 Thanks for checking out this movie review video So actually this is multiple movies being reviewed in one video because it's the aetheria film festival Which usually happens once a year in Los Angeles in person, but because of COVID-19 this year They're not able to do that But they luckily found a home with shutter for this year and shutter will be running these shorts from June 19th To July 20th, and they're running it like the festival itself, or I'm sorry like the event itself So instead of having individual short films just available on shutter you can watch them how you want They're running it as a full block of all nine of the short films that are involved with this So aetheria focuses on female filmmakers, and there have been some at least There's at least one that I remember bigger name that came out of it Gigi Saul Guerrero who did the short film El Gigante, which I believe is still on shutter at the moment You can check that out. It's really awesome. I would recommend it. I did a review on it on my channel, so For me, I really liked being able to since I got screeners from shutter So thank you shutter and thank you aetheria for allowing screeners to happen So for me I like that I was able to eat to watch them individually not as one giant block just because I was able to take a little more time And really, you know look into them as I had time But you know if you're watching them You can do the same thing you can just watch a few and then stop and then come back to it Because being a streaming service shutter will hold your place And so it's just these awesome little bite-sized films, which that's one of the reasons I love short film because if you don't want to put a whole lot of time into a film But you want to get the satisfaction out of a cool story a lot of short films will do that for you So and I think a lot of these do overall. I had a really awesome time watching this I really really enjoyed it overall varying degrees of what I thought about these films So I'm gonna go through no spoilers really I'm just gonna read the little synopsis that that they put out there a theory I did for each one of the short films and I'm gonna talk about certain things I felt about it that are not spoiler related and then I'm gonna give it my star review out of five stars with half stars in Play so it's a range. There are some higher ones. There's some lower ones, but Let's get into it. So the first one I watch is called waffle Carrie is at a sleepover with the socially awkward mysteriously orphaned heiress Katie Friendship in a society that grows ever isolating is explored as Carrie learns the hard way that Katie always gets what she wants Now with this one, I felt like it immediately went for a really fun tone and it is comedic It is kind of like a dark comedy With some horror elements to it, but it's also a very societal commentary based Film which I also really liked So I wrote down like I thought the concept was really funny But it was also a very serious commentary at the same time So I really like it when films kind of do that It's just like you can laugh at it and you can think it's funny But you also think it's very serious at the same time and this short film I thought did that Also, there's a twist to it in the very end that I did not see coming that I really enjoyed And that I thought was kind of funny But it was also a little bit sad in a way and if you watch it, let me know your thoughts on that So overall I gave waffle a three and a half star rating I enjoyed it. I thought that was good and if people, you know, you know my rating system a three and a half It's pretty good because I do not give out fives But rarely and four and a half are very hard to come by So just know that So the second film, um, the next one is called Maggie Oh, I'm sorry. I should say who did these films my apologies Waffle was done by Carolyn Hudson Um, no, I'm sorry. I read that wrong carlin Hudson like my name carlin, but spelled c a r l y and Usually people assume that carlin's a female's name. Anyway, so there you go. So sorry carlin Hudson and hey cool another carlin Uh, anyway, so the next one Maggie may was done by mea kate russell And she was out of australia now most of these were from the united states This is one from australia and there's one other one from another country Uh, but i'll point that out when I get to it. So Maggie may sometimes doing nothing can be the worst move of all So, yeah very vague, but it's important that it's vague just saying So there's a real quirky camera shot in this one That's used like right before the title pops up. So when you're watching it, just make sure You keep your eye out for that. It felt really odd to me, but I also was really drawn to that shot It felt very interesting at the same time That's kind of why I used the term quirky because it felt weird and like maybe it didn't work But then it felt like it did work. It was this weird thing Um, and overall the camera work actually is really nice in this film. It's very engaging Uh, cinematography really nice directing really nice with it. Uh, really really did dig it It's also pretty gory and the practical effects look good and the acting is nice as well So this is a pretty overall good one. Uh, it reminded me a little bit of the film Gerald's game in a way And it kind of has a similar point to it in the end to be honest And I thought this had a really good point to it and the synopsis kind of In a way points that out to you So but you need to experience it to kind of understand that but Really well put together. I quite like this one. This was one of my favorite ones. Um Yeah, I really did like it. So I gave this four four out of five stars There's a four star one very very good. It's one of my faves So the next one is was probably my favorite favorite Although Maggie May was right behind it. Now this one is called basic witch and it's not actually horror It was under the category of magical because for the film festival, it's like horror sci-fi And a few other genres dark comedy and all that So this one was marked as magical, which I don't know that that's really like a subgenre I don't know. But um, I would see us more as like a dark comedy in a sense. So this one's by Yoko Akamura Young witch Lily prepares a magic pumpkin spice latte that forces Brian to relive the physical experience Of their terrible sex from the previous night, but from lily's perspective Well, that tells you everything basically Um, but it's really well done. Uh, the camera work and the way that they did the lighting looks unbelievably good And crisp the directing is awesome in this and camera work is awesome cinematography so good The acting is really good in this too and it just looks so good Like I said, the camera work and the lighting the lighting is really well executed with this. Um It's a good mix of funny Uncomfortable and poignant all at the same time. I thought this is a very original story It's not an original point to be made a original concept In as far as like the end point they're trying to make But it's done in a very original very interesting way that I never even thought of and it's very thought-provoking This one actually really stuck with me after the fact so much so that I talked to my wife about it And I showed it to her because I wanted to make sure she saw that I would have showed her the Maggie May one As well because I thought that was particularly good, but I don't think she would have been able to handle the gore in that one. So I didn't Um, but I could easily show her basic witch Um, this was like I said, this was one of my favorites. This is also a four star one in my opinion quite good The next one is called conversion therapist and this one's by bears rebecca fonte Uh, a pansexual polyamorous trio kidnap a pray the gay way evangelical Evangelical sorry conversion therapist and torture him until he sees the light Now unfortunately that is the whole thing Like there's really nothing to it additional honestly It's very very basic. I don't think it's a very compelling story unfortunately I think it's a compelling point that it's making but I would have liked it done in a much different way a much less Bash you over the head with it That's just my personal opinion. There may be some people out there who really love it It kind of harkens back to a sub genre that as a as a overall genre We've kind of gotten away from for the most part and there's kind of a reason for that It's just more of like a base Thing that doesn't give you a whole lot more and I that's kind of what this felt like to me I feel bad saying this but this is my honest opinion of it The acting was kind of rough and the way the lines are delivered actually keep the comedic moments from actually landing unfortunately Uh, this was probably the roughest acting of all the short films in my opinion Also reactions to what actually happens in this film do not at all match reality So there's a real problem with the writing and the acting overall Unfortunately, the message of the film is unbelievably on the nose And subtlety would have been a much better way to go about this or at least somewhere in between to be honest I mean, I understand that you're pairing not being subtle with this particular sub genre but and in that sense it kind of like matches but It's not it's not for me. And like I said, this is just a personal thing There might be some people who love this and I hope there are because I have a lot of respect for people who do Film um, I used to do some film But I don't so much anymore. But anyway, unfortunately, I'm giving this one star I didn't like a whole lot about it to be honest um, the next one offbeat by mert Ooh, we're Kirk we were Kirk From the netherlands. This is the other one not from the united states They're all they're only two of them in a polluted future 20 year old drummer Ali wants only one thing to get inside the dome where the air is clean and the best musicians live in order to get in He must pass a series of absurd tests This is another interesting original concept that I really did enjoy It's future futuristic and they did a really good job making it look futuristic Especially with the cg that they use the cg actually looks really really nice And it kind of fits seamlessly into how it was shot and the appearance of how it was shot the cinematography and everything So cinematography directing and the acting is really good in this one as well The social commentary and this is well executed It's done with subtlety and a splash of humor and the humor actually works in it so I quite liked it and To sum this up it kind of felt to me like a black mirror episode But obviously a lot shorter. Uh, if they would draw this out and put it out as a black mirror episode I kind of feel like it would fit with the whole grouping. So I liked it Uh, I'm giving this one three and a half stars. I quite enjoyed it The next one is the final girl returns this one's by alexandria perez A driver emerges from a massacre unscathed and finds himself trapped in an endless cycle of saving the final girls The driver soon learns that one mustn't fight the rules of horror and the past He's been driving from catches up to him First of all, I thought This had great music Really solid cinematography actually really good cinematography and really good editing to it Those three things really really impressed me about it the music The editing the cinematography looked really good. The directing is really good too the acting A little bit rough. Um, and that kind of detracted a lot from it. Unfortunately Uh, there's some there were some interesting quick flashes of what kind of happened in the past In this film which actually pair with vague events that create kind of confusion and generate interest in it So I thought that was a kind of cool idea behind it And that's part of why I say the editing in this is really good Like those kind of like quick flashback things just make you more like what is going on here Like you want to piece it together at that point. So it's pretty compelling. It kind of like sucks you in Um, yeah, like I said that the acting was detracted from it. Unfortunately for the most part There were some good moments with the acting but overall it's kind of rough Uh, there's a good point and concept But the story doesn't really come together to be honest Although a lot of the technical components are very very excellent with this film I think overall the story just needed some more work to really come together the way it ended I think you could have brought it together a lot better if there was just a better ending to it a more impactful Ending it kind of felt like it fizzled out at the end when with all the interest in everything that was being set up in the beginning You just wanted more from it, but Because of all the technical awesomeness of it. I'm giving it three stars. I still quite enjoyed it. It was a good ride and um, alexandria pares I really hope that you do some more stuff because like I said those technical components were really good Very impressed with that The next one is live and this one's by taran o'neill An online live online live caster with a dangerous brand has a crisis of conscience over her volatile career choice In a future world where jobs are limited and conflict is currency Now there's some prolonged high-pitched sounds in this one that were really really too much I knew it was part of the sound design to kind of like get to people and irritate them But it was way way too high pitched. It was way too loud and it actually made me have to turn the volume way down Um, there's a fine line with those types of noises in film and you got to find that and they They stepped over that line with this. So I think that needed to kind of be fixed Cinematography is pretty solid in this. I I did enjoy that. The directing was pretty good They did a pretty good job of tackling a currently developing societal issue So the fact that they tackled that I had a lot of respect for I thought that was a pretty cool concept a good idea The unfortunate thing is overall the story felt pretty flat in my opinion And it needed to really go somewhere in the end. I felt like it stagnated throughout Well, hence me saying flat and it just I just felt like it never really went anywhere Like you started the film and then ended the film and it felt like nothing really transpired so much Um, so it just didn't have impact. It didn't it didn't land But there's some good ideas there. There's some good technical things and overall I thought it was pretty solid Uh, I give that a two and a half stars. So right smack in the middle for me Man in the corner now this one was done by kelly brezlin What starts out as a hot hookup with his dream guy turns into a nightmare when daniel realizes they aren't alone in the house Now this was a very interesting setup and I say that because it was vague now that's That's a good thing for the setup, but it ended up being a bad thing for the end of the story. Unfortunately Uh, there's an odd mystery presented that hooks you in like that's part of the vagueness in the beginning And the initial explanation doesn't feel like a real explanation. There's kind of something that happens While something else is going on and then it's kind of oh There's a questioning of it and then there's an answer to it But then you as the audience like the way it was shot and the way it was set up you're very much like Nah, yeah, I think there's something else going on and that really does a good job of kind of hooking you in The problem is after that happens It doesn't do enough after that there are some really cool moments after that But the very end it seems a little abrupt. It seems not that fleshed out and it seems too vague in my opinion There's interesting use of lighting and uh color lighting and shadows in this I really like that aspect of it. It looked really good in my opinion Ultimately, it just felt like it needed to be more fleshed out and actually probably a bit longer to kind of Get more of the story out there The other thing is there's a very large sex scene in this and it felt like there was maybe too much focus on Uh doing the sex scene and not enough focus on doing other elements of the story I'm fine with sex scenes and this has a gay sex scene in it. No problem. I don't care any sex scene I'm down for it. I if it fits into the story and it does fit into the story with this But I just felt like it was way too prolonged and you know shave some of that down and put a little more story into it And it would have been Actually really good So I overall gave this a two star rating. So still not bad or anything So, uh, the last one is I can't believe it's the last one already going pretty fast Ava in the end was the last one and this one is by Ursula Ellis After tripping over her dog and dying a struggling actress wakes up in a virtual purgatory And waits for her mind to be downloaded into a new body Very interesting concept very original The main actress's voice unfortunately was oddly muffled Throughout the film it I I don't know if that was an intentional choice It may very well have been because of the kind of purgatory this person's in but It felt weird and I don't think it worked It was more detracting from the film than anything And it came off more as a technical issue is what it sounded like even if it was intentional The acting was okay But there's kind of a look a lot of the times of thinking about acting You know when you can see an actor an actress Thinking about acting now I think part of the problem with it is that They're not interacting with another person in this And that's really challenging from what I can surmise So it was demanding and I think that's part of the reason for that that being a little rough It's 10 minutes it's 10 minutes long about and it kind of drags which is bad Uh, there's a social commentary there, but it actually ends up feeling pretty inconsequential by the end I think there needed to be more fleshed out with the con with the Common social commentary and it needed to make more of an actual point at the end It felt more like it was a really interesting concept That just was presented and there were a few aspects of the concept laid out But there wasn't like much of a point made At least that's how it played out to me. Maybe I missed something. I don't know, but that's how it played out to me So overall I'm giving this one and a half stars. I wasn't huge on it So yeah, but it looked pretty good actually and there was some good cg in that so bravo on that Anyway, that was it. That was all nine. So like I said, you know, please don't shoot the messenger if there are people out there who are like I really love this one and you hated it. Why or I really hated this one and you loved it. Why personal opinion And like I said, I have the utmost respect for all these filmmakers, especially because They're not big names. They don't have big budgets and I know that type of stuff is tough so keep going I really overall enjoyed what I saw a year and Yeah, it was a really cool experience Going through this I made me think back to when I was watching the episodes of creep show And doing reviews for all of those. I just love the kind of like short film bite size stories. It's it's a lot of It's a lot of fun. So I had a great time. Um So glad that a theory I came to shutter. So people out there make sure you check it out Like I said, let me pull it back up real quick again running on shutter june 19th to july 20th I would say definitely don't miss it. It's a lot of fun a lot of fun Even if there's a few of them you don't like you're gonna find ones you like trust me and more than one guaranteed because I did I know I did because obviously as you saw from my ratings overall very positive But thanks everyone for checking this out. Thanks everyone at etherea. Thanks everyone at shutter really really appreciate it Um, do me a quick favor hit that subscribe button if you like anything I do this video or other videos It's a quick way to repay me because I don't make money doing this or anything. This is all just For fun and to connect with people and throw the information out there So hit that subscribe and if you do make sure you hit the notification bell So you know when I'm putting up new videos or doing my live streams because I do those Put some comments down there, especially after you watch any of these because we'll make the comments spoilers So go ahead and do that and we can talk spoilers about this stuff If you would like to if you're already subscribed here, uh, just hit a thumbs up to let me know You're still watching and if any of the filmmakers see this Feel free to put down a comment. Um, and let's let's chat about what you did If you have a problem with what I said if you think, you know, it it bears more explaining I miss the point or whatever go ahead or if you want to say hey rock on you really like my stuff Whatever, but thanks everyone for checking this out and until next time keep it brutal