Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Short Films Here: A to Z Short Horror Film Review Series

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With apologies to “Schoolhouse Rock”, another letter enters the arena of Short Horror Films. For those of you who are much younger and didn’t get to see “Schoolhouse Rock”, back when Saturday Morning Cartoons were on all three major networks and Cap’n Crunch was in great supply, I am referring to “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here” from their Grammar Rock series.

Yeah…I’m old.

But enough True Confessions. Time to look at some shorts that will thrill you and chill you. This time, most are from the US and from the last six years.

Little Reaper

 

Every parent wants their child to follow in their footsteps. Some want their offspring to take over the family business. The Grim Reaper is no different. One day, there will be a retirement party and the gold watch will be passed to the man with the scythe. He hopes that his daughter will take the same interest in his job and take over. But, for now, she is a typical, disinterested teen. “Bring Your Child to Work Day” never looked like this. This 2013 short is directed by Paul Dukes and stars Athena Baumeister, who passed away at the age of 16, less than a year after this film’s release.

Lupo the Butcher

 

Danny Antonucci gives a memorable animation about Lupo, a butcher with lots on his mind, lots of profanity, and a decreasing supply of body parts. This short has been a staple for many years and was part of the “Fantastic Animation Festival”, which was a midnight show during the 1980’s. Antonucci was an animator for “The Smurfs” and a writer on “Ed, Edd and Eddie.” The short is from 1987, produced by Marv Newland, who brought you “Bambi meets Godzilla.”

Luna

 

The police arrive at a secluded farm to find the family slaughtered, except for the daughter. Can she help find the killer? Who could have done such an awful thing? Written and directed by Antonio Perez. From 2013.

Lot 254

 

I work for an auction house. “Lot 254” refers to an item at an auction, in this case, a camera. But this camera is not one you want to take any pictures with. From the mind of Toby Meakins, whose work “Breathe”, I featured in the “B” A to Z short films article. (2012)

Lock Up

 

From our friends at the UK’s Bloody Cuts, comes a definite reason not to work late. Written by Ben Franklin (no, not that Ben Franklin) and directed by Ben Kent, both of whom have made contributions to Bloody Cuts and the genre in general. From 2011

Living with Lycanthropy

 

Imagine that you are a werewolf who is slightly down on his luck. So, to make ends meet, you use your special gift to break into the movies. Writer Charles Kline and director Andrew Bliss put together a loving tribute (if you will) to the black & white days of horror movies in 2011.

The Lady and the Reaper

 

Nominated for an Oscar in 2010, this 2009 animated short from Spain points up the constant conflict between the Grim Reaper and medical science, as a Doctor and the Reaper vie for the life of a little old lady. Written and directed by Javier Recio Garcia, who has also done storyboards for “All Hail King Julian” and “Rise of the Guardians.”

Every day, more and more short films appear on line. They are not all great. Some just stink. But you will never know unless you get out there and view them. So, put down the remote! Boot up the computer. Get out there and look for the treasures. And enjoy the trash. They can be fun too.

Once again, Vimeo and YouTube are your best for viewing. IMDB will tell you all you need to know and, sometimes, give you a film to view as well.

These three sites make these articles possible, as well as serve as a means to further the art and give filmmakers a place to show what they can do. They should be applauded for their efforts.

Until the letter “M”, enjoy!

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About Ernie Fink

Ernie Fink has been a fan of film, mainly in the genres of horror and mystery, in equal parts, for over fifty years. His love of horror in the cinema begins with "King Kong" and in literature with Edgar Allan Poe and Bernhardt J. Hurwood.  With mysteries, he skipped from the Hardy Boys right to Hercules Poirot, only to find John Rebus and Harry Hole waiting in the wings. He has been known to read subtitles extensively, and rarely leaves a theater until the lights come up.
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