Death to the Tinman

Apart from possibly being a tad sacrilegious, this is a truly bizarre and amazing film--one that can't really be compared to anything you've seen before (and probably ever will see). For me, this is a huge plus, as all too often films seem derivative and dull--two words that cannot be applied to DEATH TO THE TINMAN.

However, there is a serious problem with any review of this TINMAN short film. Trying to describe it is practically impossible unless you give a very, very long and exhaustive summary AND if you do this, it will spoil all the many weird twists. Suffice to say that it's an odd little fairytale that will either make you laugh or possibly make your head explode if you try to think it out too much! Believe me--this is definitely a "turn off your brain and just enjoy" short film!! Extremely creative, funny and twisted--this is one cool little film.

I've seen this piece several times and I can assure you that Ray Tintori is nothing short of a genius. Clearly he's an amazing story teller and an inspiration to amateur and low-budget filmmakers everywhere. This remarkably simple yet masterful piece and his previous short "Jettison Your Loved Ones" are reminiscent of Wes Anderson films but sport a style of their own. In addition to seeing his recently made music videos, I would love to see a Tintori directed feature film.

If you haven't seen them yet, I'd recommend Googling for both of these shorts. I think you'll find them well worth your time. I don't have enough blah, blah to say to keep IMDb's word quota happy so this is some sad filler text. Just watch the short.. dammit.

I saw this at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan and it was one of my favorite short films of the festival.

This short was great. So funny and original. It's a modern day retelling of how the Tinman lost all of his limbs, his lover, and his heart. It was wonderfully made, the acting, the cinematography, it was a really cool movie. I particularly loved the music that played throughout the film, it really added the entertainment.

You should really check this film out. It was an award winner at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. I'll be looking out for more of director Ray Tintori's films.

This short is the origin story of the Tinman from Oz (more or less) and it follows the story of Bill, a young man who becomes increasingly disliked by his peers in his small town as his success embitters and embarrasses them for their shortcomings. As he tries to live his life, they take action against him, seeing him change forever.

This is a hard film to describe but, while it is imperfect, it does engage in its oddity and the scale of the story telling. The plot is odd enough in and of itself since it follows the transformation of a normal flesh and bone man into a creature of all tin who does not even have a heart anymore. The manner of delivery makes it work though since the style suits the unusual plot. The black and white shooting style and the way the shots are framed really put me in mind of Guy Maddin and indeed the images and structure to the film does owe a debt to him I think. The pacing and the oddball humor to it did also remind me of Wes Anderson's films and this also helps the material because it keeps it moving and manages to carry the absurdity of it in this coat of seriousness and inventiveness.

It will not be to all tastes and it is inherently odd as a short, but those who like the films from Maddin or Anderson should more than enjoy this film.

Death to the Tinman (2007)

**** (out of 4)

Incredible short is meant to be a prequel to The Wizard of Oz and tells the story of how the tinman lost his limbs, his girl and his cherished heart. This short is really bizarre in its visuals but its story is quite touching and very funny. If you're a fan of the film then you should really enjoy this thing, which gives you some background on the tinman. Seeing how he lost all of his body parts, due to a curse and an accident, are very well done and the overall screenplay is just smart from start to finish.