Friday, October 30, 2015

Short Film Review: Judith



Happy Halloween Eve!  As we get one night closer to "The Night He Came Home", I wanted to talk a little about one of the least discussed yet most famous, character of the Halloween franchise, Judith Myers.  While Judith was the original driving force behind Michael's need to kill, she is never given a proper back story.  Not counting Rob Zombie's take, Judith gets less than five minutes of screen time in the entire franchise.  I'm not the only one who felt that she deserved better.

Kenny Caperton, owner and proud resident of The Myers House, an exact life-size replica of the infamous home of The Shape, located in North Carolina, wrote a short film titled Judith, a near 30-minute romp that elaborates on the day of her death at the hands of her baby brother.  I had the pleasure of meeting Kenny a few years back when I acquired a DVD copy of the film at the first Mad Monster Party convention in Charlotte, NC.

Acting as a reimagining of sorts, Judith (Sarah Stephenson) and her best friend D'arcy (Ana Gilmore) are getting ready to host a masquerade party in Judith's back yard.  While D'arcy is outside putting the finishing touches on the outdoor decorations, she is attacked by Judith's (in this version) teenage brother Michael (Alex Fisher).  Judith remains in the house to get herself and her costume ready when she is interrupted and murdered by her brother.

While this doesn't sound like a whole lot plot wise, the atmosphere more than anything draws you in for this short horror ride.  Fans of the entire franchise will be treated to plenty of easter eggs (including a Silver Shamrock mask!) that give the short rewatchability time and time again until you notice everything.

The DVD I own is referred to as "The Retro Cut" which mutes most of the colors as well as digitally adds grit, jumps and "cigarette burns" to give this a creepy, older feel.  Though I bought a physical copy at a convention, Judith can be seen for free via the link posted below.


http://myershousenc.tumblr.com/projects

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