Cutting Moments
| Cutting Moments | |
|---|---|
 Cutting Moments VHS cover | |
| Directed by | Douglas Buck |
| Written by | Douglas Buck |
| Produced by | Douglas Buck |
| Starring | Nica Ray Gary Betsworth Jared Barsky |
Release date |
|
Running time | 25 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Cutting Moments (Daybreak) is a 1997 short film written, produced and directed by Douglas Buck,[1][2] in cooperation with The New School. The film was re-released in August 2004 as part of Buck's suburban holocaust collection Family Portraits: A Trilogy of America.[3]
Synopsis
In the center of a monotonous-like subdivision, Sarah and Patrick have been living with their emotions kept isolated between themselves and their son. Patrick seems to be cold and harsh by ignoring Sarah's existence, and the affection Patrick once had for her has all but disappeared. It comes to the point that his sexual urges are manifested in his actions toward his son, Joey. Sarah is left in bewilderment when she hears the discussion of her husband and son at nighttime; she even asks herself, "What have I done?" When Sarah has run out of options for trying to bring back the spark in their marriage, she tries to do the unthinkable. In the end, Sarah ends up cutting her lips off to please her husband, which apparently does the trick; in the final scene, the two have tearful sex while Patrick cuts off Sarah's breast and his own penis.
Cast
- Nica Ray as Sarah
- Gary Betsworth as Patrick
- Jared Barsky as Joey
Recognition
Anita Gates of New York Times wrote of the film "scenes are almost unwatchable but have a curious, grotesque power", and of Buck's work, "There is a sober intelligence behind his low-budget gore, but its shrill excess drowns out the ring of truth".[1] Brian Bertoldo of Film Threat wrote that the film "brings the viewer into a nightmare of insanity and mutilation as a married couple come apart at the seams", and noting that while real suburbia horror is almost too common to be a horror theme, "What does work is the gory execution, that's not something you'll see on the 11 o'clock news."[2]
Awards and nominations
- 1997, 3rd place in Best Short Film, Fant-Asia Film Festival
- 1998, Nomination for an International Horror Guild Award
References
- ^ a b Gates, Anita (October 13, 2004). "A Sadistic Father's Legacy Cuts a Swath of Suffering". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
- ^ a b Bertoldo, Brian. "review: Cutting Moments". Film Threat. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
- ^ Kipp, Jeremiah (July 9, 2004). "Suburban Holocaust". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 2009-11-18.