Recently I've become involved in a production of a short film . What this means is that I've appreciated how difficult it is to make a short film especially when you've no budget . Things happen that you can't predict , you're let down , you can't get locations etc . So congratulations are in order to Luke Tedder who in the space of three years has written , produced ,directed and edited several short films one of which is TOXICITY
Honesty is a virtue but not when it's standing alongside forgiveness and I'm afraid I'm going to be more honest than forgiving . It's easy to forgive something due to the budget but not if clumsy errors in production and writing lead to gigantic plot holes you can drive a space rocket through
TOXICITY could possibly be taking place in a parallel universe where geo-politics are somewhat different and that space travel is routine . What isn't so easy to overlook is the opening sequence where soldiers have hairstyles that are decidedly unmilitary . This is an irritant but is quickly forgotten compared to other clumsy internal logic and continuity
After the Nuclear war that sets up the story Ben spends 15 years in a bunker yet doesn't age a day . Likewise the person in charge of the bunker can't be more than being in his early thirties . So he was a teenager when he went in to the bunker and now rules the roost ? Surely there'd be many more people in line of superiority before him ? Is it logical to assume that the bunker would have enough food for this period ? What is most unlikely is that one character is seen smoking and I find it impossible that a nuclear bunker has 15 years supply of ciggies
There's a good idea in there somewhere but it's ruined in the execution of the scenario . One is more than willing to overlook the lack of budget and respect to Luke Tedder for making a 40 minute short film on a micro budget but TOXICITY shows a serious lack of development in its execution where everything seems ill thought out . Perhaps Luke should try and have a long think about what aspect of film making appeals to him most and concentrate on that because this short indicates he's got his fingers in too many pies
