Friday, November 15, 2019

BAFF 2019 The Loop Short Film Review


As Mikey (Shane Almagor) wakes from a seemingly harmless nightmare his older brother Tommy (Will Abbott) and his girlfriend Cindi (Grace Westlin) come home with a copy of The Loop, “the scariest movie ever”. Can Mikey survive the night or is this just another nightmare? 
The Loop is brought to us by Writer and Director Rich Ragsdale who’s brother, Kevin Ragsdale plays the films maniacal villain. The villain and the film share the same name which isn’t very common in cinema now, however, it was more common during the 1980’s slasher craze.
Most short films have trouble producing a cohesive story due to a lack of time. This is one of the best uses of practical effects that I have seen within 7 minutes. There is a cohesive storyline, plot, characters, and ending. This is what I look for since these additions are easier to pin point in a short story than a feature film.
The character The Loop reminds me of a hybrid between a Ceno-bite in Clive Barker’s infamous Hellraiser franchise and Freddy Krueger from Wes Craven’s A Nightmare On Elm Street series. The entire film is a throw back to VHS tapes, movie rentals (RIP Blockbuster), and 80’s slashers. I thought this piece was great. If anything I wanted to see more. I give The Loop a 8/10. I wish the acting had been a little more believable but all around I was pleasantly surprised. The Loop is being shown at the 2019 Buried Alive Film Festival and I’m sure it will become a fan favorite in no time.

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