Synopsis of the films within Dark Anthems Anthology

War (4 min)- A lost soldier is running through the forests of a foreign land as machine gun bursts surround him. He comes upon a small girl in the woods. Her sight reminds him of his humanity and he lowers his weapon to get her some food. Unfortunately her humanity is not as touched and he turns to face her again.

Field Day (15 min)- An abusive brother becomes so enraged by the innocent pestering of his two younger sisters, he ignores a serious injury to the youngest. Concentrating more on drinking beers and exaggerating his asthma problems, he is soon confronted by the elder younger sister. The confrontation ends in the brother gasping for breath on the floor and the sister with the power of giving him the inhaler he is desperately searching for or taking the car keys to get her younger sister to the hospital.

Sneak (8 min)- A young boy is assaulted while walking home on a winter night and can remember nothing else but the red boots his assailant was wearing during the attack. Recognizing this piece of clothing, he tracks down this person while ignoring the fresh wounds of the attack. Hiding in the assailant’s closet, the boy watches as the assailant begins to type on his computer and begins to weep. A condolence card is within view and the boy begins to feel sorry for his attacker. Suddenly, visions of his attack come flooding back and he leaps out of the closet to seek revenge. There, he learns why the boy was crying as the printer churns out a few pages.

Poor Ventilation (26 min)- The story begins with Emily, a teenage girl, trying to impress a new boyfriend by learning how to play golf. During her practices, she is constantly steeping in the defecation of her neighbor’s dog. Though she likes her neighbor, Mr. Dubesor, a slightly eccentric old man who exchanges recipes with her and who has a bizarre obsession with his roses, she can’t stand his dog, who is ridiculously dressed in a pink sweater all the time. As the story progresses, an act of infidelity upsets Emily to point of lunacy. This revelation occurs at the same moment she sits in a pile of dog waste by accident, again. The conclusion deals with how Emily ventilates her anger over her new boyfriend’s thoughtless act.

The anthology is accompanied by a appropriately eerie soundtrack by local student David Travis.

The films contain some mild violence, domestic abuse, depictions of wounds and blood, some adult language, and disturbing subject matter. They are not intended for young viewers.