Short Films, Big Fun: A Review of Two Short Films by Exiram Productions
I got the chance to view two short films by Exiram Productions and had a great time watching them! Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to see these great shorts!
Credits Among Friends
Directed by Alexis Ramirez and Written by Stephen Olson, this comedy short is about four filmmakers who reunite for a movie night. One brings a guest, his new girlfriend. This is the sort of movie night where smart people get together to talk about bad movies – not good ones. And while their selected movie initially inspires them to discuss the concept of the male gaze. That discussion is quickly tabled when a discovery is made – one that impacts their real lives.
As someone who ran a movie night, I’m a sucker for the setting, and this short felt like coming home. A bunch of people dissecting a bad movie and laughing at its accidental charms is one of my favorite ways to spend time, and I had to laugh at the choice of the movie and its title. Funny and entertaining, I loved what this short brought to the table in humor and its meta-commentary. The movie within a movie is hilarious, and especially true-to-life (title and all) if you’ve watched a lot of similar fare.
I enjoyed all of the characters, and my only complaint was that I didn’t get more time with all of them! It felt like I was being transported back to my own movie night. The performances were familiar, and everyone felt extremely well-realized, even with the brief amount of time we had.
I liked the setting, the short used the space it had well. There were some really great shots that brought me into the narrative action, and contributed to feeling more ‘at home.’ In particular, I loved this one.
Credits with Friends is funny without being crass and charming without being trite. Well-acted and thoughtfully crafted, it left me wishing for an entire series where I could watch more meta-B movies, and hear more commentary from these folks.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what comedy Exiram makes next!
Here’s the trailer – be on the lookout for this one!
Executive Producer: Stephanie Falciano
Music Composed by: Chris Barrett
Starring: Michael Paone, Jennifer Agatte, Dustin Teuber, Dominique Alessi, Stephanie Falciano
Were-Flutter: Darkest Desire
Title: Were-Flutter: Darkest Desire
Genre: Horror
Release Date: February 1, 2023
Directed By: Alexis Ramirez
Written By / Starring: Lex E. Rojas
Music by: Joe Kowalski
This horror short features a story written by Lex E. Rojas, who also stars. The story is about Hope, a woman who finds a beautiful and mysterious necklace with a sparkling gem on her walk home. This is no ordinary walk home, and no ordinary necklace. Once held in the hypnotizing gem’s thrall, Hope is no ordinary woman. Hope’s transformation into a fearless, powerful creature sparks something anew within Hope.
The effects for the transformation scene were well-done, and I loved the entire concept of this short film. Lex E. Rojas’s throws her all at this performance. Her investment in the physical differences of her performance as ordinary Hope vs. Hope transformed pay off well, as the transformation feels emotional as well as physical. This is another short that does what short stories are meant to do – leave us wanting to see what happens next in this interesting world with Hope, a very interesting character.
Were-Flutter is currently on the festival circuit where you can catch it – here’s a trailer!
Written By and Starring: Lex E. Rojas
Music by Joe Kowalski
If you’d like to see more, then follow Exiram Productions on social media. Of course there’s a YouTube (here), their Twitter is here, Facebook is here, and Instagram is here. You can support their work via their Patreon (where you can see the latest films!). You can also follow the website, http://www.exiramproductions.com , for more updates on what they’re working on!
