I fell in love with this short film when I was younger because of how I recognized myself in the leader role, and as described the short film became "A teenage fever dream" and a fever that I could never really sweat out. Set in the 1950's about Kathy, a lost girl looking for some kind of sign from the universe that the world is not a stupid, boring place. And when least expected The Ghosts, a group of teenagers takes their way into town and she meets Frank, who shows Kathy that there actually is more too this world than it just being boring and slow, he lits up the star inside of her with his vibrant soul and makes her feel alive.
I could never recognize myself in the last part, thinking Kathy after meeting Frank would forever stay as the clichée teenage fever dream of mine. Though I ended up coming back too this movie now a few years later, watching it again but this time feeling I could finally connect too the whole story, let the fever rest, and sweat it out.
3 Reviews
Enjoyable and cleverly delivered 1950's retro love story – great short film
bob the moo14 December 2013
Although there is a supernatural suggestion in the title and in the manner in which the gang called The Ghosts arrive in the girl's small town, this isn't a ghost story but rather a coming of age story where a young woman finds love and excitement in the arms of a "bad boy" and his gang in what appears to be the 1950's of James Dean and Marlon Brando. The story follows this doomed relationship and it is actually very engaging and involving in how it unfolds, with all the drama and incident of a full length film covering the same topic – but yet neatly condensed into just 14 minutes.
What makes it really work though is the delivery, because this is a short film that really captures the "feel" and time of films like Rebel Without a Cause but does it in a way that is also creative and uniquely of this short; it never feels like this is a clever copy of something else. The grainy black and white combined with the shot selection and cinematography is what does it – it looks very cool and is very effective in terms of creating a place and informing the viewer (by virtue of this) what sort of people we are dealing with – because the film so perfectly captures this stereotype of the film that we "get" the unspoken – saving time and adding to the delivery.
The cast are really good within this; the costumes help them but I did really enjoy the lead turn from Kate Cobb and she held my attention across her character. Frank is dangerous but has a soft side and Koch does this well while Guimon is equally good as the spoilt kid who tries to spoil it all. O'Keefe deserves a lot of credit not just for the delivery of the film but for getting everyone on board with his vision – nobody or no aspect breaks the idea, it all delivers.
Really cool and enjoyable short film – well worth checking out.
What makes it really work though is the delivery, because this is a short film that really captures the "feel" and time of films like Rebel Without a Cause but does it in a way that is also creative and uniquely of this short; it never feels like this is a clever copy of something else. The grainy black and white combined with the shot selection and cinematography is what does it – it looks very cool and is very effective in terms of creating a place and informing the viewer (by virtue of this) what sort of people we are dealing with – because the film so perfectly captures this stereotype of the film that we "get" the unspoken – saving time and adding to the delivery.
The cast are really good within this; the costumes help them but I did really enjoy the lead turn from Kate Cobb and she held my attention across her character. Frank is dangerous but has a soft side and Koch does this well while Guimon is equally good as the spoilt kid who tries to spoil it all. O'Keefe deserves a lot of credit not just for the delivery of the film but for getting everyone on board with his vision – nobody or no aspect breaks the idea, it all delivers.
Really cool and enjoyable short film – well worth checking out.
provocative
Kirpianuscus12 May 2019
The atmosphere of "50 s is the basic source of seduction for this beautiful short film, reflecting, in same measure, the teenager relations, air of town, the love story, the birth of an legend. Sure, the best part remains the gorgeous cinematography. But, maybe, more significant is the performance. For young actors. In construction of story. And delicacy of final scene. Short, ressurection of memories. And a splendid work.
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