Brain Damage Films

Push: Written and Directed by Kayla Richardson
Featuring: Sharon Savene, Shania Patrice, Shane Cole, Mary Ludwig, David T. Edwards

Eye to Eye: Written and Directed by Shane Cole
Featuring: Derek Plonka, Daniel Cohn, Andy Holt, Kelli Bell, Kaitee Page, Tiffany Baldwin, Nine Forman...

I have contemplated, probably a little too much, about "Up for Rent" and I have decided that I really like it. It has dark humor, twists and more twists, decent stories, and I am impressed with some of the acting. My only complaints are that there were no open shots and I had a tendency to feel a bit cornered, or closed in by all the tight shots.

The flick is about an apartment that has recently come up for rent (hence the title) and it has a macabre and sinister history. A reluctant real estate agent shows the place to a young couple.

During the viewing, the history of the place is revealed in three segments: PUSH, EYE TO EYE, and WANNA-BE DEADLY.Out of the three, Wanna-be Deadly was so much fun to watch. Definitely my most favorite of the three. I was intrigued and entertained. I have to admit, if Eye to eye and Wanna-be were combined, there would be one hell of a film!

Push involves the story of a woman named Cynthia Caldwell aka Cyn (portrayed by Sharon Savene) whose parents stayed in an abusive relationship that ended up with Cyn's mother Mary (Mary Ludwig) murdering her father (David T. Edwards). In her adult years now, Cyn works in the film industry as a script-writer and film director. With her latest film gaining great reviews, she has been very busy lately; so too has her husband. Late nights at the office are more and more common.

Cynthia is getting suspicious about his activities and after finding a make-up stained shirt in the bathroom and a telephone number with a woman's name on it in his pants pocket, her worst fears are realized and the pattern is all too familiar. She has one friend and co-worker, Vanessa, portrayed by Shania Patrice who tries to tell Cynthia that it is all in her head but to no avail. When no one will listen to Cynthia, or help her, she takes matters into her own hands.

Push isn't so bad. If you enjoy relationship driven stories with a twist, you'll enjoy it. My favorite scene is when Cyn is on her knees at the end. Don't ask me any particulars, just know that I thought this scene was excellent. It was so child-like and so disturbing. I loved it!

Eye to eye involves the story of a man named Ray (Derek Plonka) who suffocates women via plastic-sack over their head and then has sex with them. It is an alright story that offers a bit of gore and sick sex (though very little sick sex) and a surprise twist ending.

Wanna-be Deadly is the story of a man named John (Greg Ashamalia) who works at a plastic factory, that fantasizes about fame through serial homicide. He kills women by suffocation and names himself, The Micro-murderer. A name derived from the kind of plastic he uses to cover the bodies when he is done. It is darkly humorous, exploring the murders and failures of a bumbling wannabe serial killer. 

What's funny is when John kills someone, he goes straight to the television to see if there is any news about him. And of course, the news is always bad and they never get his "nickname" correct. The plastic killer? Yeah, the Micro-murderer is so much more fantastic...this short has a twist ending as well.

We wind back down to the real estate agent and the young couple who want to rent the place. They accept the rental and move in. With only one week into the occupation the evil of the place proves to still be lingering, and it possesses the couple tightly within its dark grip.

Up for Rent has a Tales from the Crypt sort-of vibe to it; all it lacks is a cackling, pun-delivering, dead host!  Up for Rent: I guess you could say that it's an apartment to die for, a real scream come true! (Cackle, cackle, cackle...)