There’s a whole other society that exists within the one that we live in on a daily basis. It’s a society of people who work nights. And while many of them perform very important and vital jobs--like police, fire fighters, EMS crews--even more of these night workers perform more mundane tasks that are still equally important, in the sense that they keep our grand society rolling right along. And although they perform their jobs largely unseen by the general population, their effect on our lives is profound. Are you the type of person who stops by the local bakery in the early morning to pick up goodies for your office mates? Chances are, the pastries you bought were baked in the wee hours of the night by a baker on the nightshift. Abby (Andra Carlson) is one such night worker. Working at a security firm on the graveyard shift, Abby maintains an electronic vigil over the clients--promptly calling for help whenever an alarm is triggered.
If only Abby could afford the same sort of security for herself. Like all graveyard shift workers, Abby must sleep during the day. Our daytime hours are her nighttime. And yet, there’s a problem. Everyday, a bum rummages through the trash bin in the alley right outside Abby’s window. The noise he makes is distracting to the point where she can’t sleep. Feeling out of sorts, thanks to the constant lack of sleep every night, Abby finally confronts the bum one day and tries to reason with him. But by doing this, Abby unwittingly sets off a spark that will ignite a tinderbox. Produced in three days for a budget of only $3,000, Throwaway shows what creativity and talent can do when given a shot. Clocking in at just over twenty minutes, this short horror film is genuinely unnerving and packs quite a punch--something which is sadly lacking in many bigger budget Hollywood-produced horror films.
Andra Carlson is superb as Abby; giving a great performance that immediately
makes us feel sympathetic for her within the opening few minutes.
Writer/directors Brian James Fitzpatrick & Dennis Widmyer keep things moving
stylishly and at a fast clip--but, thankfully, not without sacrificing characterization. And the production values on the film are first class. The picture is clear and sharp, and the sound is very well done--to the point where I could easily hear what was being said. I came across Throwaway online, and I’m glad I did. It’s films like Throwaway that validates the existence of the internet. For the net remains a wonderful thing, as long as it gives voice to the truly talented to express their ideas, no matter how dark and disturbing they may be.
--SF
