Review by Peter Syslo
NIGHT OF THE HELL HAMSTERS (2006 NZ/UK) is a short film from the independent production companies Chameleon Pictures Ltd and Nimble Pictures Ltd (www.nightofthe hellhamsters.com) (www.myspace.com/hellhamsters). I admit, when I first heard the title of the film, I laughed and then I actually said, “Night of the what?!?”. But, I remembered the title and I have to say that skillful marketing like that is just one of the many talents of these filmmakers. There is no doubt about it, this is one of the best short films I have seen, to date, and it is actually one of the best independent productions that I have seen, in my career as a horror enthusiast. Though only 15 minutes long, this picture contained more positive things than a lot of full-length features do... and the filmmakers left me wanting to see more.
NIGHT... is directed by Paul Campion and is produced by Elisabeth Pinto. It is written by Paul Campion, Hadyn Green, and Mike Roseingrave. The film stars Stephanie Ratcliff and Paul O'Neill.
The storyline of the film is pretty straightforward. A babysitter named Julie (Ratcliff) and her boyfriend Karl (O'Neill) decide to use a Ouija board, on a dark and stormy night. But, even though he brought the box, he forgot the board! So, Julie crafts a make-shift board out of a child's block puzzle. Before they start, though, Karl accidentally gets bitten by one of the pet hamsters in the house. Impulsively, Julie drips the blood from his finger, onto the homemade Ouija board. They start to play, it spells out a name, and “boom” there is a flash in the hamster cage. The two find that they have awakened a spirit, by using the board, and they find that the hamsters have changed just a little bit.
NIGHT... was a great film. It had the feel of an old 1950s monster movie and it really pulled-off the wacky premise, with ease. First-off, the acting was excellent; both actors played the comedy well and they were both very genuine. Ratcliff brought out the best parts of her character without being too campy and she did so with a masterful degree of necessary subtlety. An example is the scene where she is preparing to battle the hamsters; she tapes the bottoms of her pants legs closed and it is hilarious. Even when Ratcliff was preparing to “wage war” at the very end, it wasn't “eye-rolling”, run-of-the-mill action hero dialogue. Second, the production value wasn't nothing short of incredible – if you didn't know, you would think that you were watching a large-budget production (it is that good). The cinematography is excellent, with every scene looking crystal clear and the camera focusing on what it should be focusing on; close-ups, variou s camera angles, and the perfect use of lighting really brought out the best aspects of the film. Also, the audio was clear as a bell and was a balanced mix with the soundtrack. Third, the effects were well-staged splashes of color which were a perfect complement to the outrageous material. The whole picture was over-the-top and scenes like the one where blood gushes from Karl's hamster-gnawed groin and his testicles fall out of his pants leg, made the film. There were certain instances where you could see the strings attached to props (like when the hamsters levitated), but they were in the spirit of the overall work and kind of added to the fun of it all.
Gnawing through the flesh: I never thought that I would ever write a sentence like the following: NIGHT OF THE HELL HAMSTERS was an excellent short film and every aspect of production was very well done. The filmmakers have true talent and if this is any indication of their potential, they will be a force to be reckoned with, in the arena of full-length film. I also need to say that if this was done in the U.S., I don't think that I would have liked it as much. Like SHAUN OF THE DEAD or DEAD ALIVE, it is just something in the UK/NZ brand and style of humor that makes crazy things like NIGHT... work so well. Also, horror-comedies are tough because they are not my favorite sub-genre; I tend to like my horror to be more on the serious side – it is rare that a horror comedy really “gets” me. However, I do recognize talent when I see it and the crew behind NIGHT OF THE HELL HAMSTERS are an extremely talented bunch. It's the best short film I have seen this year and I give it a 10/10.