MarkDarbyshire
61 Reviews
Reviews
For When You Wake
I forgot to say, this film screens immediately before Ghost PTSD by ScryptTeam, and so we have a film about the loss of the perfect gay dream immediately before a film about the loss of the perfect straight dream.
Hi Santa, it's Charlie
A quaint vignette. Some moments of vulnerability that I really liked. The audience were lapping it up.
USBrie
In a funny way, this film reminded me of Goldstein from the old ASB ads. A man on a secret mission getting up to all sorts of entertaining antics and reporting to the voice in his ear – a higher power who no one else knows about. Of course, this man was rather more unhinged than Goldstein, and I would expect nothing less. It was such fun to sit in the mystery of whether the man's mission was real or whether he was just mad and harbouring an unhealthy love for his USB stick. The actor's commitment to the part really sold it.
I'd never seen the chapel at College House before. What an epic, visually striking location to secure, and filmed so well! And I like how you continue with the geometric compositions as the characters run down the ramp from the New Brighton Pier.
I worry about portraying a man cornering a woman in an alley. It somehow feels off (similarly, a film in the following heat depicts someone's drink being spiked). Are there certain dark parts of our society that shouldn't casually be depicted onscreen just to set up a throwaway joke? I dunno. Maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe a solution would be to make both characters actively fight, instead of having an active chaser and a passive runner. If she fought back, there could be room for more comedy when we see how incompetent her assailant is in hand-to-hand combat.
I also find myself wondering why so many films this year are featuring Lego men. Is it an easy way to get a miniature into a film?
Well done on a thoroughly entertaining film.
Burnt
You might think you can outnerve a household appliance. You would be wrong. Karma will come for you.
This is an odd movie and I'm here for it.
I love the ominous bass that starts this film. Some great one-liners. The toaster coming alive was a great jump scare if my friend's reaction was anything to go by.
Congratulations on sticking a knife in a toaster without dying.
I'm increasingly wondering though: why are there so many rubber ducks in this competition?
Substance 1
So good! Great black eyes. Great "kids on bikes" vibes. Great sinister plot. I love the cop who knows now isn't the time to be doing things by the book. I love how the trip-wire defies its intended place in the plan, yet still ends up being essential. I love the larger-than-life antics of this film. Great drone shot. Jame Villain – iconic!
Flat Meeting
Aw now I miss my ultra-miniature Bible. I wonder where it is.
A few teams came up with the shrinking things gag this year, but rip focus 2 did the best job of integrating it into the story.
It was lovely to have two films in this heat about men learning to communicate effectively (the other one being Unspoken Words by Sexually Transmitted Cinema). There was a nice lesson here for me about learning how to talk about stuff that bothers me and not feel bad about it. And what a beautiful message about not shrinking each other.
No AI was used in the writing of this review.
SCUM
What's with the weird mask and helmet and the intense sunlight? Is the protagonist sunburnt? Does this signify a dystopian sci-fi future? Suddenly the villains realise it would make a lot more sense to take their coverings off.
The sound effect at the end makes my friend wince. Well done.
DennisChief is right that there are a lot of unanswered questions. Personally I would have liked a few more clues about how to interpret this film, but then maybe that would have deprived me of the gift of my own imagination.
Spoiler Alert
Shay! Horay!
Great performances. Great premise. Great execution. Sweet vengeance is surely to be found.
I love that you made Hagley Park not look like Hagley Park.
Scrambled
Great writing, camerawork, and editing. An entertaining concept that really played into the cat and mouse genre for a fun time. Funny dialogue and story. Some great twists at the end that elicited a yell of despair from the audience. Really well executed all around.
I wonder if a close-up of a foot hitting a root (or other suitably entertaining obstacle) could have helped sell the subsequent tripping-up shot.
Come Die with Me
I'm impressed that you pulled off a translucent ghost for the entire film, with Jerry sticking his hand through her multiple times. Your actors coped very well with this handicap.
Jerry's line about his future wife is adorable.
I can't help but feel sorry for the chicken.
I can't decide if the film is condescending or affectionate in its depiction of a naive sheep farmer. Maybe both?
The film had a great set-up about the bowl tethering the ghost to the earthly plane. I would have loved to see the consequences of the bowl being broken.
Nothing Personal
Some great stuntwork with fluid, dynamic camera movements and tight editing to really sell the action. Smooth performances. The speed bump gag was brilliant. I love the commitment to repeatedly throwing yourself in a creek.
The story was secondary to the action. I found myself enjoying the action without having any understanding of the "why". At the start of the film, more time could have been spent on selling the importance of the characters all converging on this location, to draw the audience into the mystery of what was there. Some clues could have been given (or character relationships shown) that would make the grand reveal more satisfying. The last shot of the film could have been longer (as I missed it entirely on my first viewing).
Some shots would have benefited from better sound, either recorded at the time or through ADR.
Great work, you gave exactly what was asked for – an action film – and it was a pleasure to watch your commitment to delivering.
I MetaMan™
A polished film with entertaining characters who were a delightful caricature of real life. The indignation was palpable. We all recognised those moments of insecurity, frustration, and loathing that permeate our existence, alongside the moments of perfection that we all dream to have.
This film really gets you thinking about how we deal with each other's foibles. Is the perfect partner we imagine real, or is it a commoditised construct that we sell each other? Are we looking for love, or are we looking for a fairy-tale facade?
PREG-GO!
This is comedy of eminent quality with some really enjoyable performances.
The deliberate pace of the edit builds a sense of frustration about the slow, interruption-ridden drive. As the urgency of the film ramps up, the team has some great fun contrasting the pace and intensity of consecutive shots. The punctuated use of music to contrast between calm and hectic shots is exquisite.
Overall a really logical plot, with intentional absurdity along the way bringing so much of the comedy. For example, the McDonald's asides make no sense but are a fun commentary on how in love young kiwi couples are with McDonald's and how essential this love story is to any road trip.
The crash scene was really well executed, with great integration between the miniature and interior shots and great use of slow motion.
The best use of parallel parking I've ever seen in a film. Period.
I would love to see more from this team as you collaborated really well. Your first placing in the heat audience favourites and your appearance on the Christchurch shortlist were well-deserved. This film could absolutely have reached the finals had the cards fallen a little differently. The comedy is high-quality and the film is dripping with 48Hours energy which is exactly what I love to see. Perhaps bringing in some fancier camera equipment, colour grading, etc would help tip you into the finals. Also more extras to call in if needed (for example in the protest scene).
You were far from the only team to feature toy cars and pedestrians being run over, but you did a great job of these gags and made them really entertaining.
Ghost PTSD
Coincidentally, this film screens immediately after For When You Wake by Screen Qweens, and so we have a film about the loss of the perfect straight dream immediately after a film about the loss of the perfect gay dream.
This film is really well executed. The slow realisation that the dad is present but dead. The way he successively disappears from all the real-life settings, and transforms into the bearer of bad news. "It's like I'm not even here" is a great tipping point for this realisation.
The little boy's performance is a real highlight. So proud of his dad.
It feels odd to have a patriotic military film in a New Zealand context. It begs the question, where did this man die? His death being described as an accident feels sinister, like something is being covered up.
Stuck in Invercargill
A cute bromance with some nice humour along the way. Making fun of small towns is a risky business, but this film was affectionate in its portrayal and redeemed itself with the premise that an even better town is an even smaller town.
In Light of the Day
I love that this film gives itself room to breathe and revel in a beautiful view that all we Cantabrians know – a view that helps us all put life in perspective. Then slowly the film reveals that all is not right. We are left to ponder the significance of a wedding ring.
This film is a touching comment on the harshness of corporate life and the way modern capitalism chews us up and spits us out. It's a timely reflection.
The performances in this were great. Sensitive and touching.
The end of the film has less plot advancement than I was expecting, with no explicit link back to the wedding ring, and yet it is perfect. We see that the character has grown. Even if something in life has gone wrong, something else in life has gone right.
This film features Lego *and* a rubber duck, both of which I've already seen in other 48Hours films this year. I can't help but wonder if these are required elements and I somehow missed the memo. Or maybe my absence from 48Hours in recent years has left me in the dark on some fun recurring gags.
For When You Wake
Yay for queer cinema in 48Hours! This film is beautiful, poignant, and moving. The earnest writing and acting pierce straight into my soul.
The pet names are so cute. Mister. Precious.
The transition from the partner being in a coma to being dead is devastating. Everywhere aches. There is silence in the theatre.
The repeated view of the Southern Alps as a way to process loss is so beautiful.
This is the cruel loss of the unattainable perfect gay relationship. I'm a sucker for such films. The sting of gay desire! The guilty pleasure of watching cute gay shit, regardless of whether it's happy or sad! The addiction of feeding on someone else's gay love story because you can't feed on your own!
For the reference to "our show", I thought some specificity by naming the show would have been nice. Little details can add realism and say something about the characters. I don't think it would have felt forced.
The Little German Boy and the Cave
True 48Hours energy. Multiple animation styles smashed together with stick puppets and miniatures for a frenetic, action-packed film with heart. Some moments in this film were hilarious, and others touched my heart. Fun characters with amusing accents. An epic stormy battle where the filmmakers are as gods breaking the fourth wall and getting in on the action. Music and rain build a strong atmosphere.
I'm sure more stories could be told in this team's style. There's room to grow with better camera focus and sound recording quality to make this fun format even more immersive.
I have a buddy for that
Unfortunately I can't rewatch this private video to remind myself what happens in the film, but I've got some scribbled notes from the heats.
The editing, music, shot composition, colour grading, and lighting all came together for a professional-feeling film. One scene in a crowded room could have used some better audio (i.e. lapel/boom mics or ADR). Other than that, the audio was good.
The complicated story got me a bit lost along the way, but the ending was really strong.
Well done for your two award nominations!
A Helping Hand
A visually pleasing film but a bit light on story. A "whoops the person is dead" kind of movie, but the way this was revealed was really nice and said something about the relationship of the two characters. Then a bit of time for the audience to think and realise what has happened.
I too wondered if there was an autism aspect to the film.
There was definitely room for more depth to the relationships and more story or something to be revealed.
Misplaced Death
The best film of a very strong heat. From the very first shot, you use every technical tool and trick at your disposal to set a compelling mood and tell a funny story with some great dark comedy. Titles, red colouring, video filters, music, substitution splices, smooth camerawork, and great editing all stand out for their contribution to this film. The dialogue is sparse, purposeful, and brilliantly delivered.
LARVAE GIRL THE ROAD TO REVENGE PART 2
The crowd goes wild. The sequel we knew we wanted arrives in record time. We have been expertly duped by a fake film name in the heats schedule. And now is the time for the glory we had already been teased with to ramp up into full-blown action. The tables of the ghost cult are turned (like Jesus in the temple).
Trying to decide the better of the two films is futile. They are an inseparable pair. A lighthouse built on a foundation. The first film sets up, tantalises, and entertains in its own right, allowing the second film to shine.
Here we have the makings of a feminist anti-capitalist cult classic.
A Silence In Sam's Town
Sad reflective films about the past death of a loved one are hard to pull off in 48Hours, but this film was pretty good. There were some heartbreaking lines that really spoke to the experience of loss.
This is a visually pleasing film. It's great to see the new townhouses in New Brighton used to great effect with their soft pastel colours.
The shot of the hands, the tide, and the sunset was stunningly beautiful. You couldn't ask for it to be any better. A perfect visual encapsulation of the story.
The reflection shot must have been technically challenging to pull off. A lovely concept, and maybe with more than 48 hours to finetune the edit it could have been pulled off more seamlessly.
Stick
A fun film. I hope you'll be back next year.
You took a risk having an isolated meow sound, with no explanation until later in the movie, but it really paid off. To suddenly understand why the character was angry was really quite funny. It would have been great pay-off if we could see what happened to the human in the same way as we saw what happened to the cat.
There's some good camerawork in this. I wonder what you could achieve with a gimbal or steadycam to take it to the next level.
Gates To Castle Yonder
Oh my word what a film!
I was ready to groan. I thought you were going to go somewhere very tired and cliche with the two doors riddle which has been done to death in recent times. But instead you took it somewhere fresh with some brilliant comedy.
And suddenly the film is riffing on workplace politics and moralising about worker rights. Beautiful! I love it!
An impressive miniature for the opening shot, though we got only the briefest of glimpses.
I've only just realised that you used Sign of the Bellbird. What a clever location choice!
The crown was the perfect blend of shiny and flimsy. Got to love a crown that can reflect some light around the place.
Reset Day
A sweet film with heartfelt, authentic performances and some funny beats. What really made it for me was the moment where you see Pete's memories come flooding back and you see how much it means to him to remember all the beauty and love.
Some practical suggestions for next time would be:
Try and get the sound levels right (even if that means editing in post-production). The 48Hours submission guide includes some helpful advice about what decibel levels you should aim for.
Consider using a boom mic for more consistent and less muffled sound.
Try and get the exposure right on each shot for a consistent look throughout the film. Some of the scenes looked a bit dark. You should aim to get the settings right on the camera, but tweaking the exposure slightly in post-production is also an option.
Overall, this was a lovely film with a good visual look. I can't wait to see more from this team.
Precision Response Enforcement Command Intervention Operative Unit Specialists
Four films in and this heat is still weird as shit. This film is so everything that I don't know what to comment on or how to review it.
We have the Egyptian villain we didn't know we needed in our lives. The vulgar team intro with censor beeps that fail to censor. The exquisite helicopter car. The characters who are unperturbed by a propeller slashing through their head and splashing blood everywhere.
The old-timey newsreel announcer is on point. The actor who dashes out of his own death VFX shot is perfection.
Michael is in hysterics. Joel yells out "Best comeback ever!" (I hope it was him. I'm making a fool of myself if it was someone else.)
Should I be offended by a film that has misogyny in its team name and a bin Laden rip-off as its main character? Fuck knows.
The True Story of Billy the Horse
A cautionary tale about allergies. The right balance of stereotypical western, true love story, and absolute bonkers. Billy 2.0 is visually striking, exactly as he should be. I love it.
Singularity
Oh so good. I was geeking out to see such a well-depicted (yet delightfully cartoonish) black hole. What an excellent set. Excellent effects. Excellent everything. I love the use of VHSs. I love how expressive the computer is. Even the craft that went into your escape pod is brilliant.
Clearly your preparation paid off and you had a great vision of what you wanted to achieve. You've set a really high bar with this one.
After everything, I couldn't quite believe the ending. My heart goes out to your poor space traveller. I hope her favourite song isn't Defying Gravity.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The Pursuit Of Murder
This film alternates between the sinister and the humorous, which is fun. The pumpkin look is great. I love that the protagonist is the villain in the story. I can't help but root for the evil pumpkin and even feel sorry for him.
It's not the only film this year to feature a poisoning – in this case unsuccessful!
Does chloroform come in hand sanitiser dispensers these days?
I love the momentary mystery in the final scene about just who has been stabbed.
RED RAIN
This film is the surreal fight of a man against his own demons – with a committed performance to really sell this struggle to the audience. The film does a great job of leaning into the ghost genre for comedic effect.
The team intro got a great laugh from the audience, and then was perfectly matched into the opening shot of the film.
There was some great cinematography. Switching the colour grading mid-shot was a fun touch. The sound was good but had some room for improvement in places (understandable given this film was pulled together to such a high standard in only 48 hours).
The actors were all teenage boys, yet played a traditional family. They pulled this off with a bit of drag and some clever camera work, which I found entertaining but also heartwarming. The three wives were comedy gold but the first wife has to be my favourite.
I loved the slow-mo gun fire to Mozart's Requiem.
Brunch Solstice
An examination of the ridiculous lengths to which people will compromise their values just to get what they want.
I loved this film. Some great visuals and hilarious dialogue.
As someone who was raised in a cult, I was tickled by the protagonist's pitiful attempts to fit in. It really is easier said than done to learn the right language, the dos and don'ts, and avoid any faux pas. You can spot an outsider a mile away.
I missed the bit about not touching the sock, so the film's ending – while funny – came out of the blue. Maybe that warning could have been clearer? You wouldn't want to overdo it though, and I did pick up on the chainsaw warning.
A Delicate Situation
I wasn't sure what to make of this film. It has some touching moments, great wordplay, and a fun take on smart home AI. Each device has its own personality, sense of humour, and an ability to take sides or make a point.
I found the film surreal and a tad slow, but the audience really enjoyed it. I loved the ending. Perhaps there's room to play with more cinematic and storytelling techniques that could build tension and entice the viewer along the way.
Chaos Cabin
I didn't click we were about to watch an animated film. The beautiful opening shot fills the audience with awe. My first glimpse of the dimly-lit characters lands me in uncanny valley and (to my shame) I wonder if some real-life footage has been processed through AI.
Great characters are at the heart of this film – with witty dialogue, riveting performances, and believable chemistry breathing life into these computer-generated pixels.
Sound is wielded to excellent effect. Even before the imagery lights up the screen, our protagonists' invisible conversation places us in a familiar real-life situation. Likewise, foley paints a picture of the indoor setting before we ever see it with our eyes.
Awesome slow-mo shot, perfectly set to music. I thought the lady must have a cut, but no, she had a broken arm – giving rise to the most iconic line of the film.
I wasn't as clever as Felix. Like so much of the audience, I was swept up by the bizarre physics of this world (thankfully not literally).
The audience's "awwww!" of realisation at the end was immensely satisfying, although I think I was the loudest "awwww!" in the room.
From awe to awwww, this is a very solid 48HOURS entry, and highly deserving of its place on the shortlist.
The Plot Thickens
What the Julian Garland is this? A film that is guaranteed to tickle your tuber-lers! What a delight to be transported to a patch where frostbitten spuds can be the scandal of the year. But the scandal this year will blow the frostbite out of the water.
It's a joy to see a film have such fun with language and the quainter things in life, and to watch this ramp up to a higher-stakes situation.
Studio Mask
Since the movie isn't currently online, I'm writing this review based on illegible notes and my bad memory. Hopefully they haven't failed me!
I was really impressed by this film. You used the location really effectively. The film had excellent camerawork and a great look.
You had a great vision for how you wanted to bring this genre to life, and you absolutely delivered.
Spooky vibes. Great makeup. Fun monster. Intriguing concept. Great work setting everything up so that the creature could pick off the characters one by one.
Trying to remember the film to write this review, all sorts of interesting sounds, visions, and twists are popping into my mind. I don't know how accurate my memory is but clearly your creative vision left a strong impression on me.
G.P. Taylor
A 2000s-era AI-infected cassette tape with a killer moustache is too immature to accept a bit of queer attraction between good friends. The younger generation, on the other hand, knows how to have a mature conversation about it.
This film is a genius instrument of intergenerational warfare. For one thing, it has aged me (a sprightly 35-year-old) into my 70s. Minimum. I feel so old. How could the teenagers be so cruel to me?!
Seriously though. I love this film. It is beautifully crafted. A witty visual treat.
Kingdom Animalia
God this is weird but well-executed. Great performances. Visually striking animals. Adorable animals sounds.
The totem made my friend jump, because apparently anything can give Michael a jump scare.
Staircase Nation embraced the beast within but unfortunately they didn't win.
Emergency Key
A surreal action chase with unclear motivations through some iconic Christchurch locations.
I particularly liked the shot of the guy being pulled backwards away from the camera through the sand.
It felt a bit weird and light on story, but I believe you made exactly the film you wanted to make and achieved the vision you were going for.
The Loch Nest
Such a fun play on reality TV, ramping up the stakes while making it incredibly silly. Really such an excellent parody with some well-crafted humour and a strong story. This was an odd choice for a monster movie, but you managed to get a monster chase in there so I think it counts.
I love that you went in a direction that came naturally to your actors. You clearly all had a blast and it was very watchable.
I was concerned at the sight of one of your characters spiking the drink of another character, but when it turned out to be fatal that somehow made it better.
Tiny Pricks
I had to watch this a second time to understand the story but mmm the succulents are so succulent. Some great shots in this film and some fun word play. Who knew a succulent could jiggle so well in slow motion.
Music To Die For
Own a CD at your peril!
This film runs with a fun concept, and the final gag was especially funny – although far from the only misfortunate pedestrian in this year's competition.
It was great to see an action/adventure film with some actual fight scenes! Not all this year's action/adventure films managed that.
I struggled to follow the finer details of the plot. This could have been fixed with clearer audio, close-up shots of people talking, and more commitment to character when delivering the key lines that revealed important plot points.
It's hard if your team can't get your hands on dedicated audio equipment, but you can also achieve crisp, high-quality audio by having the camera or phone close to your actor for close-up dialogue shots. For example, the dialogue while the cards were being flipped onto the table was really easy to understand.
The dying-and-then-waking-up trope would be more effective with tighter/snappier editing and louder sound effects (e.g. gunshot, gasping upon waking up).
Great work with the visual effects for the sword. It's nice to see that kind of ambition in the competition. Also I liked the artistic choice to make certain scenes black and white.
These school teams sure know how to make a millennial feel old! I'm pretty sure that's actually a Panasonic Blu Ray player?
Glove Box
I'm not sure I've seen a nighttime drone shot before. I like. As others have commented, some good cinematography in this.
The escalating dynamic between the two main characters is great fun. This film is delightfully absurd.
I miss the shot of the polaroids on my first viewing of this film so I am very confused. Now that I've rewatched, I'm not confused, but my imagination hasn't managed to fill the gaps of what image could be so precious to the protagonist yet so shocking to the policeman.
LARVAE GIRL THE ROAD TO REVENGE PART 1
I never knew feminist ghost gore was missing from my life, but now I am complete. Who is this heavenly creature venturing into the bush to fight the forces of evil? A truncated bonanza of understated humour.
You broke my space laser!
I really loved that space laser!
This a perfectly gratuitous 48HOURS film. I would have loved to see it at the finals. The fact that we won't really speaks to how hard a time the judges are having in Ōtautahi this year, with so many good films to choose from.
Space Laser is a big improvement on team Mad Scientists' 2024 film (in which I had a fun cameo). Well done! It's awesome to see a team always stretching itself and moving on to greater things.
Space Laser starts with a found footage film inside a found footage film. How meta! Although it took a rewatch for me to figure this out.
The zoom out from the found phone footage was flawless. The car running off the road was so cool.
I couldn't believe my eyes as I found myself skiing backwards down a mountain, looking up at my pursuers as I shot them with both hands. I wondered if the arms had been rotoscoped out of a first-person shooter computer game. I now know they were green-screen footage of the same arm, flipped to create two arms. Brilliant! The fact that it looked a bit computer-generated just made the sequence so much more fun.
I'd be fascinated to know when and how you filmed the aerial footage of the mountains.
I'm racking my brains trying to figure out if this film contains this year's only possible blowjob reference.
The true miracle of team Mad Scientists is the way you can rally an entire community behind your mad vision. That is the essence of great film-making and you have it in spades. Thanks to your wide collaboration, we got to enjoy some wonderful characters, insane mountain stunts, and a killer rap.
Nature's Calling
I loved this film. Good cinematography and editing. Great performances – entertaining and authentic.
MILK!
A thing of beauty.
I loved the subtle foreshadowing of the art on the wall. I also loved the not-so-subtle antics that ensued.
Discerning viewers will note that this film contains a G-string.
Party Disrupted
A fun examination of teenage rebellion and coming of age, with a brilliantly executed ending. Great to see some NZSL in the competition. Thank you for finding a way to tell your own authentic story with some jokes along the way.
Data Management and Security Training
You guys nailed it. Not the only 90s-ish VHS aesthetic of the competition, but so so good. The medium might have been vintage, but the subject matter was oh so modern. Data management is a beautifully niche goldmine of material to geek out on.
It takes great skill to satirise corporate politics well, and you did it perfectly.
Delightful dialogue. Salaciously inappropriate workplace behaviour. Sinister even. I love it!
Little Re-Writing Hood
Bizarre film.
I like how the story's action starts to blend into real life. Some fun gags and some characters who aren't afraid to call out each other's crap.
It peters out a bit at the end. I struggled to follow the plot and character arcs.
I got distracted by the "action" gag (because we did the same thing in an early edit of our Toot Toot film). As a result, I didn't notice the twist ending of new characters and presumably a new fairy tale.
Pop's Precious Pranks
I love the dark comedy and multiple twists of this film. The way it can flip from one emotion to another or even hold them both at once. Really well-made. Really entertaining.
This film really spoke to my experience of caring for an elderly relative. The worry and stress of it all. You took that and channeled it into pure comedic gold.
What a pleasant surprise to see Krysta on the screen. She was my introduction to 48Hours back in 2016. This time she moves from the directors chair to a compelling, emotional performance in front of the camera.
Unspoken
A thought-provoking glimpse into a relationship at breaking point under family pressure. It's hard enough for a couple to manage their own devastating struggles, without having to worry about what other people will think.
I liked how the start of this film built suspense about what was happening outside the car. What was the phone call about? The mystery continued even as a conversation unfolded inside the car between the two main characters.
My improv brain was expecting a joke at this point – that the mystery of what serious thing they were talking about would be resolved when it turned out to be something very silly and inconsequential. But no, this film isn't a joke. It is about a very weighty topic.
It's hard to pull off drama in 48Hours but the performances in this film were sincere and authentic, drawing me in.
The final shots of the film were magic. A simple editing trick completely fooled me, leaving me blown away at the conclusion. How could my eyes be deceiving me? The symbolism of the final shot spoke volumes.
Safe Streets, No Crime
I'm here because of the article "Film Festival Strategy with Ross Ozarka".
What a joy to watch this commentary on the blinkered and hypocritical "tough on crime" rhetoric that permeates our society. Such a ludicrous animation concept that tells such a compelling story. We even get to see a perfect neighbourhood by the end of the film.
A fun animation style that works really well for 48Hours.
Unspoken Words
Two guys learn to be best bros no matter what.
What a fun film! The botched interaction between the guys and the girls was a highlight.
It was lovely to have two films in this heat about men learning to communicate effectively (the other one being Flat Meeting by rip focus 2).
And what a great intro!
Turn It Off
Ooh I love those spinny playground things. How did they even find one in this day and age? Here's a playground that needs modernising for the sake of our future generation's safety!
The dialogue takes us back to the time of the Christchurch earthquakes. Intriguing. Few in the audience will know what a toll the earthquakes took on this very house in real life, but this nugget of reality will be used at the end of the film.
This team has really run with the found footage concept. I love the look of the path whizzing past our feet as we run towards the house.
"Heh, the filmmakers have deliberately hidden the fact there's a grand piano in this filmset," I think to myself. Then suddenly we hear the grand piano but we still don't see it. Hilarious. We see a miniature drumkit though.
We see fear in the man's eyes. What can he see that we can't? Suddenly we're running again.
I like the sinister ending.
This film is a nice concept. It comes across quite hectic and meta.
There Came a Big Spider
A "What the hell did I just watch?" movie to start the "What the hell did I just watch?" heat.
I like the claustrophobic 4:3 framing. The black and white works really well. A great performance. It's lovely to see the full cycle of a relationship, although it takes a second viewing for me to fully grasp this.
Some of the plot points go over my head on the first viewing. I don't recognise the man lying face-down half-naked in his bed. I think it's a woman in a skimpy outfit, and I think the spider has come in to kill her. Rather disturbing. Anyway, I eventually cotton onto the love story, and I understand the film better on a rewatch.
I've contemplated doing a solo entry before, and this film makes me feel more inspired to give it a go.
One Star
Well this was clearly a crowd favourite.
Some highlights: The girlfriend's echoing accent. The sunglasses. The unexpected punctuality of the delivery driver. The tongue. The mini car chase. The emotional turmoil of the doggo's demise. The fruit ninja antics. The twists at the end.
The King of the Playground
An affectionate fantasy parody that plays on the way that schoolkids who eat apples for lunch tell tall stories to schoolkids who eat chips for lunch. Only in the playground must all tall stories be believed.
This is a comedy duo with great potential. They have an impressive ability to do physical movements completely in sync, to great comedic effect. They are funny just by staring at things together.
Pariscope
Finally, two weeks after the heats, Pariscope is in the clouds now!
This film fits right into Heat #7, where everything is WTF. This is crazy, bro. I never seen this before. What's going on? It's a hobby, man. This is so oddly specific to the 48Hours context and culture that I don't know what to make of it.
I enjoy the retro low-fi analogue look that comes from the periscope, messing with the colours and catching lights and reflections in all sorts of interesting ways.
The characters are fun and distinctive. The gags are humorous. I will admit I am completely lost by the plot, but I like how everyone goes on a journey that takes them to the same intriguing destination.
Apparently wagging tongues are a thing now in 48Hours, and I wonder if I'm a mid-30s has-been incapable of understanding modern references.
Walk It Off
You had me just with the team name.
The dad has a yellow backpack like me in Toot Toot's film – except he has a proper hiking backpack. I'm jealous.
Some great dialogue relationship dynamics and metaphorical dialogue in this. I love the simultaneous "We go north"/"We go south". Great gag on the bladder.
This is a rare contender for the most wholesome and normal film of the heat. A quaint look into navigating a child's anger over parental breakups. A difference of opinion about the direction that life should take. A coming of age where daughter knows better than father.