Video game sites are increasingly jumping into the original content battle zone. Recent examples include IGN exclusively hosting the Red Dead Redemption Machinima, and Machinima.com producing Jarret Conaway’s horror web series Bite Me (back for a second season soon?). The video-game TV channel G4 got into the action recently with 3 original horror shorts that debuted online and on TV last week. Working off classic video games Duck Hunt, Angry Birds and Mario Kart, the 3 films are goofy, scary fun, and feature the work of up and coming feature directors Sam Balcomb, Gregg Bishop and Drew Daywalt.
Full press release here. What did I think of the films? My take: surprisingly good! The films unsurprisingly do not take themselves too seriously, but the mashup of influences is pretty neat. Balcomb’s The Hunt, tensely explores two city boys hunting in a mysterious range, and features good characterization with a surprising twist. Daywalt’s Kart DriverĀ is my least favorite of the bunch, but showcases the director’s kinetic style, and leads the way in pure gross-out factor. Bishop’s Birds of Anger is an undisputed gem however, mashing up the bird-flinging game phenomenon with Hitchcock in a creepy retro-glamor spectacle that is just the right mix of terror and camp. Watch below!