2023 Winter Film Awards: Bloody Sunday (Part 2)

We had to continue with another post on the Bloody Sunday block because we saw so many films that it was best to break it up. The Pit and The Pendulum - A Musicabre is a musical adaptation of the classic Edgar Allen Poe story. Director Danny Ashkenasi who is a musician first based this film in the Bronx (Easter Egg here) where a desperate music composer imagining himself as the victim and inquisition surrounded by the consequences of life and death. If you know the story then this is a great interpretation. The musical elements were great as the story progresses the build-up gets more haunted. To pack so much into 30 minutes was very impressive. A good watchable film and good nod to Poe. Lobyra is a relatively short film (5 minutes to be exact!) about the grouse king who have been dormant for so long that other creatures tries to awaken the king but in the process summon something else. We were confused and lost on the plot because there was no dialogue to follow. Also no mention of the backstory which made us look lost. There were some great special effects but that's it for Lobyra.

Petunia was up next. A film about a couple viewing a house with a real estate agent and something is awaiting as they decide to get the house or not. The funniest film out of the block. Even though you don't get to see what Petunia looks like you get a idea from all the rabbit figurines throughout the house. Before the movie ends you get a sense that something horrific will happen. The performances here were too funny and the cinematography was brilliant. We will say Petunia is definitely worth its 6 minutes. The last film for us was Spoonful Of Sugar. A film about a woman who looks young for her age and addicted to LSD is babysitting for a family with a dark secret. The film produced by Shudder and directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan is a decent film with a perfect plot twist. The mind altered scenes where LSD is beautiful but there was too many sex scenes that drags the storyline down a bit. The main character who also been abused and uses LSD to cope was performed well by Morgan Slayor. The "sick" child played by Danilo Crovetti is the dark secret that have his parents concerned. Spoonful Of Sugar have some good moments but on the horror scale it's a 4 at best.