By Melissa Antoinette Garza
GAME is a 7 minute horror/comedy short written and directed by Josh MacDonald. The tale begins with a familiar scene. Our protagonist, a businesswoman (Andrea Lee Norwood) is tied up and has duct tape on her mouth as she runs through the woods in attempt to escape three stereotypical rednecks (Pasha Ebrahimi) (Glen Matthews) (Michael McPhee).
During the chase scene, there were several really cool shots including one which was a close-up of the woman with a spider on her face. Norwood’s wild eyes that relayed a sense of fear really told the story.
The tables are soon turned though I won’t mention how other than to say supernatural forces are utilized. The one element I disliked was that instead of the Rednecks being shocked and confused, they knew what was going on as it must be somewhat commonplace. I understand this was going for the humor element, but by doing so, it took away from the fear it could have invoked in the audience.
The special effects are outstanding. The death scenes were well-done. The acting was really good. I also like the fact that an old over-done premise was taken and instead of going the route of I Spit on Your Grave and simply getting revenge, the supernatural element came into play.
If the tale was longer, I would have been more upset that the rednecks were done in such a stereotypical manner, but as there were only 7 minutes and not much dialogue to get the point across, I understand why such characters were chosen.
If ever made into a longer version or a full length feature, I would hope that the antagonists were less caricatures and more believable scum.
That said, this is an interesting story with a cool fun twist. I could definitely see a lengthier version fitting well in a horror anthology.
It can be seen for free here: http://vimeo.com/44356343
Overall Rating: 7/10
