Herd

The only reason I am giving HERD a score of 8 is because the film is ultra cheesy, the special effects are often pure crap and the film a bit disjoint. But this is because filmmaker Mike Mitchell obviously couldn't afford more and he was rather young when he made it. Based on the budget, it's hard to believe that he's now a big-time director making huge Hollywood animated and non-animated films! Obviously this film impressed the right people!

The film begins with a terribly made scene with cows spinning up into space on a crappy fake diorama. But, it's also oddly hypnotic and fun seeing these plastic cows...which turn out to have not much to do with the story. Then the scene changes to the real world and a poor schmo has to deal with some super-annoying and super- aggressive Mormons who won't take no for an answer! Soon after ridding his home of this infestation, the unnamed hero in our story notices an alien (a puppet) running about the house. It begins smashing his appliances...all in order to build something. Where does all this go and what about the strange men in black?! Well, see it....because if I describe it you will just assume I am insane!

There is so much to love about this film. It's strange, it's funny and it's just something you have to see. I really don't want to say more because it would spoil it...just watch HERD!

This is a gem of a short! Primarily, one would think, Herd is a short about a guy who works a dead end job at a fast food joint. His life is presumably redundant until an alien begins stalking him. However, Herd is really about the decimation of planet earth by aliens, to appease the cow populous. A few scenes stick in my memory:

When the man returns home from his burger joint job, he finds soul solicitors on his doorstep. They let themselves into his home, where he promptly sprays them down with a fire extinguisher.

Also the alien is a cutie. He looks like a p***ed off kermit the frog.

Greatest cow levitation scene ever in the history of motion pictures. New uses for little bits and pieces of your household appliances, including your cat clock. How to crack an egg. Further proof that the $200,000,000 spent on Titanic was $199,995,000 more than it takes to make an outstanding movie. Herd has got it all!!

I was only introduced to this film because a buddy of mine had worked with one of the guys who worked on it. It is, hands down, one of the funniest short films I have EVER seen. If you get the chance, Do not miss the opportunity to view this movie. It is genius!

When I saw this at a short film fest in NYC, I laughed so hard tears were running down my face. You have GOT to see this movie, especially if you've seen ET, 2001 and a fair share of paranoid sci-fi movies. Vegetarians, check it out, too.