“Roommate” – A Review of an Indie Short
As we have recently witnessed with the runaway success of Paranormal Activity, independent studios are often the saving graces of the genre when Hollywood films become too formulaic. It happens every so often that the horror genre gets rocked by an indie film that happens to pioneer a new way of telling a story, i.e. The Blair Witch Project, or captures a particular zeitgeist and embeds itself into the psyche of contemporary America. John Carpenter’s Halloween /em> would fit the latter paradigm, as would Paranormal Activity. As fans of horror, it is important to step beyond the bounds of the films that are served up to us on shiny platters and seek out the small films that deserve recognition.
Hailstorm Entertainment, a small production company out of Burbank, CA, is putting the finishing touches on a new short film they plan to enter into festivals in the near future. There are, however, clips of “Roommate” on You Tube and Fuel The Fear. While not much is given away from these few teasers, it is apparent that it is a ghost story. One of the clips offers an interesting perspective shot almost from the ghost’s point of view. It is an interesting scene in that one can sense the longing felt by the ghost. The scene seems to show a forlorn ghost, seemingly pining for the loss of someone or something as she watches two lovers dance. It is a rarity that one is given empathy for a specter. Though I doubt the ghost is totally innocuous, it does seem apparent that the ghost is a more dynamic character than just a normal, run-of-the-mill spook. For this reason alone, the short film will be well worth seeing.
Check out the clips, and decide for yourself. Check out Hailstorm Entertainment’s website, and check out some of their other projects. Show some appreciation to them for fighting the good fight and keeping horror fresh and interesting. Enter into all indie films with the knowledge that ingenuity must win out over budget, and “Roommate” is no exception. In the realm of today’s horror films where so many are visually adroit yet shallow, it is important to support the films that rely on storytelling. “Roommate” seems like such a film.
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