"Larry & Burt's Gut Rot" is a new web based series chronicling two down on the luck guys trying to make it in the world only to have that world throw up rejection at every turn.  I suppose we've all been there at one point of our lives and this series aims to take a comedic look those times we'd rather be anyone but who we are at that moment.

Our first episode kicks off with Larry, a pizza delivery driver, who can't bare the stench of his own car from the daily deliveries he does. He tries, in futility, to wash away the smell of cheese, sausage and other pizza toppings that has driven him to hate pizza alltogether.  His girfriend, Ruth, doesn't mind and we're not entirely sure if he's completey enamored with her or takes cold comfort in her companionship. He engages in at least one small act of rebellion and I'm sure we'll see more friction as future episodes roll on.

Burt is out of work and still pining for his former girlfriend by checking the status updates of her Facebook page.  He's in hock trying to pay his rent and is constantly demeaned by one negative job interview after another.  There seems to be no direction for him to go but down as he is a defeated man.

The series is the latest effort by Canadian film making duo, the Butler brothers. Their past work has always been about the common guy, his struggles for some sort of redemption in a cookie cutter world where he doesn't quite fit in, and the eternal struggle of men trying to figure out the minds of women.  Chase this down with some good beer and you get where these two filmmakers are about.  ""Larry & Burt's Gut Rot" plays on these themes once more and smatters on some funny pop culture references. All of it provides us with a very entertaining first episode. 

Overall I really enjoyed the first series entry and the plan is to have a new episode debut each month.  I have followed these two filmmakers with  their earlier entries like "Bums" and have found that they've come a long way and I have no doubt they will keep getting better and better.  When I caught  "Larry & Burt's Gut Rot" I felt two things: I was glad they were still going at it and I was happy that they were becoming better filmmakers by still going at it.  Moreover, I am relieved that there are good guys out there who understand the plight of the average Joe and make it their point to create something around it.  No, I wasn't happy to see the characters miserable but I felt glad someone out there understands it. 

Youtube is inundated with the inane and forgettable but ""Larry & Burt's Gut Rot" is a bright spot in an over saturated webisode market.  We need the voices of filmmakers like Jason and Brett Butler not to feel bad about being down and out, but to look at it and laugh.  So for that I give them a high five, cold beer and a thumbs up. 

"Larry & Burt's Gut Rot" debut episode is streaming now on Youtube so go check it out and give your next pizza delivery guy a good tip.   They're people too. 

Richard Gale's epic comedy horror short has picked up and slew of awards and been viewed around 1.5 million times on YouTube so far.

www.richard-gale.com

Via: YouTube - RichardGaleFilms

I bookmarked this short (Born That Way) from director Tony McNeal some time ago with the intention of posting it and then promptly forgot. Which is a shame because it's really is a very cool and very well put together. Anyway I've remembered now and you really should take a few minutes to check it out.

"When ex-con and hard-as-nails, Jake Green, finally gets a chance to see his daughter after six months, he takes her out for a quick bite only to wind up in the middle of an armoured car heist. The violent incident leaves a lasting impression on his daughter and influences her choice to pursue a dangerous and lucrative career later in life."

Born That Way stars Stars Kevin Gage (Waingro from Michael Mann's "Heat") who fits the role pretty perfectly.

www.unstoppable.tv

"A mysterious DJ is sent to a city block to mend a series of chain reactions that occur in our everyday lives."

Taglined "Two Turntables and a Time Machine", Spin, from 2005, is a short film by director Jamin Winans. The director's latest film, the full length Modern fairytale Ink, hit stores and Bittorent sites this month. Even though Spin has had millions of views across the internet and the trailers for Ink looked fantastic, distributors passed on the film, no doubt fearing that although independent, the film does not fit into the indie box. At first Jamin and crew where pissed, but then had to face the truth that without the downloads and the word of mouth they will produce people just wouldn't have known about Ink. Word of mouth is now turning the film into a serious cult smash and a genuine one unlike Paranormal Activity's carefully managed marketing campaign. After the film being downloaded hundreds of thousands of times, the people behind the movie have come to a conclusion about the current industry model. Rather than aiding distribution it actually severely limits the audience for many films. (Goodbye Gatekeepers, Hello Audience.)

If you have watched and liked Ink, I figure you should probably pop over to their site and donate a few dollars. After all, without a distributor all the money you give is going to the filmmakers. So you really don't have the "I'm not giving money to the unimaginative Hollywood machine" excuse. If you really love it you can also but the DVD or Blu-ray.

Whether or not Ink makes a great deal of money remains to be seen, as "The Gatekeepers" do still hold the key to lucrative moneymaking avenues and large marketing budgets. But Ink, like The Man From Earth before it, shows audiences have an appetite for films outside the formula when they get a chance to see them.

One would hope we are slowly moving away from region codes, different world wide release dates, overpriced discs, DRM and the myriad of reasons that make people think "fuck all that I'll just download it, it's easier and quicker". If we don't and the industry really believes you can fix things with laws rather than adaptation there's real problems ahead and by then it may not be fixable at all.

Ink - trailer

www.jaminwinans.com

"Tony is fixated with drills of all shapes and sizes. As we follow him on his search for drills to add to his ever-increasing collection, we slowly unwrap the logic behind this strange and amusing obsession."

A Bit On The Side stars Dean Taylor and is directed by Swansea (that's in Wales) based filmaker Steve Sullivan. During 2007 and 2008 Steve produced Ken Russel's (The Devils, The Lair of the White Worm) Boudica Bites Back which you can read about over at timesonline.co.uk.

You can check out more of Steve's shorts over at his website www.stevesullivan.co.uk

Biff Juggernaught productions presents The Voice Inside, a black and white short film for fans of the slightly more extreme. The Voice Inside is a kinetic short following one characters battle with and final decent into madness. The film opens with an unnamed man sat on a subway train, at first all seems normal, but soon we learn just why the film is called The Voice Inside.

The main and only role is played by Elias who you can see in a very different role as the hapless reporter in LovecraCked! The Movie. This is a good turn from Elias as well, as we see him tormented by an inner voice. He at first tries to suppress it with medication, but is told it is now to strong to be held at bay. After returning home from the subway, he again tries his medication, but only finds himself vomiting heavily. Next he goes for blunt force trauma as a means to fight the voice in his head. Head butting walls and pushing himself with the Iron rings from the stove. He manages to smash his face up pretty good, but the inner voice will not be silenced. Finally he is defeated and now the voice has its turn at desecrating the leads body, which means we are treated to a very nasty use of a hammer.

The Voice Inside is an impressive short film that will have many drawing comparisons to Darren Aronofsky' PI and Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo, all be it not reaching the heights either of those full length outings achieve. The medium it was shot on does mean the picture is not the best, but in many way's it suits the films content. The Biff Juggernaught team manage to mix shock value with real skills, understanding that shock on it's own is in no way enough. The effects, both practical and camera trickery are fairly low level and not overdone, but are used to full effect. Normally I am not a huge fan of "shaky cam", but here the camera work is suited to the subject matter and defiantly adds to the quality of the short.

The Voice Inside is a short well worth watching, but be warned, its graphic nature is maybe suited only to those more used to extreme film. 

Biff Juggernauts "The Voice Inside" is available as an extra on the LovecraCked! The Movie DVD

Watch It (WARNING not suitable for minors): the voice inside (windows media) | the voice inside (quicktime) | YouTube

www.biffjuggernaut.com/thevoiceinside | www.biffjuggernaut.com

To celebrate Halloween, we've collected together a selection of horror themed short films.

The French Doors ... a dark DIY tale from New Zealand, written and directed by Steve Ayson.

Chainsaw Maid ... A faithful maid takes on flesh munching zombies in Takena's claymation masterpiece.

Forklift Driver Klaus ... Stefan Prehn and Jorg Wagne show u why health and safety regulations really should be followed

Cornucopia ...Paul Couvela takes us on a vist to a very strange pub indeed.

Toxic ...In Andrew McEwan's short an unusual evil has arisen, requiring equally unusual hero's to defeat it.

The Cat With Hands ... the story of a cat who, legend has it, longs to become human.

What They Ate ...In this animated short conceived and created by Nadia Moss a most unsettling meal is consumed.

Insanophenia ...Two dim-witted exterminators face a truly horrific stop motion terror, in Steven Kostanski's short film.

Hell ...An nightmarish experimental stop motion vista from David Firth, Jimi Mwng and Crusty Crayfields.

The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello ...A disgraced aerial navigator flees his Plague-ridden home on a desperate voyage to redeem himself.

Greed ...has consequences

2002 Short film detailing a dark DIY tale from New Zealand, written and directed by Steve Ayson.

MrDisgusting posted this over at bloody-disgusting.com and its really is a very cool bit of claymation. From youtube user 'takena' comes this excellent claymation short about a faithful maid and flesh munching zombies.

You can check out takena's website Here 

Via: www.bloody-disgusting.com

German short film from 2000 by Stefan Prehn and Jorg Wagner spoofing instructional videos.