Born from a project by Davide Pesca, 17 at Midnight is a made-in-Italy horror anthology involving as many as 17 directors from the independent horror film scene.
Each filmmaker directed an episode lasting between three and six minutes each.
While watching, from the very first seconds one is thrown into a world of terror and horror thanks in part to a great soundtrack and drips, drops, splashes of blood that decorate the title of each episode.
- Episode frame: A man wakes up handcuffed to a chair. In front of him, a grandfather clock reads 11:43 p.m.
Directing, photography, special effects and editing are by Davide Pesca (Life, Death and Sins).
- The return of Elena: Elena prepares to receive for dinner the man she is in love with. Unfortunately, she does not know that he has other plans in mind.
Written and directed by Daniele Misischia ("Hobo" in Connections), and played by Rimi Beqiri ("Hobo") and Erika Kamese.
Episode a bit predictable (although I was hoping for it to enjoy some gory scenes here that reminded me of Torso - Bodies show traces of rape) and with shaky framing. Once again an excellent acting performance by Beqiri. Magnificent the ending embellished by the excellent make-up (Fiorinda Beneduce).
- Peep Show: A man (Fabio Nobili) enjoys the peep show of a girl (Catline Strange), who, under payment from him, strips until she is completely naked. The customer, uncontactable, keeps telling her he wants to see more.
We move on to the dark segment directed by Davide Pesca in which we witness a peep show where the beauty of the female body is juxtaposed with the horror of self-injury and self-evisceration, all accompanied by dark cinematography, haunting, hellish music, and a creepy character that give the whole thing an oppressive and bleak sense. Good make-up by the director himself.
- Venia Mortis: Luke rushes home and, distraught, telephones his shrink to inform him of an entity haunting him. The doctor reassures him by telling him to take his medication.
Episode written and directed by Francesco Longo. The story of madness mixed with reality is interesting but not exploited well here. The protagonist's rush home portends something sinister that intrigues. I expected more from the "hallucinations": the three entities do not instill a modicum of terror but border on the unintentional ridiculous. The acting evidence is poor. Good music by the director himself.
Cast: Niccolo Tani, Pinio La Rocca, Marisca Farnè, Chiara Savio, Tommaso Preda, Lorenzo Crescentini, Grazia Maria Restuccia.
- Gentlemen, good night!: locked inside a toilet, Roberto films himself to explain why he chose to make the most important decision of his life that he himself describes as "terrifying."
This short film drew so many smiles from me, both because of the director's likability and his skill in playing a completely sketchy and even bumbling character. An original episode in which irony and comic situations are mixed with a sad reality. The ending that contrasts with the sympathy of the protagonist is peculiar.
Segment directed by Roberto Albanesi and Simone Chiesa (who together directed the episode "Pestilence" in The Pyramid). The screenplay is by the two directors together with Davide Cazzulani and Roberto Bravi.
Cast: Roberto Albanesi, Simone Chiesa, Roberto Bravi, Davide Cazzulani, Marco Bassi, Luca Tung, Marco Battaglia, Andrea Fedeli.
- West 'n' Zombies: Wild West, 1864. Indian warrior Tupi is accidentally brought back to life. Ending the massacre of which he is the architect, bounty hunter Johnny Bullet intervenes.
This is a zombie western-comedy directed by Giorgio Credaro that left me a little perplexed. It is one of the episodes that I liked the least both in terms of story and execution. The special effects (Credaro) are also not great. More could have been done. The zombie-western combination I think is quite difficult, however this trial is also worth considering because it has a nice comic style. Among other things for better or worse, it leaves its mark.
Cast: PierLorenzo Zanolari, Gioele Lombardi, Jacopo Bombardieri, Andrea Ricciardi, Giorgio Credaro.
- The hand of God: A girl is stranded in an isolated place. A man starts chasing her and she, during her frantic and desperate run, meets an elderly gentleman whom she asks for help. The man takes her in.
Religion and blood in the Vincenzo Bellini episode. The episode is enjoyable, both for the story and the location. Nothing to say about the beautiful score (Vincenzo Bellini) especially in the sequence of the monk reaching the cemetery.
Episode written by Paolo Bellini and Vincenzo Bellini, and directed by the latter.
Cast: Paolo Bellini, Irene Bellini, Andrea Paoselli.
- The Malaradis: A young couple reach a forest where access is forbidden because of a local legend about a peasant who was struck by a curse. Videos documented by the two are found some time later.
Written by Simone Ciavarella and Chiara Moser and directed by the latter, La malaradis is an interesting found footage film that adds nothing new to the genre. However, it is simple and enjoyable, a good effort for Moser. Simone Ciavarella and Chiara Moser are also the performers in this short film.
- Habituation: A man (Gerardo Lamattina) nailed to a hospital bed is tormented by the continuous crying of an infant. At first worried about his health, he asks the nurse (Sara Ardizzoni) attending him in vain to look after the baby. The crying, however, does not seem to stop.
Written and directed by Edo Tagliavini (Bloodline, "The Truth about the Valdemar Case" in. P.O.E.: Poetry of Eerie), Addiction is a successful, effective episode that engages (and also tortures, but in a positive way) the viewer. Very good the protagonist forced to live an unlivable situation.
- Run whore: a young man (Enrico Brogi) during a car ride notices that a girl (Awasen) is being chased by a man armed with an axe who, however, greets him. Believing he has been dazzled
from the sunlight, the young man continues his journey.
Segment directed by Davide Cancila. Too bland episode with bad acting, considered by me the weakest in the film. The chased girl seems to be doing healthy jogging instead of running terrified because she is being chased by a maniac who by the way does not seem to be holding a weapon but a torch. Forgettable. From a director who has several works behind him one expects more.
- Tunnel: a boy sunk in his loneliness where the saddest and most twisted thoughts are born.
Alex Visani (The Pyramid) was responsible for the direction, screenplay and also the music for this short film.
Tunnel is the seemingly softer segment where the protagonist's actions and thoughts are accompanied by delicate yet melancholy music. Black and white episode, very symbolic. Hypnotic and sweetly sad.
- The flower: a little girl (MariaClaudia Chiocchetti) accompanied by an elderly lady (MariaRosa Dagostin) leaves a sunflower next to a man (Maurizio Bussolon) who has turned to alcohol out of desperation after breaking up with his girlfriend (Federica Gabrielli). Upon returning home, he notices that the flower left to him by the young girl on the street is on his kitchen table. From that moment on, the man's health seems to suffer.
Direction and screenplay by Giacomo Gabrielli. Excellent episode with a very interesting and original story that also enjoys good cinematography by Bussolon. Well directed and acted. Surprising.
– All the evil in the world: a beautiful and attractive woman (Elisa Navacchi) kills everyone she meets on Christmas Eve.
Episode written and directed by Davide Scovazzo (During death, Mixed blood). The director is talented and this short film proves it because this episode is wonderfully directed. Excellent directorial evidence, cinematography, as well as the acting evidence of Elisa Navacchi, who plays a woman who is as beautiful, refined as she is evil and bloodthirsty. Intense soundtrack. Segment inspired by Friedrich Dürrenmatt's "Christmas."
The cast also includes Enrico Luly, Luca Valerio, Alessandro Rovere, Diego Marangoni, and Mauro Riccio.
- Till death do us part: A girl is in a relationship with two brothers. However, one evening when she returns home, she will find a surprise.
This episode features taxidermy, a subject I am crazy about.
Excellent short, well directed and acted, suggesting boundless horror beyond death. Macabre, Poetic, romantic, sick and with just the right amount of splatter.
Direction and subject by Stefano Rossi, screenplay by Lorenzo Paviano and Alessandro Tentati.
The cast includes writer and cartoonist Paolo di Orazio (Splatter magazine...), along with Matteo Scaletti, Corinne Cassani, Marina Trova. The excellent special effects are by Tiziano Martella.
- Nasty Video: Two friends watch a film by Gordon King, a director who died by suicide. Unfortunately, something irreparable happens during the viewing.
Subject, screenplay and direction are by Federico Tadolini (Blood Orgy, The collector), here also acting together with Raffaele Borreca (The Collector).
I love Federico Tadolini's unhealthy and horrific ideas, which are even more disturbing here. I am referring to the film tape of course (great idea). The discourse is different regarding the quality of the realization of the short film. Black-and-white episode.
– Through Your Lips: customers of a particular club reach the place to enjoy a rare fruit.
Written and directed by Federico Scargiali. Well-packaged short film with a Cronenbergian touch. Original and surprising.
Cast: Francesco Roder, Martina Pellizer, Lorenzo Bianchini (the director of Beyond the Ford in a cameo), Lisa Petrvcic.
- The game: a girl (Elisabetta Magnani) wakes up on the icy gurney of a morgue where a person (Mauro Scarpa) is performing an autopsy on her body.
Written and directed by Andrea Malkavian. An oppressive and funereal short concludes this interesting anthology.
"The Game" unleashes death and grief. The dark photography that centers on blue only accentuates a sense of chill and detachment typical of a morgue. The noise of autopsy tools echoes mingling with an oppressive music that makes it all the more somber.
A little gem about death.
- Episode frame: It has just struck midnight and the man is still handcuffed to the chair....
I really appreciate these kinds of projects where there are countless directors participating. What I am mainly passionate about is the style that distinguishes each of them and the diversity of stories that are transposed to the screen in a short period of time.
17 at Midnight consists of 17 episodes totaling 1 hour and 46 minutes of enjoyable entertainment. To be sure, there are weaker and stronger episodes, more original and less original episodes, some where there is more effort and some where it seems less but I believe that all of them contribute in one way or another to make this unforgettable and hilarious anthology film that has nothing to envy from American productions.
Although there are countless episodes, each of them manages to be remembered.
At the end of viewing one is left satisfied.
Review by Lady of sorrow
