Whenever I'm presented with a short film (whether on its own, or as part of a compilation) I try to look at it from a couple of distinct perspectives. Does this film show potential? Do these cast and crewmembers appear to have the talent that could (and should) allow them to move onto bigger and better things? I sometimes think of the short film almost as a résumé for all involved, and it's up to me (as the prospective boss) to determine if they are right for the job. If you think about it, the short film in essence holds a completely different place in the entertainment spectrum than the feature length. It can be used as a warm up for a full-length feature, or you can create your own mini-festival by combining a few shorts that add up to feature length. The short film gives off a completely different vibe than a feature, as less time is ultimately invested. Sometimes, shorts leave you wanting more and sometimes you're just glad it was as short as it was by the time its over.

You knew I had to be going somewhere with this right? Well, this brings us to FILTHY, a short film from producing/directing team Andy Lalino and John Karliss. The duo have just come out with a special edition DVD of their film which is absolutely loaded with extras. An all around impressive feat for an independently produced DVD. In the end, the film may lose points for its lack of originality, but it certainly makes up for that with its heart, loads of style, and the fact that it's delivered to us in such a neat little package.

FILTHY runs about 30 minutes, (give or take) and the story, while exceptionally basic and familiar, is still a hell of a lot of fun to watch here. It's 'Devil's Night' somewhere in Florida (the night before Halloween) and reporter Dana Diamond (Jennifer Bass) is on the scene with her cameraman Rocky (John Biebrich), in a part of town where absolutely nothing is happening. Rival reporter Jessica Alexander has it all though, people looting and getting the beat down left and right. Makes for great news and Dana is so jealous, she'll stop at nothing to top Jessica's report. Dana spots what appears to be a homeless man accosting a young lady in a shopping cart (with a hole punch no less!), so she demands that Rocky film her reporting on said activity instead of lending a hand to the poor young lady. Turns out to be just a ploy though, as the homeless man (Leonard/Christopher Brooks) and young lady (Pussey/ Krista Grotte) are both in on the scam, to get Dana back to their decrepit place of residence, which is simply...well, FILTHY.

Dana loses Rocky, grabs the camera and follows the two (Leonard & Pussey) back to their home, where Dana finds (in addition to the mess) what appears to be murdered and 'stuffed' children. Though she's still after a hot story, Dana pushes forward and is soon taken control of by Leonard, Pussey and their mother-like figure Fermentia (Sheri Lawrence). Dana is taunted, tormented, abused and ultimately prepped for a wedding ceremony (instead of a ring, one of her fingers is chopped off) - which is followed by a celebratory feast that needs to be seen to be believed. There's lots of nastiness including plenty of physical abuse, blood drinking, vomiting and there's even a monster made of raw meat (yeah, raw meat) who serves the meal by stripping himself of sirloins. Truly, the highlight of the film.

So, when you break it down, you can see where the familiarity comes into play. The dysfunctional family, the dinner party from hell - it stretches as far back as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (heck, even farther than that, but for the horror community, it's the most memorable) and has resurfaced as recently as House of 1000 Corpses. But still, if Rob Zombie can do it, why not Andy Lalino, John Karliss and crew? Strictly as a springboard, as a statement of 'Hey, look what we can do!" FILTHY really makes the grade. It's well shot, edited, lit, acted and while the 'story' is familiar, the actual dialogue is cleverly executed. Standing on its own, FILTHY is an extremely well made indie short, that showcases a plethora of raw, young talent - just waiting to move onto bigger and better things. If I had to make one complaint, it would most likely remain as only one complaint - and that would be the fact that FILTHY is just not terribly original.

Even before digging into the extras, it's obvious that a lot of care went into the presentation and execution of FILTHY. When you can look at a film, not having to dwell on its appearance, because the filmmakers make it look so easy to accomplish you can pretty much rest assured that it wasn't quite as easy as you'd think. Just like the best special effects are the ones in which the viewer DOESN'T know that they are special effects, same rules apply here. Also worth noting is the degree of 'filthiness' found within. While the title FILTHY really speaks of the state of the house that Dana winds up in, note that there is much more 'filthiness' to be found here. This is not to say that FILTHY feels overly exploitative by any means, what we are shown (not shown) is used to evoke emotion, or an expression of feeling, and the onscreen viciousness does just that. As an artistic endeavor, FILTHY never feels like exploitation just for the sake of exploitation, so kudos on that. Sure we can question the characters motivations (why would she do that?) or dwell on the fact that Dana is not a likeable character in the least (so why should we care if she gets hers?) but the fact is that FILTHY really just plays against these conventions. Buried deep down within the bowels of FILTHY, it's a morality play, and in the end - ultimately it makes sense.

Audio and video quality fare quite well. While the box states a 16X9 widescreen transfer, alas, it is not 16X9. Presented at approximately 1.85:1 FILTHY is presented non anamorphic and still looks really good. Shot on film (yah Super 16mm - film!) FILTHY exhibits a nice sharp, colorful picture on DVD with no defects or visible artifacting. The stereo sound is equally impressive with clear dialogue, music and sound effects, all cleanly balanced.

You want extras? You got extras! We'll start off with no less than 3 cast and crew commentaries, followed by an isolated music and effects track. Next up - a behind-the-scenes segment with cast and crew interactions, blooper reel, deleted scenes, alternate ending, still gallery, a trailer for FILTHY and two other indie films (Demolition Derby and Pop) and finally, cast and crew BIOS. Whew! Everything but the kitchen sink here! While familiar and unoriginal, the folks behind FILTHY put enough spunk and chutzpah behind their film to warrant it worth a look, for fans of indie horror and short films - Irish Spring, here we come!

For more info or to order vist FILTHY The Movie's official website at http://www.filthythemovie.com