A Horrorific Bedtime Story

A Horrorific Bedtime Story

Bruce Von Stiers

Were you read bedtime stories as a child? If so, were they funny, dramatic or were they adventurous? Did anyone read horror stories to you at bedtime?

Well, if someone read you anything from that last category, then there is a film you should check out. The film is titled Bedtime Story. Even if you weren't read any bedtime stories, this is a film that you should check out.

Bedtime Story is a short film. In fact, it is a micro short film, with a runtime of under two and half minutes.

The film opens as a woman is moving her fingers over a line of books on a shelf. She asks the little girl on the bed which story she would like to have read tonight. As she moves from book to book the little girl can't decide. But the woman picks one and settles down to read to the girl. But all is not what it seems, as someone else comes into the room. From there, the film moves to a horrific twist. A twist that is not obvious until the close of the film.

Nicole Hall is the woman at the bookshelf. She was the star of the comedy thriller VY and co-starred in the thriller I Am Lisa.

Violet Rea was the little girl. She appeared in I Am Lisa and Super Happy Fun Clown.

Kristin Rea is the person that I mentioned who entered the room. She has appeared in several short films and also appeared in I Am Lisa.

Bedtime Story was written, directed and edited by Jake Jackson. He has produced several short films, along with feature films such as Exposure and I Am Lisa. Jackson has also done special effects makeup for a whole bunch of films, including this one.

The film was produced by Jackson, along with Patrick Rea. Nicholaus James also co-produced the film and was its cinematographer. Rea has directed several short films and was the director for I Am Lisa. James has been the cinematographer for several short films and the feature film, Found Wandering Lost.

Some of the people involved in the film behind the scenes included Adriana Colina, George LaHood, Wayne Grassmann, Ashlyn Jackson, Madeline Ingram, Jesyca Hope, Dylan J. Carver and Nicole Spacek.

Bedtime Story has been nominated for Best Horror Short at the 2024 First City Film Festival. Nicole Hall has been nominated for the Best Local Actor In A Horror Film at the same festival. It was also an Official Selection at both the 2023 Hellifax Horror Fest and the 2023 Halloween Holiday Horror Fest.

Bedtime Story is one of those films where you don't get the whole essence of what's going on until the end. Then it's one of those gotcha moments. Literally. I didn't know how it was going to play out, as the tagline for the film was about evil in the shadows while the girl tries to decide which bedtime story to be read to her. Was this evil in a book, in the shadows or something else entirely? The ending was unexpected.

I really enjoyed Bedtime Story. The acting was well done, and the cinematography was excellent. The story took a benign setting and twisted it into an appealing horror tale.

At this time, I am not aware of the general release for Bedtime Story. The film has been submitted to several film festivals and will be an Official Selection at the First City Film Festival.

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