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Short Film Review: ‘Disconnect’ Needs You to Answer its Call

Published

4 years ago

December 13, 2019

You wake up. Your phone is ringing, outside it’s chaos. Something is horribly wrong.

You’ve got two minutes to tell this story. How do you do it?

If you’re Jonathan Correia and Lazersaurous Rex, you do it in one damn take. Correia’s Disconnect — created as part of the 1917 One Shot Challenge — has an urgent message to deliver, and it does so with a slick swagger. The single-take short (clocking in at two minutes) is impressively polished with the kind of what’s-that-in-the-corner horror that is sure to tickle the fancy of any genre fan.

From concept to completion, the short was completed in two weeks — an impressive feat considering the complexity of some of the shots, particularly the smooth transition from the second floor of the house to the ground level.

To achieve this, DP John O’Connor and his camera team rigged the camera to an Ari Maxima for the shots through the hallway. Once they got to the balcony, O’Connor lifted the camera and (very safely) secured it to a pulley system attached to a Menace Arm to slowly lower it to the ground, where two other cameramen were waiting to grab the camera and run it upstairs for the final shot.

All this delicate choreography paired with the heavy Ari Maxima rig meant that they could fully run the shot only a few times. Their hard work — well complemented by Ethan Bellows’ editing — paid off with resounding success. Everything we see on screen is framed and emphasized in a way that draws easy focus while teasing just enough to capture interest.

via Jonathan Correia

The music by John R Nunez builds an anxious beat that carries through the short, driving anticipation as — moment by moment — we uncover more to the story. The interior of the house is washed with pink and purple light, giving the whole apartment an oddly sinister vibe that works in perfect tandem with the pulsing guitar.

Disconnect has a strong base that allows the world of the film to really build. As the short progresses, each new revelation twists the screws a little tighter, making the climax that much more powerful.

The story is relatively simple, but highly effective. Though the end credits voiceover gives a bit more (although vague) context, much is left up to the imagination — and it’s perfect. With only two minutes to tell your tale, the key is to be economical and leave your audience wanting more. Which this short certainly does.

All in all, it’s a cleverly concocted and well executed short film that will stick with you long after the credits. Once you’ve picked this one up, it’ll be hard to disconnect.

Check it out for yourself!

For more horror shorts, check out our review of Boo by Rakefet Abergel.

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Jake Gyllenhaal’s Thriller ‘Presumed Innocent’ Series Gets Early Release Date

Published

2 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Jake Gyllenhaal’s limited series Presumed Innocent is dropping on AppleTV+ on June 12 instead of June 14 as originally planned. The star, whose Road House reboot has brought mixed reviews on Amazon Prime, is embracing the small screen for the first time since his appearance on Homicide: Life on the Street in 1994.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s in ‘Presumed Innocent’

Presumed Innocent is being produced by David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. It is an adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1990 film in which Harrison Ford plays a lawyer doing double duty as an investigator looking for the murderer of his colleague.

These types of sexy thrillers were popular in the ’90s and usually contained twist endings. Here’s the trailer for the original:

According to Deadline, Presumed Innocent doesn’t stray far from the source material: “…the Presumed Innocent series will explore obsession, sex, politics and the power and limits of love as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.”

Up next for Gyllenhaal is the Guy Ritchie action movie titled In the Grey scheduled for release in January 2025.

Presumed Innocent is an eight-episode limited series set to stream on AppleTV+ starting June 12.

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

21 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

22 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.