Mad Ones Films: Written Review

Mad Ones Films

Written Review

Hi everyone, my name is Asaf Angel from MyIndie Productions. Welcome to MyIndie Review Vlog, the show that gives you spoiler-free reviews of indie films.

In celebration of our TWENTIETH EPISODE, today we have a special review. It is a little different as it concerns FOUR separate short films from Mad One Films, a production company founded by MyIndie featured artist Jaysen Buterin! Jaysen also wrote and directed all four films.

Thank you, Jaysen, for sharing your work with our show.

Let’s kick things off with Jaysen’s 2014 horror short, Between Hell and a Hard Place.

Two mob assassins and seemingly long-time partners, both answering to the name “Jack”, are headed for a job. Veteran assassin, Jack, portrayed by Patrick G. Keenan, has reached a point in his life where he seems to be weary of his questionable lifestyle. He finds himself wondering what may be coming as punishment for his actions.

The other Jack, played by Michael Ray Williams, an assassin of the carefree variety who is led by pragmatic thinking, is very surprised by his partner and mentor’s behavior. The two drive during a spooky night, through an area they know well as it’s been the dumping ground for the countless bodies they, and others, have been ridding of over the years. Veteran Jack’s behavior continues to bewilder the younger Jack, but not all is as it seems.

This film is shot in Black and White, film noir style. The two Jacks ride around in a classic-looking car from the early 1960’s. The dynamic between the two seems an homage to Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction characters (their appearance supports that as well) and at the same time, the overall tone gives more of a twilight zone, ominous vibe. It provides for quite an interesting experience.

Buterin manages to provide us with an intriguing viewing experience, with a simple conversation between two guys who could easily be two versions of the same person, just in different stages in life. I think that’s what I like most about the film. It had me intrigued, not just because it was a horror, but because the story itself held its own.

To sum up, even though I found a few issues that could have been tackled differently, Buterin made some fine choices and it is a very interesting and fun film. Production value is well above average and cinematography, lighting, practical and special effects are all dealt with greatly! Highly recommended!

Next one up is the 2015 horror short, Don’t Let The Light In.

Sarah, portrayed by Rebecca Larken, babysits a little boy, Jack, played by Will Garret Davis. The circumstances of this babysitting gig were a bit irregular. Sarah was hired by text message and didn’t really get a chance to meet Jack’s parents, who left before she arrived.

The evening looked to be a pleasant one as Sara shows Jack her cool and carefree attitude. As they both watch TV in the living room, Sarah takes notice to a few bump noises coming from the upstairs bedrooms. Jack playfully says it is the monsters in his room and keeps complaining that no one believes him.

Sarah chalks it off as nothing and goes to prepare Jack for his bedtime. Thing is, she doesn’t realize what she walked into when accepting this job.

Buterin gave an interesting and somewhat different spin on what you might call a ‘What Creeps In The Dark’ type horror, where the terror originates from another room, and you have a character like Sarah, who like any normal person, is completely oblivious of what is going on, as her only warnings come from an imaginative little boy.

In its nine minute run-time, Buterin was able to create a prolonged, scary vibe using more of what was off camera. Even though the premise was familiar from countless horror films, this film achieved in giving something extra to make the experience all the more scary.

To sum this one up, Don’t Let The Light In is able to convey an array of horror elements in an interesting way, while contained in a short period of time. You have convincing mystery from the very early shots in the film. You also have an unsettling vibe that remains for the entire viewing, this, more than anything, testifies to Buterin’s expert storytelling abilities. Production value is very good. Cinematography is excellent. This film was a lot of fun.

Next up is 2017 horror short, The Corner.

Babysitter Joli, portrayed by Missy Dawn, apparently finished tucking-in the kids she is taking care of. A note from their mother, guided her that she can only watch TV from a specific room in the house, as it is far enough from the bedrooms not to risk waking the kids. Joli complies even though she’s mildly disturbed by all the weird circus themed artifacts and posters in the TV room. She goes ahead and tries to make herself comfortable while watching TV, except there is a life-size clown doll sitting at the corner of the room where the TV is. A creeped out Joli covers the clown’s face with a cloth as it seemed to be staring right at her. Little does she know, her night is about to become a lot more disturbing.

This film is another display of the storytelling chops Buterin possesses. Focusing on one character, and wisely using wide lenses in carefully planned shots, has a captivating notion to it. An experienced horror fan would sense that something is up with the clown, but Buterin shows you more of the room while also showing Joli, thus letting you make a choice as to where to look, keeping you guessing where the horror is going to come at her from.

To sum this one up, no film is without sin, but what stands out the most in this one is the richness of cinematic language, Buterin was able to convey in under six minutes of run-time. Very well done!

Last but not least, is Buterin’s 2017 proof-of-concept horror short, Killing Giggles!

Tommy, played by Michael Ray Williams, who also stars in Between Hell and a Hard Place, which was discussed earlier, is a vicious killer… of clowns. His personality is somewhat of an enigma.

The short film is under six minutes in run-time, where you’ll probably be thinking that you’re about to watch a whole other scene in its excellent and brave 45 second exposition one-shot. The film continues to reveal the true nature of what’s going on as Tommy narrates, elegantly breaking the fourth wall while reassuring the viewer that he is not insane, and completely aware of how the scene might look.

Tommy declares that he simply hates all clowns and is on a quest to kill them all. He hints at a motive for his hatred, but none that satisfies our curiosity. I guess Buterin is saving the answers to the feature film he is brewing out of this gem, called Kill Giggles, to be completed during 2019.

To sum up, Killing Giggles serves excellently as proof-of-concept, from the idea to the execution and excellent cinematography.

One other person that needs to be commended for an aspect that largely goes unnoticed due to the focus on other elements, but this man’s work was just too outstanding to ignore. Ron Wasserman, who composed the original score for all four films, must be commended for an excellent job! You sir, are a remarkable artist!

All four of these films, are an undeniable proof of the abilities and cinematic vision Buterin possesses. It feels that a great filmmaker is, like the alien in the Alien movies, about to burst, and I for one, can’t wait to see what he’s got in store for us in Kill Giggles: The Feature as well as his other upcoming projects.

These four Mads Ones Films by director Jaysen Buterin get a collective 7.5/10 on the Look At Me, I’m A Film Critic scale!
You may find out more about these films, and pretty much all of Buterin’s work on the Mad Ones Films official website, link below.

This is it for our twentieth episode. Until next time, keep supporting indie film. My name is Asaf Angel, I thank you for tuning into MyIndie Review Vlog. See you next week!