The Idville Collection is a 2-piece compilation of short films that explore the comical and sometimes tragic effects of allowing your base drives to override your rational thinking, as described by writer/directors Julie Keck and Jessica King of King Is A Fink Productions.

Building on King Is A Fink Productions established visual and thematic style, the Idville Collection’s Anxiety Acres explores the relationship between a kind hearted woman and her hapless husband as they venture from city life out into the country.  What makes it unique?  Anxiety Acres plays like a book-on-tape, but with the engaging visual aspect of a movie.  The film’s narration “reads” with the flow and lightheartedness of a children’s book, but tells a story relatable to by adults.  Its an unusual combination you don’t normally see, and one that elevates this short from a simple “moment in time” relationship story to something more enjoyable and creatively unique.  The nice thing about this short is that everything is visualized – be it something actually taking in place in the story, or something taking place in a character’s mind.

All in all, its a fun little short with well done visualizations (Kevin has quite an imagination!) and several cool moments.  In particular, I like the “sped up” moments(very “silent film”), the first time Kevin lays eyes on the hitchhiker(slow motion drama), and the “head meets car” stumble (laugh out loud moment).

The second film in the Idville collection is Libidoland, a short that takes the audience through the Id controlled autoerotic asphyxia fantasy of a man named Reed.  The perfect counterpart to the whimsical Anxiety Acres, Libidoland is a clearly adult themed film full of dramatic tension juxtaposed with a multitude of stylistically composed fantasy scenes sure to make you chuckle.  The combined effect has you holding your breath in anxiousness for Reed, while simultaneously enjoying the fantasies he imagines his wife Leilah in – suspense building throughout.  As the audience, we follow three separate stories entwined together.  We see Reed in reality, Leilah as Reed sees her, and Leilah as she actually is.  By separating the three parts into individual and visually discrete sections, each piece of the story evolves in a unique way.  The exceptionally done focus on Reed is shot in a manner that makes puts you on edge, nervous for his character.  The combination of warm light, low angles, and close shots makes his plight increasingly intense.  Interspersed with that we see the fantasy scenes, shot with a surreal look and fragmented memory style editing.  The third piece of the story shows us the bland reality, portrayed visually as natural and straightforward.  All said and done, the three parts work simultaneously to deliver an enjoyable and memorable experience wrapped in a 15 minute package free of dull moments.

The title of the compilation, The Idville Collection, is both creative and applicable to each film.  For anyone unfamiliar with Freud’s theory, the Id controls the most basic human instincts and desires as one component of a 3 part system that acts in unison to comprise the human psyche.   Quite a clever title for shorts that respectively deal with fear running wild and sexual fantasy.  Also important to note, both shorts have great opening sequences that catch your attention in their own fun ways, and stylistically fit the tone of their respective films perfectly.  Speaking of style, King Is A Fink Productions has developed a consistent one, something critical to independent filmmakers – to such a degree that having previously seen their short Snow Bunny, I could tell within seconds of starting The Idville Collection that this was a King Is A Fink production.  Sure, there are a few minor audio issues in both films, and a couple acting moments that feel stiff and staged – but these no-budget films nevertheless manage to overcome their flaws and deliver uniquely independent entertainment.

-Matt