BEDTIME FOR TIMMY

BEDTIME FOR TIMMY (2010)
US
Directed by Thomas Nicol and Becky Griesheimer

PLOT:
     Night falls, shadows creep out, and the time has come for little Timmy to go to bed. But can he brave the ominous gaze of his closet door?

REVIEW:
      When I reviewed Thomas Nicol's The Window Into Time last week, I mentioned that Nicol had a short film he directed with Becky Griesheimer that will be at Fantastic Fest this year. Well, he sent me a link to it so where I can watch and review it as well. So without anymore waiting, here's the review for it.

     There's something completely fun about this short that is just magical. Part of the reason for this is that it brings back memories of childhood and it's fears. I mean who wasn't afraid of having your closet open when trying to go to sleep at night ( I was), and how you kept thinking that something was in there once your room lights were turned off and it was almost pitch black. The smallest sound would send a chill down your spine and your mind would go into overdrive imaging imaginary monsters of the worst possible kind.  The other reason why this short is so fun is the simplicity of the idea and its execution.

       The sound design for the short is nicely done with just enough loudness to make it seem peaceful until the first of the door creaks to the rocking chair's slight tottering. The animation is fluid and fun to watch as only stop motion claymation can be. The story is well put together and to the point with no time wasted as well. I fell in love with everything about the short and the meanness to it that happens at the end as it is a shock and I wasn't expecting it all, which just pushed the short over to my loving it. Thank you Griesheimer and Nicol for creating something magical.

BEST DEATH:
     I'm not going to tell, as it will ruin the fun of the short.

BEST LINE:
     Nope, nothing here as there isn't one line of dialogue spoken.

FUN FACTS:
     Bedtime For Timmy won Best Animated Comedy at Dragon-Con this year.

     The short is also playing at Fantastic Fest this year.

THE WINDOW INTO TIME

THE WINDOW INTO TIME (2011)
US
Directed by Thomas Nicol

CAST:
William Kephart - Dr. Schenker
Stephanie Swearingen - Lana Green
Michael Kilcullen - Dr. Morrison

PLOT:
     Dr. Lawrence Schenker, Man of Science, is contacted by an old classmate with an intriguing problem, setting him on a mission to recreate a substance described in an ancient manuscript with no thought to the possible consequences.

REVIEW:
      Well here I am, back after almost a month off, and I feel refreshed and ready to go with more reviews. This time I contacted director Thomas Nicol about his film after I found out it was playing at film festivals, and since where I live can be considered a black hole for culture unless you like country music, I knew I wasn't going able to see it here He was kind enough to send me link to view the short it in it's entirety. So without further waiting, on to the review.

           I must admit I was relatively surprised by the acting in this all the way through. William Kephart does a good job as Dr. Schenker, a scientist possessed  trying to break a ancient mystery that bridges dimensions while not realizing the consequences though warned about them. Kephart also does a decent job as the one voice that is heard in the short. Michael Kilcullen (love the last name for some reason!), though only on screen for a short amount of time,  does well as Dr. Morrison, a colleague of Dr. Schenker, who at first wants help then tries to warn him off of trying to solve the chemical riddle. Stephanie Swearingen also does well as the spurned assistant Lana Green, who winds up as a conduit to something else after being to close to the  mysterious substance.

     The one draw back I have with this short is the audio. It's nothing to big, but when Dr. Schenker is shown talking into the reel to reel recorder it sounds as if you're hearing the actual recording, and when the flash backs are shown it sounds as if he's in the room talking and not the recorded voice. Other than that small gripe the short was a very fun watch and well put together with some great shots and interesting angles. One of the highlights for me was the stop motion animation when used, as it gave the film a otherworldly feel when it was used. The Window Into Time does a great job of capturing the feel of H.P. Lovecraft stories as the short does end, yet it leaves it up to the viewer to decide what happens. I look forward to seeing what Thomas Nicol does next after watching this, and I'm hoping that he gets a full length feature soon to see what he can do with more time to spend on the story.

BEST DEATH:
     Dr. Morrison's header out of a window of not his choosing.

BEST LINE:
     But its scientific and historic significance alone were enough to take possession of my mind.

FUN FACTS:
     Director Thomas Nicol has his short he co-directed with Becky Griesheimer, the animated Bedtime For Timmy, at Fantastic Fest 2011.