LogFAQs > #929301582

49. The Jester (17 points)
Nominated by: Pirateking2000 (2/5 remaining)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLHjyGNmm5U" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzXVFw17FxU" data-time="

Importance: 3.5
Fear: 5
Snake: 8.5

It's a late Halloween night, and a man walks home alone, the streets mostly empty besides a few stragglers still trying to keep the party going. Then, the man sees him. Seemingly part of the Halloween festivities, there's also a sinister aura to the clown-masked man, someone that stands out apart from the apathetic costumer-dwellers that typically walked the streets at this time. That's the short and simple concept for the Jester, a great short-film starring a character worthy of a full-length production. The Jester's silent performance is vibrant and animated, with a menacing visage always hiding his true feelings at any given moment, ensuring you never quite get a read on him. It almost plays out like a comedy act, with the straight-man being the normal guy just trying to get home, with the Jester refusing to break character and the situation growing ever more awkward and tense until the Jester finally decides to reveal his more psychotic side. He becomes inescapable and omnipresent, but there's always this sense of class and style that goes along with his murderous pursuits. There's a weird sense of smoothness and theatrics that sets him apart from a lot of other on-screen killers, and what's also interesting is he seemingly has his own rules to determine who incurs his wrath or not. Ultimately, what I like most about the Jester is that personal factor, the fact that he gets up in your face and all but forces you to witness his magic just to see how you'll react. It's effective and quick character work for just two 10-minute pieces!
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I try in vain to slumber, my reveries gripped by violent terror. My only salvation, the shock of awakening. Something is very, very wrong here.