Svarta Madam

This is my first exposure to Jarno Lee Vinsencius' work. Moody and atmospheric, with top-notch quality, as is with THE WITCH (a film that I thoroughly enjoyed from all perspectives) SVARTA MADAM is Jarno Lee Vinsencius' tour de force in 23:50. Wise not to make a feature film, SVARTA MADAM is the right length, with a cautionary pace building to it's climax. Vinsencius gently takes you in to his main characters' nightmare. With excellent performances by the cast and and fine score, it was a pleasure to screen. My only criticism (and it could due to the over-saturation of the device here in the States) is that there are too many jump-scares. Though effective, I have discovered that once a jump-scare occurs, the end result is that it takes the tension out of the film. Too many jump-scares not only removes tension, like wind out of the sails of a boat, but now we, the audience, have been trained to expect more jump-scares as the film moves forward, hence dampening the suspense. Aside from that, I truly enjoyed SVARTA MADAM. I look forward to more independent work by Jarno Lee Vinsencius and his outstanding repertoire of actors, designers & technicians.

The short is based on an urban legend present in many cultures (e.g. Bloody Mary and Candy man). In Sweden it's "Svarta madam" (Black madam). The concept is that when a person looks into a mirror and repeats her name three times she might appear. I played this game myself during my childhood which heightened the experience of this movie.

The script is carried out in a great way and the photo, ambiance and sound are also great. Someone complained about the ambiance being to much of a horror flick. Would this have been a full length movie I might have agreed. However, in a short, you don't have as much time to pull the viewer in and hence I think the constant horror ambiance worked well.

I hope to see more from this director!

I make IMDb page to write review. Very cool to see this film. I like horror films and this was correct made. The emotion, the scary, the madame in black was cool killer.

The actors did good work. I also very happy to see Harry who artist Kase Chlopecki acts. I like to see more of him. I wait for Evil Rising a long time and hope soon to see it.

The director make good work also.

The Madame in Black, or "Svarta Madam" in its native language, is a film about a supernatural being that was burned at the stake centuries ago, and comes back when someone says its name three times while looking in a mirror--not unlike the "Bloody Marry" children's game. The film begins with a narrative about the Svarta Madam, then cuts to the early 90s, where two kids are about to play the game. From there, it cuts to present day, and the rest of the film seems to take place over the course of one night.

First of all, the cinematography was impressive. The picture was crisp and detailed, the camera moved smoothly, and the choices for lighting and coloring worked really well with the horror genre.

As far as I could tell, the acting was good. I don't speak Swedish, so I couldn't be 100% sure, but the delivery of lines seemed pretty good, and the emotions felt real enough. Nothing about the acting took me out of the film.

When it comes to the plot, things get a bit murky. A character was displaced from the other characters, and aside from an initial question, the other characters don't acknowledge this character's existence again. Secondly, around the climax of the film, it was becoming confusing what the sequence of events were; what was imagined, what was a dream, etc. Aside from those things, however, the plot was serviceable for the film.

I enjoyed watching this film, and I look forward to seeing more from this director. Indie film makers are important for the integrity of film-making. It's preferable that film doesn't grow too inbred, isolated to one city, where everyone thinks the same.

Svarta Madam is a Swedish short film that tells the story of siblings, Alex(Demis Tzivis) & Emma(Ida Gyllensten). When Alex & Emma were kids, they used to play the terrifying children's game called Svarta Madam(The Madame in Black, when translated into English). This game is based on a spooky story about a witch. Years after they first play the game, Alex & Emma decide to play Svarta Madam once again, this time accompanied by Sarah(Jennica Landen) & Harry(Kase Chlopecki). This leads to some dire consequences. Jarno Lee Vinsencius' next short film after, Burn in Hell(2015), Darkness Falls(2016) & Silent Fall(2016) is just as mind blowing as those three movies. Vinsencius' talent knows no bounds as he writes the script, shoots, edits & directs all his films. This is a horror short movie & manages to maintain the tense atmosphere throughout. The cliffhanger left me wanting more. This is the best thing a short film can achieve. The cinematography by Vinsencius is gorgeous. The performances are excellent. Demis Tzivis is spectacular in his portrayal of Alex. Tzivis gives another award worthy performance, after Burn in Hell(2015), Darkness Falls(2016) & Silent Fall(2016). I can't wait for Jarno Lee Vinsencius' full-length movie, Evil Rising(2017). Vinsencius will have an awesome filmography in the coming years.