From Shorts to Features - Part One

For some writer/directors, making a short film is indeed a stepping stone towards a career in the feature film realm, although sometimes a short’s success doesn’t guarantee an immediate film deal.

When Sean Ellis’s Cashback was nominated for an Oscar in 2005, the director managed to develop the short into a feature film, using most of the existing footage for his upgraded narrative. Cashback, the feature (Canada: Altlantis/Remstar, U.S.A.: Magnolia), was later followed by The Broken (2008) and though both films are very flawed (see reviews), Ellis’ short did succeed in giving the director a career jump; this was admittedly helped by Uncle Oscar, who perhaps gave 2005’s Oscar Winner, Martin McDonagh, an even bigger boost when his short, Six Shooter, led to In Bruges (2008).

For comparison, there’s Brain Hecker’s 1998 debut Family Attraction (Vanguard), which the writer/director made while at the AFI. The film went on to become one of the organization’s most successful shorts, and yet it took Hecker a bit longer to develop and produce his first feature, 2008’s Bart Got a Room (Anchor Bay/Starz). Granted, Hecker had to start from scratch (and draw from his youth years to create a tale of prom angst), but the success in moving from short to feature is very much a crap shoot, determined by factors other than mere luck, timing, or accolades.

Just uploaded are reviews for Cashback, as well as Magnolia’s short film anthology, A Collection of 2005 Academy Award Nominated Short Films, which contains the original version Cashback, as well as Six Shooter and several other notable shorts.

Coming shortly: Brain Hecker’s efforts, including Bart Got a Room and Family Matters.

- MRH

A Double-Headey

Lena Headey (The Sarah Connor Chronicles) has two new films out on DVD, although Laid to Rest (Anchor Bay/Starz) is more of a cameo, since the actress, who appears as a southern white trash lass, is quickly dispatched by the film's killer to the Heavens. Robert Hall's thriller is deeply flawed, but fans of flesh-tearing gore should be pleased with the carnage the effects wizard concocted for his second directorial effort.

Headey has the starring role in The Broken (TVA/Sony in Canada, Lionsgate in the U.S.), Sean Ellis' minimalist riff on Jack Finney's The Body Snatchers, a gorgeous but deeply flawed effort, too. Shot in London, it features a solid supporting cast, fine cinematography, and Guy Farley's snarling score, but like Hall, Ellis kind of forgot a film needs some weight in the story department or it all loses meaning.

A much better offering by another feature film newcomer is Toby Wilkins' Splinter (Magnolia), which borrows a bit from John Carpenter's The Thing (okay, maybe a fair bit) and delivers some piercing gore. Most of the drama takes place in a gas station, and it's a clever and kinetic low budget shocker boosted by another fine score from Elia Cmiral.

- MRH