PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Just the other day the gorgeous and incredibly talented Cindy Maples presented to me her newest short feature, 98.%. That name instantly had me interested and I couldn’t wait to check it out as Cindy was eagerly passionate about this project.
From Carriage House Productions comes a unique horror short that was directed, produced, and stars Cindy Maples along with her husband Randy James. It was written by Randy Murray and has amazing and talented crew that I’ve grown to know and love including Chelsea Casanova, Cassandra Baker, Chad Fuller, Matt Green, Kim Weber, Neil Kellen, and more.
Synopsis for 98.6%
Beautiful, independent, successful, Mel has agreed to a blind date with Bradley, a suave suitor from an internet dating site. Will the two find love, or are things not quite what they seem? 98.6%, so close to perfect, it’s scary.
In just under 11 minutes, this short delivers a unique tale on the dangers of internet dating with some interesting twists and turns along the way. It’s super fun and unique with a wonderful cast and crew.
Mel is one of the most bad-ass and surprising characters Cindy has ever played. It suited her well and she delivered a great performance that is charming, mysterious, and a tiny bit ruthless. Meanwhile her counterpart, Bradley, played by Rusty James, delivers a unnervingly creepy performance. He legit gave me the goosebumps – he may as well have been wearing a red flag on him because #predatoralert. Even my husband who was sitting in the background while I was watching this short said, “That dude is creepy.”
I also really enjoyed the musical score throughout the film.It has an edgy roughness to it that suits the atmosphere perfectly. The special effects and makeup were top notch. This isn’t surprising as the mastermind behind them is the lovely Cassandra Baker. She is one of the best FX/Makeup artists in the indie community. So, hire her folks!
I also want to point out how wonderful it is that Cindy tends to stick with the same people in her shorts and projects. It’s like a family and always refreshing to see them working their magic both in front of the camera and off. They work well together and I could tell this project was one they were passionate about. Cindy stated:
This one was around 4 years in the making. Randy Murray, the writer approached myself and Rusty to be in this right after I finished Random. One thing after another got in the way of making this film for Randy. Then while he was crew for me on E-Bowla he asked if I would be willing to produce, direct, and star in it because he had come to admire my style. I was of course honored and agreed.
I’d say that Ryan Murray has great judgment because Cindy absolutely killed it with this short.
Final Thoughts
If you love your horror shorts with some spunk and deliciously twisted turns along the way, you must check out 98.6%. It’s under 11 minutes long and worth every second of your time and we have it for your viewing right down below. Enjoy!
