Pre-Film Shorts – Blood in the Snow 2016

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Here is my rundown of most of the pre-film short films from the 2016 Blood in the Snow Film Festival.

Ghost Can
A woman returns home from a date with a can containing an ancient spirit. There is a certain campy tone to the plot of Ghost Can, however it does feature a well designed ghost.

7 4  FAIR  

My Brother
A boy laments how his brother keeps having to go to the hospital. My Brother Charlie is a tale about brotherly love, even though one happens to be a sociopath. While not exactly unexpected, the ending for this short is quite clever.

8 3  LIKED IT 

Inferno
Bambi has anxieties about her first night and Club Inferno and chooses to give a dance to equally nervous 18 year old Jason. However, the specifics of this lapdance is more darker than most stripclubs. Inferno is a very stylish short film, involving too individuals getting over their anxieties. While the twist is something you can see coming from a mile away, it doesn’t stop Inferno from being any less enjoyable.

8 3  LIKED IT 

Stillborn
A childbirth goes awry in an isolated cabin. Stillborn is a very artistic short told without any dialogue. This film is exquisitely well shot and the story is pretty easy to follow through the visuals.

9 2  REALLY LIKED IT 

No Trespassing
A couple girls enter a wooded area occupied by a sinister force. No Trespassing is relatively successful at building tension over its short running time, though I am puzzled by the fact that the villain looks like a walking mannequin.

7 4  FAIR  

Ingrid and the Black Hole
Ingrid and her best friend Conrad experience a lifetime of memories together when they imagine what it would be like to travel through a black hole. Ingrid and the Black Hole is a relatively simple romantic story, but it’s incredibly well executed with some great editing, as the plot moves through time.

9 2  REALLY LIKED IT 

Glimpse
An exploration of the damaged mind of a cinephile. This is a very messed up experimental short, featuring some shocking imagery and pretty much no story whatsoever. My best description of this would be “snuff film porn” and I was not at all a fan.

2  REALLY DISLIKED IT 

Tik Tik
As a woman enters labour, villagers prepare for the presence of a sinister creature. With only a three minute running time, Tik Tik doesn’t really spend too much time developing its story, though I presume it’s based on some sort of mythical belief.

7 4  FAIR  

Taking Possession
A man buys a 150 year old house and experiences strange activity during the night. Taking Possession is a great old school ghost story, featuring strange sounds at night and exploring lantern-lit hallways. I quite enjoyed this one.

9 2  REALLY LIKED IT 

Cauchemar Captionnè
A man acquires a haunted chair, which gives those who sit in it suicidal thoughts. It seems like haunted objects is a trend in horror over the course of the last few years. Cauchemar Captionnè has a relatively simple story, but it’s well executed with some decent gory visuals.

8 3  LIKED IT 

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Sean Patrick Kelly

Sean Patrick Kelly is a Toronto-based freelance film critic and blogger with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies from York University. Since founding his site in 2004, Sean has shared his passion for cinema through insightful reviews and commentary. His work has also been featured in prominent outlets, including Toronto Film Scene, HuffPost Canada, Screen Anarchy, ScreenRant, and Rue Morgue Magazine.

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