User Reviews

I rather liked the back and forth between the actors, not just the dialog but the body language as well. Somewhat surprised at how good the production qualities were. If there is a complaint it would be that I thought the concept could be expanded a bit and the running time extended appropriately. I understand the tendency nowadays to use zealous cutting to come up with a streamlined story to avoid losing the interest of the viewer, but sometimes it's good to take the viewer along for a bit of a journey and include some of the details. Provoking thoughts may not be as much in vogue as senseless violence and special effects, but it still has a place, especially in indie films like this. I'd like to see more from this producer.

The title of this short film can refer to both a woman's leg, or the gift inside a stocking. Writer/director Angel Connell plays with words here, telling us it is both. Although clocking in at under eight minutes, the film is divided into two parts. The first part begins with a graphic that reads "Consuming the Commodities of the Heart," and show us that awkward end-of-the-date moment when an unnamed man (Eric Scheiner) wants a little "dessert" from an unnamed woman (Christy Scott-Chapman). The woman has her pantyhosed legs in the man's lap, and the two deliver massive amounts of pun laden dialogue mostly centering around the vital commodity of food. The second part of the film reverses the title of the first part: "The Heartfelt Commodification of Consumption." It contains three fake TV commercials for Sheek pantyhose, available in fine lingerie stores everywhere. Scott-Cashman is a blonde wigged spokeswoman wearing nothing but the pantyhose. Scheiner returns as a guy telling the viewer about the pantyhose while two hose-clad feet playfully nuzzle his face. Both ads tell the viewer that women should wear Sheek pantyhose, or nothing at all. The third ad has the man and woman nude in bed together, with the Sheek ad line changed. Why go nude when you can wear Sheek?

It took a couple of viewings of the film for me to appreciate what Connell was doing. The two parts could be interchanged, the first part's female character having seen the Sheek ads, and demanding her body be seen as more than just a product. The second part of the film shows how just a switch of a few words can change the entire meaning of a sentence, and how intelligent the viewing public is- or thinks it is. The only two actors in the film are fine. Often, a short film serves as a long preview for a full-length feature that will get financing someday, but Connell's effort does not feel that way. He says what needs to be said without overstaying his welcome or underwhelming the audience with dumbed down dialogue or obvious "here's what this means" statements. Perry Iannone's musical score irritated the hell out of me at first, but I came to like its build in the first part. "Stocking Stuffers" is billed as a thinking person's film. What each person gets out of it may vary, but I found that whatever the outcome, it still works.

This film exhibits professional production qualities. As a short, it serves to demonstrate the capabilities of its creators, and will hopefully serve as a springboard for them to move on to bigger projects. While the subject matter may not be everyones cup of tea, it is distinctive enough to allow the film to easily be considered on its own, rather than being lumped in with a great number of efforts centered around sexual fantasies. The writer's ability to use intelligent innuendo rather than resort to explicit graphic or verbal displays shows his ability to entertain rather than bludgeon. The cast come across as comfortable in their roles, with demonstrable talent even though it is a short production. Technical details are seamless enough to satisfy nit-pickers that focus on errors rather than on the qualities of the production. All in all, a great first effort for this production team.

I was at the video release party for "Stocking Stuffers" when it was released in 2001. The film was received to great acclaim then and it's easy to see why. Although very short, this film is extremely entertaining with great performances by Christy Scott Cashman and Eric Scheiner. Both actors seem very comfortable with each other and the dialogue works well. There is plenty of sexual innuendo but nothing explicit. The first scene is very well done with some beautiful dolly shots and nice lighting. This was obviously shot on film and it shows. Angel Connell is a director with a lot of talent and I'm looking forward to see what he can do on a bigger budget. He certainly did a great job here with very little money. The 3 commercials are also of very high quality. Christy Scott Cashman is very charming and funny in them. She has a real talent for comedy. Overall I would highly recommend "Stocking Stuffers" and am looking forward to seeing more from Angel Connell and everyone involved.