TALES OF THE TV DINNER

Written and Directed by David Otteni and Craig Schultz

Starring:

W.D. Williamson
Melissa Hanbey

TALES OF THE TV DINNER is a collection of remastered Super-8 short films from David Otteni, whose comedically macabre style reminds me BRAINDRAINER and THE NIGHT BASEMENT director Michael Legge. Both directors realize that in order to retain an audience's attention you have to give them something they'll enjoy. Without much money, laughs are usually less expensive then gore.

The TV DINNER wraparound segment sends up Rod Serling's TWILIGHT ZONE with a bed cloth clad specter spouting an almost familiar opening monologue.

The first up is "The Fruits of Torture", which is just that. Various fruits are crushed, pealed, and squeezed into submission while their deaththrows are dubbed onto the soundtrack. With no focus or direction, "Torture" is nothing more than goofy pointlessness.

The second film titled "Blank Horror" is the most accessible of the bunch. Raiff Watlowe is an actor struggling through an intense relationship with his overbearing director. Slowly, the poor man is pushed into madness by the constant prodding of his director. Faced with ad-libbing, Raiff goes over the deep end. The satirical short packs a good bit of bite into it's short 5 minute running time.

The final short entitled "A Sole of Evil" blends the fragmented isolation of "Torture's" focused camera work with the horror movie storytelling of "Blank Horror." Told from the point of view of feet, a demon rises from the grave and lays the supernatural smackdown on a couple of adulterous murderers. The unique perspectives allows for a near deconstruction of horror movie cliches while reenforcing the humorous elements.

In light of recent discussion on the B-Independent.com message boards regarding young versus older filmmakers, and the terminology used to describe new filmmakers, I'm curious what Otteni can do with 20 years of practice. He shows a natural flair for camera composition and an ear for comedic dialogue. His style is never vulgar, and he appears to have the ability to turn out something more elegant than most of the "younger" crowd who are too quick to go for the jugular.

Spooky Martin