Film ReviewsSHORTS: Late Night Chills: Glasgow ChillsDec 10, 2019 Anchorage Press
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There are very few delights better than scary films and popcorn on a dark, cold night; and the Anchorage International Film Festival has just the thing-- “SHORTS: Late Night Chills”. The program of seven shorts plays at the Alaska Experience Theater. One of the short films not to miss in tonight’s program is Glasgow, a short film by Greg Ivan Smith. The Anchorage Press had an opportunity to chat with Smith about his film and his experience with the festival on his second time around. Smith’s first experience at AIFF was with “Scary Larry” in 2015, “Apparently Anchorage is my Go-To place for horror shorts”, says Smith, as Glasgow is premiering tonight.
Glasgow was shot in Middlesex School in Concord Massachusetts and the story takes place in the fictional university of Kane University which is also the backdrop to three other Smith films. The school library provides the perfect 1970s milieu for the plot, in which a group of students are researching the history of Kane University. As the students begin to discover the school’s dark history, they begin to disappear…one by one. This scenario, in and of itself is predictable—but not so predictable that the viewer can write it off, and that is when the fun begins. Smith gives credit to his sister, Valerie Palmer, for the spurring twists that Glasgow takes and that tie plot to title in the end. The joy in seeing Glasgow is that Smith builds and sustains the suspense throughout, not only that, Smith is able to seed the brains of the most critical of viewers with questions that have very satisfying answers, and whatever continuity glitch may be found in the reel is easily dismissed.
Glasgow is nicely done and delivers the look and feel of the 1970s—from Super 8mm footage to expertly handled camera work. Smith put a lot of thought on the aesthetic preparation of the place and the characters. Smith mentioned the influence of films from the 70s and his approach to ensuring that even the actors’ hair underwent the processes of the era for the sake of visual accuracy. We asked Smith why he made horror films, and he says, “I don’t always make horror films, but when I do, there is something really satisfying about watching a full house scream at the same time and you know that you’ve caused it.” Audiences are in for a treat.
Glasgow was shot in Middlesex School in Concord Massachusetts and the story takes place in the fictional university of Kane University which is also the backdrop to three other Smith films. The school library provides the perfect 1970s milieu for the plot, in which a group of students are researching the history of Kane University. As the students begin to discover the school’s dark history, they begin to disappear…one by one. This scenario, in and of itself is predictable—but not so predictable that the viewer can write it off, and that is when the fun begins. Smith gives credit to his sister, Valerie Palmer, for the spurring twists that Glasgow takes and that tie plot to title in the end. The joy in seeing Glasgow is that Smith builds and sustains the suspense throughout, not only that, Smith is able to seed the brains of the most critical of viewers with questions that have very satisfying answers, and whatever continuity glitch may be found in the reel is easily dismissed.
Glasgow is nicely done and delivers the look and feel of the 1970s—from Super 8mm footage to expertly handled camera work. Smith put a lot of thought on the aesthetic preparation of the place and the characters. Smith mentioned the influence of films from the 70s and his approach to ensuring that even the actors’ hair underwent the processes of the era for the sake of visual accuracy. We asked Smith why he made horror films, and he says, “I don’t always make horror films, but when I do, there is something really satisfying about watching a full house scream at the same time and you know that you’ve caused it.” Audiences are in for a treat.