A Usagi Yojimbo Film Is On The Way... Watch The Short That Got The Filmmakers Permission From Stan Sakai To Make It!

My earliest memories of Usagi Yojimbo come from the TMNT cartoon series of the early 90s. I loved that show, and Stan Sakai's samurai bunny rabbit was always a highlight for me. He is so serious, and such an absolute badass... so when I was able to read some of the Yojimbo comic stories later in life I found them amazing! Sakai's art is also spectacular, and the stories are true samurai epics even though they feature talking animals. So when my buddy Tommy Lombardozzi (who is a huge Usagi  fan) sent me a new short film that was created in order to secure the confidence of Sakai in making a full length feature. Lintika Films presents Usagi Yojimbo: The Last Request. It is really well done, and Sakai was so blown away that he gave his blessing for them to move forward with a full length feature. Keep track of the films progress by following their Facebook page, and watch the embedded short film after the jump for a taste of things to come!!!

The Short Film 'Meat' Delves Into The Topic: What Would You Do If You Hit An Animal On the Side Of The Road?

I love to peruse the Internet and find cool short films being made. In this era of cheap cameras and ambitious people trying to make the "next great short" we are gifted with a plethora of videos to watch. But the best place for horror themed shorts is over on FearNet. They post an awesome amount of shorts over there, and if they are chosen to be featured on FearNet then they must be pretty good to begin with. My most recent discovery is "Meat", which is a conversation between two buddies who just happened to accidentally kill an animal with their truck. The resulting film is both funny, creepy and a bit out there... perfect. Check it out after the jump...

90 Years of Magic From MGM Films - A Recap In Just 2 Short Minutes!

MGM has been one of the greatest film companies for a very long time, and they are one of the rare studios still going strong after all these years. The Bond Franchise is still ripe, the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movies are still coming, and a Mad Max reboot is right around the corner. But the classics are what makes this studio the shot. Rocky & Rainman, The Man With No Name & The Usual Suspects, Moonstruck & Silence of the Lambs... and especially my favorite films of all time, The Pink Panther movies featuring Peter Sellers! It has been a great 90 years. Check out the two minute tribute video after the jump... with the current slate that they have on the agenda, they will probably be around for another 90 more!

Happy Halloween From Oscilloscope Laboratories

Oscilloscope Laboratories is a great independent film distribution company that was started by the recently deceased Adam Yauch (MCA of the Beastie Boys) back in the day and has a track record of distributing really cool foreign and independent films. They also are known for releasing a Halloween short every year, and this years entry is really spooky! It involves a singing cavalcade of children, all face painted and creeping the fuck out of the adults  in the piece. Fantastic!!! Check it out after the jump, it is superb as usual.

WW - A Wonder Woman Film Short by Rainfall Films

Here is something I can't seem to grasp: DC Comics is sitting on a goldmine of a property in Wonder Woman and they can't seem to monetize on the potential of the character in any forum besides comics. Why??? The character has been around for over 60 years (tons of back story to pull from), is stepped in mythology for cool side characters and villains (I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Ares or an island full of Amazonian woman), she is sexy (for the guys) and a symbol of a powerful feminine character (for the ladies) that is a lead in a story, and is probably the most recognizable character in the DC stables besides Superman & Batman. So why is it so hard to get this character in a TV show or a movie? WTF DC... stop dropping the ball. Diana Prince has long been a favorite of Cosplayers and amateur filmmakers as a subject, and since DC isn't pulling the trigger on a project anytime soon it seems like they are just proving the point on how much potential the character has. We put up a short film some time earlier this year (click here to see it), but now we have a brand new short from Rainfall Films that will blow you away. Rileah Vanderbilt (Adam Green's kick ass wife and the star of the very underrated horror film Frozen!) takes up the mantle and does Diana justice. All it needed was an Invisible Plane sighting and it would have been perfect... maybe in the sequel! Lets hope these short films help get DC up off their asses! Check out the full video after the jump...

'Hoverboard'- A Short Film Based On Back To Future II...

The thing I love about the Internet the most is the way things are spread around. I mean, you find all sorts of cool tidbits and fun stuff online in the darnedest places. Apparently PBS (the Public Broadcasting System, the free TV channel that has made Sesame Street & Dowton Abbey a household name) is running an online short film festival. Now I would have never known that, and now I am exposed to 25 really cool looking short films that I would have never been exposed to. I for one will sure be busy over the next few days, but what better way to start off the process than by watching the short that revolves around Back To The Future II? 'Hoverboard' is a brilliant 6 minute short film about a little girl who is trying her best to recreate Marty McFly's famous hoverboard from BTTF II. When a few of her attempts at creating the technology fail, she turns to her teddy bear companion and some ingenuity to get the job done. An excellent snapshot & love letter to a film that has inspired a lot of love from fans throughout the years. Very well done indeed. Check out the rest of the PBS Film Series by clicking here (and then vote for you favorite!), and check out 'Hoverboard' after the jump...

Still Don't Think They Can Make A Wonder Woman Film or TV Show? Check This Out...

I am one of the people who don't really care if they ever make a Wonder Woman movie or TV show. The character has not always resonated with me, and I am not exactly sure why. The only DC character I truly hate is Superman, and that is because he has to much potential power and strength to overcome ANY THREAT HE IS PRESENTED WITH. That makes me hate the story before it starts. But even with my hating of Supes, I have enjoyed some of his story arcs. But I love all the rest of the DCU, and Wonder woman ends up being an afterthought for me when I am faced with the plethora of characters I love so much more. Batman is tops for me but Blue Beetle, Flash, Hawkman, Shazam, Martian Manhunter, Firestorm, and Red Tornado are just some of my personal faves. So every time I hear about a Wonder Woman movie or TV show I'm just like "meh". But I may have had a change of heart with two recent things I have been exposed to. 1) Gina Carano in Haywire proved to me that I can watch a woman in the lead role as an ass kicker and take them seriously. I love her in that flick. 2) Arrow on The CW Network. What a great show, and proof that all you need is writers who know and love the source material and a cast that can execute the comic book roles. So when I came across this insane fan made trailer from director Jesse V. Johnson featuring Nina Bergman as Wonder Woman kicking major Nazi ass... well, yup I think I can dig on this a bit.  Bergman is amazing as Diana, and I like the stripped down feel of the film. Check it out after the jump, it is fantastic...

Valibation: A Short Horror Film About The Dangers of Technology....

Technology is abound in our current society, and truth be told most people couldn't remember what it was like in the days before Iphones & MP3s, of streaming video and the world wide web. So for his short film Valibation, writer & director Todd Strauss-Schulson decided to take a look at what would happen if we let that constant connection with technology ACTUALLY become a connection with our physical bodies. The result is a truly wonderful 20 minute short film that is extremely witty and even funny at times. But at its core it is a true horror story. I love the way Strauss-Schulson uses popular movies and songs (The Fly, Singing In The Rain, Dancing With Myself) to accentuate the story. A very cool short, and I can't think of a better way for you to spend 20 minutes today. After you watch this you will never look at your Iphone the same way again. The full video is after the jump...

Fresh Guacamole: An Oscar Nominated Animated Short Film

One of the highlights of Oscar season for me has to be the animated portion of the show. The academy chooses a short and long animated film as a winner every year, but rarely do the 10 nominees ever disappoint. This is especially true of the animated shorts. One of the shorts that stood out to me last night was Fresh Guacamole, a very cool claymation short that chronicles the very simple task of making a bowl of fresh guacamole. The only problem is that all the ingredients are inanimate objects, and they constantly morph into cooler things along the way. Very well thought out and executed, this is a great way to spend two minute of your day! It did not win (Pixar's Paperman won the short animated film award), but enjoy the complete short after the jump...

The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare

I have been hearing about the Oscar nominated Simpsons short ''The Longest Daycare' for a few weeks now. I have yet to track it down, but thanks to my main man Jedi Rob Martin and his wonderful Facebook account I have remedied that situation. I love short films, especially animated one, because they can get a very cool message across in a relatively short amount of time and usually don't require massive funding to get off the ground. Some of the best sci-fi and animated movies of the past year started out as short films that were made to highlight just what a great idea could be. This is a great format to see a classic property like The Simpsons other than a typical 30 minute Sunday night episode, so I am all in. Check out the video after the jump...

Spider & Bear: Two Excellent Short Films by Nash Edgerton

I am always a fan of short films, mostly due to the part that they can be powerful and poignant in a very short period of time. Usually less than 20 minutes long, they can give you more than a feature film for the viewer because there is no down time. Nash Edgerton (brother of the great young actor Joel) is a actor, stunt man, and burgeoning director... and he has dazzled with his shorts in the past. Spider came out in 2007 and was an instant favorite of mine. So when I saw the continuation of the story in Edgerton's newest short, Bear, I immediately knew I should share both with the CCD readers so that they can see them for themselves. Great short films that make their mark despite totaling less than 25 minutes to watch both. You will thank me after. Catch them both after the jump...

'Dead Man's Lake' - A Short Film by Bloody Cuts Film

Bloody Cuts Films is a UK based outlet that is in the middle of creating an anthology of short horror movies that are being posted over at their Youtube channel. The coolest part about this whole thing has to be the sheer difference in tone and content of each of the videos in the series they have posted. They are 6 films in to the proposed 13 film series, and the latest entry is called Dead Man's Lake. It has a bit of a twist of the Tucker & Dale vs Evil to it, as well as the elements of 80s camper slashers present as well. Pretty cool horror short from a great group of people over at Bloody Cuts. Thanks to Jeffie Bond for the tip! Enjoy the movie after the jump...

The Short Films Of The 2013 Sundance Film Festival: Pt 1

I have never been lucky enough to attend the Sundance Film Festival, and to be honest with you I never really want to. NY is hovering around 12 degrees this week and I am freezing my ass off... and since Sundance takes place in the mountains of  Park City, Utah I have no real interest in attending. I can just wait for /Film and the other tons of movie sites I read to announce all the movies shown and then will watch them in the privacy of my warm ass home. But one of the cooler things that the Sundance organizers have done is reach out to the average Internet user and team up with Youtube to put all of the official short film selections online for your viewing pleasure... and they are totally free! This is so great, and an excellent way to spend my afternoon. I have watched three so far, so i will share them with you after the jump. There are 12 in all, so check back here over the next few days and I will post the rest. Or just click here and head over to the official Youtube Page to see the ones you like the best...

'Memorize': A Short Film by Eric Ramberg

This is an absolute amazing short film from director Eric Ramberg that is in the vein of Minority Report, Blade Runner and The Running Man. Whenever you throw around sci mainstays like that, it better be good. And Memorize is just that.... very good! We follow someone who seems to be a cop for the SSU (Special Surveillance Unit) on a mission to track down some potential murder suspects. He uses the memory chip that each suspect has in the head to re-trace their memories and lead him closer and closer to the main bad guy he is trying to seek out. Along the way we get some excellent gun violence, some cool hologram technology, and a great overall narrative from a relatively short (7 min) film. It also leaves off on a sort of cliffhanger so Ramberg could revisit the subjects and see how it goes from here. A perfect short film, if you ask me . Check it out in full after the jump...

Monster Roll - A Short Film That Is Large On Sushi Monsters & Fun

When I was a kid I was blessed with having a bunch of teenagers around to help guide my pop culture likes and dislikes. I had my boy Rob that worked for my Mom in her flower shop who gave me 3 milk crates of comics including 80 issue runs of both Uncanny X-Men & The Avengers. Another worker at my mom's store, a kid named Happy, took me to buy my first hip hop records at 8 years old (I bought the Self Destruction posse cut 12'' single and The Great Adventures of Slick Rick on vinyl . My sisters friends like Frankieboy & Dennis C (Rest in Peace kiddo) taught me how to wear some cool gear. But one thing always stuck with me from my early years, and that was what a kid named Mike O'Brien exposed me to.

Read more after the jump...

The 'Item 47' Teaser Trailer... Marvel Short Films Just Got Real!!!!

So it looks like my decision to not buy any of the Phase 1 Marvel superhero movies on Blu Ray yet is paying big dividends. The ginormous box set that is being planned with the release of Avengers in a few months will include Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk & the Avengers... but it will also include all of the Marvel short films which have bridged the gaps between all of these movies. It also includes 'Item 47', the newest short film that takes place AFTER the Avengers movie. It stars Jesse Bradford & Lizzy Caplan (I absolutely sweat this girl) as two regular schmoes who stumble across a piece of Chitauri weaponry and decide to make some criminal moves to better their life. Yeah, I'm in. Check out the teaser trailer after the jump, and grab the box set when it comes out on September 25th.....

'Punisher: Dirty Laundry' - A Punisher Fan Film Featuring Thomas Jane!!!

If I was a big time movie star with big money I would spend many of my off days doing shit like this. Thomas Jane portrayed Marvel Comics favorite vigilante The Punisher in a big screen film back in 2004. It wasn't a great film (John Travolta's villain was a joke) but featured some great action scenes, especially the family BBQ massacre. Turns out Jane is a huge fan of The Punisher and just because there was never a sequel made featuring Jane doesn't mean that he can't still flex his muscles a bit in the character. 'Dirty Laundry' is a very cool short that brings Jane back into the fold as The Punisher & even features a cameo from Hellboy himself, Ron Pearlman. This one has good action, a developed story for a short, and shows the best parts of Jane's version of the iconic character. Hopefully somewhere in the future we will finally get a Punisher film that gets the character correct the way this short did. Check out the video after the jump...

'The Gate' - A Short Sci Fi Film by Matt Westrup

Matt Westrup is a talented young director who is about to see his stock rise dramatically. Westrup created 'The Gate', a short Sci Fi film that extols the dangers of the pharmaceutical industry and what could happen if things got out of control. Now rumors are circulating that the short has been optioned for a full length feature, in a similar vein to how a short film led to District 9 becoming a reality. God I hope this is true, because this short is memorizing and I think this could be a great story. If you are a fan of films like Splice, District 9, and other sci fi films, you will love this. We will keep an eye on this one, but for now enjoy the short after the jump....

'Apocalypse Pizza Video' by Andres Fernandez

Even if their were a zombie apocalypse, people would still have to eat. And what do people love to eat more than pizza? Not much... and what goes great with pizza? How about a video!!! Check out this animated short called "Apocalypse Pizza Video", which shows some enterprising young Parisians making the best of their bad situation and servicing the Paris area with pizza at a time of crisis. This is an extremely well done short by director Andres Fernandez, and I especially love the song selection at 2:15 seconds (wink, wink). Click after the jump for the full video...

'SubWars' by Sean Soong

I love me a good fan film, especially an animated one. Sub Wars is just that. Sean Soong takes a packed Tokyo train and uses it for the setting of an old man Jedi who wants to teach some of these rude people some manners. The results are not very Jedi like... watch the full video after the jump. Gosh, this dude looks a lot like Obi Wan Kenobi, no?