Name: Rear Projection
Genre: Short, Horror
Duration: 35 min
Cast: Wyatt Zombro

This is a short film that I was given the chance to see thanks to our writer, director and star Wyatt Zombro. To give a bit of backstory, he set out to make a short by himself for a competition. Knowing that this was a short that was in genre, I went ahead to watch it for review to help spread the word about it.

Synopsis: a man is given a free rear projection TV by the family of his elderly neighbor who just passed away. He soon finds out why the family didn't want it.

To then just expand more on the synopsis, this is following an unnamed character played by Zombro. What I like is that he tells us how he came into possession of the television from the synopsis. He sets it up and works on fixing the picture. Something impressive is watching him as he configures it. The movie he is using to test it is a VHS copy of Revolt of the Zombies. Which is a sequel to King of the Zombies. I've not seen the movie that he's using to configure the TV, but my love for old cinema is partially why I was contacted.

Strange things then happen throughout the night. This TV is set up in a garage belonging to our character. Someone hits one of the overhead doors, drawing our guy to see who did it. This happens a few times. The last leaves either blood or a strange fluid on the window, along with a drop on the ground. Our character's car is then stolen. He calls the police, looking for help, but there is a hostage situation, delaying their arrival.

This night gets even more terrifying when a fancy boxcutter and a DVD is left for him. The person on it looks similar to our lead, just wearing clown-like make-up. What he wants our lead character to do is horrific.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is by saying that this is just under 40 minutes long. Knowing that this doesn't have a large budget, made quickly and by Zombro alone is impressive. It is limited in what we get, but knowing all this other information, that makes sense. He is going for atmosphere and just the eeriness of the events that happen to this character. I will say, what helps me is that the latter part of my childhood was growing up in the country. I could connect with how some nights are just creepy.

Now something I'll include here is that with short films, I tend to rate them on whether they tell a complete story or if there is more that we need. Looking at this as a competition entry, it is good, but could be trimmed for greater shock value. I would be intrigued for more. A route would be developing the cursed TV's backstory, such as what happened to the elderly family or the specter's connection to them. Did the entity look like Zombro or one of them? It would strengthen the narrative by reducing filler and clarifying the direction.

What I will say though is that the filmmaking is solid for what it is working with. It is found footage, which is taking advantage of having a low budget. That is one of the perks of that filming style. Seeing a bit more would help though. The limited effects that we get are good. Whether that is finding what is on the window of the garage or the look of this specter on the TV. I do think that the sound design, going with diegetic works. The loud bangs on the door, the car returning or just using the sound from the movie he's watching are good touches.

In conclusion, this is an impressive solo effort from Zombro, showcasing his ability to establish a chilling atmosphere with minimal resources. While the runtime is slightly generous for a competition entry, leading to moments that could be tightened, the film succeeds in its primary goal of creating an unnerving horror experience. The solid filmmaking, effective use of found footage, and excellent diegetic sound design elevate the story, leaving the viewer with a sense of dread and a compelling desire to see the cursed TV's full story explored further. It's a short film that demonstrates Zombro's potential within the horror genre.

My Rating: 5.5 out of 10.

The horror genre features stories that aim to elicit fear, suspense, and a sense of dread in its audience. Horror stories often explore themes related to the unknown, the supernatural, and the macabre, and they frequently evoke strong emotional reactions such as anxiety, terror, and unease.

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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A man is given a free rear projection TV by the family of his elderly neighbor who just passed away. He soon finds out why the family didn't want it.

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