The Corey Davis Evolution Story - Review

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As a famous AC\DC's song says... it's a long way to the top if you wanna rock n'roll!

Corey Davis's journey is an exciting roller coaster, a path made up of ups and downs, an experience where tenacity and frustration hold hands in the name of a dream: filmmaking, telling stories, opening people's eyes and bringing positivity in their hearts.

The Corey Davis Evolution Story, written and directed by Corey Davis, is the passionate story of a young life, from his first cries, through his Happy Dance Movement gone viral, and his desire to give a new face to black people in cinema and eliminate the false black\negative myth and pave the way for a new beginning.

A smalltown boy who  - since his early years -  had to resort to his imagination to transform reality into something more satisfying.

The film is an intimate and sincere conversation expertly edited like a puzzle of memories and emotions;  an hymn to life, to courage, to perseverance and the strength to believe in your dreams, no matter what.

Corey you are an example of emancipation and pride and , as your sweater says - you are enough....but for sure you will be much much more!

24 is a short animation film just over 4 minutes long, shot in stop motion. The dramatic short film gets its name from the date of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on February 24th, 2022. 

A Russian woman and a Costa Rican man are driving across Costa Rica, listening to the radio. Suddenly they hear the heartbreaking news that Russia invaded Ukraine. The woman is devastated by the news and has difficulty coping with the dramatic events led by her own country.

The short is recorded in Russian and Spanish — the woman speaks Russian, while the man answers in Spanish. That specific distinction creates a duality in the film. On the Russian side, we see the torment and the dilemma of being part of a society that’s committing the biggest and most brutal massacre in Europe since WWII. On the Spanish side, we see the man experiencing the events from the outside: he is powerless, distant from her, and still distraught by the events. 

Stop motion is always an interesting means to tell a story. It can be made as rudimental or as sophisticated as the director wants. That allows for a lot of creativity, being the puppets physically designed and created. Here, director Ekaterina Chatski chooses for the puppets to be as essential and minimal as they can be — the hands are made of folded cardboard, the faces hardly ever move, and the wigs are made of yarn, tied with a red knot.

While the technique of the film is basic, the concept is strong. A moving animation short, definitely worth watching.

Online is a 22-minute film written by Viktoria Janoki-Kis and directed by Bianka Bereczky. The narrative short film is set during the pandemic and revolves around Miss Klaudia (Marta Szabo), a high school teacher, dealing with online classes, and a troubled student, Szabolcs (Balint Kollar).

After trying to get the student kicked out of the school, Miss Klaudia starts getting worried about Szabolcs when he doesn’t show up to his Zoom classes for five days. She visits him and finds out that he and his special needs sister Bettina (Petra Pere) have been left alone and neglected by their overworked single mother (a very intense Judit Cseh)

The four main characters have all their specific roles and personalities in the film. Szabolcs is a class clown, always disturbing the teacher and the other students — who behind closed doors is busy parenting his little sister. Eva is a single mother, abandoned by her husband and despite working three shifts she can barely afford a roof over her kids’ heads. Bettina is a sweet girl with Down syndrome who relies entirely upon her brother to take care of her. And Miss Klaudia is a stern high school teacher, with no family, who starts as being a bit out of touch with reality, but ends up befriending her troubled student.

The script is simple yet very well written. The editing is well done and the cinematography is gorgeous. The beautiful shots in the beginning, with Miss Klaudia’s rituals before opening her Zoom classes — her shoes, her cookies, her tea — are as cozy as they can be.

The direction is good, however it lacks a bit of character. Marta Szabo, Balint Kollar, Judit Cseh, and Petra Pere all deliver profound and touching performances.

Overall, a beautiful and moving story about empathy and humanity.

A moment of whiteness just before… is Johanne Chagnon’s directorial debut. The experimental short film explores different textures and sounds, conveying a message of abandonment, loss, and death.

The background is pitch black throughout the film. Half the screen is occupied by an expanse of crumbled white paper. An arm appears and moves around the sea of crumpled paper, creating a deafening and disturbing sound. The appearance of what seems to be the carcass of a bird — feathers and all — gives the viewer a sense of surrender. 

The only splash of color is given by two objects, two red-colored stones dropped by two hands. The stones, in a way, remind the shape of two lungs. In addition to that, the red color is also represented with red paint poured on the sea of white paper. The red evokes pain, grief, and death, and, combined with the sea in contrast with the arms and legs, tells us that here we're dealing with a "human vs. nature" situation. 

The use of color and sound is always interesting in Chagnon’s work. The director likes to experiment mostly with black and white, so a splash of color here and there can go a long way in creating a sensation of anguish and fear.

The paper, the hands, the legs, and the two stones turning black in the end could be a reference to the oil spills in the sea, responsible for destroying the entire fauna in the water and near the shore.

Chagnon’s work is always filled with social criticism and A moment of whiteness just before… is not far behind. Nature is collapsing at the hands of humans, and we're all viewers of the macabre spectacle.

Mortal Limbo is a 30-minute film written, directed, and produced by Kit Touch-Phong about a group of friends. Noah Talkoot, played by Noah Grande, just graduated in finance and moved in with his sister Basil. Noah is also half of the rock band Mortal Limbo, with his best friend Nestor. 

One day, Noah decides to summon Lupercina, a cute-looking demon to help with his career problems.

The music is predominant in this short, it is very well selected and goes well with the overall mood of the film. The color correction has a cool nineties vibe, that matches perfectly with the eclectic music and the lo-fi vibes of the short.

The direction is also very well executed — especially for a student film — and the writing is witty. The film is also very well edited and the cinematography is dynamic and pleasant to look at. The performances are raw but very spontaneous and real. 

Everything is congruent in this film. The weird energy of the characters, the quirky plot, the uncertain singing of Noah, the 4:3 ratio of the film, and the ever-present rustle in the background.

A cool and original addition is a puppet made of a sock with two non-matching buttons sewn on it that acts as a narrator. I’m not entirely sure about the choice of having a different actor narrate. Considering that the narrator speaks in the first person and tells the story of Noah, it would have been probably easier for the audience to follow if it had been Grande who narrated his character.

All in all, a really good effort, full of ideas, and zero distractions. This film is proof that you don’t need fancy equipment and a big budget to create complex and interesting films. Bravo!

Michelangelo and Me is a 97-page script by romance novelist Colleen Fuglaar, based on the author’s novel Heaven’s Rogue — described by the author as a “Fantasy Xmas Action Romance”.

The style in which the script is written is a fantasy/romantic comedy in a historic setting. The whole script plays on a fantasy that Honor, a 20-something Ph.D. student in Art History, has about the man behind Michelangelo’s David. He was a real man — a perfect one at that — and Honor is determined to fly to Florence to prove it in her own time. On her trip, Honor stumbles upon a replica of the David sculpture in a dry Roman Cistern and brings it home to study it. The replica will later come alive in the person of Dominico — Michelangelo’s best friend — who was turned into stone in a spell, that will only be broken if Dominico and Honor can prove to the world that he was, in fact, a real person.

The only problem is that Honor's jealous and controlling partner Perry is afraid to lose his girl to an imaginary “ideal man”, and will do everything he can to sabotage her discovery.

In this fairytale-like story, the fantasy element is added by painting characters coming alive, statues talking to each other, and a sculpture — the replica of David — becoming a real living person, wandering the streets of 21st Century New York City.

As is often the case with family Christmas movies, the split between good and bad is extremely definite. The script proposes itself as a historical version of Enchanted meets Cinderella. But here, it’s not princesses and princes who become real, but rather, poets, statues, and characters from Renaissance paintings. And midnight will not be when a carriage will turn back to a pumpkin, but rather poor Dominico who will return to being made of stone.

The pace of the script is quite fast, and the plot moves forward pretty quickly. The scenes between the animated characters from the Sistine Chapel, and the dialogues between the bronze statues of poets in Central Park, all add interest and fun to the script.

The dialogues are very well written and easy to follow. The characters have all their specific traits: Honor is sweet, and petite and is always dressed in renaissance clothes, Perry is a slimy, astute, and rotten man in his forties, and Dom is a proud and educated gentleman.

The moral of the script is straightforward, keep believing in your dreams because miracles can happen. And at the threshold of the new year, this story full of charm is perfect to start the new year with a little bit of magic.

LAVIC is a horror music video written, directed, and produced by Dorota Fórmanowska, for a track by electric violinist YLO Violin (Ilona Perz-Golka).

SLAVIC marks the third direction for Fórmanowska — and her first music video direction. 

The video starts on a strong note, with a man trying to escape demons chasing him, and it presents itself almost as a performative video, where visuals are the most important elements — after the music of YLO Violin.

The character of the violinist is the glue that brings everything together, the distressing music with the scary monsters.

The video is very well-directed. The cinematography, the shapes, the lighting, and the shadows all contribute to conveying a sense of anguish and terror. The video never resorts to gory or unjustified violence, which requires a special skill during the writing phase, especially when shooting a horror film.

The choreography is very appealing and well done, and the performers are fantastic. They are expressive, and their physical work is impressive. The way the camera, the editing, the performers, and the musicians follow the music in unison results in a very well-produced and executed product.

The final product is a delightful, dark, and evocative music video about the powers we all have to fight our inner demons. 

Proud Girls, a 100-page political mockumentary written by Leslie Flannery, is set in the United States in the 22nd Century. The script laughs at the Republican Agenda of denying reproductive rights to American women reversing the political power and giving it to women.

It’s 2122, and the United States is ruled by a God-fearing, dick-grabbing, Republican “Mother” — described as an “orange lady, big butt, giant hair” — else called MOTUS. In this alternative future reality, women despise and talk down to men, who are held captive, studied, and analyzed to improve reproduction and American lives altogether.

The feature script opens with actual footage from the January 6th Capitol invasion by a Trump-incited armed mob. Only this time, MAGA protestors ended up shooting and slaughtering half the Congress, allowing the majority of women politicians to take over the government and finally rule the United States of America. The next scene is President 45 indulging in a bowl of cereal in his bed and practically ambushed by the Speaker of The House of Representatives, who is sworn in as Madame Vice President on the spot and convicts the President of Treason, relieving him of his Presidential duties.

The script weaves together many subplots and characters, but the real captivating aspect is how the world is created. A world that’s ever so absurd because now the predators are women, controlling and disposing of men’s bodies as they please. Mirroring what is currently happening in the United States, in the script, male masturbation is considered homicide by the pro-life ruling women — with sperm having more rights than the human beings carrying it — and men turning different shapes of blue as a result.

The script is funny and witty, and the dialogues are believable, even when presented in a completely nonsensical world such as the one created by Flannery.

And the message comes across very loud and clear: women’s rights are human rights, and it’s no one’s business to control women’s bodies.

An over-the-top, sardonic, and satirical script about a susceptible, delicate, and oh-so-important subject.

A Barman’s Aperitif is a comedy series made of six episodes, which duration spans from 8 minutes to 14 minutes, written by Michael Joseph Pierce, co-directed by Pierce and Jordan Drake, and with Pierce also doubling as the main character.

After trying to make a living scamming other people, Michael ends up owning a bar called Barman’s Aperitif. Sara is pretending to film a reality show based on Michael’s life and bar, but she’s really just filming her end-of-school student project.

The genre of the series is an over-the-top comedy, and it tries to emulate the big standup comedy series such as Louie. There are shots of acted scenes alternating with direct interviews of the characters explaining what their experience is like working behind the bar.

The series lacks technicality, the sound is not very good, and the dialogues are at times incomprehensible. The cinematography is uncertain and the direction takes no specific choice. The stories — especially the ones that happen outside the bar — are not very cohesive, and for that reason, it’s hard to enter the world of the Barman’s Aperitif. The series fails to capture the essence of the bar and of the people who pass through it.

The only character who has a defined personality is the barman and the owner Michael. I feel like the entire series could have just been a standup act of Michael telling the stories of his bar.

The idea of creating a world around a bar is a very classic one, with most of the sitcoms being shot either at a coffee shop or a bar. But here we’re lacking a bit of wit. The jokes are not as funny as they should be, and the comedic timing is a bit off.

A catchy idea. I just wished had been produced with more attention to detail.

Life After Oblivion is proof that sometimes, you just need one simple idea to make a great film. Phil is back from being deployed in Afghanistan and he’s not doing well. His wife urges him to seek treatment or he will lose his family.

While talking to his therapist, Phil relives a traumatic event that happened when he was deployed. Stationed on the top of a hill, Phil and another soldier are monitoring an armed Afghan kid who is standing alone in the desert. The two are trying to figure out if the kid is a threat or not. Phil starts theorizing how unfair and horrifying the world is, and how this kid, who is the exact same age as Phil's very own child at home, will never be given any opportunity in life other than experiencing violence, brutality, and terror.

An explosion will make everything even more terrifying for Phil, who, now at home, tries to find a purpose in his past as a soldier.

This 9-minute film written, directed, and produced by Tommy Mel Anderson was made as part of the Armed Forces Film Challenge, a film challenge for films directed and written by veterans and active duty soldiers. The project seems to be a great opportunity for veterans and soldiers to open up, share their experiences, and maybe release some of the trauma they have lived serving their country.

In the US, the mental health of veterans is something that the health system is in fact not prepared to handle, which leads to extremely high suicide rates. This film was in fact dedicated to 28 infantry soldiers who committed suicide after returning home.

The film is very well written and well acted, Actor Ryan Gangl is intense and light at the same time. He represents beautifully the aggressiveness of war as well as the nostalgia of being away from your family. The use of an oversaturated color gives the audience a sense of heat and overall uncomfortableness. The editing is well done.

In this film, the concept of Oblivion is used to represent the lack of life after someone experiences an attack, whether it be directly or indirectly. War doesn’t just affect the ones who die, their families, and friends, but also everyone who has actively or passively participated in it.

What this film is trying to say is: that no matter how you look at it, no matter on which side you’re in, war is nothing more than death. A physical, emotional, and mental death for all parties involved. 

And honestly, its result is quite poignant. Well done!

Mysterious Island is a 95-page adventure/sci-fi script written by Don Thompson and inspired by the homonymous novel by Jules Verne.

Middle-aged archeology professor Dr. Peabody doesn’t answer anyone. He isn’t appreciated by either his colleagues at university or the CIA which whom he occasionally collaborates. In fact, ever since his wife died and left him alone to take care of their college-aged daughter, he seems to be lost in his grumpiness, his irreverence, and his research.

His daughter Laura, a Ph.D. student attending the same faculty his dad teaches at, stumbles upon an incredible discovery: Jules Verne’s “Mysterious Island” is real, and has been kept a secret ever since the beginning. “By whom”, and “why” are two questions the father and daughter duo will ask themselves in the journey that will lead them to land on that very island.

The script doesn’t lack plot twists and unexpected moments, with new elements and characters appearing towards the end, keeping the reader engaged up to the very last page.

The pace is quite fast, and the dialogues and the characters are comedic and witty. The structure is linear, the first act introduces not only the characters and their relationship but the whole world they live in — an academic world where research mixes with government mysteries. The second act introduces their quest and their companions, and the last act brings part of a resolution, yet leaves the reader with many more questions.

The script is engaging and very well written, and would be perfectly suited to become a series of films or have at least a sequel.

As a clumsy and comedic version of Indiana Jones — with the addition of science fiction and a heartfelt family story — Mysterious Island will transport the reader to the jungle of the Philippines, in an exciting inter-dimensional time travel!