Simon’s Quest (Short)
The old monsters of horror originally started as metaphors for pains and ills in the real world. Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula and the Wolf Man represented something within humanity that could sometimes never be explained, or the pain of an outsider unable to fit in. That’s one of the things writer-director Marley Jaeger does quite well in her short film, “Simon’s Quest”- she returns to that notion, and makes it work within a contemporary context of genre that is entertaining and smart.
First off all, yes, she does make reference to the NES “Castlevania” game whose first sequel shares his film’s title, but it isn’t a gratuitous plug, but indicative to the world she creates in this film. Her film begins with a cheesy commercial about humans who can take the form of the old monsters, and how the only way to interact with them is to kill them. This is the world Simon Blair (Johnny Pozzi) exists in, and it’s made his romantic life painful on the account of him being a werewolf. He has a small film crew following him (played by Talley Gale and Lucas Brahme), and they aren’t quite sure what to make of him as he swallows WAY too much Valium one night to help him sleep. He assures them that he will be fine, and indeed, he is. While he has difficulty seeing hope through the pain of what his affliction means for him, he nonetheless allows the film crew to help him out, and sure enough, he finds support in unexpected ways.
The use of genre as metaphor comes out here in some inspiring ways that are too enjoyable and surprising to share here. Jaeger is primarily interested in Simon’s journey, and that includes some unexpected places. There isn’t spectacle here (unless you want to include the hilarious commercial at the beginning), but a human story about one person trying to find a way to fit in within a society that ostracizes people like him. It’s not hard to get engaged in Simon’s quest for a normal life, nor is it difficult to be entertained by the story Jaeger is telling here.
Simon's Quest from Marley Jaeger on Vimeo.
