Whirlygiggles at The Horse Hospital

Whirlygiggles at The Horse Hospital

14 March, 2011
by: Hailey Settineri

How do short films compare to live comedy? Hailey Settineri gives a new comedy film night a whirl.

I’m always wary of attending short film events. Will it be too arty or highbrow for my tastes? Will I be entertained for the right reasons? Will people shush me for digging into a bag of Maltesers throughout the screening? My worries are eased as I enter the Horse Hospital in Bloomsbury and see the name of tonight’s first film: Zombie Asockalypse. This is going to be my kind of night.

Whirlygig Cinema is an ongoing project working to expose the talents of lesser known and up-and-coming video artists and filmmakers. Run by Katie Steed and Steve Brandwood, the project encompasses a number of events, often featuring a band performing a live score. Tonight is Whirlygig’s first foray into comedy, showcasing 17 films ranging from one to eleven minutes in length.

There is no overall theme to the night (aside from mirth), so it feels a lot like a mixed comedy bill. There’s political satire in Alistair Parkhurst’s Have A Go, as a political advisor becomes involved in a mugging; ‘lost in translation’ cultural humour as a Nigerian man shares stories with filmmaker Andrew Rowe in Hippo Birdwings; even character comedy in Nick Shaw’s High Fidelity-ish mockumentary, Limited Connectivity.

Some of the films, such as Tatiana Moshkova’s animated shorts, A Squid Like Me and Big Heart, produce more ‘awws’ than guffaws, but they provide the sweet whimsy that would be easy to forget in a night like this.

The first film to really catch my fancy is Sam Jeffreys' Ham Man, and not just because I spotted my North London flat in the background (although that was pretty cool). Shot entirely in one day on a single camera phone, the five-minute flick follows a man obsessed with luncheon meat in his search for true love. From the gag-inducing idea of ham-tea to awkward social interactions, Jeffreys turns a simple (albeit bizarre) concept and makes it work.

Another highlight is Toothless, a mockumentary about the tooth fairy, who has descended into poverty since she was switched from an hourly rate to commission. Not content with making a beloved children’s character destitute, writer/director Steven Dorrington constructs a series of dark storylines around her life, including the death of a loved one, constant alcohol abuse, antisocial behaviour, and an attempt to sue Santa Clause for personal injury. Combined with some slapstick scenes of moving sleeping bodies and pantomime robbery, Dorrington creates the perfect balance of dark and light-hearted comedy

The final film of the evening receives a mixed reaction from the audience due to the touchy topic of paedophilia. Deborah Haywood’s Sis features a young protagonist who tries to impress her older pregnant sister with cute gymnastic routines. Having been ignored all day, she collects her candy-loving friend from next door and goes in search of a man who “likes children”. Despite the dark subtext of loss of innocence and the sexualisation of children, there are dozens of hilarious scenes, including the girls dressing up as the older sister and soliciting on the street, and discussing the meaning of swear words. Despite the humour throughout the movie, there are moments of awkward silence in the audience.

I suppose this is the difference between live comedy and film – when someone labels themselves a comedian, we know that what they say on stage, however perverse, is intended as a joke first and foremost. When it comes to film, we get so distracted by social messages that we forget to laugh.

As for Zombie Asockalypse, the film lived up to my cheesy expectations: gore, Thriller parodies, large-breasted female lead, and a gun-totting, wise-cracking hero – all made out of socks. Which just goes to show: comedy is funny in any form.

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Image credit: Chris Harris

Hailey Settineri