Stover Hill Review

Stover Hill is a 2014 short film directed by Clark M. Smith.

A sci-fi short film that has an interesting locale and premise that just doesn’t quite find solid footing.

Capturing an alien abduction style film with the veil of a dinner party gone wrong is a unique take on the formula, but a lot of technical problems really hold the film back.

The most notable piece that does a lot to hinder the experience of the short comes down to the sound mixing throughout. The sound effects used just had a layer of compression on them that made for some hard moments that should have made the story more engaging.

Add to that some visual effects that just didn’t hit the mark either, and it really just took away a lot from the piece.

The one thing of note from the production is a genuine attempt at some higher value set ups. The nice dolly shot to kick things off at the dinner had solid implementation and there was some good blocking in play here too.

Where things become problematic, at least from a story perspective, is the odd behavior from Will in the film. Actor Mike Brayden does well in the role, but there are just too many questions about why his demeanor went unnoticed ahead of this party and why he would have been there. It was from this moment on that the plot had to power through which unfortunately just didn’t take place.

Overall, though there is a lot of talent that went into the film, the pieces though just didn’t add up to a complete package. It is always great to see indie sci-fi short films, but this is one that just couldn’t quite reach the mark.

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Cheers!

Daniel Hess

Film Festival and Award Highlights:

2014 San Diego Fall Film Festival – 2nd Place Overall

2015 Film Awards in San Diego – Best Visual Effects and Musical Score

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