Tom Hits His Head

In Tom Hits His Head, well, Tom hits his head. And the insanity that follows is what the director, Tom, insists is an autobiographical account of a six-month bout with panic attacks. The movie is hilarious, escalating from simple depression to blackouts to binge spending to an encounter with Satan in the bathroom. One can imagine that it was a lot less amusing when it was really happening, which makes a great case for independent film as a means of cathartic therapy. After the screening, the director joked that he had gotten tired of people asking him how he's been doing since his accident, so now he just hands them a tape.

All right, of course I might be biased but I think this is an excellent short film that embodies everything that independent cinema should and can be. Everything from it's confessional narrative style to the in camera opticals and use of reversal stock is contrary to what I've come to see in short films lately. It proves that a short film can be just that and not a commercial made for the purpose of procuring an agent or (as the latest trend seems to be) being bought by a commercial agency to use as an advertisement for a product. All that and it's entertaining with a human story that everyone can relate to. Whew! Anyway, if you can find it, check it out. Mr. Putnam obviously set out to prove he's a filmmaker and tell a good yarn about himself and succeeds tremenously in both.

This was shown at the Sidewalk Film Festival, and was easily my favorite of all the shorts and features. Don't really know why - Sometimes when you can't explain why you loved something it means just a little more to you. If you get a chance to see this, don't pass it up. You will not regret it. The writing, acting, filming, and post all came together to make a very enjoyable moment in my life - Thanks :)