Plot: What’s it about?
This disc is the eighth release in the Short series, which is produced by Quickband and distributed by Warner Brothers. This series is focused on short films, usually those which would not see a release in another way. While some of these films are normal, usually the films are out there, either unusual in subject matter or approach. I have a soft spot for the series, as it has allowed me to see some wonderful short films, but of course, this type of media is not for everyone. This release is very similar to the previous installments, so veterans of the Short series will feel right at home. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, the content is arranged into several sections, which are easy to locate via the practical, yet strange menus. There are some bonus goodies included, but if they are track specific, I’ll mention them when I discuss the short film. Here we go!
Narrative
1. The Cinema Ticket- This short revolves around a young boy who scrambles to purchase a movie ticket. No matter how much candy he must turn down to save his money, he seems hell bent on seeing this film. You’ll also find some production notes for this film.
2. true- Ever see those Budweiser commercials where the group of friends keep saying “Wassup?” over the telephone? Well, this short film is by the director of that commercial, Charles Stone III, who also directed this piece, which stars him and his friends. This piece is so hilarious, it’s worth the price of this disc just to own it. This is my personal pick as the finest short on the disc. Production notes are also included.
3. Sky Above, Heaven Below- This fourteen minute long award winning short is about a young Chinese girl who watches her older sister and thinks that she will follow the same path. This short film has some good bonus materials also, including a director’s commentary and some storyboards.
4. Number One Fan- This quirky short follows a teenager who hops a ride with a photographer and his friends. I thought this short ran a little long, but was still a fun ride. You’ll also find director’s commentary and polaroids from the film.
Documentary
1. Tag der Freiheit- This very rare short is a small piece of World War II history, a Nazi propaganda film. There is also a commentary an expert on the director and some production notes.
2. Why Liberace?- This short takes a look at the legacy of one Liberace, which isn’t my cup of tea, but maybe you’ll like it. Production notes are also included.
Spoken Word
1. Serpent and the Sandman- This is a five minute spoken word performance by Ben Porter Lewis in the middle of the desert. Lewis also speaks on an alternate audio track about spoken word and production notes are included.
Music
1. Kite- This is a wonderful computer animated short set to some beautiful music, one of the best shorts on this release. There are several supplements as well, including director’s commentary, a 3-D model of the ship, a composition test, and production notes.
Video: How does it look?
All the shorts are presented in the correct aspect ratio, some widescreen, some full frame. Some are shot on home video cameras, and look bad, others were crafted on a computer and look sharp. But this is as good as they’re gonna look, and no compression problems emerge.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio varies from short to short, and while some sound better than others, they all sound good. Some feature surround effects, some don’t. The music driven tracks come across better, but all in all, this is a solid audio experience in all cases.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the above features, plus bonus trailers for Three To Tango and The Green Mile.
