PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Nightmares of dark fantasy through the eyes of a child can quite be terrifying. Just look at the flying monkeys from the award-winning classic The Wizard of Oz or the wheeler creatures from Walter Murch’s ’85 follow-up, Return to Oz, starring Fairuza Balk. Ugly Sweater Party’s Charles Chudabala (read our interview with him here) dives into this creepy side of horror fantasy with his directorial debut, Nightshade.
A frightened young girl (Leah Schaefer: AbsurdTV TV series) wanders into her room alone as her mother’s voice trails behind her, telling her to go to bed. Suddenly, an evil witch named Hazel (Jenn Nangle: That Night 2018, 10/31 2017) appears from the shadows, threatening to kill the little girl’s friends, one of which is a giant bunny (Marle Schaefer: AbsurdTV TV series). However, a fairy princess (Lexi Marlene: Cold Blooded) attempts to intervene… just before the reality of the situation is revealed.
Inspired by a recurring nightmare Chudabala had when he was 5 years old, Nightshade takes on the vibe of the opening scene to Labyrinth in its short 5 minute runtime. While there’s no singing Bowie or creepy Jim Henson puppets, a child-like nightmare materialized from imagination is successfully brought to life. Attention to visual detail paired with a dark, mystical score composed by Richard Trejo (Malvolia: Queen of Screams) encompasses the dark, shadowy recesses of a child’s fearful imagination. Leading this nightmare is Jenn Nangle. As she plunges a knife into the life-sized bunny while laughing maniacally, she takes on a slightly toned down version of her demoness character from her original series, Malvolia: The Queen of Screams.
Whether intended or not, there is an added depth to this short. One may even interpret this as the artistic portrayal of the death of childhood imagination as the little girl is urged to go to sleep on her own before and after the dark fantasy unfolds.
This brief yet intriguing short makes the most of every minute, saying quite a bit in a short amount of time, perhaps even more than it originally intended. It’s clear that Chudabala has learned from his involvement in indie film as an actor and producer. Adding director and writer to his resume, he has now shown us a glimpse of talent as an artistic visionary from a whole new angle. Check out his latest endeavor, free of charge, by clicking the link below!
