Author: Take2IndieReview: Mark Lakatos
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X-MAS ANONYMOUS
The Christmas spirit is powerful and can sometimes cast a potent spell on everyday people. So much so that in writer/director Sammy Smedley’s comedy short X-Mas Anonymous, these people attend a support group for likeminded but sometimes less-than-jolly individuals. Barry (Augustus Wilson) has led the titular get-together for 5 years. Yet his newest gathering seems…
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THE PITCH
Few things can be as potent spectacles as sports-related dramas, especially these days. Some surface sooner than others. Vernon Peters (Reynolds Whalen) stepped up to play for the NY Yankees, made a single pitch, and was never heard from again until his death, living a life ravaged by alcohol and a failed marriage. Mike Resnick…
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1 STAR REVIEW
A local restaurant is hell-bent on maintaining its public image. So much so that its chefs, Tina (Amelie Leroy) and Michael (Charlie Clee), go out of their way to personally torment and eventually murder patrons who dare leave a negative review on their page. Chef Michael has his eyes and knives set on social media…
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RIVER OF GRASS
The ties that bind us can often be constricting. In writer/director Derek Magyar’s short film River of Grass, two brothers are forced to confront their past, present, and future when one returns from military service, only to discover that nothing can ever be the same. Mild-mannered Larry Johnson (Dylan McTee) arrives back from the Vietnam…
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THE DOG
Pets are a part of the family, a sentiment that has always held strong in households across time. Whether they enter our lives by choice or by chance, we are responsible for being their guardians and making the choices that are in their best interest. Never is that more true than in writer/director Danielle Baynes…
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CURIOSITY
The dark web and its seedy digital world have been the subject of much discussion lately. It is often described as a haven for criminals looking to make a profit, with illegal material plastered all over its servers. Despite law enforcement warnings and common sense dictating otherwise, the allure of it draws in the general…
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FISHTANK
This year’s HollyShorts Film Festival has been an exceptional celebration of indie filmmakers and their unique projects. A novel takeaway from this year’s edition is how creatives have lovingly utilized fish as part of their storytelling. With Fishtank, writer/director Wendi Tang tackles recovery after addiction with a gorgeous visual palette and sensitivity to match. Jules…
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SHOUTING AT THE SEA
Change is the only constant in life. The Greek thinker Heraclitus coined this phrase, which philosophers often use to remind everyone that existence is always in motion, akin to the waves of water. Benjamin Verrall’s short film Shouting at the Sea contrasts this forward-thinking ideology by examining two troubled individuals. Both have their eyes seemingly…
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FIRELINE
Otto’s (Bobby Soto) life in county jail hangs in the balance. After being denied parole and unable to make a call to his daughter, he borrows a secret mobile phone from fellow inmate Primo Alomar (Fabian Alomar) to try and make contact. Otto’s call goes to voicemail, but an alarm abruptly interrupts his message. A…