Why Watch? Filled with aggressively melodramatic statements about a simple logo and theme song, this short from Room 237 director Rodney Ascher is a deftly funny exploration of something that should be (and is) completely harmless. But it’s got a trick up its sleeve. Maybe it’s the hypnotic throng of the continually repeated synth theme or the queasy presentation of nightmarish scenarios, but after the laughter dies down, you really start to feel uneasy about that damned “S.”
The dichotomy is pristine – a joyous sound accompanying a slick-looking, vibrant icon matched with bizarre personal accounts of terror. Ascher and the production stick to their guns the whole way, never smirking, never winking at the audience. When aliens find this in 10 years (yeah, that soon), they’re going to believe this company’s logo really was the handiwork of Satan.
And of course you’ll want to stay through the credits for one last twist of the knife.
What will it cost? Around 8 minutes.