In addition to having films on campus, this year several films, including the documentary Jesus Camp, were shown at Celebration Cinema in Lansing. This may give the festival help in reaching a wider audience. I love seeing the films on campus. I am a Spartan alumnus, so I enjoy the nostalgic aspect of being back on campus grounds. But parking can be a challenge for some and the classroom seats are not the most comfortable accommodations. So to be able to see some of the festival films in the comfort of a stadium-seating style theater is sure to appeal to many.

I attended the festival on Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25. The following is a synopsis of the films that I viewed. Each feature film is accompanied by a short film. This is what I love most about East Lansing’s Film Festival. Sure, you can view probably a million different short films on any number of amateur film sites. But to be able to see them in a theatrical setting is much more fun.

Short: Zombie Prom

This is a musical singing about the events of a love-struck high school rebel who plunges to his death into a vat of toxic waste only to return as a crooning zombie. RuPaul stars. I like a little camp with my zombies, but this was almost too much. Set in the 50s, the film pays homage to a time when zombies and music both were simpler. I admire the combination of the zombie genre with the musical and ultimately as a comedic satire. My favorite thing was how Jonny was labeled a rebel because he refused to spell his name with the traditional “H”, as Johnny. The use of alternating between live action and comic strip narration works really well for this story.

Grade: B

Feature: Severance
This is a horror/comedy that follows a group of arms dealers on a team-building weekend in a remote, wooded area. The film hails from Britain, the country that gave us the horror/comedy Shaun of the Dead. But Severance is a much darker horror comedy than Shaun. My favorite ‘funny’ moment is when a member of the team gets to prove his theory that a severed head is conscious for moments after decapitation. He is decapitated, his head rolls away and stops. We see him looking about; he sees his headless body; we go back to him, smiling with a look that says, “I was right.” There are several more twisted laughs like this, moments so absurdly horrific you can’t help but laugh. But Severance is more than just a gore laugh-fest. The plot of the film is good and the characters are well-defined. It also bears the mark of any truly good horror film – a significant subtext. The group of arms dealers is stalked by an anti-arms militia-type force. The audience should be wondering if the anti-arms militia is justified in their actions, considering what the weapons that the dealers sell can do. With the likeable characters, most viewers will still route for the arms dealers. But either way, Severance is a sick old good time.

Grade: A

Short: Mammals in Peril

Mammals is 6 minutes of slides over music. The slides depict various “roadkill” along the Michigan highways. At first, one might ask why anyone would show such a sick display of photos. But you should find that the answer is to bring awareness to a sad situation. Many animals are hit and then just left as they were hit. One slide shows how a paint crew came by and painted over one animal’s dead body. Imagine if we treated our pets or our family members like this. Can you fathom driving along and seeing your neighbor’s body or your dog’s body just lying in the road? You wouldn’t dare leave them like that. But somehow, society decided certain animals just don’t matter as much. Mammals brings this fact to light. Maybe with more films like this, this decision will change and we will treat all animals with greater dignity in life and in death.

Grade: A

Feature: The Death of Michael Smith

Death was made in Michigan on a budget of $541. The budget, detailed in the Q & A after the film’s screening, was mostly pizza, squibs (special effects blood bags) and tape stock. The cast and crew worked for free and the cameras and lighting were borrowed at no cost as well. This film was shown at this year’s Slamdance, a part of The Sundance Film Festival. The film has received critical acclaim and won the best feature award for the ELFF. I can see why, because of the amazing cinematography and non-linear story line. I admire the dedication of making a feature film with such a small budget. But I found the film to be extremely boring and unoriginal. The film follows the different characters named Michael Smith: a cop investigating the death of the youngest Michael Smith who is killed by the hitman named Michael Smith. We see how the choices they make lead to the situations they find themselves in. It’s a good point, but the story jumps back and forth too much between the stories. If you have a non-linear story line with multiple characters, follow all of the story line of one at a time at least. Otherwise, it’s far too disorienting. If that had been the point of the story, I might excuse this technique. But the point would have been better made with the traditional linear storyline and with better developed characters. The cop is your typical workaholic whose wife is leaving him because he works too much. The hitman is your typical “I gave up having a real life, like a family, with a wife and kids” sob story. And the slain youth is your typical ‘one bad decision gone horribly wrong’ cliché. I like the concept of the different people with the same name in an attempt to illustrate how different choices yield different situations. But Death fails to deliver anything as intriguing as this should have been.

Grade: C-

Unfortunately, I was unable to view Offshore for a second time (see reviews). But it did take 2^nd place in the festival’s competition for best feature. As always, I enjoy the opportunity to see films I might not otherwise have the chance to see. I look forward to viewing more films at next year’s festival.