At Cult Faction we have been lucky enough to track the progress of Dead Air through its initial fundraising through to filming, we even bagged an interview along the way with director Geoff Harmer and writer/producer Peter Hearn, but now came the time to actually watch the short movie. Having seen the hardwork that went on behind the scenes it was time to now see if it had all been worth it…
Opening with a barrage of female punk music and slick fun animation that had a taste of Edgar Wright about it, Dead Air deals quickly and efficiently with the exposition of how everyone’s new favourite female punk band Monster Kitten ended up on a dodgy plane with a dodgy cargo on a dodgy night. Many short films get tied up in setting their scene out and end up rushing and ruining what is to follow. Instead Dead Air brings you full speed up to date and straight into the action!
Onboard our dodgy plane we meet our two pilots (David Schaal and James Hamer-Morton), the band manager (Dan Palmer) and the punk rock sensation that is known as Monster Kitten – comprised of Charlie Bond (The Singer), Kate Davies-Speak (The Bassist), Johanna Stanton (The Guitarist) and Stacy Hart (The Drummer). Also on the plane are some mysterious boxes with Oriental markings that look like they may have been stolen from Mr Wing’s antique shop. These boxes clearly have something alive in them but luckily that are calmed by a sweet lullaby that is played on a tape recorder that may also have come from Mr. Wing’s shop. Unfortunately the tape is damaged during The Singer’s tryst with the co-pilot and with no tape comes no control…
Evoking the best memories of 1980’s horror and sci-fi, Dead Air succeeds in delivering so much in such a short time. From clear characterisations through to amazing practical effects the movie honours its predecessors whilst adding a modern flavour. The potential of what could be achieved if this was developed into a full length movie is huge and exciting. In a time where everything is CGI it is nice to be reminded of the charm and contentment puppets can conjure.
VERDICT: 8/10. Funny, humorous and takes itself the right amount of serious Dead Air delivers something that is rare these days. Whilst many movies with bigger corporate budgets soullessly franchise themselves across the cinema, Dead Air projects the blood, sweat, tears, and beers that went behind this film through it and onto the big screen. There is a lot more to come from this Dead Air universe and we are excited to see it develop. Plus who can hate a film that makes it ok to smell of piss?
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Brett Summers
Founded Cult Faction in 2014. Some would describe him as a teacher, writer, dream weaver, and visionary... some would not...
2 thoughts on “Dead Air (2019)”