Desserts

I saw this short at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Sundance has a reputation for showcasing great shorts and this one was terrific. If I were giving the awards -- but of course I forgot to fill out my audience ballots -- the Best Short award would have gone to Jeff Stark for this brilliant three-minute masterpiece of comic horror (starring Ewan MacGregor). This exquisite tidbit caused an immense unified gasp of shocked laughter at its first screening. I can't tell you the punchline except to say, "Beware of stray chocolate eclairs on the beach."

If you want to make a Short Film, start by having a look at this one. A Short is hard to make and this one is a fantastic demonstration of a great idea explored by excellent film making. Definitely the best short I have ever seen.

In trying to come up with the title for a black & white short film that I saw in the theatres circa 1967, I came across "Desserts" here on imdb. From what I read, it seemed as if "Desserts" was a remake of the short movie I was researching. What I saw in 1967 has remained with me ever since. It was the best short I've ever seen.

"Desserts" is available on an out-of-print DVD of shorts from the Toronto Film Festival. I finally found it on eBay, bought it and played it at home last week.

What a disappointment! One of the main "catches" to the original is that the solitary character is a fisherman at the seaside. That makes the "hook" of the story a lot more meaningful. Since I remember the original so well, I can say that a few of the shots in "Desserts" were lifted directly from the black & white film; however, the money shot from the original wasn't duplicated in the remake. That's like a burglar stealing the diamond earrings but not the matching necklace!

If anyone reading this happens to know the name of the original short film or its director, pleeeze get in contact with me with that information or post it here. It was superb!

A solitary man strolling along the beach comes across a tempting eclair. Why the dessert is sitting there and who left it are questions the stroller should have pondered. The next decision he makes changes his life forever...

This is a funny short film that has a nature in reverse joke. Ewan McGregor stars as the drifter. Watch it and it's length will make you want to see more. You'll be hooked. More films should use this approach instead of making terrible comedies. *** out of ****