Everybody loves a good appetizer, right? Nobody can resist when those mozzarella sticks hit the table. The truth is, though, we’re all just waiting for the main course. The same can be said for film. Often times, a short film acts as an appetizer for a feature film or longer format project. Matt Wisniewski’s new short, Toy Terminator, is a deranged and unique visual delicacy that we hope is a sign that the main course is on its way.
Toy Terminator is quite short and the exposition is minimal, but it tells the story of a maniacal man (expertly played by Fred Polone, who also co-wrote) who lives amongst a troupe of unsettling-looking puppets. Events transpire that lead to a strange and graphic finale pitting man against toy. If that synopsis sounds weird, wait ’til you see this thing. It’s like Sesame Street on a bad acid trip.
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What Wisniewski and company are able to achieve in Toy Terminator’s scant seven-minute run time is quite impressive. It’s weird, frenetic, gross, and absurdly engaging. The puppetry and effects (which are abundant) are reminiscent of other subversive outings like Wonder Showzen, Team America: World Police, Meet the Feebles, or even shock rock legends GWAR.
Toy Terminator is wild and a must-see for any fan of bizarre special effects and subversive cinema. If I have any complaints about the film, it’s that it’s not 10 times as long. I would happily spend a feature’s length of time immersing myself in the world that Wisniewski has created here. If this video is the appetizer, I’m at the table pounding my fists for the main course.
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