Short of the Day
One man’s letter of complaint is today’s side-splitting short film selection.
As the description of The Saurus tells us, this short film is the story of “a man with a robust vocabulary” who “must write a scornful letter to an old friend.” What the description doesn’t tell us, but we learn in the film’s opening moments, is that the old friend in question is Rexall Brand Anal Ointment, and the scorn derives from a dissatisfaction with the product’s effects. What follows is an uproarious seven-minute soliloquy of loyalty and disappointment, heartbreak and uncomfortable itching.
The Saurus comes from the mind of writer-director Drew Maynard, a Nashville-based filmmaker, and was selected for showcase by a score of film festivals over the last year, including this year’s SXSW in Austin and last year’s Nashville Film Festival, where it won the Tennessee Horizon Audience Award. Aaron Muñoz stars as our droll and disaffected narrator with the posterior problems, and his deadpan delivery and flat, almost expressionless ire makes the already-absurd concept of The Saurus into a delightfully delusional experience. Caleb Dirks provides the cinematography, which creates an air of sophistication, albeit silly, and the complementary original score comes courtesy of Markus Midkiff.
Treat yourself to The Saurus, it’s a wordy wormhole of hilarity.
P.S. The tone, atmosphere, and particular humor of this film reminded me of a feature film I hadn’t thought of in a while, Sol Tryon’s The Living Wake. Check that out as well if you can get your hands on it.
Related Topics: Filmmaking, Short Films
