allenbloom

[allenbloom]

When they both think they're unworthy

[Characters from CTC]

[allenbloom]

Short Film Review!

Following once again the tiny council in my head, I decided to check out other short horror films, just like the last time I watched every single one at least twice, and maybe as a disclaimer, this is just my humble opinion as someone who loves horror and listens to their sibling yap about films all day.

All films will be linked.

Portrait of God: I'm a tiny bit biased as this was a recommendation by @riize516 who knows me and my taste pretty well, and honestly this one was just up my alley! I love the small details she helped me notice, and I love how they tried to materialize something as abstract as the concept of God.

This may come across as a little weird? But I feel like this comes out as horror because it is seen through the eyes of us, humans, who cannot fully comprehend the actions of God and the message he intends to deliver, it is how we experience those actions what terrifies us. The God portrayed (huh) in this film despite being incomprehensible and terrifying, also comes across as kind and tender nonetheless.

I usually have strong feelings against really dark scenes in films where you can’t see a thing, however in this case I think it was completely justified, and it adds to the tension and storyline, the darkness paired with the amazing score makes the experience whole. The making of was also interesting, I always enjoy getting the insight of the directors/writers regarding their works, I will probably go back to other films by Dylan Clark, specially after noticing he’s also the director for “The pretty thing” (which I reviewed last time), a film that came 5 years before this one, it really makes you realize how much he has grown. 

The strange thing about the Johnsons: Boy, being Ari Aster’s therapist must be so much fun /s. I also have a bias here because I really like his vision, he is never afraid of messing with taboo topics and/or getting his main characters through absolute psychological hell.

Withing the first five minutes, you dive into the territory of awkward and uncomfortable, and from then it’s only going downhill. I feel like one of the most disturbing aspects of this film is how accurate it represents SA inside a family, however with the novelty of having some roles reversed, putting the power dynamics we’re so used to seeing on it’s head.

The little glimpse we get of Sydney writing his last book, “Cocoon Man”, is disheartening, because it allows us to see how much blame he puts on himself regarding his own assault; this awful guilt and responsibility is also enforced by Isaiah, who blames him and belittles him to keep his position of power and sustain the abuse overtime.

Isaiah manages to subdue his father through manipulation, making him believe he’s an accomplice of his abuse. I think in a longer format Isaiah would be fascinating to dissect, because as we see in the last scene with him putting on his father’s clothes, he really does seem to yearn to be the most powerful one in his family dynamic, putting himself above both of his parents.

As many things do, this reminded me of a powerful quote by Oscar Wilde, in which he said, “Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power”.

Munchausen: Another one from Ari Aster, and again, it’s focused on family (bombastic side-eye).

I want to give it kudos for portraying so much without a single word uttered during the whole film, the music does wonders to help you get sucked into the storyline, and the idyllic, fantasy-like quality of the setting makes the not-so-pure intentions of the mother pop against the background by contrast. Also, I think this isn’t talked as much, “The strange thing about the Johnsons” had literal incest, however, Munchausen has emotional incest (or covert incest), which can be as damaging and is far less acknowledged.

Furthermore, I may be dumb(?) However if I’m understanding correctly, the first full 8 minutes of the film are just the mother’s fantasy, and the rest is the consequences of her actions, the actions she took to avoid a future that was only real in her fantasies. She wasn’t even threatened by the absence of her child, it was the idea of his absence.

The parallels during the film, like between the toy and the son, and the mother going after the car and trying to cling to the casket, they are impeccable.

And this is a personal beef I will have with the film, but if anything this is not Munchausen, it’s Munchausen by proxy (MBP), you don’t have to see me out, I know the way, the DSM-V and I will have a great time together (And it wouldn’t be MBP, it would be Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another or FDIA, but yeah I’ll shut up, actually walking to the door as I speak).

Beau: Judging by the name, the plot and the fact that it’s written and directed by Ari Aster, I think I will have to check his 2023 movie “Beau is afraid”.

I think it’s great to see an earlier work from a director like Ari Aster. I think this one is not as good as the other short films I reviewed here, but it feels like witnessing a humble beginning. 

The paranoia, the irrationality, and bizarreness of everything becomes palpable and makes you question the sanity of the main character, taking you along with him on his journey to madness, the ending making the whole thing even more confusing. Also, the possum. Just. The possum.

Special Day: Honestly, this wasn’t one of my favourites because it felt like it wasn’t a new idea, but I cannot for my life put into words of what it reminds me of. The idea is concise, and the suspense is extended for as long as it possibly can.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the constant sounds the sentinel makes and the darkness of the whole film.

Caregiver: After reaching the end, it’s hard to see if anything the Nora said it’s true, or if everything was just a lure for her victim. The descriptions of the people she talks about tend to fall on generic, she messes up her story (regarding the dad being dead or alive), and seems to be focussed on keeping the door closed and the sound of the creature to a minimum. The stabbing felt like it came out of nowhere tho, but the frustration felt by the filmmaker is palpable as the creature crawls towards him

I think it could have been a little more interesting if it was seen all the time through the lens of the camera used for the interview, just a thought.

The other side of the box: I think I had seen this one recommended EVERYWHERE before, but hadn’t watched it until last night, when I decided to binge 8 short films once again. If you ever encounter anyone like Shaun in your life, kick them out as fast as you can.

The box is alluring enough, with its pitch black inside and bottomless properties, but besides that I think I didn’t feel too much novelty because it reminded me of SCP-173, you know, this guy.

So the whole time I was thinking “I know this feeling, I was in these trenches when I was 12”. 

The “I gave it to you” part was a huge plot twist within the concept and immediately lets us know that whatever is inside the box, must be already out by the time Ben gets back.

Make me a sandwich: 

In the beginning I could truly feel for the main character, how she wanted to do her own thing but kept getting interrupted by the man-child that is her husband, requesting what is used as an argument by man when they have no intention in having a fair argument, so they just blurt out “why don’t you go to the kitchen and make me a sandwich”.

The plot twist is intense, like a staccato, it lasts for exactly as long as it needs to get the viewer to comprehend what has been going on before cutting to the kitchen again, an absolute masterpiece.

If I keep doing this, I'm guessing it will become a tradition, so I will rank all 8 films:

The strange thing about the Johnsons

Portrait of God

Munchausen

Make me a sandwich

Beau

The other side of the box

Caregiver

Special Day

Thanks for reading! If you have any recommendations, please share, I'd be glad to check them out.

[allenbloom]

Short film review (or smth)

This is requested by no one else besides the voices in my head.

I love horror, and I came across one of those videos of "top underrated things in this genre", so I ended up watching a lot of short horror films. Sadly i don't have the og reel because I wrote the names down, but if anyone finds it, feel free to let me know!

I ended up watching some twice, giving special attention the ones I didn't really like the first time, just to analyze how it made me feel. All of the movies will be linked in case you want to watch them too! Just click on the title uwu

The pretty thing (2018): I'm actually giving them kudos for having a scene in the dark in which I could see. The creature is quite good and the music really sells the mood, however I feel like the storyline can be a little too predictable, which in the end took away from the whole experience, also the last shot with the creature made me laugh a little (/pos).

Double Vision (2024): The photography in this one is absolutely insane, it has a really good setup and the composition of nearly every single shot feels like art; everything in the sound design, from the night sounds, the buzzing of the machines, everything lures you in like a moth to a flame. It felt a little too short for my taste, I felt like with a few more minutes to tell the whole story, it could have had an even better resolution, all things considered, Isabelle Kiser did an amazing job.

Mama Agnes (2023): Short and sweet, it has a simple set up that's easy to believe and touches upon a fear many of us may have had, it feels like it excels at keeping it simple and eerie despite the well lit scenes and the welcoming home in which the story takes place.

Possibly in Michigan (1983): I'm a sucker for both horror and musicals, and this one excels at both, it feels like everyone who ever tried to do analog media related to horror watched this first, even on the first watch it felt so iconic and well produced. This is what fever dreams are made of.

Don't look back (2024): Usually I'm a sucker for Japanese horror, however I couldn't quite get in the same wavelength as this one, I felt like it was trying to say something, but the words wouldn't be as loud as they needed. The photography seems nice enough, but the acting and delivery of some of the scenes were not was I was looking forward to.

Polaroid (2017): Actually couldn't find this one anywhere, there's another horror movie by the same name, so if anyone happens to find the short film I'd really like to give it a watch.

My house walk-through (2016): Insane from beginning to end, all you get is just footage and subtitles, yet the atmosphere is so intense, it feels like the person who directed and wrote this short film knew from the beginning what their vision was. Also as a bonus, if you want to kill the magic, there's a making of, which is absolutely amazing.

Vicious (2019): The camera work is really good, the actresses sell it, everything looks well executed, however I feel like overall the work lacked direction, there's obviously a story they are trying to tell, but I find it hard to get involved with it.

So, with all of that said, I ranked them as:

Possibly in Michigan

My house walk-through

Double Vision

Mama Agnes

Vicious

The pretty thing

Don't look back

Thanks for reading! If you have any other recommendations, I'd love to watch them.

[allenbloom]

Commission for @/Corilton 🌂🗡️

[allenbloom]

I'm back on my bs, will probably be returning to social media

VGen Commisions Open!

Hi there! It took me a little while, but I managed to sort everything out on my VGen page, so I'm already available for commissions.

If you've read anything by me and liked it enough to consider a commission, please check my ToS and prices and consider, if you're in a position in which you can allow yourself that type of expense ^^ if you're in not position to commission me at the moment, please consider sharing this post! I'd really appreciate it.

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Commission for @/slannath ⋆˙⟡

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Commission for @/Shoucah 🦋🌠

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He thinks he's so tough I love him

why dis🐦‍⬛look so mad 😭😭😭

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A portrait of Furina I did for a trend on twitter/x 💧

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Commission for @/Pinky 🪻

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Unknown Frequency: Record 0

Hi there! Over the past few weeks, @riize516 and I have been working on this new release, dedicating ourselves to translating and redoing the typesetting work over the original comic so more people can enjoy it.

We truly appreciate everyone's support and reception of our work, we truly appreciate the shares, comments and feedback we've been getting, and we're looking forward to keep moving along Noah's journey!

See you there.

[allenbloom]

Maybe we would've been friends in another life...

[Characters from CTC]

[allenbloom]

VGen Commisions Open!

Hi there! It took me a little while, but I managed to sort everything out on my VGen page, so I'm already available for commissions.

If you've read anything by me and liked it enough to consider a commission, please check my ToS and prices and consider, if you're in a position in which you can allow yourself that type of expense ^^ if you're in not position to commission me at the moment, please consider sharing this post! I'd really appreciate it.

[allenbloom]

When we update with the second chapter and all of you get to see Ivy this minicomic will be even funnier

The continuation of a silly joke (?)

[allenbloom]

“how did you get into writing” girl nobody gets into writing. writing shows up one day at your door and gets into you

[allenbloom]

Frecuencia Desconocida

¡Buenas a todes!

¿Qué tal? Espero que estén muy bien. Quería compartir con ustedes "Frecuencia Desconocida".

Frecuencia Desconocida es un proyecto que iniciamos hace algún tiempo con @riize516 juntando su bello y expresivo arte con mis narrativas, centradas en el misterio y el horror. De momento solo contamos con un capítulo publicado, pero quería pedirles que le dieran una oportunidad, ya sea por la escritura que me caracteriza o por el magnífico arte de mi coautora.

Esta es la primera vez que nos embarcamos en un proyecto así, por lo que también agradecemos todo el apoyo y la retroalimentación que puedan entregarnos. Si les gusta la historia, agradeceríamos mucho que pudieran compartirla o donar en nuestros ko-fi! (Ya sea el mío o el de Riize) Ambes somos artistes independientes y todo el apoyo que puedan brindarnos suma.

Muchas gracias por leerme, espero que disfruten del comic.

[allenbloom]

"Why does everything I touch become a cryptid?" 🌱