I just know you all are looking at the title and going, “whhhhaaaatttt?!?!?! Morgan didn’t say that!!!” Well, yes you are correct, I didn’t say that… but the man in the film did.
Ahhhh another short film. Who are we? Beginning of junior year Morgan? I don’t know but I am excited to share with you all the short film for today’s blog! This short film is actually in line with the last review I did. *Go read the review if you haven’t!* This film is set in the same time period and town of that of the last film. I actually think it may be a series, but I would have to check under the director’s name on YouTube. Nonetheless, this film was just as great as the last. This particular film was focused on toys.
In the beginning of the film, a TV commentator can be heard talking about toys. While doing his spill on imagination, the words, “It’s a dangerous thing…imagination…but an amazing thing.” This line stuck with me the entire film. I’ve never heard anybody describe imagination this way. Dangerous isn’t a word associated to imagination. It isn’t even close! This just confirmed that the society in the film is very unlike the society I live in. Imagination is encouraged, not discouraged. For this, I am thankful.
The film is a cool 8/10 for me. I enjoyed the aesthetic the most. Like the other film, it featured a 50’s black and white theme and gave off really creepy, dystopian vibes—which, I think, was the entire purpose of it all. The music fit well with the film. It helped elevate the level of creepiness in the film a lot. Again, I think I mentioned it in the last review, but the masks that the parents have to wear is top tier creepiness. Masks with smiley faces on them are just so…scary.
While searching through the comments, I read that the only color in the world of the film is the red of blood. This made me rewatch the entire film just to see for myself. When the robot had the blood on its…whatever body part that was…it was the only color out the entire film, other than the black and white atleast. I thought this detail was pretty interesting. There are other small, recurring details in the film that I also noticed in the last one. I think the director has a thing for throwing in small details like that.
Overall, this was a pretty good film. I am interested in hearing your thoughts on the monologue at the beginning on imagination. Was there some truth behind it? Do you agree? Do you disagree? let me know! I feel as if this film and the last one are good discussion starters because there is just so much to unpack from these films.
I watched your last short film review that had these creepy masks (it interested me quite a bit, so I am glad to hear that there are more). This is definitely a dystopian world, but it holds a lot of meaning that could be applied to anywhere, anytime. First of all, what a way to kill imagination…giving kids a robot toy that does nothing but spout plain phrases and wave. You can play games with even a rock, but that robot easily trims away any identity kids have so that they can fit into narrow boxes. Also, how crafty is it to turn evil death robots into toys? What an effective way to brainwash a generation. And I found it interesting how the kid does not wear a mask like the adults. Thank you for this thought-provoking material, and I did find red being the only color interesting.