[Boston Underground Film Festival] Short Films: Comedy? Maybe! Short Film Program - Reviewed




Comedy? Maybe! is a collection of comedic shorts that screened at the Boston Underground Film Festival.

The Boston Underground Film Fest’s comedy short film program delivers some of the most unusual and funniest short films from around the world. Humor is ultimately subjective and there are many forms of comedy, all of which are covered in this selection of short films.



The Break Up  - UK – Directed by Tim Butcher – This short takes a humorous look at what it's like to have to break up with a friend that no longer meshes with your lifestyle. The dialogue and performances are great and both actors play well off of each other. The character of Lou (Cam Spence) is the type of wild British persona that you crave to see more of and is someone whose world needs to be explored more.




Mother Fucker – USA – Directed by Nicholas Santos - Playing like some sort of twisted noir scenario, a dog ransom pushes a son to do something unthinkable in order to get money from his rich mom. This is definitely the kind of situation that you don't expect to watch, but it's delivered in a darkly comedic fashion. 



Year of the Snake – USA – Directed by Kevin James, Ryan Murphy, & Neil Cicierega  - Over-the-top acting and slapstick humor combined with a silly snake puppet (which looks like a dinosaur in close ups), make for an amusing scenario that riffs on the movies Anaconda and Shocker.



Third Wheel – USA – Directed by Daniel Delpurgatorio – This quick and effective riff on skeletons in our collective closets contains some fantastic cinematography and special effects. This '80 style tale deserves some additional attention at some point.




Gene Lover– USA – Directed by Tianying Jian – This blend of The Lobster and an episode of Black Mirror examines the state assignment of mates through a program called gene-mate. 



Tiny Clones – USA – Directed by USA – This mixture of animation and live-action blends Adult Swim comedy with Blade Runner for an ethical conversation on cloning, specifically making tiny clones of yourself.
  


Robo Greaser – Canada – Directed by Dakota Arsenault – This '80s infused short follows a robo greaser on the day that his favorite roller skating rink is closing. By far my favorite film in this program, it is reminiscent of Turbo Kid and Kung Fury in its brilliant take on a zany '80s world and the characters that they have crafted. It's potential cult status and further world building is there for the taking. With an excellent cast of characters, great makeup, funny story and dialogue, and superb performance from Eli Gottfried as Robo Greaser, this is a film that needs to be seen. "It's fucking beautiful!"





Flow– UK – Directed by Shelagh Rowan-Legg – Even in a war-torn environment, two female rebels can't help but argue about feminine hygiene.  



BFF Girls – USA – Directed by Brian Lonano – This film perfectly embodies the genre of anime and the live-action Power Rangers shows, presenting a trio of girls who transform into Japanese superheroes to battle Fabuloso Doom and his menstrual monster Anti-Flow. The subject matter amusingly addresses a girl's first period and the transformation from a child to a woman, with a villain who seeks to drink her period blood in order to maintain his youthfulness. It's just beautiful insanity that fans of anime and weird Japanese cinema need to see. 




Bride of Frankie – USA – Directed by Devi Snively – A classy and touching tribute to the classic Universal horror movie Bride of Frankenstein, updating it to the modern age of dating and same-sex relationships. It features excellent close ups and cinematography that resemble the original film, along with terrific performances from the main actors (Rachel Sledd, Sarah Jane Murray, Jessica Ridenour, and Mark Lancaster).



Freelancer – Portugal – Directed by Francisco Lacerda – A cool soundtrack and crazy effects are all part of this insane, psychedelic journey in the life of freelance camera operator and one night that he'll never forget. It has a little bit of everything in it to disgust and amaze fans of weird cinema.



End Times – USA – Directed by Bobby Miller – A man finds a dying squirrel in the park for an amusing and touching story about loss featuring a fine performance from Robert Longstreet.