The Stall

Director - Mike Lombardo
Starring - Skot Shaub, Mike Lombardo, and Tee Lombardo
Release Date - 2013
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Where will you be when the end comes?"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Most men my age would never admit this but I will.  I fucking love Facebook.  Not because I want to be nosy and read statuses from people I can barely stand as they try to impress people they cannot stand.  I like Facebook because of all the indie directors use it as a way to get their films out there for people to see.  These directors can not afford to advertise any other way.  That brings me to the Lovecraftian short directed by Mike Lombardo. A lot of the directors I have befriended were liking an image (the poster above) and it caught my eye.  The artwork is one of the best I have seen what time I've been writing reviews for indie flicks.  I really had to give them credit for that one.  I reached out to director Mike Lombardo and he sent me a link for the short.  Thank you Mike for that!
     The film follows a pizza parlor employee who hates his job but loves sideburns.  He arrives one day for his usual shift but this is no usual day.  An unusual man with a Cthulhu amulet has been asking strange questions about the architecture and so forth.  Things go from strange to shitty when the young man goes to take a dump and two men rob the place.  The strange man then calls forth an ancient evil with tentacles that slaughters everyone.  The young man is forced to hide in the stall he was shitting in because it has a warding symbol written on it to ward off the evil.

     I'm going to be honest and admit that I thought this movie would not be as good as that amazing artwork but I was definitely wrong.  The film exceeded my expectations and makes me want to beg for a sequel or some sort of expansion.  Everything about this film is top notch and will not disappoint.  The acting in this one is great but due to the short length of the film we do not really get to see what the cast is capable of.  I love shorts but this story is so awesome that it could easily be adapted into an amazing feature length.  The story is nothing original but it does have a great Lovecraftian twist.  I am a huge Lovecraft fan and I think Lombardo did a great job crafting an amazing tribute to him.  Finally, the film has a great blend of practical and visual effects, as well as, some of the best lighting effects I have ever seen.  This film's beauty rivals any art house and Dario Argento flick.  The different color lighting added to the tension and claustrophobic setting makes for one hell of a beautiful film.  Overall, this film is beautifully crafted and fun as hell to watch.  I highly recommend it!