Rodent, 2024
Director Joe Fereday
United Kingdom, 8 min
A rat transports us through the last vestiges of humanity as it forages for food for its family. Confronted by a formidable threat, we discover the true magnitude of recent global events.
Feature Presentation:
9:30pm-11pm
The Last Night in the Life of Death, 2024 — NY Premiere
Director Isaiah Brody
United States, 79 min
Every night, Death comes to take care of people who move on from here to forever. But this night - tonight - something has changed, and Death is confronted with the possibility that there is no longer any use for his kind. Through seven encounters, Death begins to understand his true fate.
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Village East Cinema by Angelika
181-189 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
International Sci-Fi Shorts
5pm-7:30pm
Concrete, 2024
Director Eli Vidis Newman
United States, 15 min
In an alternate version of 20th century America, all citizens are subject to government-issued neurological implants which they are told prevent their heads from exploding. Starring Ed Harris, Henry Fulton Winship, Sophia Ali, and Frankie Quinones.
Rebecca, 2024 — U.S. Premiere
Director Gerard Corporon
France, 18 min
After visiting the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, a couple who witnessed something that deeply upset them search for an explanation for what they experienced.
A Time of Mice and Hubris, 2024 — U.S. Premiere
Director Olivier Xavier
Canada, 19 min
Montreal, 1888. The demonstration run of a time machine allows Stephanie, a young girl with a gift for science, to take her revenge upon the misogynistic and phallocratic world of a university. ATIME OF MICE AND HUBRIS is Quebec's first steampunk film.
De Profvndis, 2024
Director Nina McNeely
United States, 4 min
Directed by acclaimed choreographer Nina McNeely, featuring CLI Conservatory, “De Profvndis” captures the essence of iconic religious artworks, with dancers embodying the spirit of ascension, the vibrancy of life, the solemnity of death, the passion of love, the purity of innocence, and the sanctity of ritual.
Chappell Roan - Casual, 2023
Director Hadley Hillel
United States, 6 min
In a sleepy seaside town, Chappell Roan falls in love with a mysterious Siren but soon realizes that the creature is more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.
First Sight, 2024 — NY Premiere
Director Andrew McGee
United Kingdom, 19 min
Luna's dating life takes a dark turn in this gripping story about love, loss, and augmented reality. The future is in sight. Starring Ellise Chappell Poldark and Young Wallander, and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd.
Bloom, 2024
Directors Rachel Morgan, Paul Del Gesso
United States, 15 min
Struggling to make it as a model in New York City, Flora Piper gets an unexpected offer from a fashion photographer to care-take his plant-filled studio. This mysterious and mystical opportunity may change her life forever. Starring Grainger Hines and Emily Bennett.
Reclaimer, 2025
Director Daniel Corey
United States, 3 min
"Reclaimer" is a short film by Daniel Corey that tells the story of a man who uses his supernatural powers to heal a broken city.
Lillo, 2023
Director Andrea Figueroa
Mexico, 8min
After the death of his father, a little boy has to do the cornfield harvest on his own, overcoming his loss with the help of his imagination.
Feature Presentation
7:30pm-10pm
Memories of the Future, 2024 — World Premiere
Director Vanessa Ly
United States, 116 min
In a near future, a genius scientist recounts how he created the first androids, exact replicas of deceased children. In a very distant future, a small community of children-androids lives on a remote island. The arrival of a female teenager, the only human, changes the pace of their life. Two androids embark on their last journey to find the Truth. Starring William Fichtner and Aurora Quattrocchi.
Panel Discussions
Is the US Government Doing DNA Analysis on UFO Abductees?
12pm-1pm
Join filmmaker Liz Guaraccino and a panel of leading thinkers as they explore this possibility.
The Future of Film Distribution
1pm-2pm
Learn how to navigate the distribution maze in today’s changing climate Panelists to be announced.
Sunday, April 6, 2025
Stuart Cinema & Cafe
79 West St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
International Sci-Fi Shorts
2pm-4pm
Universe 25, 2023
Director David Tappan
United States, 20 min
A mysterious entity. A bizarre psychological experiment. Imprisoned in “The Room,” a woman can’t know anyone longer than 30 days. It’s difficult to say what’s worse: knowing that anyone she cares about will disappear, or that they might be replaced by someone worse. With no hope of escape, she must confront the absurdity of her new existence.
Woke Up in an Ashtray, 2024
Director Justine Gasquet
France, 4 minutes
In a world where the boundaries between humans and machines have been abolished, now that death has been overcome and eternity is in sight, is there a soul left alive?
Paint, 2024
Director Mora Carew
United States , 16 min
A brilliant but disturbed artist struggles to connect with his audience.
Hidden Agendas: Lineage Industries Ties to the U.S. Government, 2025
Director Liz Guarracino
United States, 20 min
Lineage Industries, the leading ancestral research lab in the world, was created by the U.S. Government to find a single being.
Fiddler’s Green, 2024
Directors Harrison Heller, Tommy Kraft
United States, 15 min
At a rest stop bar in the middle of nowhere, a mysterious proprietor helps a guilt-ridden man reckon with his choices.
Discorporate, 2024
Director Dane Williams
United States, 20 min
In a near-future rife with misinformation, Petra uploads her consciousness, believing in a greener existence, only to uncover a dark truth about the process.
Creature, 2024
Director Georg Koszulinski
United States, 12 min
In a future world ravaged by war and ecological collapse, an extraterrestrial entity appears in the form of a glacier.
Greed, 2024
Director Mike Hay
United Kingdom, 6 min
A lone battle-scarred woman navigates the streets of a city in the future, where the populace is enslaved by the tyrannical GovCorp. As she moves further into the heart of darkness, Vita is determined to break the cycle of greed and repression.
Documentary Presentation
4pm-6pm
Sex Robot Madness, 2025 — U.S. Premiere
Director Jimmy Mehiel
United States, 94 min
As Big Tech shifts its focus from the attention economy to the emerging “intimacy economy,” the question arises: Are we ready for customizable lovebots designed to push our most primal buttons? Sex Robot Madness is a fast-paced, unapologetic dive into human-machine intimacy, where the line between connection and commodification blurs.
Feature Presentation
6pm-8pm
The Protos Experiment, 2024 — East Coast Premiere
Directors Brian Avenet-Bradley, Laurence Avenet-Bradley
United States, 88 min
Kyra and John wake in a strange prison… They’re not alone. They discover they are chained and are utterly vulnerable in the presence of nightmarish, prowling figures controlled by unseen captors.
Virtual Presentation
Films will be available online to attendees from April 3-14
International Sci-Fi Shorts
Portti, 2024
Director Tuomas Järvenpää
Finland, 10 min
A satirical sci-fi short film about the encounter between a frustrated man and an advanced artificial intelligence. The AI offers the man a new alternative. A tale of human curiosity, greed, and the coldness of artificial intelligence
The Fourth, 2022
Director Johnny Kirk
United States, 10 min
Eager to celebrate the 4th of July, a group of young black and Latino friends experience a police encounter that shatters the meaning of the holiday.
Absorber of the Supreme Sun, 2024
Director Claus Arthur Breda-Gulbrandsen
Norway, 9 min
Absorber of the Supreme Sun is a visceral film that deals with the ebb and flow of time, space, emotions, biology, and physics.
Deepheist, 2024
Director Glen Vivaris
United States, 10 min
Four activists race to steal the program of the first A.G.I. CEO.
Ovo, 2023
Director Stiv Spasojevic
in Best Animation
France, 6min
This is the story of a meeting between an astonishing robot from outer space and an adorable little bird just hatched from its egg.
Bug, 2024
Director Filip Momirovski
North Macedonia , 10 min
An unemployed cellist turned software tester, tries out a smart speaker that generates music based on the listener's feelings. Things take a turn when the speaker blares ominous sounds in the middle of the night
Factory Drop, 2024
Director Petja Pulkrabek
Germany, 15 min
In a bleak future in the year 2118, a gigantic skyscraper called the Factory rises above the ruins of the old world. In the dark lower floors, forced laborers toil tirelessly to produce diamonds. Emotions and contact are strictly forbidden.
Paint, 2024
Director Mora Carew
United States, 16 min
A brilliant but disturbed artist struggles to connect with his audience.
Sci-Fi and Supernatural Shorts
Apollo 11 Dream, 2023
Director Alain Thibault
Canada, 18 min
Inspired by the unconventional form and pacing of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the dreamlike and unconventional storytelling of Lynch and Japanese Noh theater, Apollo 11 Dream is asking the question: did the astronauts return to earth, or did they remain on the moon.
The Shaver Mystery, 2024
Director Dean Bertram
United States, 14 min
Was sci-fi writer Richard Shaver really abducted and tormented by a malevolent underground race of hideous humanoids, known as the “Dero”? Regardless, his “true” stories – known collectively as “The Shaver Mystery” and sometimes ghost written by editor Raymond A. Palmer.
Monster, 2024
Director 乔 乔治
China, 10 min
A zombie apocalypse plagues Beijing.
Shift, 2021
Director Gulnaz Galimullina
Russian Federation, 23 min
In search of confidence, the protagonist goes to the Master to buy a sample of a bold movie character. As it turned out, this is "the most popular product" and there are few characters were left. In addition, there is a "side effect" - the acquisition of unpredictable traits, getting into an unexpected series of events. Despite this, the Guest agrees.
Demons, 2023
Director Adesh Prasad
India, 15 min
A man shares a newly found 'cure' to help his friend get rid of what haunts him. The haunting does stop, but at a gruesome cost.
The Last Zombie, 2022
Director Adam J. Vaughn
United States, 10 min
At the conclusion of a zombie apocalypse, a lone zombie wanders the planet, isolated and threatened by every human in sight. When Nova, the last zombie, comes across a little girl who knows no fear, the two form an unlikely - and tragically short lived – friendship.
The Unseen Realm
Films will be available online to attendees from April 3-14
Pa Pa, 2020
Director Douglas Petrie
United States, 14 min
A lonely mechanic builds a mechanical boy, and becomes an unlikely Father to his own creation. Starring Clancy Brown.
The Art of Human Salvage, 2015
Director Dempsey Tillman
United States, 10 min
A young boy must be saved from execution by his last hope. Starring Edward James Olmos.
HENRi, 2012
Directed by Eli Sasich
US, 12 minutes
A derelict spaceship becomes self-aware as the starship crashes into a black hole. Starring Keir Dullea and Margot Kidder.
Skinjob, 2017
Director Steve Simons
United Kingdom, 15 min
A group of slave Androids steal a space shuttle and journey back to earth to find their maker.
I Am What You Imagine, 2023
Directed by Matt Modine
US, 6 min
Matthew Modine’s new short film, I AM WHAT YOU IMAGINE, is a sensual exploration of the unexplainable. Featuring the voice talents of Ruby Modine and long-time Kubrick collaborator Leon Vitali (in his final performance), the short uses sound, music, and expressionistic imagery to take viewers on a journey of the heart and mind.
Screenplay and Graphic Novel Competitions
Best Sci-Fi Screenplays
The Boy Who Found Infinity
Writer Richard Fenwick
UK
Osiris
Writer Jay Strong
United States
Blue Shades (One Hour Pilot)
Writer Alejandro Vilpa
United States
Othermor
Writer Justin Solaiman
United States
Final Timefall
Writer Ivanhoe Flighter
Serbia
Welcome to the Occupied States
Writer Sarah Cawdron
United States
Best Supernatural Screenplays
The Pit
Writers Duncan B. Putney, Greg Chopoorian
United States
If November Ends
Writer Michael Yurinko
United States
Clawed Predator
Writer Peter Michael Kershaw
United States
The Bog
Writer Jan Buttram
United States
Self-Inflicting Tortured Souls
Writer Ryan Matthew Andrews
Canada
Outgrowth
Writer Katrina Salicrup
United States
Best Sci-Fi Prototyping, World Building and Future-Casting Screenplay
Buddy/Joe
Writer Cameron Young
United States
Digital Support Group #75,000B
Writer Linda Pallotta
United States
The Cube
Writer Mitch Yapko
United States
Bradbaori
Writer Joshua Ashish Dawson
United States
Best Sci-Fi/Horror Graphic Novel, Manga, Comic
The Panharmonion Chronicles
Writer Henry Chebaane
United Kingdom
Halloween Girl Book Two: Dead Reckoning
Writer Richard T. Wilson
United States
The Bullet
Writer Dario Antepara
United States
Festival Passes:
Passes to live and virtual screenings are available at https://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com. Note the schedule is subject to change.
Contact:
For interview requests and press accreditation, contact Jonathan Carsten at PressReleased1@gmail.com.
About The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival:
"The core of my writing is not art but truth." - Philip K. Dick
The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, which launched in 2012 as New York City's first and only festival of its kind, honors the enduring legacy of novelist Philip K. Dick. His enormously effective works composed of fictional universes, virtual realities, dystopian worlds, and human mutation served as a significant observation into the current state of society. Organized by individuals and filmmakers who understand the difficulties and challenges of presenting unique narratives in a corporate environment, the festival embraces original concepts and alternative approaches to storytelling. Since 2013, the festival has held additional gatherings in France, Germany, Poland, Rotterdam, and Los Angeles. The event was named one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker Magazine in 2022.
Connect with The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival:
Website: https://www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePhilipKDickFilmFestival
X: https://x.com/philipkdickfest
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipkdickfest