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The Horror Zine Review

Quick Shop

A Film by Martin Binder

Director: Martin Binder
Actors: Chris Stevens, Rob Hercik, Tom Dwyer
Studio: Movies by Martin
Format: 16:9 NTSC
Language: English
Release Date: First film festival screening was 04/09/2011
Run Time: 13:30
ASIN:  n/a

Quick Shop

Quick Shop

Quick Shop

A Film by Martin Binder

Review by Jeani Rector

The Horror Zine does not usually review film shorts, but occasionally there are exceptions. Quick Shop is one of those exceptions. Running at approximately 15 minutes, this film packs a lot of adventure and suspense into a small block of time.

In watching Quick Shop, it does not seem like only 15 minutes because an entire storyline is fit into that timeframe from start to finish very effectively. It is a clever film with an inventive script, and it gets a lot right. It is fast-paced, has a lot of twists and turns, and has a delightful unpredictability factor. Directed by Martin Binder, it is clearly influenced by John Carpenter's Halloween, but does not imitate it. Quick Shop is original and can stand on its own.

The film begins with a phone call in the middle of the night. A young woman is awakened in her bed, and when she answers the phone, another woman's voice frantically says, "I tried to stop him! He's coming there now!"

Originally I did not believe this sequence, because instead of calling 911, the woman hides in the closet. But then the film makes it clear that this is a dream sequence, so I became a believer once again. The Halloween influence is demonstrated effectively in this opening section and Aimee Wein is a convincing actor.

Then the film changes to two young men driving, Hunter, played by Chris Stevens, and Trevor, played by Rob Hercik, who are roommates. These two obviously have a beef with each other, since Hunter recently had a one-night affair with Trevor's girlfriend. The reason for the trip is a visit to one of the character's family.

Trevor has a need to take a leak so they stop at a convenience store, hence the title Quick Shop. Hunter stays in the car to wait. Here is the first in a long string of very clever ideas to demonstrate the film's locale: Hunter fiddles with the radio and hears a commercial about tractor sales, thereby establishing that this convenience store is in the middle of a rural spot, somewhere in nowhere.

Eventually Hunter gets tired of waiting in the car, so he decides to go looking for his roommate and enters the Quick Shop. Here is where the excitement begins in the form of suspense, anticipation, and unexpected twists. The script works; it delivers a satisfying array of chase scenes, tension, and a deliciously creepy bad guy. The best thing about this film is that I could not guess the end. And just when you think you are at the end, there is one final twist. This is a well-done film.

If there is anything negative to say about Quick Shop (besides that I wish this were a full-length feature), it would be when Trevor says, "Let's split up" when they are being pursued by the bad guy, who is played by Tom Dwyer, the convenience store owner. I have never understood why horror movies always seem to insist on that idea being inserted into the scripts, but it seems to be a common occurrence in horror films. Still, perhaps this part was necessary to establish the events that occur next.

A real positive about this film is the music score. Written and performed by Steve Davit, Chris Gordon, David Hoffman, Ray Ferretti, and Tommy Murray, the music for this film is amazingly professional, and could be found in a major Hollywood production because it is that good. It builds suspense when needed, and does it effectively, and changes your mood to whatever action is happening on the screen. Again, the Halloween influence is apparent in the music; still, it is original and is a major plus for Quick Shop.

All in all, I really enjoyed this film. I find it smart and original, and it not only held my attention but kept me on the edge of my seat. I am not sure why filmmaker Martin Binder did not make this into a longer film; clearly it would have made a very good full-length feature. But overall I find Quick Shop to be an impressive short that really works on all levels, and I anticipate we will hear more about Martin Binder in the future. He is a very promising filmmaker and I look forward to The Horror Zine's reviews of his forthcoming works.

Buy the DVD directly from Martin here:

http://www.quickshopmovie.com

About the Filmmaker

Martin Binder

Martin Binder

In 2004, armed only with The Filmmaker’s Handbook and the burning desire to bring his stories to life on the big screen, Martin Binder created a proof-of-concept short movie titled “Hellmo,” and followed it up in 2005 with a 22 minute mockumentary for his day job as a Lead Developer at a software company. In 2008 he completed the short comedy “One-Day Seminar” which screened at the Long Island International Film Festival as well as the Lancaster Area Film Festival, garnering positive reviews along the way. Shortly after “One-Day Seminar, Martin conceived the story for “Quick Shop,” and has spent the last three years bringing the film to the screen. You can find Martn on Facebook HERE.

About the Reviewer

Jeani Rector

Jeani Rector

While most people go to Disneyland while in Southern California, Jeani Rector went to the Fangoria Weekend of Horror there instead.  She grew up watching the Bob Wilkins Creature Feature on television and lived in a house that had the walls covered with framed Universal Monsters posters. It is all in good fun and actually, most people who know Jeani personally are of the opinion that she is a very normal person. She just writes abnormal stories. Doesn’t everybody?

Jeani Rector is the founder and editor of The Horror Zine and has had her stories featured in magazines such as Aphelion, Midnight Street, Strange Weird and Wonderful, Macabre Cadaver, Ax Wound, Horrormasters, Morbid Outlook, Horror in Words, Black Petals, 63Channels, Death Head Grin, Hackwriters, Bewildering Stories, Ultraverse, Story Mania, Lost Souls, All Destiny, and many others. Her novel Around a Dark Corner was released in the USA on Graveyard Press in 2009.