J.R. Bookwalter - Shocking Shorts Super 8 (Blu-Ray Video)
Shocking Shorts (Blu-Ray) - J.R. Bookwalter
Long before The Dead Next Door established J.R. Bookwalter as a cult independent filmmaker, he was learning his craft the best way possible - by picking up a Super 8 camera and making movies.
Shocking Shorts collects 24 completed Super 8 films Bookwalter made between 1978 and 1986, beginning when he was just a kid experimenting with Star Wars action figures and homemade effects. With the help of friends, neighborhood kids, classmates and fellow art students, those early experiments grew into increasingly ambitious horror, science-fiction, comedy and music shorts - essentially becoming Bookwalter's own homegrown film school.
Newly restored from 2K scans of the original Super 8 film elements, Shocking Shorts offers a fascinating look at a young filmmaker learning by doing - experimenting with animation, homemade sets, practical effects, music videos and whatever resources were available. Taken together, the films form a wonderful time capsule of DIY filmmaking and show the creative path that eventually led Bookwalter to his first feature, The Dead Next Door.
The Blu-ray also includes more than 30 minutes of outtakes and unfinished projects, filmmaker commentary, a restored music video, a Go Insane blooper reel and additional archival material.
For fans of Super 8 and independent filmmaking, Shocking Shorts isn't simply a collection of early movies - it's a rare opportunity to watch a filmmaker discover his craft one roll of film at a time.
