It’s always wonderful to watch something shot on film. Not that I’m a digital cinema hater, but the texture of film makes any idea just a little more watchable, a little more enjoyable, just… a little bit more dream-like. And it feels like this was the intention behind the visuals of Brooke H. Cellars’ short film Violet Butterfield: Makeup Artist of the Dead.

 

Shot on 16mm, the film perfectly replicates the look and feel of a 70’s TV show or exploitation film and the story and performances bring all the charm that comes with it. Standing head and shoulders above the rest is Michelle Colon as the title character, who feels like she was born to play this small role and breathes so much life to a character in just twelve minutes. It’s through this performance that we see snippets of this creative fantasy idea from Cellars’ mind in an entertaining, cohesive way.

 

It’s certainly not for everyone, but Violet Butterfield: Makeup Artist of the Dead casts a spell that will entrance the right audience.