Back in “the day”, which typically translates to the late 80s and early 90s for the really cool kids, the Philadelphia Eagles had a flamboyant and prolific wide receiver named Cris Carter. He’d inevitably turn up in Chris Berman’s highlights with the tag line “all he does is catch touchdowns”. After a far more productive stint with the Minnesota Vikings, CC’s career path took him to television (with a stop in Miami). Because as we all know that’s the route that some of most productive and talented people on Earth take on their journeys to fame and fortune.
There’s another CC out there with Philadelphia roots who seems to do nothing but score big time in his own right, especially when it comes to winning awards at film festivals. And considering his specialty genre just happens to be horror–which thanks to its broad appeal and favorable economics has once again become all the rage for every studio both traditional and independent, I dare say that one Colin Costello is as positioned as best as anyone you might come across to become as much of a success in his world as Carter was in his.
I briefly met him when he was discussing future projects with my ex-roommate, one of an unusually long list of invited guests that paraded through her home during what was ostensibly supposed to be lockdown–at least that’s what my far more nervous and dramatic so-called friends were telling me at the time. The only thing I caught from Colin Costello was a passion for storytelling and appreciation for the art of film and television that seemingly drove his every move. He had a batch of ideas not unlike many I’ve been elevator pitched over the years from people who were merely dreamers and fantasizers. The difference was Costello has undeniable talent–and some pretty special people who believe in him.
His IMDB mini-biography is testimony as to why my first impression was so atypically spot on:
A Disney General Entertainment Writing Program Finalist, Colin is known for creating character-driven stories with heart, humor, and an eye toward underrepresented voices, often centered on YA, teens, and women. He wrote and directed the multi-award-winning short The After Party, as well as the acclaimed genre shorts Dreamwisher, Storage. His newest short film, which he wrote and produced, Swipe, recently won Best Horror Short at the IFS Film Festival.
Last night SWIPE was the latest of his works to be showcases locally, this time at the Marina Del Rey Film Festival. The appreciation for geographic accuracy being what it is, it was naturally held in a nondescript aging venue in the heart of Beverly Hills. No worries. The short films being showcased that I saw were all worthy of accolade–all coming from both the hearts and brains of driven people who grew up fans and have both the guts and resolve to battle rejection and the system to get a few minutes of creative expression out there for the world to appreciate.
SWIPE (ably directed by Patia Prouty) is the shortest one of his works that I’ve seen to date, clocking in at a mere five minutes. Just enough time to get invested in our main character, an attractive and confident woman eschewing a lame invite for a set-up for a “night of self-care”–which turns out to be a glass of wine and a search for someone worthy enough in her high standards for physical arousal that catches her eye on a Tinder-like site. We hear ominous music and get glimpses of what might or might not be someone attempting to break in to her tidy and tony condo. She is eventually distracted enough from her fantasy quest to check out what’s happening, grabbing a surprisingly readily available kitchen knife as protection. Her hand shakes with trepidation as she heads for the front door; she then gets ready to lunge at what she believes to be her attacker. Turns out there’s no one there. Phew. Our heroine goes back to her hunkquest. We quickly learn she might have overlooked something. Fade to black.
Strong attractive women in distress is a recurring theme in Costello’s films, including his equally acclaimed and slightly longer work STORAGE that one can see on Amazon Prime Video at their leisure. It’s a theme that’s worked for the likes of Brian DePalma and Alfred Hitchcock. But Costello also has a penchant for incorporating these themes into award-winning advertising campaigns. His attempts to make a Doritos Super Bowl spot may have fallen short of inclusion in the actual game, but as you can see his stabs (pun intended) were as strong as any that actually made it in. And his touchingly adorable spot for Maision Huis Appliances entitled LEMONS was yet another recipient of the slew of Silver Telly Awards that he and his exceptionally talented partners have received in recent months. And yep, they are indeed sexy AF. (I did also mean the actual trophy.)
He’s recently completed a somewhat longer film called THE LONG DARK CLIMB which is sort of a cross between THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE and THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE. I was impressed enough to at least try and bring to him an investor with deep connections to the Chicago world he captured so accurately on a Los Angeles soundstage. That didn’t work out as I had hoped. Others were able to do what I only wish I could. That seems to be my own recurring theme of late.
I’m well aware that there are lots of fine folks out there with similar CVs and obviously bigger all-time box office returns. I’ve worked with many of them and you’re far more familiar with what they’ve done. I’ve recently mused about how a whole new generation of horror storytellers is remaking the industry. Costello’s a bit more seasoned than most of them–he actually was around when Cris Carter played for his beloved Iggles. But I’ll invite anyone reading this–especially if you’re an Gen Xer or Alpha–to compare what he’s done with what those more prominent filmmakers have already done on a minute-by-minute basis. You tell me how much of a difference in quality and ability to engage there is.
Cris Carter’s in his sport’s Hall of Fame. Colin Costello might not quite get to his own equivalent of it. But in my mind, if for no other reason than the company he’s fortunate enough to keep, he’s already in mine.
Until next time…