This excellent short 6 minute film by 'Fanatix Friendship Skillz' was submitted into the 2005 (Portland) Filmerica Challenge & ultimately picked up the Grand Prize. It also scooped Best Cinematography, Best Audio, Best Editing & Best Horror Film. The film is great from beginning to end, using every available second to inform the watcher. The opening credits are accompanied by images of an 'obsessive' (Cloud) watching the object of his obsession (Urich) along with the obligatory crazed notebook, photo collages, burning candles & crosses. The film then opens proper at the Iliad Bookshop where Urich's character is identified as Kelly Blair a sales assistant. She is first unsettled by a customer (evoking Brad Pitt's characters from Kalifornia & Thelma & Louise) who speaks her name. Next comes the first innocent 'jump', bumping into a colleague amid the bookshelves. Finally as she leaves the store Kelly Blair is passed by a running man who drops a leather bound journal with a cross insignia. She takes it home & starts to read...I won't go any further with the plot, suffice to say the filmmakers have taken some must have scenes & techniques from the horror & suspense rulebooks. I particularly enjoyed the homage to the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' & the narration of the journal which heightened the sense of menace. This film is deserving of its awards & of additional note is the musical accompaniment & that used for the closing credits. If you have heard of this short & want to see it, visit the 2005 section of the Filmerica website
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