I bought Short 1: 'Invention' with just the knowledge that Some Folks Call It A Sling Blade was on it, which was the short film I was after. Sling Blade is the flagship of this dvd that contains 8 other short films, some of them quite brilliant. The topic for this dvd is invention though I don't know quite to interpret that topic having seen all the films on it. Yes, they are quite inventive, but I think the right term would be more like innovative. Especially the 8 minute long Mr. Resistor has a unique message which is told in an astonishingly innovative way. I won't ruin the experience of seeing it so I won't tell the details.
Sling Blade is the longest film on the dvd and also the best. It tells the story of a man that has spent the most of his life in a mental hospital and is interviewed by a reporter just before he is released. Everything around it is quite unique and you can watch it several times and still discover new things in the aspects of film-making. The feature film "Sling Blade", which is a conversion of this short film, won an Academy Award for best screen play which tells you something about it's worthiness.
The dvd also contains the 12-minute "Black Rider" which is a German film about a racist encounter taking an unexpected turn. The message of this film makes you put on that little smile which is a rare thing these days. It will roam in your mind for some time because it is certainly a valuable film in terms of getting a clear message out. Also an Academy Award-winner.
Unfortunately, the dvd does not contain enough background material. If you wanna know which circumstances surround which films you have to use the Internet or books. It is a shame because the films become more notable if you their context. But definitely worth having if you are the short film kinda guy (or girl). You can get it for around 9 £ most places so it's not that big an investment.
8/10.