Passwords
A 12-year old gamer is harassed by an online opponent.

Remember the good old days when video games were simple and easier to play? My video game playing days came to an end when the controllers started becoming more complex – just “A”, “B”, “Select”, “Start”, “Up”, “Down”, “Left” and “Right” was complicated enough for my brain capacity to handle. I remember smoke coming out of my ears trying to get my brain to adjust from the 8-bit graphics NES offered to the mind-blowing 16-bit graphics of Sega Genesis. I mean, what was this, The Jetsons?

Since then, video gaming has evolved considerably. So much so that you can play with someone thousands of miles away while speaking to them through a headset. Not to mention the VR craze that regained popularity in recent years. I stayed away from VR after seeing one too many people fall and make asses out of themselves.

But as convenient and interactive as online gaming has become, it’s also opened up a whole another can of worms – online bullying, for one. One of the more frightening occurrences that have become more common over the years is swatting – when someone finds out your address and calls the cops on you, falsely reporting a hostage situation or other crime. And, through online gaming (and online technology in general), it’s also easier for people to find information about you – PRIVATE information.

This is what happens in Paul Knauer’s aptly titled horror short, “Passwords”, where we meet 12-year old Jesse, who’s playing an opponent through his VR headset while smack-talking through his computer. But the trash-talk rubs another online gamer the wrong way.

COMPUTER (O.S.)
You calling me stupid?

JESSE
You basically called yourself stupid. Post.

The message posts. Jesse lifts his headset, looks at the laptop…

JESSE
Goodnight… Leonard55.

To Jesse’s chagrin, this wouldn’t be the last he’d hear from the mysterious Leonard55. In fact, just after posting his comment, the electricity in his room shuts off for a few moments.

“How do you like the dark?” Jesse leans forward as a second message quickly follows: “Who’s stupid now?”

The lights snap back on. Music suddenly blasts from a nearby device. Jesse scrambles to unplug the speaker.

Not only does Leonard55 somehow know Jesse’s name, but he’s now gained control of his VR headset, taking over his virtual world and changing his avatar to that of a little girl. It’s here where Jesse (now a little girl) faces off with some kind of hulking demon in some dark, creepy-looking virtual basement.

For a story about some 12-year old kid sitting in a room, playing video games, this was surprisingly eerie and atmospheric with some nice horrifying visuals. Though frightening, the story was still very fun to follow. And the ending isn’t quite how you would expect it to unfold. A fun script, this would be even more fun to see on screen. Filmmakers need to jump on this one quickly!

Confessions of a Cadaver
As a surgeon dissects a cadaver, it tells him a story he doesn’t want to hear.

If you watch gangster films, you’ve probably heard some variation of this line before – “Dead men don’t tell tales”. But if you watch true crime films and documentaries – I highly recommend Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries reboot – you know that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sometimes, a cadaver can weave one hell of a tale… in great detail. A lot can be determined through examining a cadaver. Of course, cause of death is one of those things. And through toxicology reports and blood tests, you can also discover whether or not drugs were consumed leading up to their death… hell, you can even find out what the person ate the day of.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – What a grim introduction! Well, the script I’m reviewing is very grim and very dark. I’m sure you can tell by the apt title. But this isn’t just your everyday crime thriller or police procedural ala Criminal Minds, Law & Order or any of the CSI shows – this is a morality tale on a smaller, more personal scope that you’d see in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents reboot. And it all takes place in an autopsy room (or whatever the proper term is) where a surgeon examines a cadaver in front of a small group of medical students. And though they find out a lot about this cadaver in particular, its the surgeon that finds out more about himself during the examination in Matthew Taylor’s clever, sharply-written micro-short that’s just as grim as its title, Confessions of a Cadaver.

The story gets right to it, opening on a gloved hand making a Y-shaped incision into the abdomen of the title character, the cadaver.

SURGEON
Male, twenty-five years old.

All business, not a moment of emotional inflection in his voice, the surgeon is accompanied by an assistant/observer as the group of medical students watch attentively. As the surgeon continues to reveal more information about the cadaver while inspecting it, the observer seems to be a little bothered by his coldness and lack of emotion.

OBSERVER
He had a name you know. A life.

Surgeon takes a RIB CUTTER from a table, it GRINDS as it makes contact with bone.

Observer looks away, can’t bear to watch as Surgeon pulls the rib cage out whole, sets it aside.

SURGEON
It’s important to remain emotionally
distant from your patient.

As the examination continues, the surgeon poking, prodding and showing the students the scarred organs (including the heart), we find out that the cadaver has endured drug abuse, alcohol abuse and even further self-harm made evident by the slash marks on its wrists – this was one depressed individual who was battling some serious demons.

But it’s through the observer that we soon find out the cadaver’s name – Henry. In fact, as the surgeon continues to explain every medical detail to the class, the observer, who’s continuously annoyed by the surgeon’s matter-of-fact disposition, reveals more and more detailed information about the subject’s personal life, far beyond the medical aspect.

As we continue to peel away at the onion, layer by layer, a truly shocking reveal is made. This intricately told story has a much deeper theme than what I’ve described so far, but to reveal that theme would be giving away the twist of the story.

I’m a huge fan of Matthew Taylor’s work – I previously reviewed a short of his, Inbox (1), which is still available, by the way. And Confessions of a Cadaver is a big reason why I admire this writer’s work so much. Excellent at creating an eerie tone, the writer also excels at exploring deeper themes that start off as subtle, slowly building to a gut-punch of a reveal. I highly recommend Confessions of a Cadaver to any filmmaker searching for a sharply-written, atmospheric tale that, not only gets under our skin visually, but also emotionally.

From Before
An ambitious university professor finds the things he’s done to come so far so quickly come back to haunt him… quite literally.

As a massive horror fan, it might be surprising to hear that I am not a massive fan of horror films about the occult and satanic rituals. I’m not sure why, exactly, though I’ve seen a few really, really good ones – Rosemary’s Baby, The Wicker Man (not the Nicolas Cage remake), the excellent South Korean film, The Wailing and, more recently, Ari Aster’s films, Hereditary and Midsommar. I guess what I’m trying to say is that, for me to enjoy a horror flick about the occult, it has to be really, really good. The same goes for screenplays.

Luckily, I stumbled upon James Austin McCormick’s twisty, uber-creepy occult horror short, From Before, which is currently available for production.

The story kicks off when we meet the ambitious and already very successful Dr. Sam Adams, a 26-year-old professor of literature and vice chairman of the committee of trustees at his college. He’s speaking to his class about Faustus – a nice touch of foreshadowing – when, suddenly, he begins to smell something burning. He continues to quiz his students on Faustus but can’t seem to shake that odor that only he seems to smell. That’s when he looks to a student named Michael and notices peculiar burn marks fresh upon his face.

SAM
Michael, what’s wrong with your face?

MICHAEL
You did this to me.

SAM
What do you mean?

Sam looks at the other students. All of them seem like statues, unblinking, unmoving.

MICHAEL (CONT’D)
I’ll see you soon Sammy. I promise.

After blinking his eyes in disbelief, Sam looks to Michael again – but there are no burn marks.
So, what the hell just happened? Was it all in his head?

CLAIRE
Parasomnia.

SAM
Para…what?

CLAIRE
A waking nightmare. It’s more common than people realize.

Claire, Sam’s girlfriend, seems to think these waking nightmares are the product of stress. After all, Sam is taking on a lot of responsibility for someone in their mid 20s after rising up the ranks so quickly.

After a love-making session to shake off the stress, Sam wakes up to the horrifying image of a demon-like figure in his room named Jack – staring at Sam through the dark with reptilian eyes and claws. Jack tells Sam the same thing that he thought he heard in his earlier waking nightmare – “I’m coming for you.”

We soon find out that Jack is also the name of Sam’s brother, who has been lying in a coma for the past three years. You see, at least according to Sam, Jack was into magic and the occult and lit himself on fire as part of a magic trick. After Sam’s most recent waking nightmare, he learns that Jack has indeed passed away – one hell of a coincidence, so it seems. Of course, we discover that it wasn’t a coincidence at all.

As the story ensues, Sam’s mental health continues to spiral to the point where he’s scaring his girlfriend Claire, who’s quite disturbed by all the symbols and markings Sam has decorated his house with – he claims it’s for protection. But protection from what, exactly?

To reveal anything more would be spoiling it for you. But I will say there is quite a double swerve at the end – a very satisfying one at that. A very tight script with plenty of twists and turns, this little tale also has some genuinely creepy moments and even some great jump scares – which is difficult to pull off on paper. If you’re a filmmaker looking to scare the “hell” out of your audience, I recommend taking a look at From Before.

All Good
When his father is released from a mental institution, a confused teenage boy
begins questioning his mother about his father’s return to the family home.

As difficult as adulthood can be, life is arguably at its most confusing during our teen years. Especially when transitioning from adolescence. Our bodies are changing, our voices are cracking and our hormones begin to take over. It’s also a time when we’re slowly being introduced to some of the cruel and harsh realities of life. It’s when we’re at our most insecure and angst-y, struggling to find our identities… all while trying just to fit in. But sometimes discovering who you are makes fitting in difficult. Especially for 13-year old Thom, the shy, lonely protagonist in Ben Clifford’s heartfelt coming-of-age drama, “All Good”.

Before we even FADE IN, we already get a sense of where Thom’s head is at through his opening dialogue:

THOM (PRE-LAP)
I think about death. I can’t stop
thinking about death. Not that I want to die.
Not my death.

This is just another Wednesday at the guidance counselor’s office. Every Wednesday, Thom pays Mrs. Larkin a visit and lets off some steam. When your guidance counselor is the closest thing to a friend you have, you know you’re pretty lonely. The closest thing to friendly interaction he has with someone his own age is when he’s being bullied while sitting alone at lunch.

MRS. LARKIN
You come here every Wednesday afternoon
and tell me you have a new ailment. I’m beginning
to wonder what’s so special about Wednesdays.

THOM
I just don’t like math.

MRS. LARKIN
I don’t believe that’s it. What’s Wednesday, for you?

We find out that Wednesday is also Thom’s visitation day with his father, Graham, who currently resides within the confines of a mental health facility – after getting arrested for running around naked in public and screaming incoherently at tourists. But Graham seems to be doing pretty well these days. So well, in fact, that he’s been cleared to go back home the next day – though he’s not quite allowed to move back in with his wife, Kathy, and son, Thom just yet.

Eager to make things right with his wife, Graham practically begs Thom to put in a good word for him. But Kathy seems to have other plans, changing the subject every time Thom asks, “When is Dad moving back in?” Until she later gives him her answer:

KATHY
Your father is sick —

THOM
No, he’s better.

KATHY
And he’ll get sick again. And he’ll get better again.
I’ve known him longer than you. I’ve known him
for twenty years longer than you.

Not the least bit interested in rekindling her marriage, Kathy seems to be spending A LOT of time with another kinda-single mother named Tina, whose son, Fraser, is right around Thom’s age. Well aware of her son’s loner status, Kathy introduces the two young teens, who have something in common – complicated relationships with their fathers. Through this bond, Thom and Fraser become friends. But Thom has been hiding a secret – he’s gay. And after an awkward moment during a sleepover, Thom decides to run away from home in embarrassment.

To further describe how the rest of this plays out wouldn’t be doing the story justice. Beautifully written, author Ben Clifford tackles themes such as mental health, self-discovery and sexuality with great sensitivity and care. The characters feel like real people and the way the story is told feels like it comes from a very genuine place – as if the author lived it, himself.

Sure to give you the feels, “All Good” is a fantastic slice-of-life drama that would do very well on the film festival circuit – highly recommended to any filmmakers looking to tackle a strong character piece with difficult themes.