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MY SKIN/SCREAM FOR ME (40 mins)
2002/2003 Image/ Region 1
Video: Widescreen/ Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0/ Subtitles: None/ Packaging: Keep Case
Photo Gallery
Theatrical Trailer

Written & Directed by Christopher Alan Broadstone
Starring Tony Simmons

Texas-bred auteur Christopher Alan Broadstone is certainly making a name for himself in the world of independent short films. The writer/director/editor has produced several short horror tales and released them under his Black Cab Productions banner. His low-budget production company has produced a double feature DVD containing two of his most disturbing tales, MY SKIN and SCREAM FOR ME:

MY SKIN - A murderer on his vacation is threatened by the Earthly incarnation of Death itself, played by the chameleonic independent actor, Tony Simmons. Christopher Alan Broadstone displays some unique visual camera trickery and editing, bringing to mind a sort of Terry Gilliam-ish approach.

SCREAM FOR ME - A young wannabe serial killer murders a young woman. The kid doesn’t expect her lover to come barging in the door minutes later expecting sex from his girl friend. The problem is that she is now dead, and this guy is even a more dangerous menace than the kid who slaughtered her. Here Christopher Alan Broadstone uses a combination of black humor and grim payback to generate genuine tension. Actor Tony Simmons is back, this time playing the killer as a white trash Charles Manson-type who loves nothing more than to playing cat n mouse with his victim. Simmons is fairly convincing in the role allowing Broadstone to showcase the combination of cruelty and dark humor.

Both films are obviously low budget affairs, but are great reminders that you can produce quality films without a mega-budget. MY SKIN takes place inside the home of the killer and while a lot goes on to forward the plot, only one actor is ever glimpsed. The rest of the action takes place over the telephone or in the background. SCREAM FOR ME is even more minimalistic, but at least we have three separate cast members and characters. Christopher Alan Broadstone carefully films the action in a cramped and sleazy apartment, thereby creating a sense of uneasiness and confinement throughout.

Christopher Alan Broadstone’s first film, SCREAM FOR ME, was shot on celluloid. On the DVD, it is projected at approx 1.66.1. The picture quality is very good, with proper color palette reproduction and heightened depth of vision. The image capably reproduces Christopher Alan Broadstone’s frenzied lighting patterns and skin tones. MY SKIN was shot on digital video. It is presented at approx 1.85.1 and has even greater depth and detail than SCREAM FOR ME (though there is a slight ‘artificial’ look to the proceedings). And the lighting, which played such an important role in SCREAM FOR ME, is much more scaled back and subdued. The sandy color schemes are richer and more morose in this digital video short. The sound is Dolby Digital 2.0, allowing for superb ambiance and dialog across the board. Both SCREAM FOR ME & MY SKIN feature original music by Christopher Alan Broadstone, who is also a musician. Extras include the original theatrical trailers and a photo gallery for each film.

It is refreshing to see that undiscovered talents like Christopher Alan Broadstone are out there doing things the right way. That is, building up a resume of film work in a truly independent manner, and not compromising. He is holding true to his vision and not trying to please the direct-to-video snobs or the underground death metal goremongers. Broadstone is a natural talent whose best fit would probably be as a filmmaker for an anthology film (like TALES FROM THE CRYPT) or TV series (like the new TWILIGHT ZONE). Creative film visionaries like Broadstone and Dante Tomiselli are the next generation of horror auteurs.

Rating (out of 5):
Movie: 3.0/ Video: 4.0/ Audio: 3.0/ Extras: 1.5/ Overall: 3.5
- Lord Seth
http://dvdcult.com/rev_MySkin.htm