Kevin & Steve’s Horror Movies “Halloween: Obsession” (2013)

Kevin: From indie filmmakers Nick Petito & Ron Paglio Jr. comes “Halloween: Obsession,” a 40 minute homage to John Carpenter’s “Halloween” that tackles powerful subjects such as bullying, horror movie obsession, and the effect parents and peers can play on a teenage horror fan.

Steve: This film can relate to any of the horror fans out there on a number of levels. Horror fans, can at times, feel like the outcast like the main character Marco. With slashers taking a back seat to pretty much everything, we as horror fans feel the need to defend our love. We all have had the odd times dealing with parents and kids at school and this film brings that to the front in an eye opening, yet fun way.

Kevin: As the film begins, we meet Marco (played with sincerity by co-director Ron Paglio, Jr.) as he is tortured and tormented by the teens he goes to high school with. They tease him mercifully about his obsession with the Halloween series and his family at home is even worse. They continue the torment at home and all he has to look forward to is watching his favorite “Halloween” series to pass the time away. One day Marco says enough is enough and….well, this being a 40 minute short, I don’t want to give away too many of the surprises.

Steve: The characters and acting in this film exceeded my expectations and I loved Marco’s parents the most. The back and forth between the mom and dad had me laughing out loud and the acting was spot on for the this particular film. The bullies featured in the film were also solid and acted as comedic relief as well. The acting was very well rounded for a low budget film and it was a great surprise.

Kevin: “Halloween: Obsession” is a very worthy first feature that hits on a lot of sensitive subjects while, at the same time, staying very true to the independent horror genre. It isn’t perfect, some of the sound is a bit muddled and the film is a little on the long side for a short, but it is very entertaining and I can’t wait to see what these guys do next. The passion and drive shown here is exactly what independent horror needs.

Steve: Passion in exactly what these filmmakers have and it shows. Not only did they put in the work to create a film, but they revolved the film around what they love. With a few audio tweaks and a few cuts to trim the running time, I’m sure this flick can find itself in a festival near you.