Abcsofdeath

When you come across films that are as ambitious in scope (26 directors all directing a short film corresponding to a letter of the alphabet) as this one, you are almost guaranteed two things: The first is that the results are going to vary and the second is that what one person likes another will hate, which is both a good and bad thing for the film.

Obviously starting at the letter A, The ABC’s of Death is a really great concept and possibly one that a studio could run each year (well it has that potential at any rate). The stories range from horrific to funny to just plain weird. There is a good selection from around the world with a lot of the current crop of horror orientated directors (Ti West, Adam Wingard, Xavier Gens to name a few).

Some of the shorts were good considering the time and budget restraints, C is for Cycle (Ernesto Diaz Espinoza) was a great example of a simple idea executed well. There were the truly bizarre like F is for Fart (Noboru Iguchi), which is all about gas but in the weirdest way imaginable and then there were some lazy entries, which really didn’t get off the ground, had nothing to say and just trying to shock for the sake of it.

There were some funny or attempted funny shorts, Q is for Quack (Adam Wingard & Simon Barrett) is in this category, the idea of the short is funny, however the execution of the short is a little off. Now, to the best of the shorts – D for Dogfight (Marcel Sarmiento) is probably one of the all time great short films, simple in approach, with social commentary and all set to a great score and in short is amazing. L is for Libido (Timo Tjahjanto) is very, very confronting but is also one the best efforts. A lot has been said about Xavier Gens’ effort X is for XXL and I’m not going to say anymore but it is one of the more splatterific, icky stories.

abcsofdeathgirl

For the average film goer The ABC’s of Death will more than likely offend every sensibility. There was no vetting of the shorts on display here and you will get everything from skin peeling, killer toilets (which is a very well done stop animation), pedophilia and animal killing (and killer animals).

Clocking in at a touch over two hours, The ABC’s of Death is a lengthy compilation but for fans of no holds barred horror, it is probably worth going to see, if only to see what you love or hate. An interesting concept that is let down by a lack of execution on occasions.

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