Horror Short – Starring Pat Dortch, Michael Sharpe, Kayli Maree
Tolleson, Mahri Shelton. Written/Directed by Michael Sharpe 2013
A man grieving for the loss of his wife and daughter is visited by a
sinister stranger.
Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing Michael Sharpe’s multi
award winning 2011 short, Deviling. He went on to direct The Destruction
Artist in 2012, an emotional and powerful short
film based on the monologue of the same name by Pulitzer Prize winner,
Michael Cunningham. October 2013 saw Sharpe return with Out of One’s Misery, in
which he also stars as the creepy Sanford. The chilling fifteen
minute short is the tale of madness, guilt and regret where nothing
is quite what it seems.
In a secluded log cabin David (Pat Dortch) drowns his sorrows in a bottle of bourbon. His voice over,
accompanied by a sombre musical score, reveals that his wife and
daughter have recently passed and that, ‘Everyone seems to have
disappeared’. The muted colours throughout the film define the
natural textures of the cabin’s interior and reflect a bleak, faded
world where it’s possible David is the last man standing. And raises the question … What has
happened to everyone? When David is visited by the strange and
unnerving Sanford (Michael Sharpe), it’s easy to doubt David’s
safety.
Dortch plays the grieving husband and father beautifully, portraying
a broken man who has nothing left to lose, while Sharpe is so
convincing as the creepy Sanford that you’ll find yourself wanting to
shout, ‘Don’t let him in!’ at the screen. With the use of
close ups very much a feature of Out of One’s Misery, Sharpe
forces the audience up close and personal with his characters’
inner turmoil; and places them at close quarters with one
particularly gory scene.
Everything about this short film is flawless from the claustrophobic
setting, the haunting music score, to the well paced and clever plot. Out of
One’s Misery continues to show that Sharpe is spot on at
creating neatly executed, beautifully shot and disturbing tales of
twisted minds; and delivering them effortlessly. I really hope a
feature is on its way soon.
5 out of 5
To read my review of Deviling, first published in 2012, and watch the movie, please see
below.
Deviling Review
Horror Short – Starring Robert Haulbrook, Jodi Essex, Tommy Allen
Taylor. Written/Directed by Michael Sharpe (2011)
A jilted mortician has trouble accepting a relationship is over and
decides on some nightmarish payback.
Deviling is Michael Sharpe’s second directorial offering,
following 2010’s darkly disturbing horror short Monomaniacal.
Deviling is a story of rejection and revenge, and is a
horrifying reminder that none of us know what another person is
capable of. The 14 minute film has been well received on the festival
circuit, winning Best Narrative Fiction at the Carrboro Film Festival
2011, as well as Best Actor at the same festival for Robert
Haulbrook’s portrayal of Ronald.
The film plunges us into the cold, clinical, lifeless world of
Ronald. The lack of colour in Ronald’s lab scenes, as well as the
corpse (Tommy Allen Taylor) on the slab, remind us that this is a
place for the dead, and provides an eerie contrast with the warm,
earthy tones of ex Sharlene’s (Jodi Essex) home. But when Ronald
makes an appearance in Sharlene’s bathroom, his chilling presence
drains the colour – the life – from the room.
The music score begins with a simple and haunting piano but rises to
a climax at certain points in the film, mirroring Ronald’s ever
increasing disturbing behaviour. Deviling is an impressive
short film, reminiscent of the macabre tales of Edgar Allen Poe or
even 1955’s and 1985’s TV show Alfred Hitchcock Presents,
and provides compulsive viewing with some
uncomfortable-to-watch moments. Ronald threatens Sharlene that he
will, ‘Make sure your nightmares come true’, and while this isn’t
the first time I’ve seen this particular nightmare played out on
screen, the tightly written plot, excellent production values and the
superb performances from its small cast give the story a fresh, solid
and unique slant.
Robert Haulbrook is creepily convincing as the mortician declining
into madness, a role that Michael Sharpe wrote with Haulbrook in
mind. Sharpe has the ability to create sinister characters that drag
their victims into their dark and demented worlds with ease, both in
Deviling and Monomaniacal, and I eagerly await what he
will do next.
4 out of 5
