CALLOUS SENTIMENT – Vincent Grashaw

This short film has an interesting story to it. It is about a young teenager who walks past a playground one day by himself. When he does, he hears strange voices, laughter, and there’s nothing there. One day, he walks by and he see’s a man and woman playing and swinging having a fun time. The man get’s angry at the woman and pick’s up an ax from where he has hidden it and kill’s the woman. The young teenager is shocked and frightened of the sight of this. He runs home to forget what he saw. Later, curiousity get’s the best of him and he goes back, this time it’s see’s a man burying a dead woman. He run’s away back home. He goes again, a group of mean guys are beating up on what appears as a gay man and then kill’s him.

The young teenager returns again, this time a young girl hangs herself. Another time, more fighting and killing. He returns everyday as if he is watching his favorite T.V. program, but live. He also becomes almost obsessed with the playground. He has to get his “fix”, so to speak. One day, while he’s waiting for the next act of bloody violence, there’s nothing there. He yells and is frustrated by this. A man walks up to tell the boy that he is on private property and that he must leave the playground area. We see a very strange expression on the boy’s face. The next day, a new young teenager stops by the playground and begins to hear and see’s things , but this time the violent act is done by…

The actual quality of this film was hard to watch. Very bad copy of it which bothered me. However, it was a very original and interesting story and very creepy. I left the ending open because of my no spoilers rule, but I think it’ll surprise you. I think a better budget, acting, and quality of film would make this look and sound better than it did, but it held my interest and is worth your time.

RANK: 7.5/10

STARRING: Jeremy Pryer
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Vincent Grashaw
PRODUCED BY: Christina Walker
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Yasu Tanida
MUSIC BY: Luke Kaneki
EDITED BY: Sean Michael Beyer