Shorts Review:Winkerland Productions

ArMe
Writer/Director:Keith Voigt Jr.
Starring: Alexander Suder
Rating:

Lust
Writer/Director:Keith Voigt Jr
Starring: April McKinley, Dylan Rhodes
Rating:

Availability:DVD available at www.toetag.biz

    Keith Voigt Jr. is someone who I hate immensely.  I don't hate him because he's untalented, or because I think he's a nasty little bloke.  I hate him, because he's nearly 10 years younger than me, and has already established himself as a voice to be reckoned with in the world of indie horror.  Look, Toetag doesn't just distribute anything.  To know that you've earned the respect of Fred fucking Vogel would be enough to make any indie director orgasmic.  All it took was a few short films, and Keith has done it!  Fuck you, good sir!  None of us old fuckers can compete with that.

    In all seriousness, though, when I first became aware of the shorts he was doing with his production company, Winkerland Productions, I was intrigued.  They looked like films made with some real passion and heart.  Plus, the few interactions I had with Keith on social media really made me like the guy.  Here was a guy who obviously really loved the genre he was a part of, and there was a great many people who seemed to truly respect the guy.  When it was announced that Toetag would be putting out the DVD, I knew it was something I was going to have to make a part of my collection.  Look, folks.  Independent horror is something I live for, and that will never change.

    So, I suppose we should start with the first short film on the set, ArMe.  This is definitely the most controversial short here.  Essentially, it's about an Iraq vet who comes home, and realizes the pressures of civilian life are far too much for him to bear.  So, he finds an arms dealer, and decides he's going to take the matters of the world into his own hands.  There are a lot of ways this short could be viewed.  Some could see it as a statement about this country's obsession with gun culture.  You could also take it as a way of showing the way war affects those who are forced to fight it.  This is definitely the most polished short in the set.  The acting is great.  There is a real abundance of style on display here.  Plus, no matter where you stand politically, this short doesn't bludgeon you with a "message."  It's just a tried and true short little burst of nihilism, and I definitely applaud the vision.

    Lust, the other main short on the set, is one that I sort of find myself preferring, even if it is a bit more rough around the edges.  This is a tale of a coffee shop girl who is absolutely obsessed with a fellow customer.  Her advances are beyond inappropriate, and one has to wonder why this guy wouldn't have found a new establishment to frequent.  Her infatuation leads to a very demented, twisted series of events that I won't spoil here.  Suffice to say, this is where you can see a lot of that classic Toetag influence.  The gore sequences in this one are excellent, and definitely help the short reach its maximum impact.  Plus, Keith knows not to skimp on the nudity.  I have to salute him for that.

    Now, the special features on this disc definitely make it worth the purchase for those who are put off by paying for only about 30-40 minutes of material.  For starters, there's an extra short film, Sandwich, that might actually be my favorite short on the set.  Before I picked this one up, Keith showed this to me quite a bit, because he knew it would fit my sensibilities.  It's a sort of existential film about a man who not only has to deal with the stresses of his day to day existence.  He also has to grapple with the intellectual ramblings of his sandwich who secretly wants to eat a chicken sandwich.  It's weird, it's funny, it's sort of brilliant.  There are also a slew of extras dealing with the other shorts on the set.  It's definitely an essential purchase if you are a fan of underground cinema.

    I would like to apologize to Keith.  I've been meaning to get this review done for some time now.  I needed to get some screeners reviewed first, and take care of various other things.  So, the week since my last review has found me getting my priorities straight, so I'm going to get back to reviewing on a more regular basis again.  I really dug these shorts, and I can't wait to see what Keith does with a feature length.  Oh, and Keith, when the fuck are you going to give in and make Play With Me already?  I've got my money in hand waiting when that day arrives.

    Until next time, my fellow freaks and weirdos...