The Brandeis Film Collective had a screening of three student-made films on Nov. 19 in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium. Those who were there know that the screening was unfortunately cut short-the movies were hard to see and hear in the crowded atrium. After repeated attempts to fix it, the projector, in one last act of rebellion, finally just broke down. The audience left, missing most of the work these student filmmakers had done. Thankfully, I got to see the movies later, and have learned that they will soon be up on YouTube. So for all those who left the screening disappointed, and those who simply didn't come, here's what you missed. The first movie shown at the event was Ben Harel's '12 Aiden Own, which was shown in its entirety at the screening, but because of the lighting, much of it wasn't visible. This obviously made for a much less coherent product, with one sequence consisting of only a blank screen with the soundtrack running due to the technical difficulties. Despite the problems during its screening, you could still get the gist of the plot. The film follows the titular character as he gradually descends into madness after meeting an old aquaintance from years before, confronting his mental problems as he begins to realize what his chance encounter really was. Even though the audience at the event was able to pick this up, they'll find upon rewatching it just how much more there was to it than what could be taken from the screening. The movie's camera effects were very well done, showing hallucination scenes and a fade-out of one character. The aformentioned 2 minutes of blank screen at the event was actually part of the elaborate hallucination, with the accompanying music working very well with the on-screen action. While there were some pieces of awkward dialogue, overall the movie was good. It's surprising just how well this was shot considering the low budget, and there were scenes of genuine drama that made up for any faults it might have had.

Second in the lineup was Strep by Max Price '11. Contrasting with Own's drama and intensity, Strep was presented as a spy comedy movie, a genre that the movie itself thankfully recognizes is ridiculous and is sure not to take itself too seriously. It follows a delinquent student who is forced to spy on a classmate whom the deans think might be a terrorist, apparently ignoring the fact that they're asking a random college kid to stop this terrorist. In the vein of great spy organizations like UNCLE and SPECTRE, STREP stands for something: the Scholastic Total ReEducation Project. The film itself is pretty funny, playing up just how stupid the school's idea truly is while being fairly well written and performed. For those of you who went to the screening and left without getting much of an impression of it, check it out again on YouTube. You won't regret it.

The final film, Alexander Goldman's '10 Friday Night Special, wasn't even screened in the Campus Center, as the projector broke down just as it was about to start. But before it broke, the audience was shown a still that promised that this one was the best of the three, something timed so well that I'm starting to think that the projector truly didn't like us on that night. I was eventually able to see it later on and can tell you that it truly was the best out of the movies (almost) shown. It was definitely the longest and largest of the three, with two separate stories that somewhat intertwined by the end of the movie. One showed a student's failed attempts to pick up a girl at a party, while the other showed a shy student's encounter with mushrooms and his subsequent trip, meeting the surprisingly lonely "Mayor of Cooltown, U.S.A." and even climbing a mountain of cinder blocks. I have to say that this was genuinely funny, with some great performances and good camera tricks and effects. It was a bit hard to follow at first but soon found its footing. Between the writing, acting and overall story, I have to say that Special was definitely the best of the night (or would have been, at least).

Within the next few days these will be up on YouTube. They not only showcase the work of filmmakers here at Brandeis but are also pretty good. Take some time to check them out.