an evening of Chris Ohlson

I’m a newcomer to this wonderful world of microcinema/short films – meaning I jumped in with two feet after my first taste of Aurora’s Slant Film Festival about 6 months ago and try to take in everything I can and apologize for my absolute ignorance most of the time.  I, luckily, have had some amazingly patient people who are passionate about sharing their world with me, you and, well, everyone really.  This evening I found out about a free little screening of some films by Chris Ohlson at a little bar/vintage store in downtown Houston, Dean’s Credit Clothing, by way of a colleague at SWAMP [side note: thanks twitter!]

I know people get tired of me telling them how amazing Houston is and all the things we have that NOBODY knows about … but SERIOUSLY?! I’ll just touch on  5 of Ohlson’s films [there were 7 tonight]…  and hope you get to experience some in your life and encourage you to follow this amazing mind in the future.  He just completed his first feature but his short films are money – amazingly progressive, disturbing and hilarious works.

1) Cremation – when I say short, it doesn’t begin to explain it.  It was about 3 min with only footage of flames and really descriptive narrative about what happens physiologically; step by step as a coffin + corpse is put into the fire.  Yep, I’ll be having very visual nightmares of burning to death.  Simple. Descriptive. Scientific and dramatic.

2) My Electric Bill – A hilarious account of a disgruntled man leaving a voicemail for his unresponsive electric company when he arrives home to find his electricity shut off.  The elevated dialogue and unnatural sound effects make this film.  I was on the floor laughing.  It’s the argument we all wish we could conjure up at these impromtu, inconvenient moments but only remember 30 min after we hung up the phone.  Or the things we only say in our head.

3) Spin Cycle – a story of a wheelchair bound man that meets a promiscuous woman in a lonely washateria.  She turns out to be a cold-hearted, inhumane mean word I won’t use here.  It opens with oral sex on a dryer – no, I’m serious. He turns out not to be wheel-chair bound. 10 min of an absolute inappropriate, dirty encounter that you giggle then drop your jaw at.  [side note: I love these short films for their ability to relay human nature effectively and objectively. There wasn't a message - or, rather, there was, but it was whatever you took away - influences, most likely, by your own experiences and not the filmmaker's.]

4) I Love You – HOLY CRAP! There were only 3 words in this 4 min film ‘I Love You.’  It was simple and the most disturbing of the night.  It was beautiful and, all of a sudden, sickening within 5 seconds. Stuck with me.  The things lifelong fears are made of.

5) Expecting – I wouldn’t write about this if I it wasn’t for the Q&A post-screening.  Given the previous films, I figured it wasn’t going to be all gravy and guessed the ending … which sucks even more when viewing short films.  Outside that I just didn’t think it was as dynamic as the other pieces.  I’m sharing it because of the process, not the product.  This 10+ min film [longest of the evening] followed a 25 yr old couple in real time as they realized they were pregnant. [SPOILER ALERT] I found out later that Ohlson filmed this entire piece in one 4 hour shot using 2 cameras and there was no script.  The actors never met or discussed the piece previously.  They arrived and were given 5 words, ‘I’m pregnant’ & ‘I’m not pregnant.’  There was, of course, lots of screaming & crying that they cut down to a 10 min film.  Like I said, I thought the backstory made the film but, overall, it wasn’t in my top pieces of the evening.

The venue is a small & a public bar.  It was free. There were probably 50 people there – I imagine 90% for the screening.  It always dissappoints me how little these gems are publicized.  And how unfortunate it is that you weren’t there.  I also know that for every 1 event I attend, I miss 10.  That’s why Houston rocks.  Any given day/evening there are 10 arts things you could do.  5 of the them you won’t see anywhere else ever again.  I hate having to chose but I more-than-love the experiences Houston has that no other city offers.  I sat outside post-screening and chatted with Michelle Mower of SWAMP – learned SO much.  Then was introduced to Chris Ohlson & some other filmmakers and those in the industry.  Never would have happened in other cities … at least, not for me, Joe-Shmo off the streets who stumbled upon this screening. MAN, am I the luckiest gal on earth or what?