There was a time when the term “horror film” didn’t mean “gross out film.” A time when the blood, if any was shown at all, was minimal. How did that work? Instead of going for the shock moments, they gradually built up a sense of dread and unbalance. In those films you had this uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach that things were somehow worse than even you, a member of the audience, were being led to believe.
This idea hasn’t been completely abandoned. It’s the reason why we occasionally see an “art house” horror film gain steam and make a splash across the country, like Paranormal Activity or The Blair Witch Project before it. The other way to find them is to turn to outside channels from the mainstream. My friend and fellow Suvudu blogger, SpinMatt, coordinated film screenings through his site, Shocklines, that showcased some really fun and pretty creepy international and/or smaller screen horror films. Each of them got the job done without going crazy throwing around buckets of blood (with the exception of Dog Soldiers, which was fun, tense, and bloody).
Well, in the spirit of Halloween, I’ve picked out a couple of films short animated pieces that carry on the spirit of those tense, dark films. The first has such a great execution and payoff that I don’t even want to summarize or tease it for fear of giving it away. The second one follows in the footsteps of the big monster movies. I think you’ll enjoy them.
Happy Halloween!
Hemlock
by Tyson Ibele
The film’s creator writes:
“Here’s a film I made for the latest CGSociety challenge…the theme was to adapt an ancient myth to steampunk stylings. I chose the myth about the fountain of youth for my topic.”
SPOILER WARNING: I’m putting up the spoiler warning in case any of you out there have seen a film called The Fountain. I’m reminded of that film here, but that’s only because of the ending. Finding that fountain of youth is supposed to be such a great thing, right? Well, actually…
Great job by the filmmakers here.
Oceansize
by Oceansize Team
In a lot of ways, space and underwater realms aren't all that different. They are dark, uninhabited places that require specialized equipment in which to visit and remain alive. They are both largely unexplored and—at least underwater realms, space is so vast and unexplored we have no concrete idea—comprised of creatures we haven't even seen yet. So, in terms of settings for monster films, they're both ripe and juicy for the taking. Sushi, anyone?
The filmmakers write:
Oceansize is a short 3D movie made by 4 students of Supinfocom Arles in 2008, Romain Jouandeau, Adrien Chartie, Gilles Mazières and Fabien Thareau.
You can check the official site for more stuffs and informations: oceansize-lefilm.com
Want more? Check out the other episodes in the Weekend Animations season: View the series list.
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