Geeks a Gogo dropped by the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival at the Music Box theater in Chicago this past week to get a glimpse of what they had to offer for the geeky filmgoer. Note that this is an independent film fest--the sort of thing that is typically full of qwirky films and documentaries--not quite the superhero or horror films that we tend to review here at Geeks a Gogo. But we picked a day to attend and we were surprised to find a couple of films that appealed to science fiction and comic book movie lovers like ourselves.
Das Paket, by Wilke Weermann, is a German short film that takes place in a not-too-distant future where people hardly ever leave their apartment. The story follows a man, Simon, who receives a mysterious package addressed to a woman down the hall from his apartment—who is supposed to be dead. Simon struggles with what to do with the box. Who sent it? Why is it addressed to this presumably-dead person down the hall, whom he has never even met? Is it all part of some sort of conspiracy?
Though rooted in a science fiction concept, the film has the feeling of a horror/thriller film as Simon grapples with what the package may mean. The film juggles these elements very well, and employs some very cool camera tricks to show Simon’s decent into madness. Yet somehow, the film even ends up having a sense of humor. In fact, this film won the best short comedy film of the festival—an amazing achievement for a film with such dark themes.
We did catch another film at the festival by a director whose work we at Geeks a Gogo enjoy very much--Larry Ziegelman. Larry is know for some awesome projects that appeal to the geek sensibilities—such as Little Man of Steel. Larry's work that showed at the Blue Whiskey festival wasn't the sort of thing we're used to seeing in his aforementioned works, but something a bit more mainstream. And maybe something a bit more weird.
Stung is a music video, which has nothing to do with our typical subject matter at Geeks a Gogo, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. The video features a man singing about a girl, whom he is in love with, who doesn't even know that he is alive. The film guides us through his sad tale, and takes a surprise turn that ends up being very dark and rather funny.
Also, be sure to check out Larry Ziegelman's upcoming project Geek Lounge, the Comedy Webseries.
And next year, see what the Blue Whiskey festival has to offer. The offerings differ every year,so check out their schedule to see what they have to offer. You may be pleasantly surprised.
