Love how this gets us thinking, just enough information to guide us in the right direction but not enough that we don't have to use our imaginations and can each interpret it differently
Spoilers sorry: I'm not a film connoisseur, so bear with me. This was a really interesting watch; the tension and build-up were all very well executed. I love the way the house initially felt abandoned-the dead fly, especially, was a phenomenal, disgusting moment that apparently was an accident (according to the talkback stream). The entire building covered in bottles, and at 1:46, I was ready for a jump scare, only for Doug to be looking around. I wonder why Brace kept the gun on the shelf; it really tickles my curiosity. Is it a prize, a symbol of former loyalty? Any guesses are welcome. And the literal Chekhov's gun again is great. And next to a ‘family’ picture, which I'm assuming has a cigarette burn blotting Brace out. Was he a child here? Was he always a dog in the eyes of their father? The way Jeff’s character Brace was framed in shadow-a threat, a danger to John’s Doug-and yet he was the one with a gun pointed at him. Foreshadowing, I guess. Also, the fact he walks with a limp makes me wonder if he and Bill fell out, or if something long-term is wrong... “Who?” “Oh, Bill, my roommate.” That's so interesting, the way he is distancing himself from the situation, or as if he doesn't see the man who ‘raised’ him as a father, which if he was abused, I suppose means he isn't, or at the very least, a shit one. Doug selling the house that Brace lives in really rubbed me the wrong way. He talks about him being doped up but doesn't seem to worry about where he will go when the house is sold. And the scene in the shed-the way this could be interpreted as him literally being a dog turned to man, or in the other direction, a man seen as a dog, a little like "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka, where the abuse he suffered in life transforms him-really muddies the waters of the story. “He still comes around”-like, are you a werewolf, or do you get violent sometimes? Fuck, this is such good writing! A little aside: at 6:08, John’s delivery of “that's insane” feels very John, and I have no other way to explain it. The very obvious chains in the wood and the full moon lean into this being a supernatural story, but I still wonder. The sound design as he rows across the water is jarring, and I just really liked the song as Doug wandered around the woods-it was good tension. “What kind of accident?” “The kind that gets you killed.” Shivers! That line delivery was amazing! And John's facial expressions-they're just so... trying to convince himself of a lie, trying to dismiss the violence of his past. Wonderful! “I thought I was having nightmares.” “No one runs away to Ohio because they're having nightmares.” “We had a dog.” “That you never played with.” “It was a stray.” “Funny, I don't recall running away.” What does this mean??? Okay, I have: 1: Literally, Brace was a werewolf, and Doug knew he was dangerous, so he moved out. When he was living away from home, he rationalised his ‘brother’ as just being a doped-up wash-up. 2: They were being abused. Doug saw Brace the same way their dad did and was scared of him, seeing him as a dog. When he felt threatened by his brother, he left and conflated him with a dog to cope with the trauma from his childhood. Brace then calls him a dog or ‘stray’ because he left the house. 3: Some strange mix? Brace was a dog, but Doug is also conflated with a dog because he left. Something about the home was bad for both of them? This one hasn't fully formed. The HEARTBEAT at 12:11 and then Brace smashing Doug into the wall! Wow, John’s acting is just-he looks so sad and lost and, I'm not sure, loving? The silence as he is pinned by his throat, broken when Brace distracts himself, is just... Also, the fact they actually smashed the drywall while filming is pure gold. Brace expects the abuse. “What are you going to do, tie me to a tree?” And then the cold delivery of “ate him, I guess.” Jeff, you have a skill for playing deranged characters that I adore! Just to be juxtaposed by Doug’s “don’t fuck with me,” the gun from the start playbook foreshadowing that I still go feral over! At 12:49, I love the tiny detail of Jeff looking down at the gun-a very subtle and poignant moment. He is talking to Doug like he talked to his ‘dad,’ and the fact his dad drugged him. I guess that’s why when Doug asked him about being on medication, he sounded so incredulous. He lost one abuser only for Doug to show up and almost take his place. And the gun was never loaded. “He loved me.” That moment was what made me want to write a way-too-long analysis because, Jeff, that was such a perfect dark and soft moment. He sounded surprised, pleased, and a little cruel about the fact he was loved. He used that ‘love’ to free himself. He feels like he has the upper hand in that moment because the gun isn't loaded-it's okay. And Doug just has to come in and shatter that self-assured nature. He just has to break the security Brace felt. At 13:19, the music cutting in is wonderful. You can see the minute aspects of his face as he looks at Doug, flashing from one eye to the other, the smile still fixed, but the realisation is sinking in. Then he looks at the gun, really looks at it this time. The smile loses its creases, his eyes are scared-he has no power, he is dead, and still, he has to ask: “Why’d you leave, Doug?” I don’t like the parallel of calling anyone a dog-it feels degrading, dehumanising-but I love the metaphor ‘they loved like a dog’ because, yeah, that’s fear and love and confusion and betrayal. They lived in that cabin together, he called him brother, and still... A detail I really appreciate is the fact he went to open the door, and then, in the silence, he is hit in the back of the head. Doug is a coward. Doug is scared and clearly has lived through something that he shares with Brace. You forced us to sit in the silence as he is unconscious on the floor. He doesn't attack him head on but he also dosn't kill him. I haven't mentioned it until now, but I wonder why Doug wasn't talking to his wife about what was happening. Is this a ‘family only’ kind of issue or something else? I can't figure that out. The cyclical closing shot being the same as the opening, nice! Also, what do you mean Doug was never heard from again?! Jeff, what happened? Did he also go the way his brother went? Is there something else in the woods? Dude, this is awesome! I don't think Brace actually killed Bill, or at least that's not the whole story. This is a film about trauma and family, and I think Jeff did an amazing job. Thank you for publishing this online-I think you do wonders for keeping art accessible to everyone. holy... this got longer than i meant it to
Ohh, i gotta love how the long and pretty much silent shots are used for tension, also in general the total view of the lake, the close up during the confrontation, i love it so much. I feel this is pretty intrecately told, so many shots are needed for this and, in general, both the composition and the acting makes it
I just found out about this, and let me tell you, I did NOT expect this to be so freaking good!! The cinematics. the music. The camera motion. The acting. Superb!! I also noticed the caption "Doug was never heard of again" WOW. I absolutely loved this.
TOO SHORT I WANNA SEE MORE! I didn't know what to expect, but DAYUM, this was incredible! Love the subtleness of the storytelling. Wow, I miss seeing you acting together. Your chemistry and skills are a treat to watch. 💖
this is AWESOME, you’re both so talented and all the cinematography, acting, music and just everything is incredible. also, 35 years and you haven’t aged a day.
I love this. You guys didn’t give us all the information, but also didn’t give us nothing. Just enough to figure out what’s happening. Please do something like this again.
Spoilers: I haven't been this blown away by a short film.. I don't think ever? I love how you build the danger and tension of the werewolf without even showing the transformation; and I LOVE that you let us figure out he was a werewolf on our own. I wondered at first what the bullet was for, than as soon as I realised he was a werewolf I was like: "Ooooh, silver bullet!!". I it makes sense now why Brace didn't know who Fido was, because he WAS Fido and didn't know Doug was talking about him. The line "He still comes around." was such great foreshadowing and this short film is full of that! The marks on his arm we later realise are from the chains. I LOVE the scene where he says how he realises the gun was never loaded and Doug confronts him with the harsh truth that 'It is now'. His expression change as he realises Doug's pointing a loaded gun at him was exceptional! Oh the acting was absolutely incredible! God I loved Brace so much, but like: the juxtaposition between them: It seems at first that Brace is mentally unstable and Doug is the one who has his life together, but as we progress we realise that Brace actually knows the truth and it's Doug who has dillusioned himself by replacing his memories of a werewolf with a family dog. Absolutely blown away, 20/10 Star(kid)s
so so amazing and a wonderful way to start the new year. thank you all so much for finally releasing this!!! also MAN that ending. fucking incredible, for real.
Just found this now and Im absolutely in love with the cinematography and music this has its such a cool vibe and of course you two did an amazing job as always as well
Am I wrong in saying the opening sequence has MAJOR RE7 vibes? I'd love to see a stage/film adaptation with Jon playing Ethan and Jeff as Jack, to be honest.
How dare you leave off on a cliffhanger! what does bryce do? Is this supposed to be a werewolf scenario? Did doug chain his bro? Why doesn't this have captions on it? I need answers @Jeff Blim
![CENTRAL CEE - GEN Z LUV [VERTICAL VIDEO]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VIbidJm9q34/mqdefault.jpg)
First
Second 💔
Ok Jon 😂
Hi
Inb4 there’s 200+ comments 🎉
the first will be last
your acting was incredible in this!
How does such a well-produced and written short film starring two Starkid big shots go unnoticed?!
its true, jeff does get stronger as his hair gets longer.
Much like the biblical Samson
@@mikaroni_and_cheez so he's weaker now lol oh my god makes total sense
I read this as “he does get longer as his hair gets stronger” and i re read it like 10 times 💀
When he asked “what happened to Bill?” I couldn’t help but imagine Bill from TGWDLM
Same omg I was like NO NOT BILL
@@sagegreeeeeeen exactly! Bill may be one of Starkid’s most wholesome characters. We all love Bill!
as soon as i saw the cage i immediately got “hey, melissa” flashbacks lol, it still haunts me to this day
what's hey melissa in reference to? ta
@@shesalilsapphicokay Cut Starkid Nightmare Time story! They read it during the starkid returns livestream
@@monicagrace9536 thanks!
the way I watched that for the first time like- this week- because I finally got the courage to. oh my god dude
@@lucaskramer5015 I still haven't found the courage.😂
Love how this gets us thinking, just enough information to guide us in the right direction but not enough that we don't have to use our imaginations and can each interpret it differently
Spoilers sorry:
I'm not a film connoisseur, so bear with me.
This was a really interesting watch; the tension and build-up were all very well executed. I love the way the house initially felt abandoned-the dead fly, especially, was a phenomenal, disgusting moment that apparently was an accident (according to the talkback stream). The entire building covered in bottles, and at 1:46, I was ready for a jump scare, only for Doug to be looking around.
I wonder why Brace kept the gun on the shelf; it really tickles my curiosity. Is it a prize, a symbol of former loyalty? Any guesses are welcome. And the literal Chekhov's gun again is great. And next to a ‘family’ picture, which I'm assuming has a cigarette burn blotting Brace out. Was he a child here? Was he always a dog in the eyes of their father?
The way Jeff’s character Brace was framed in shadow-a threat, a danger to John’s Doug-and yet he was the one with a gun pointed at him. Foreshadowing, I guess. Also, the fact he walks with a limp makes me wonder if he and Bill fell out, or if something long-term is wrong...
“Who?”
“Oh, Bill, my roommate.”
That's so interesting, the way he is distancing himself from the situation, or as if he doesn't see the man who ‘raised’ him as a father, which if he was abused, I suppose means he isn't, or at the very least, a shit one.
Doug selling the house that Brace lives in really rubbed me the wrong way. He talks about him being doped up but doesn't seem to worry about where he will go when the house is sold.
And the scene in the shed-the way this could be interpreted as him literally being a dog turned to man, or in the other direction, a man seen as a dog, a little like "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka, where the abuse he suffered in life transforms him-really muddies the waters of the story.
“He still comes around”-like, are you a werewolf, or do you get violent sometimes? Fuck, this is such good writing!
A little aside: at 6:08, John’s delivery of “that's insane” feels very John, and I have no other way to explain it.
The very obvious chains in the wood and the full moon lean into this being a supernatural story, but I still wonder. The sound design as he rows across the water is jarring, and I just really liked the song as Doug wandered around the woods-it was good tension.
“What kind of accident?”
“The kind that gets you killed.”
Shivers! That line delivery was amazing! And John's facial expressions-they're just so... trying to convince himself of a lie, trying to dismiss the violence of his past. Wonderful!
“I thought I was having nightmares.”
“No one runs away to Ohio because they're having nightmares.”
“We had a dog.”
“That you never played with.”
“It was a stray.”
“Funny, I don't recall running away.”
What does this mean??? Okay, I have:
1: Literally, Brace was a werewolf, and Doug knew he was dangerous, so he moved out. When he was living away from home, he rationalised his ‘brother’ as just being a doped-up wash-up.
2: They were being abused. Doug saw Brace the same way their dad did and was scared of him, seeing him as a dog. When he felt threatened by his brother, he left and conflated him with a dog to cope with the trauma from his childhood. Brace then calls him a dog or ‘stray’ because he left the house.
3: Some strange mix? Brace was a dog, but Doug is also conflated with a dog because he left. Something about the home was bad for both of them? This one hasn't fully formed.
The HEARTBEAT at 12:11 and then Brace smashing Doug into the wall! Wow, John’s acting is just-he looks so sad and lost and, I'm not sure, loving? The silence as he is pinned by his throat, broken when Brace distracts himself, is just... Also, the fact they actually smashed the drywall while filming is pure gold.
Brace expects the abuse. “What are you going to do, tie me to a tree?” And then the cold delivery of “ate him, I guess.” Jeff, you have a skill for playing deranged characters that I adore! Just to be juxtaposed by Doug’s “don’t fuck with me,” the gun from the start playbook foreshadowing that I still go feral over!
At 12:49, I love the tiny detail of Jeff looking down at the gun-a very subtle and poignant moment. He is talking to Doug like he talked to his ‘dad,’ and the fact his dad drugged him. I guess that’s why when Doug asked him about being on medication, he sounded so incredulous. He lost one abuser only for Doug to show up and almost take his place.
And the gun was never loaded. “He loved me.” That moment was what made me want to write a way-too-long analysis because, Jeff, that was such a perfect dark and soft moment. He sounded surprised, pleased, and a little cruel about the fact he was loved. He used that ‘love’ to free himself. He feels like he has the upper hand in that moment because the gun isn't loaded-it's okay.
And Doug just has to come in and shatter that self-assured nature. He just has to break the security Brace felt. At 13:19, the music cutting in is wonderful. You can see the minute aspects of his face as he looks at Doug, flashing from one eye to the other, the smile still fixed, but the realisation is sinking in. Then he looks at the gun, really looks at it this time. The smile loses its creases, his eyes are scared-he has no power, he is dead, and still, he has to ask:
“Why’d you leave, Doug?” I don’t like the parallel of calling anyone a dog-it feels degrading, dehumanising-but I love the metaphor ‘they loved like a dog’ because, yeah, that’s fear and love and confusion and betrayal. They lived in that cabin together, he called him brother, and still...
A detail I really appreciate is the fact he went to open the door, and then, in the silence, he is hit in the back of the head. Doug is a coward. Doug is scared and clearly has lived through something that he shares with Brace. You forced us to sit in the silence as he is unconscious on the floor. He doesn't attack him head on but he also dosn't kill him.
I haven't mentioned it until now, but I wonder why Doug wasn't talking to his wife about what was happening. Is this a ‘family only’ kind of issue or something else? I can't figure that out.
The cyclical closing shot being the same as the opening, nice!
Also, what do you mean Doug was never heard from again?! Jeff, what happened? Did he also go the way his brother went? Is there something else in the woods? Dude, this is awesome!
I don't think Brace actually killed Bill, or at least that's not the whole story. This is a film about trauma and family, and I think Jeff did an amazing job. Thank you for publishing this online-I think you do wonders for keeping art accessible to everyone.
holy... this got longer than i meant it to
Ohh, i gotta love how the long and pretty much silent shots are used for tension, also in general the total view of the lake, the close up during the confrontation, i love it so much. I feel this is pretty intrecately told, so many shots are needed for this and, in general, both the composition and the acting makes it
YES. Low key just expecting a piss-take, complete with Rim-Tim style bullying of Jon, but holy shit.
PLEASE provide bloopers.
Most of them would be us all being really frustrated and stressed. Which is pretty funny. Unfortunately Final Cut ate them all.
seeing jeff have scenes where his character just becomes super deranged always makes me so happy
Ex: Aladdin, Jack Bauer, Mr. Davidson
all those bullying has finally pushed Jon to the deep end
That was incredible! the acting, the music, the cinematography!! It was so good totally worth the 35 years of waiting well done!
He has his FIANCEE saved with her First And Last Name. This is a weird guy.
hahahaha no it's not
I just found out about this, and let me tell you, I did NOT expect this to be so freaking good!! The cinematics. the music. The camera motion. The acting. Superb!! I also noticed the caption "Doug was never heard of again" WOW. I absolutely loved this.
This was so hauntingly shot. The long pauses of silence, the way the brother’s face was obscured. An absolutely chilling story, thank you 👍
THE FACT THAT YOU USED THE SONG RISING SUN BLUES IN THIS IS SO AMAZING??
this is so good i will be watching this many times
I honestly would love to write a sequel to this! Seeing this short film really inspired me to do something of this sort
TOO SHORT I WANNA SEE MORE! I didn't know what to expect, but DAYUM, this was incredible! Love the subtleness of the storytelling. Wow, I miss seeing you acting together. Your chemistry and skills are a treat to watch. 💖
Bro the sound design is so good I’m losing my mind
A gripping sense of unease fills me as i watch this
this is AWESOME, you’re both so talented and all the cinematography, acting, music and just everything is incredible.
also, 35 years and you haven’t aged a day.
I love this. You guys didn’t give us all the information, but also didn’t give us nothing. Just enough to figure out what’s happening. Please do something like this again.
This is excellent, you are both so freaking talented and the cinematography is immaculate. 10s across the board.
Spoilers:
I haven't been this blown away by a short film.. I don't think ever? I love how you build the danger and tension of the werewolf without even showing the transformation; and I LOVE that you let us figure out he was a werewolf on our own. I wondered at first what the bullet was for, than as soon as I realised he was a werewolf I was like: "Ooooh, silver bullet!!". I it makes sense now why Brace didn't know who Fido was, because he WAS Fido and didn't know Doug was talking about him. The line "He still comes around." was such great foreshadowing and this short film is full of that! The marks on his arm we later realise are from the chains. I LOVE the scene where he says how he realises the gun was never loaded and Doug confronts him with the harsh truth that 'It is now'. His expression change as he realises Doug's pointing a loaded gun at him was exceptional! Oh the acting was absolutely incredible! God I loved Brace so much, but like: the juxtaposition between them: It seems at first that Brace is mentally unstable and Doug is the one who has his life together, but as we progress we realise that Brace actually knows the truth and it's Doug who has dillusioned himself by replacing his memories of a werewolf with a family dog. Absolutely blown away, 20/10 Star(kid)s
Oh, and finally understanding the meaning of the title by the end of the film! That was so cool!
Hi, Jeff! Will subtitles be added soon? Happy New Year!
Well, this was definitely worth waiting decades for
5:41 Okay, I actually got goosebumps here. 😅
So both Jon and Jeff here are werewolves?
DUUUUDE you're so talented it literally isn't fair to the rest of us
I can’t stop watching this.
so so amazing and a wonderful way to start the new year. thank you all so much for finally releasing this!!! also MAN that ending. fucking incredible, for real.
hey i know you from instagram!
Just found this now and Im absolutely in love with the cinematography and music this has
its such a cool vibe
and of course you two did an amazing job as always as well
this is everything i ever needed
That was incredible guys! thank you for releasing this❤
Thank you so much for posting this!!
I am so obsessed with this!!!
happy one year to this masterpiece!
What a way to start the new year!! That was REALLY good. Congratulations!! ❤❤❤
This is amazing! I would LOVE to see a full feature film!
This was amazing!!!!
So excited!! ❤🎉
I need like a series of this fr 😭😭
Holy shit Jeff, that was awesome!! Excellent work :)
Amazing,
Am I wrong in saying the opening sequence has MAJOR RE7 vibes? I'd love to see a stage/film adaptation with Jon playing Ethan and Jeff as Jack, to be honest.
Woah! This was so cool!
Holy shit, that was tense!
oh my GOD I loved that!
Oooh, this is good storytelling
Whatttt I need the rest
Yo did they actually break the wall at 12:07
yes and the new owners of the Lake House (Jeff's parents used to own it) didn't like it.
Pronominal!!!!
I mean, the premise is good
How dare you leave off on a cliffhanger! what does bryce do? Is this supposed to be a werewolf scenario? Did doug chain his bro? Why doesn't this have captions on it? I need answers @Jeff Blim
10/10 like this video, no complaints happy one year anniversary 😊
yes they are werewolves or Bryce is the only one. Doug didn't kill Bryce. He was just gonna chain him because it's gonna be a full moon soon.