Linda LeThorn & the Musicbox – A Short Film Review
Linda LeThorn & the Musicbox is an extremely unusual, bizarre and unique short film. It is hard to try to describe this quirky piece of cinema, but it all works together in a highly entertaining way.
What’s It All About?
Linda LeThorn is a slightly eccentric individual. She receives a number of items in a package from her deceased Aunt Lucinda. Among the items is a music box that begins to play on its own and possesses Linda. A number of bizarre and unusual events take place including Linda opening the ‘Skin Picking Society’. One of the members of the group, Geraldine, takes an interest in Linda that forms a very strange love triangle between the two girls and the music box. Linda snaps after a phone call from an unhappy client and Geraldine takes it upon herself to try to help.
My Opinion
Meg Skaff is a special talent. This is a unique film that somehow managed to really hit a chord with me. I found myself laughing out loud at the madness I was watching unfold. Meg has managed to craft a really special character with Linda. She is an odd, eccentric and unusual person but I couldn’t help but root for her from the start. She has a real childlike innocence in everything that she does. You can’t help but laugh at some of the bizarre scenes that are playing out on-screen.
Trying to pick out a few highlights is a very hard thing to do because there were so many. I loved the scene when we are introduced to the ‘Music Box’ and then we get the bizarre, almost drug-induced, scene where Linda is dancing around with what seems like disco lighting in the background, the power of the ‘Music Box’ taking effect. The ‘Skin Picking Society’ was another off-the-wall and wacky idea that worked really well, although the spot-squeezing left little to the imagination. It did allow us to have the ‘Ghost Poop’ conversation which was another highlight. My favorite scene had to be towards the end of the movie when Linda and Geraldine start playing in the empty swimming pool on chairs with wheels. It was completely off-the-wall and absolutely brilliant.
The writing was witty and sharp with a real sense of visual story-telling that helped to progress the plot. The comedy is not always about what the characters are saying, a lot of it is to do with their actions. This is helped by great direction, which Meg has delivered to a great standard. She has a fantastic style of film-making and story-telling that is completely different to anything else out ther,e which is extremely refreshing to see. Not only do we have a great assortment of colorful characters brought to life by a strong cast but we also have excellent story for them to work with.
I loved the haunting music of ‘The Music Box’, it was very memorable and slightly disturbing. The music throughout was very fitting to the look and style of the short. I feel the Composer Insula Dulcamara has managed to produce some excellent pieces that really resemble this film very well.
Notable Cast
Aundrea Fares plays Linda LeThorn and is outstanding. I really thought Aundrea was fantastic as the title character in this short. She seems to stroll through this movie and makes it look effortless to play this odd character. How she manages to complete some of the scenes without at least breaking a smile is beyond me. Aundrea seems to have an excellent sense of comedy timing and is a perfect fit for this role.
Ashley Peoples plays Geraldine, the girl who takes a shine to Linda. Ashley gives us a fine performance and really comes into her own during the second half of this short. I think at times she must wondering with the rest of us what is going on, as she has a genuine look of puzzlement on her face at times, trying to work out Linda, which only adds to this short.
Timothy J. Cox plays Purple Green, the irate pet owner who gives Linda such a hard time. Although Timothy has limited screen time, his performance is a memorable one, partly thanks to his extremely loud wardrobe and glasses he has the pleasure of wearing during the short. His loud-mouthed tirades really helped to switch up the pace of the film.
Joseph Dimartino plays the man sweeping the street. He seems to relish his time as the sleazy street sweeper and his small part is a memorable one.
I really liked Meg Skaff making a cameo as a homeless person. Although it doesn’t really add anything to the movie, it’s these little details that people like me really appreciate. It was a fun trying to watch Meg cover herself with newspaper and making an appearance.
I was astonished by how many characters were in this short when the credits began to roll. I think this was mainly due to myself being glued to Linda LeThorn throughout the film wondering what she was going to do next.
The Verdict
I loved this short film! Everything about it really hit home with me. I thought we were presented with a fantastic set of characters, particularly the lead, Linda, who was fascinating and unpredictable. The plot was unique and unusual but very entertaining. What I liked about this movie is that it felt very refreshing to watch and had a great sense of humor. Meg Skaff has a very quirky and unique style that we really need to see more of. This was helped along by a strong cast and a stand out lead in Aundrea Fares. An overall highly entertaining affair!
