The voice of Toby Wallace. The rural landscape. The man with the crowbar. And the terrible answer to the expectation of the viewer. A great short-short film. Because you feel the story and discover the old song as more than eccentric piece. The blue photography, the faces, the horse, the car , the mother and child. And the voice of Toby Wallace. And something as cold mark remaining in memory for long time after the final credit. Short, just an intense film.
4 Reviews
haunting single-take short
myriamlenys5 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
A young man, heavily tattooed, is standing in front of a field and singing "Old MacDonald had a farm". Most of the time singing involves some kind of light-heartedness but he does not seem all that happy or relaxed. What could be going on ?
An excellent short with outstanding performances, which breathes a creeping sense of sorrow and horror. Part of the success comes from reminding people that the various elements listed in the song can be less than safe and innocent. Is the young man standing in front of the field, for instance, because some irate farmer is pointing a gun at him while giving a foaming-at-the-mouth lecture about trespassing ? Does the man sing so as to give himself courage and so as to quieten angry watchdogs ? Has he been taking drugs to such an extent that he is roaming through some rural area he knows bupkas about ? Will a hapless farmer discover his corpse while harvesting ? You will get the answer - and it's going to be hard to forget it...
On a lesser note, excellent tattoo design. You really get a sense of the person involved.
An excellent short with outstanding performances, which breathes a creeping sense of sorrow and horror. Part of the success comes from reminding people that the various elements listed in the song can be less than safe and innocent. Is the young man standing in front of the field, for instance, because some irate farmer is pointing a gun at him while giving a foaming-at-the-mouth lecture about trespassing ? Does the man sing so as to give himself courage and so as to quieten angry watchdogs ? Has he been taking drugs to such an extent that he is roaming through some rural area he knows bupkas about ? Will a hapless farmer discover his corpse while harvesting ? You will get the answer - and it's going to be hard to forget it...
On a lesser note, excellent tattoo design. You really get a sense of the person involved.
Haunting
GregTheStopSign9514 November 2023
Why IS a tattooed metalhead standing by the side of a road singing "Old MacDonald"? Why is he shivering? Why does he look so uncomfortable? Is he shivering because it's cold, and he's shirtless? Is he shivering because he's coming down off something? Is he shivering because he's angered a farmer who's holding a gun on him and forcing him to sing this song as some kind of farm-related punishment?
The answer will shock you!
Sorry for the clickbait-related line, I couldn't help it. Plus, I'm not great with words so I can't really convey how good this short is, and how it sticks with you long after its 6-minute runtime is over. It really is just that good, though, and it WILL stick with you long after it's over. Toby Wallace's entire performance here is just perfect.
The answer will shock you!
Sorry for the clickbait-related line, I couldn't help it. Plus, I'm not great with words so I can't really convey how good this short is, and how it sticks with you long after its 6-minute runtime is over. It really is just that good, though, and it WILL stick with you long after it's over. Toby Wallace's entire performance here is just perfect.
One scene, but very effective
bob the moo22 September 2019
Nursery Rhymes plays out in one short which is all but the final shot. This is enough to engage me as I do like films that pull off a good one-shot with movement - much like a martial arts sequence, it feels to me like it is easier to make it if you have lots of edits, even though it can flow better with fewer. We start the one shot with the image of a topless heavy metal fan, awkwardly singing "Old MacDonald" in a field. This lasts a bit before the camera starts to move.
To say much more than that isn't right, as seeing a scene unfold and take a direction is part of the pleasure of the film. Suffice to say that it has impact, and is a good concept and delivery. Technically it is very well done, looks great, and all comes together well. The performances are easy to overlook, but they matter a great deal - and in hindsight Wallace is particularly good. Well worth a look; barely 5 minutes long but stays for much longer.
To say much more than that isn't right, as seeing a scene unfold and take a direction is part of the pleasure of the film. Suffice to say that it has impact, and is a good concept and delivery. Technically it is very well done, looks great, and all comes together well. The performances are easy to overlook, but they matter a great deal - and in hindsight Wallace is particularly good. Well worth a look; barely 5 minutes long but stays for much longer.
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