There was a stretch a couple years ago when I was a bit more interested in exploring the world of short films. I had rented several DVDs in the series simply called "Short" released around 2000, primarily because it was the only DVD I knew of that had La Jetée on it. Anyways I find that short films can rarely achieve the kind of lasting effect that is usually more possible for feature length films. However it is a different art form in a ways, and has it's own separate challenges and benefits that I'm interested in exploring.
Spout sent me a collection called Shorts! Volume 1. The result was pretty much what I expected. A fair mix of the good and the bad. Maybe a bit better than what I expected now that I think about it. I think the main problem most short films make is trying to tell a story in anywhere near the same way a feature film would. You can't expect to achieve meaning in a short film with the same methods used in a feature film because there isn't enough time. You can fill it with exposition, but it doesn't matter if we don't have time to get to know the characters or the mood of the film. And exposition generally only serves to get to a certain place that can't be reached in a short film anyways. I think short films for this reason will more generally lend themselves to comedy, but as you can see most of the films selected for compilations like this take themselves way too seriously.
Anyways, that's some of my feelings about short films in general. Here are just a few short opinions on each of the films on this particular DVD set.
What's Wrong With This Picture? - As the first film they are throwing at us, this film is pretty worthless. In the commentary the director boasts that the total budget was only a few dollars for a cookie and a DV tape. There's nothing original creative at this point about a stick figure that come off the page. Such "special effects" are not impressive and the premise is the kind of thing that someone seems to think is funny but they can't explain why. At least it's one of the shortest films in this set.
Chinese Wall - I liked this one better in reflection. I'm not sure if it could have been executed better. I'm not that excited by the idea to think of more effective scenarios for the "surprise." I enjoy the simplicity of it at least. I don't see enough Dutch films though. Such tall people!
Dreamscapes - Something akin to a short version of Waking Life. The filmmaker asked many people to recount their memories of particular dreams. Then he took segments of a few of them and animated each of them in different animation styles. Interesting to recognize the different kinds of dreams people have and the way they perceive them, and also to see some different styles of animation. This short is nothing too substantial, but generally kept my attention without going too long.
In Absentia - Essentially a stylistic exercise. There is extensive use of backwards footage, sped up footage, and other visual filters. No dialogue from what I can recall. I didn't realize what I was watching the first time around until listening to the commentary, but we are essentially seeing a suicide in reverse. The effects and mood sustain interest, and again the running time is nice and short enough.
John and Mia - This is one of the longer shorts on this disk, and maybe the best one. I suppose I have a penchant for laconic films from Scandinavia which helps. To be rather candid I've had struggles with pornography and was affected by the main character. The actor has a compelling face. This is one of the rare short films that I really wish had been longer.
The World of Interiors - Another animated piece which doesn't present anything too original. The squiggly drawing style is notable only for a strange almost cubist style. But the constant moving of the lines tended to make me somewhat physically ill. I understand the theme. Sometimes you just can't leave your house. But I feel like something more substantial could have been achieved even with this premise.
Dad's Dead - I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It's a narrated piece with just a few strange little stories about a guy and one of his old "friends". The film has so many visual effects that are so varied and fit perfectly with the stories and atmosphere. And the effects are so artistic in a way that they are even more fascinating than something you may see in a big budget special effects film.
Ready - This one feels quintessentially British. There aren't too many recognizable actors in most of these films, but this one features fairly well known actress Imelda Staunton. This is another one of the longer shorts in the set and can get a bit boring, but I think part of the mood is that it's supposed to be boring.
Tenth - This is my least favorite of all the films in this set. I'm sick enough of short films about the World Trade Center attack, but this one has absolutely nothing to say. In fact it has nothing to say about anything. Luckily it's short at just over three minutes. That's probably about the same amount of time the filmmaker put into thinking the idea up for the film.
Pishadoo - This is the third of the films that exceed twenty minutes. And it is my least favorite of the three. Maybe it has more appeal to Italian Americans or people living in the Bronx. But I felt like the whole idea could have been conveyed in half the time. By stretching it out it just reveals how little of a story there really is.
Sleep - A young man finds out he has cancer and not long to live. We see his reaction and how his family and friends react as well. It's not the most original idea, but the film is just the right length and takes just the right approach. The main character is always silent except for a big of off screen narration. We see the reactions of two different types of friends, the mother, and the father along with just the right amount of scenes of the main character alone between interactions. Any longer and this film would have been too long. But the ending seems just right as well.
Fish Never Sleep - An animated piece which is interesting for it's selective use of color. Mostly black and white with red. But there are a few other colors here and there used rarely enough that it's part of a strategy. The other colors really stick out and make a point when you see them. The director commentary is one of those worthless commentaries where they just tell you exactly what's happening on the screen without any background information or insight.
Coda - One of the nicer looking films in this set. The compositions are very clean and structured, just like the world of the private boys school that it is portraying. With the occasional contrast of footage shot on grainy video from different locations outside of this world. I enjoyed the contrast, and the short explorations into just small pieces of the lives of the people who live in this world. Everything was simple and didn't linger too long.
Non-Abductees Anonymous - For some reason I feel like everyone in this film is familiar. I feel like they are all part of some sketch comedy team that I've seen somewhere before, either on TV or live. But after doing some slight research I really don't think I've ever seen any of them before. I've just been so immersed in the world of comedy ensembles that I feel like I know so many people who could make a movie just like this. On the commentary the director says they are all friends from the same theatre so this makes sense. This is pretty much the only straight up comedy movie in this set, which is kind of disappointing that there weren't any more in retrospect. Why do short films always have to be so dour and pretentious? This film also features someone prominently wearing a They Might Be Giants t-shirt, something I have done in one of my own films now. I thought it was cool at the time, but now I realize how incredibly dorky it seems!
Earthquake! - The set starts and ends with two very short and simple films. This film is basically just a few puppets shaking around in a supposed earthquake. Mere novelty.