IN CINEMAS

THE BASICS
RATING : U
RELEASE DATE : 19TH JANUARY 2016
DIRECTORS: POLLOCK AND CRAN
STARS : ASHLEY MONSELL-TUCKER SAFFRON LEWIS, ANNE HARRIS, KATE
HOREY
PLOT : A BURGLAR WITH A STRANGE PASSION FOR COUPONING BREAKS
INTO HOUSES AND TAKES THE NEIGHBOURHOODS COUPONS.

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS

The title Running with Scissors film of Crans; Wheres Joey?

probably reminds most people Theres a small but brilliant moof their school days and the over ment where Robert the burglar
exaggerated story about poor lit- takes a break from it all and
tle Timothy who once ran with a turns to eating a banana from a
pair of scissors, fell on them and fruit bowl, making sure to clear
died. Honestly, it doesnt matter it up afterwards to make him
how you remember the saying untraceable, like any sensible
because this short film reinvents robber would.
it in a dynamic new way.
New refreshing faces gives the
short a lift with a certain feline
Running with Scissors is an
star stealing the show. Despite
unusual comedy. Its a sort of
Pink Panther meets Hot Fuzz being out shone by a cat, Monsell-Tucker certainly delivers a
bundle of weirdness but nevrefreshing performance and Im
ertheless, has an underlying
charm. The story itself focuses sure this wont be the last time
around a burglar (Ashley Monsell-Tucker) who has a strange
desire to steal coupons rather
than actual expensive goods.
During his journey he breaks
into a few houses. collecting up
a selection of various coupons,
leaving the house owners confused as to why their magazines
and newspapers now have huge
gaping holes in them. Its a
rather confusing concept which
can make the plot incoherent in
places but offers a light-hearted
and uniquely engaging narrative.

we hear his name. Overall, the CAUGHT RED HANDED

casting is not to be sniffed at
- i mean snipped at- and with
relatable characters we cant

help but fall into the trap of

Production originally
believing the oddly
started without Clara the fascinating tale.The shaky
cat but she soon became camera is somewhat
distracting and the short has
the main star when she
accidentally made her way reasons why it shouldnt work,
yet, its so odd and misinto shot.
matched that its originality
The banana scene was becomes its greatest asset.
improvised by the lead ac- THE VERDICT
tor with no prompt and was Running with Scissors is a chaotically brilliant take on the
not included in the script. popular crime parody and despite some school boy errors,
delivers one of the funniest and lovably ridiculous plot lines to
come out of the world of short films.

A UNIQUE CUTTING
EDGE COMEDY

LOOK CLOSER

While the laughs come in the

right places - sometimes the
wrong - I cant help but feel a
lack of a path, but sometimes
the joy of short films come from
no understanding at all.

35

Pollock and Crans idea is

brought to life and is the perfect
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
obscure comedy, maybe even a
if youre prepared to steal
dig at the crime drama gangster
UNMISSABLE

EXCELLENT

36

GOOD

POOR

TRAGIC