#73: "this seemingly poignant premise"
Welcome to issue #73 of THIS NEWSLETTER CANNOT SAVE YOU. We’re just over here making the magic happen, one collection of short-form media recommendations at a time. I’ve been skewing toward short films lately, but don’t fret, I’m sure I’ll pivot back toward general weirdness soon enough. There’s just a lot of interesting short films out there, you know, in the whole entire world. See you next time.
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Scottovision
“Alpha 1/137” (2025) - Filmmaker Thomas Vanz returns with one of his most ambitious short films to date, an animated, abstract tour of quantum and galactic phenomena that is both liquid and crunchy, electric and soothing, jarring and mesmerizing, all at once. His usual technique of capturing fluid dynamics in extreme close-up is put to good use in a narrative-adjacent fashion here. You don’t get a story, but you do go on a journey.
“Detox” (2023) - While on a “digital detox” from social media and technology in the far reaches of Maine, a woman’s determination to avoid her phone means she misses out on some fairly cataclysmic events. These events, naturally, catch up to her. It’s a tense satire with a very nice button on it. Written by Alex Hanno and Wes Hopper, and directed by Hanno.
“Doomscrolling” (2025) - An unnamed main character, self-described as a member of Gen Z, has a panic attack in the bathroom at their doggie daycare workplace in this hyperactive animated short film. The resulting spitfire monologue is whipsmart, intensely vulnerable, and highly relatable. It’s a self-indulgent existential crisis, but it’s also accurate on every point. Written and directed by Santi MacLean.
“The Magic Suit” (1994) - In this ancient relic of a short film, our protagonist young Gibby trespasses into an abandoned factory, where he discovers hidden treasures — notably a magic suit that transports him to animated Krofft Brothers-style realms. He agrees to a friendly wager with the suit’s owner to try to gain possession of it, and hijinks, quite necessarily, ensue. Absolutely no information about this film’s history is available online; its writer/director, Tim Grabham, goes by the alias Iloobia and the film is absent from his website. But he posted it to Vimeo seven months ago without a description. As of today, it only has sixteen views. Go give it another one.
“Jupiter” (2019) - In this tense coming-of-age story, a young girl’s parents have joined a doomsday cult, expecting to catch a ride on a passing comet by transcending their mortal forms. The pressure on the doubtful girl mounts as the comet approaches, which makes for a harrowing tale. Written and directed by Benjamin Pfohl, who turned this concept into a feature film in 2023.
“Is Now A Good Time?” (2024) - Writer/director Jim Cummings inhabits the role of a marketing rep for Marvel/Disney who has been dispatched to show an unreleased Captain America movie to a young boy who is dying of cancer. Out of this seemingly poignant premise incredible amounts of satire and parody are delivered. Cummings is a whirlwind of a performer, dropping one-liners left and right at Marvel/Disney’s expense. Even ardent fans of the Marvel machine will likely find a way to appreciate the comedy here.
“Open Up That Door” (2025) - Electronic act Weval and rapper Kilimanjaro teamed up for this track from Weval’s new album, CHOROPHOBIA, a term for the irrational fear of dancing. The music video depicts a hopping party where a protagonist is afflicted by this irrational fear, and must survive a situation where everyone around him is dancing their happy asses off.
“Meal Ticket” (2024) - In roughly thirteen minutes, this short film by Wes Andre Goodrich immerses you in the life of Saint, the manager of a rising hip-hop star, backstage at an important concert, as he receives news that forces him into a deeply challenging position. At no point do you question Saint’s integrity, but the situation might be beyond his ability to thread the needle. Co-written by Patrick Nichols.
“Rachels Don’t Run” (2021) - This sci-fi short film introduces the not-unlikely concept of fleets of AI chatbots specifically designed to be companions for lonely people. Leah, a call center worker supporting this service, develops a crush on one of the callers and begins impersonating the AI agent he considers his companion. Can a real connection develop through such layers of obfuscation? Written by Steph Kwiatkowski and Joanny Causse, directed by Causse.
“Play Hard” (2024) - This excellent character study gives us a picture of the challenges and rewards of being an elite tier artist. In this case, a virtuoso jazz drummer is called in at the last minute to perform in a band supporting an elite dancer’s solo performance, creating sparks onstage and off. Written by Winter Dunn and Nicky Davis, directed by Dunn.
Exit Music
Sending you out this issue with one of my recent live sets: The Downtempo Scene, live 8.30.2025. It’s a one hour forty minute slice of the classic downtempo and trip-hop vibe from the late nineties to early aughts, a taster of the sound baked with a bit of nostalgia. If you enjoy that set, I’ve a series of three mixes in that vein which you can find starting here.
Here's the YouTube playlist with (most of) this issue's recos. Please enjoy responsibly.
Until next time, I remain your friendly correspondent, thinking of you,
ScottoScotto Moore is the author of WILD MASSIVE, BATTLE OF THE LINGUIST MAGES, and YOUR FAVORITE BAND CANNOT SAVE YOU.
See also: