Friday, November 3, 2017

Terror at Station 13


Director - Michael S. Rodriguez (Lamb Feed, Lake of Shadows)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):
     A lot of my horror fans are entering what I like to call the Thanksgiving depression.  I love the holiday season.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all offer a different reason to celebrate.  Halloween allows horror fans to be more open about their love are things that go bump in the night.  However, as soon as Halloween over they often lash out at those who are looking forward to the other holidays.  Thanksgiving is a time that you get to spend with family and enjoying a great home cooked feast.  It is also another reason to watch Thankskilling.  We then move into Christmas season where you exchange gifts with loved ones, go for a snowy drive to look at Christmas lights with your kids, and watch Christmas slashers.  The horror doesn't stop with Halloween.  Recently, director Michael S. Rodriguez reached out to me with his new short Terror at Station 13.  This short was set during Halloween but work, my family, and obligations to other films prevented me from seeing it during my Halloween movie spree.  That's ok, because the horror doesn't end in October!  Thanks Michael for reaching out to me.
     The film follows a space crew in deep space where they encounter a problem with their rear cargo door.  While investigating they come across a plant like creature that they bring back to the medical bay to examine.  Things take a dark turn when the creature attacks them.
    


     Rodriguez is a fun director.  His shorts are never the same and he is constantly changing his style up on you.  When he spoke with me about Terror at Station 13 he mentioned that he had handmade the entire set.  This really intrigued me.  I love films that use handmade sets like Cannibal Flesh Riot and Giant Rubber Monster Movie.  Rodriguez was once again able to deliver a quality short that would have been one hell of a feature length film.  The acting in this one is solid.  The cast interacts well with each other and everyone has their own personality which is something I haven't seen a lot of recently.  The last couple dozen indie flicks I've seen have a hard time making their characters stand out.  The cast does a great job and makes their character stand out among the crowd.  The story for this one is light considering the film's 7 minute run time.  The film rushes by pretty quick leaving more questions than answers.  What became of the crew?  What was that creature?  Why was Jonathan Tiersten using that crazy accent?  I think what Rodriguez started would have made a great feature length film instead of a short that somewhat feels unfinished.  Finally, I loved the way this short looked.  It reminded me of the mid to late 90 sci-fi films that most ignored on VHS.  The sets looked great and so did the practical effects.  We do get a few on screen kills but they were nothing that graphic or gory.  Overall, Terror at Station 13 is another great film from an amazing filmmaker.  Michael Rodriguez is a bold filmmaker that I would love to see him turn his shorts into features.  
   

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