AnythingHorror Central

Let's see in Eli Roth can take it as well as he gives it!!

I SPIT ON ELI ROTH is now the second short I’ve watched from Los Angeles-based indie horror director Devi Snively (the first one I saw was Snively’s Death in Charge) and I can honestly say that I think I’m in love!!  This short had me laughing out loud, contained some pretty fun gore, and managed to get a great message across all within 15 minutes.  Snively has proven to be a fun yet very focused filmmaker who knows exactly what she wants to get across to the audience.

Snively, going by the name “Devvyl I. Signe” in the short, and some other women are making a horror movie when the get the news that Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever DVD has been released with “chickvision” that warns females when the movie is going to be too graphic.  Left with few options the ladies decide to kidnap and go medieval on Roth and dish out some of the same punishment he’s unleashed on the female characters in his films.  Snively is obviously using the persona of horror writer-director Eli Roth to skewer the current pathetic state the horror genre is in today.  Its a great short that looked fun as hell to make and manages to get more special f/x into it’s 15 minutes than some full length features.  We even get a few “Zombie Babes” in this one.  This one is worth searching for.  Head over to deviantpictures.com and contact Snively about how you might be able to get this and all her shorts.  You’ll thank me.

—–

This is a rare occurrence; I watched two short horror films last night and both of them were really entertaining and well made and left me wanting more.  The second one I watched was WORM; written, directed, produced and edited (along with Zach Green) by Richard Powell.  In this 20 minute short we follow around mild-mannered Geoffrey Dodd (Robert Nolan), a high school teacher who seems pretty meek and introverted, in one of his typical days.  But very quickly we learn that Dodd has a hidden side that he keeps to himself which is only given away through his dark and violent thoughts (which we hear in voice overs).  Powell does a great job here presenting a man who is both likable and frightening at the same time.  We hear his awkward conversations with the students and sympathize with him as someone whose life didn’t turn out the way he intended.  But at the same time we learn what he really thinks about the students he’s teaching and his co-workers.  Dodd is a severely disturbed ticking time bomb of a man.

At first you think he’s just frustrated and jealous of the students because they have their entire lives before them and essentially can become anything while Dodd is stuck in a job he hates teaching children he wants to see fail.  Powell at first leads us to believe Dodd is a frustrated writer going through a wicked case of mid-life crisis.  But as the school day goes on Dodd’s thoughts become darker and more frightening as they expose a real monster who could snap at any moment.  This becomes crystal clear as we see him obsess over one of his students Lillian (Samantha Nemeth).  He’s created an entire fantasy world where they run away together, fall in love, and live happily ever after.  And when he starts talking about kidnapping and putting her in the trunk of his car because he’s probably gonna have to help her realize she loves him … well the hair on your arms will stand up and shivers will shoot up and down your spine.  Just wait until you see what’s in his briefcase!!  The students were literally “saved by the bell”.

Actor Robert Nolan (who plays time bomb Geoffrey Dodd).

The casting in WORM is spot on and Nolan does a great job relating a ton of expressions just from his facial features alone.  This one will leave you wanting to know what happens during the next few school days and if Dodd ever acts on his thoughts.  Is he frustrated and angry because he never takes any action in his life, or does he have the balls to follow through with his thoughts?  This is a really well done short that chronicles the daily life of a potential killer and is worth your time to seek out.

My Summary:

I SPIT ON ELI ROTH (2009)

Director:  Devi Snively (and writer)

Plot:  4.5 out of 5 stars

Gore:  6 out of 10 skulls

Zombie Mayhem:  1 out of 5 brains

WORM (2010)

Director:  Richard Powell (and writer)

Plot:  4 out of 5 stars

Gore:  0 out of 10 skulls

Zombie Mayhem:  0 out of 5 brains

Reviewed by Scott Shoyer