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Review – Die! Sitter! Die! : Rupert (2015)

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One of my favorite short films of 2014 was definitely Downstairs. It was an extremely high quality horror-comedy that took place in a haunted art gallery. I was thrilled when I learned that the creators were already hard at work on a new short film, one that I assumed would be just as phenomenal as its predecessor. The production, which later became Die! Sitter! Die! : Rupert, kept things mostly under wraps, but I was still left waiting for this baby to be birthed. Well, mommy popped and Rupert premiered on October 20th at Screamfest and now I get to share my thoughts on this short film!

Die! Sitter! Die! : Rupert is written and directed by The Boxleitner Brothers, Lee and Sam. The film was co-produced by the brothers as well as Alex Holcomb, Matthew Laumann and Leo Matchett. Caitlin Reilly, Damille Cole-Heard and Baby Rupert star. Die! Sitter Die : Rupert – I’m just going to call it Rupert from here on out in the essence of… being lazy – follows the story of a young woman (Reilly) who is strapped for cash and strapped for patience when she’s burdened with the task of taking care of her mother who is battling cancer. After an extremely costly chemo-therapy bill, the young woman will do anything for extra money, even if it means blowing off her boyfriend of two years (Heard) to take a late night job as a babysitter. The evening starts off normally, but after strange sounds radiate from the baby monitor it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one in the house. Now, it’s play time…

Whether or not it was intended to be that way, Rupert started off like a horror film from the 80’s, not that I’m complaining. The opening score and the non-palpable feel of the film was reminiscent and nostalgic and an interesting throwback, especially during Halloween season. Unfortunately for me, as a reviewer, I lost sense of that feeling when I dived headfirst into Rupert and became enthralled beyond measure by… well, its existence. Rupert starts with a very humble beginning, no scares, no blood, no craziness… just a girl standing on the street and then getting a ride to the babysitting job from her boyfriend. But, I was hooked for some reason. Hooooooooooked! Like forceps on a crowning baby’s head. I stopped feeling the movie and started living the movie, being drawn in and investing myself in a way I didn’t think would be possible. I remember saying, “Girl, do not sit on that crusty ass couch on the street corner! Do you want crabs?! Do you want bed bugs?! What’s wrong with you!?” Why would I care so much about a fictional character? Strong acting and expert writing. That’s why.

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Being invested in the characters, both on screen and off screen, became problematic when the action and horror started going down. Cancer has taken numerous family members from me, so I know what that daily struggle is like. Can we get a hashtag? #HireBabysitterAlison? I understood where the boyfriend, Philip, was coming from with his emotions and concerns. I think, to some degree, the minimal cancer subplot will hit a lot of people in the heart strings. And, again, it’ll make you really root for them when it’s almost permanent time out. We, as viewers, will know that danger is inside the house before the lead actress does. I mean, what parent would leave their newborn child alone for an unspecified amount of time, maybe even for the entire night if the babysitter blows off the job? It’s like a big blaring alarm of distress, but Alison ignores it because she’s that desperate for money to help her mother. “Don’t do it, girl! Don’t do it! Run away!” Should you be invested in Rupert as much as I was, as soon as Alison enters the mansion your heart rate will go up several notches.

Now, one thing I’d like to rave about is a particularly genius scare tactic that was worked into the movie. At one point, Alison hears strange sounds coming upstairs through the baby monitor and it’s done in such a unique way. The cries of the baby were obscured by static in the monitor, while also contrasted with heavy footsteps and the sound of the wind. The three punch combination was chilling and was one of the best, “something evil is in the house,” reveals that I’ve seen in a long time. Very innovative, very smart, very scary. From there, I was extremely disturbed by the villain, which I am choosing to not reveal at this time due to spoilers. Having watched horror films since I was 6-years-old, it takes a lot to make me shake, but the villain in Rupert… disturbed me, genuinely disturbed me. That kind of knot in the pit of your stomach feeling. Another original design, another twist that no one will see coming! Things get even more disturbing as the villain forces Alison to do things she’d never think about doing. Forgoing spoilers, I have to say that the villain did a fantastic job. They get tremendous praise from me for doing what few others would be willing to do on camera.

Babysitters – like sorority girls or camp counselors – are a staple in horror film survivor girls. This, taking everything full circle, is the final realization that Rupert is a fantastic throwback. Rupert is going to be in my top 3 shorts of the year and it’s going to be in my top 10 films in general. It’s a disturbing, suspenseful roller-coaster. It’s filled with top notch writing, expert cinematography and some of the best acting that I’ve seen in an independent production in a long time. Just when I thought The Boxleitner Brothers couldn’t raise the bar any higher, they did! Expect to see Rupert, just one part of the filmmakers’ upcoming anthology, at a film festival near you. It’s going to make it rain awards. I can’t stop raving about it.

FINAL SCORE: 10 out of 10

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Michael DeFellipo

(Senior Editor)

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