Papa est mort

I watched Dad's Dead at this year's ICA's One Dot Zero festival and thought it was amazing. It was billed as a `uk hybrid masterpiece', at first I thought it was overblown title but after watching realised it's totally unique. It was mind-blowing. It blends the art house with a hard-hitting story in a way I've never seen before.

Ian Hart narrates with real tension. It deals with his memories of his best friend Johnno, who is a socio-path. Johnno torments and attacks anything he doesn't understand. Traits which we are all capable of. It's a difficult film to explain, it feels like the viewer is being attacked and forced to take part in terrible events. A bit like Man Bites Dog. My favourite bit is the Peter and Jane book sequence which reminds me of being a kid. There was a lot of sadness there too, especially with the blind man section which is really disturbing.

The best thing is the title which gives you totally the wrong idea of what it's all about. Don't want to give it away! It's a work of intelligence, which is well worth watching.

This is one of the two shorts(the other being the odd Mole Hills) on the DVD of Sunshine. It has a running time of 6 and a half minutes, and a one minute introduction by Danny Boyle. Yes, this is bleak and unpleasant, as well as rather twisted. I suppose if you've never known someone you can compare to Johnno, this may just repel you; however, calling it an attempt to do nothing but offend is a misunderstanding. People like him exist, and this is sadly a credible look at them. Yes, it's nasty, at times disgusting; there's a reason for that. It's a spot-light pointed straight at something extremely dark and brutal. This is a mix of live-action and animation, and it can be quite psychedelic(it communicates its message very clearly, though), and for how grim it is, it can be colorful, as well. The editing and cinematography are interesting, and this not being too long keeps the subject matter from getting you to turn it off before it's over(hopefully). While narration and visuals lock it into the specific region(London?) of Britain, they ultimately result in this being a distinct voice for telling a terribly universal(at least to suburban environments) tale. Acting and writing are marvelous. This is well-paced with nothing overstaying its welcome or being curt. The plot revolves around two youths and their activities. There is a lot of disturbing content, a bit of strong language and a little violence in this. I recommend this to any fan of the medium(who believe they can stomach it, and are willing to ponder what this has to say). 8/10

Reminded me very strongly of the worst aspect of childhood when I grew up in north London. Whatever school/whatever I found myself in I always found characters similar to Johnno-not as extreme-but that heart of mischevousness which could flip very quickly to viciousness.

I guess I am not alone in this. The film plays out a tale that is compusive viewing, though doubtlessly twisted.

The dialogue is deadpan and the animation pulls you in with its urban icons bluring in and around the characters.

Worth watching - others have panned this as too grim, but I am certain that you will know a real life johnno. More interesting are those that will recognise themselves in johnno...

This short film made quite an impression on me when I first watched it. I thought it was odd and quite different from others. It goes through a lot of memories and establishes a rather bleak tone.

Saw Dad's Dead on Channel 4's Outside season and thought it was amazing. I've never seen a film which conveys what it's like to be a teenager so well. Ian Hart's troubled narrator really struck a chord with me. His character is attacked and forced to do terrible things against his will by a bully called Johnno. It was like my school days all over again. It gave me the creeps. Scary stuff! I've never seen a film quite like it before. Hope Channel 4 repeat it!