Virtual Revolution ****

It seems virtual reality is all the rage recently, but is it a gateway to a future where most of the human race abandons actual reality altogether? In this hybrid live action and virtual reality film, a revolution did happen, just not the way people thought it would.

This film is nominated for 9 different awards, including Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. It has already won over 57 awards and been selected for 103 film festivals. With its brilliant score and excellent cinematography, this film is not to be missed.

See the future (?) of humanity at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Chicago Rot (World Premiere) ****

Chicago Rot has been nominated for seven awards at FilmQuest this year, including Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Score. This film has something significant to offer to anyone looking for a truly unique cinematic experience that lives at the intersection of high art and low murder. This gory and surreal horror/sci-fi/rock n’ roll/revenge thriller is one of several films screening together from Chicago-based filmmakers. Coined the “Chicago invasion”, this block of films is not to be missed.

Chicago can be a dangerous place. Get prepared at ChicagoRot.com, and we’ll see you at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Ctrl Alt Delete ****✓

In this fun tech thriller about artificial intelligence run amok, a trio of sexy burglars break in to a datacenter of a major technology company (think Google, but bigger) to steal a new top of the line device designed to automate network operations. When the artificial intelligence comes alive, the planet’s future is on the line. Drop in a duo of computer nerds and their 42 year old boss and you have an enjoyable technological thriller that, while engaging, is rather predictable.

This movie easily earns four stars for me, but I’m a computer geek who gets the jokes. If you’re not into IT or computer programming, you’ll still enjoy the action and the dialog, but you may not fully appreciate it (floppy drive music, anyone?). My first perception of the film was how much it reminded me of the 1995 computer thriller Hackers, with the sexy bad guys and the exaggerated, graphical hacking techniques. But thankfully the filmmakers kept most of it at least in the realm of possibility so it’s not quite so ridiculous. I do wish they explained a little bit more about the motivation of the burglars, and of the AI, because it was unclear why any of this is even happening in the first place.

UPDATE: The writer/director emailed me and clarified my question. The hacktivists are breaking into a Thule data center to uncover proof that the company is illegally collecting and profiting from user data. Lex doesn’t know about the device at first, but after seeing it she figured it could contain what she’s looking for. The device’s actions are intentionally inscrutable, using it’s actions as a smoke screen to hide it’s nefarious plans.

Check out the trailer here to see if this is something you’re into. This is a feature length movie, so it’s a bit of a commitment at a film festival, but unless you just don’t get computers at all, it will be time well spent at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Future Boyfriend ****✓

In the spring of 2014, Future Boyfriend, a one-act play by A. Vincent Ularich, was accepted to the first annual science fiction one-act play festival in Los Angeles called SCI-FEST.  Soon after opening night, people started to comment on what a great concept for a TV series or film the show would be, and thus the idea to shoot it as a short film was born. The actors, Ron Morehouse and Emily Bell, created Bell-House Productions which includes director Ben Rock (Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival Award Winner), George Feucht as the cinematographer (Emerging Cinematographer Award Winner), Tom Moser as Special Effects Supervisor and French Stewart (“Third Rock from the Sun” and “Mom”) as the cameo role of, “Friend.”

Check out the website for more information about this $10,000 Kickstarter-backed film, including the trailer and more, at www.futureboyfriend.net, and be sure you don’t miss this one at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Kookie ****

Nobody likes a liar.

Bree, a dishonest 9-year-old receives a terrifying visitor after a parenting lesson goes horribly wrong.

Kookie is a terrifyingly fresh physiological horror film that audiences seem to truly love. The lead actress Ava Jamieson is only 9-years-old and Kookie was her first time ever acting on camera. She proved to be an unforgettable talent (you can see more of Ava in the behind the scenes video on the Kookie website). At the premiere screening at the Portland Horror Film Festival it won both the Audience Choice Award and the top prize, the Director’s Award for Overall Excellence.

Watch the trailer or visit the Kookie website, and don’t forget to catch it at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

The Blackout Experiments ***✓

“I would definitely say that Blackout is a form of psychological torture.”

(Updated) This is the cutting edge of real-life psychological horror. If that’s your thing, or if you’re just plain sadistic or masochistic, watch this film. If not, watch the trailer first and decide.

The trailer makes this looks creepy as hell. Amazing, but creepy. I originally rated this “Your Guess is as Good as Mine” because I simply didn’t know what to say about it, and I didn’t know where else to put it. After watching the first part of the film, I kinda still don’t, but I can at least confirm that it’s not for everyone.

The Blackout Experiments is a documentary that premiered in the Midnight Section of this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The film is about Blackout, a very real and controversial interactive horror experience that has a cult following in New York and Los Angeles. It follows several fans who discover the ultra-scary, psycho-sexual experience and develop an obsession that hijacks their lives and blurs the line between reality and paranoid fantasy.

Yea, sound creepy? Watch the trailer here first to prepare your self for FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

They Will All Die in Space ***✓

They Will All Die in Space isn’t just catchy title, if you know what I mean. This short sci-fi thriller is fun to watch and easy to follow. It won best short film at Sitges Film Festival last October and is also screening in Palm Springs Shortfest, among other festivals.

Check out the trailer at www.javierchillon.com, and do your best to survive at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Already Dead ***✓

“We’re good honest people, we’re just dead.”

Fifteen years after a zombie outbreak (ZE Day), Zombies live among us; working 9-5 jobs, holidaying in Barbados and living “life” to the fullest. A documentary crew have been given exclusive access to a group of Zombie’s day-to-day “lives” to discover what “life” is like for them. But have we truly come to accept Zombies or are we still living in 2001?

Already Dead is a reflection of modern society and the hatred and prejudice that individuals struggle with each and every day. It’s also a social commentary on how a government treats a certain class of people, and the uphill battle they face with the leaders elected to lead them. Until there’s a zombie prime minister, they have to live by human rules!

Enjoy the trailer here on YouTube, and be sure not to miss this one at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Outpost: Gun to a Gunfight ***✓

Mars, 2157. As terraforming nears completion, the marooned colonists of a prison reform labor colony grapple for control in their relentless struggle to form a new society, imperfect and hostile as it may be.

In this short film / Web Series proof of concept, a large group of “volunteer” prisoners is sent to Mars to assist in populating the planet. But who ever could have predicted that these volunteers would rise up against and overthrow the guards sent to keep them in check?

With solid production values and decent acting, this short proof of concept sets a pretty high bar for more episodes to come. Here’s hoping Planet Lander Entertainment, a Wyoming-based and Veteran owned and operated independent film production entity, manages to produce the rest of the series.

The gunfight begins at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Bear with Us ***

A comedic take on your average “cabin in the woods” sub-genre of horror, this SAG Ultra-Low Budget Feature Film packs some big names. If only this sub-genre hadn’t been done to death.

Bear with Us is a modern farce about a guy who attempts to propose to his girlfriend in the most romantic way possible, but his plan starts to fall apart when a ravenous bear stumbles upon their charming cabin in the woods. It’s a total comedy of errors that takes a close look at just how far we’ll go to preserve our relationships.

Bear with Us is a fast-paced, genre-bending, ensemble comedy from award-winning filmmaker William J. Stribling, co-written and co-produced by award-winning screenwriter, Russ Nickel.

Bear with Us stars Christy Carlson Romano (Emmy-nominated star of Disney’s Kim Possible and Even Stevens), Cheyenne Jackson (Broadway star also known for his roles in American Horror Story, Glee, Love Is Strange, United 93). It features Tony Award-Winner Alice Ripley, the voice of Lea DeLaria (“Big Boo” on Orange Is the New Black), and Curtiss Cook (House of Cards). The score is from acclaimed composer Dylan Glatthorn.

Check out the trailer here, and if you’re into grizzly bear comedy, be sure to check it out at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Scary Endings – Ep. 4 Yummy Meat: A Halloween Carol ***✓

On Halloween night, snarky dentist Amber (Miracle Laurie, Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse”) passes out toothbrushes to the neighborhood kids, only to discover that one of them may soon be brushing bits of her from his teeth.

Scary Endings is a monthly horror short film anthology web series, so you can actually watch this this film right now. But before you do, you may want to wait and watch it in a dark room on the theater screen.

Watch this and other episodes of Scary Endings on their website at www.scaryendings.com, and be sure to check this one out on the big screen at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Shortwave ***

Many believe the signals broadcast by shortwave radios could be from space or perhaps even a different time or dimension.

In Shortwave, a couple loses their daughter in a peculiar disappearance and is trying to move on. But after moving into a new home provided by his work where he can continue his 10-year research into a particular shortwave radio signal they’ve been studying, things go from bad to worse for Isabel (Ringeling) who has been suffering with mental issues after being unable to cope with her daughter’s disappearance.

Watch the trailer for Shortwave here, and look for aliens at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Animal ***

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every item that proceedeth out of the machine.

In this short psychological film, a man wakes up trapped in a plain white room with a machine that gives him everything it thinks he needs to survive, but is that enough?

(More info coming soon)

Catch the trailer here, and get ready to be trapped by FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

Earworm **✓

Can’t fall asleep because of that recurring catchy tune playing over and over in your head like a broken record?

In Earworm, written and directed by Tara Price, a lonely man does battle with a relentless piece of music. Does the music get the better of him, or is he finally able to get some sleep? One thing is for sue, you’ll never get this earworm out of your head.

Find out during the Earworm premiere at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Dickproof 2 *

Yep, you read that right. Dickproof 2, sequel to the 2014 short film Dickproof, which is essentially 10 minutes of its over-the-top action and grindhouse-style dick and fart jokes.

In the sequel, the world’s worst serial killer teams up with his stalker to battle a castrated man looking for revenge. A celebration of blood, guns and cars.

• 2016 FilmQuest nominee for Best Sound.
• 2015 Heavy Hitting HorrorFest winner (“Best in Show,” “Best Effect” and “Best Kill”)
• 2016 Bonebat Film Festival winner (“Best Northwest Short”)

Watch the first Dickproof here and be ready for the sequel at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

MUTE *

“Torture porn” isn’t my thing. To be fair, I haven’t seen this one, so I can’t be sure, but that’s what the short teaser trailer makes it look like to me. I suppose if you like the genre, you may enjoy this one, but I’m not going to go out of my way to watch it.

Check out the teaser here, and if you’re into torture porn, you’ll find it at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Muddy Corman *?

Writer/ Director Jon McDonald chose to shoot most of his film in the state of Utah despite his home base being Los Angeles, CA. Based on his experience in the state, he will be shooting his upcoming film project in Utah as well. These films bring not only a significant amount of work to Utah filmmakers, but also bring major names (both in front of the camera, and behind) from the industry, to the state.

We didn’t get much information about this film, so it’s hard to give it a rating. If you’re up for a craps shoot, check it out check it out at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Polk Photography *?

We don’t have much to go on for this one, either. Not even a promotional poster. What we do know is that it is a documentary short film about a photographer in Los Angeles who has a unique style of photography. It’s made by a local Utah filmmaker, and we always like to support local first. We are Utah Geek Magazine, after all.

Watch the teaser trailer here, visit the website here, and check it out at FilmQuest 2016, June 17-25.

View the full festival schedule here.

Rating Legend

**** Don’t miss it.

*** Looks pretty good.

** I dunno, might be ok

* You’ve been warned

*? Your guess is as good as mine

✓ We’ve seen this one