That Little Monster

I finally saw this indescribable film tonight! What a splendiferous concoction of visual delights and laughs.

I most loved and appreciated the photography/lighting, the fantastic camera angles and all the imaginatives (the surreal scenes--this is a weak description for what I'm trying to describe).

Paul Bunnell has a good feel for the camera, and how what he sees in the camera will appear to the audience, and what effect if will have.

The humour in this black comedy reminded me of Joe Dante's

"Gremlins."

Of course, I see "Eraserhead" resemblances, from the industrial drone in the beginning, to the different use of time--painfully slow, detailed and bizarre--I love them all.

I liked the composed music (the last chord came to a "resolution," but with very disturbing notes in it). The two songs sung out of the blue by the father--is this what the DVD notes mean by a Gene Autry movie? And that 20's 78rpm record--I liked it.

Was there anything I didn't like? Let me think. Oh, I have more I liked. Forry Ackerman--beautiful lighting, macabre, his delivery was quite fitting. And I like the "heroine's" acting.

Even the length was good--a real "B" film length.

Isn't that funny? I can't think of any criticism. I'm serious. I'll leave it at that.

Enjoyed the camera work especially. The close-ups and odd angles, along with the B&W format made it all the more surealistic. One of those movies where you think you might know what is going on but it turns out - not really. Nothing was overdone - but all was done well.

Wow what a weird coincidence! Every single 9-10 review here is from an account that has only reviewed this movie and no other. Sorry, no that's not quite true. There's one who has only reviewed every thing done by this same director. Hmm. And they all make the exact same comparisons to the Twilight Zone and Eraserhead. HOW ODD.

Spoiler alert: this "movie" is hot garbage. Any tiny shred of respect I might have had for what they were trying to do here (which already wasn't much for a project that's simply inept and unpleasant mimicry of the styles of various famous directors) evaporated when I saw their friends, family, and paid shills propping up the review scores (and wow that's actually especially weird when this movie came out in 1994)

If you are a lover of shows like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Night Gallery or Monsters, this film is for you! The opening homage to the 1931 film Frankenstein is truly a bit of ingenious parody.

Mr.Bunnell certainly used the black and white medium not only to enhance the mood and flavor of the subject but to also remind the viewer of the tribute made to shows like the beloved Twilight Zone and Outer Limits series.

Unusual use of camera angles and movement of the camera itself catches one off guard. Remarkable to note is the babysitter's first entrance into the nursery. This is one of the creepiest uses of the camera I have ever seen. The camera seems to become The Blob - so to speak- and take on a life of it's own! An amazing piece of work! Although a short film, it delivers more than enough mystery, suspense and thrill to satisfy any fan of the genre. Well written and contrived with a well balanced blend of horror, science fiction and black humor.

Also as a bonus there is an amazing star cameo appearance by a now late but well remembered comedian.

The reason I didn't give the film a full 10 is due to the use of an unnecessary and perhaps too long "overture" at the beginning. Overlooking this personal point the film is well worth the viewer's time.

The bonus materials on the DVD are also very good. The Visitant is a brilliant short film shot in color. An un-nerving little piece about a father visiting his young son's grave. I jumped at least twice as the film ran it's course. Again a very well written and contrived piece of film story-telling at it's best.

The Interview with the film's creator is light-hearted and full of camp!

Hat's off to Mr Paul Bunnell, his cast and crew for a very worthwhile and entertaining DVD set.

Jim Seaburg

I can not believe some of the positive comments I've read here. They misled me into seeing this piece of trash. I'm sure many freshman college students taking a 'Film-101' course could do a better job. The acting was poor, the story was predictable, the "little Monster" looked like a plastic doll, and the film dragged to the point you didn't really care anymore what happened as long as it was finally over.

If someone held a gun to my head and said "Say something Positive or you'll soon be as brainless as the director", I'd have to say that at the very least there were some pretty bizarre set pieces. It looked like a world where the Joker from the animated Batman series would feel right at home. Oh and it was nice to see that special cameo appearance at the end by one of Hollywoods all time greats. He must have lost a golf bet or something to end up making an appearance in this turkey.

Skip this one, life is too short.